It's not my job to write documentation
Software developers only write code. Or do they?“I’m a software developer. It’s not my job to write documentation. It’s my job to write code.”
But is it? Really?
I hate to break it to you, but nobody actually wants your code.
“You know what I really need today? MORE CODE!” said nobody. Ever.
Code is a liability.
The software industry doesn’t sell code. It sells solutions to problems. And when all other means fall short, it uses code to solve those problems. And ideally as little as possible.
So are you in the business of creating liabilities? Or are you in the business of solving problems?
No doubt you can find companies willing to hire you only to write code. They aren’t very fun companies to work for. They don’t value your creative abilities. But they do exist.
But the good companies want problem solvers.
Related Content
Solve Every Problem Twice
One habit that I think every software developer, if not practically every professional in any field, can benefit from is that of solving every problem twice. Watch my video on this topic, too! I remember first reading about a similar concept in Joel Spolsky’s blog, Joel on Software, where he wrote back in 2007: Fix everything two ways Almost every tech support problem has two solutions. The superficial and immediate solution is just to solve the customer’s problem.
How my blog helped me earn $250,000+
I know of no better way to leave a positive impression, earlier in the candidate search process, than simply having a blog.