"Beyond that?" I say. "Into management," they sometimes answer. Other times they claim to be architects. "And would you be capable of being a really great developer or aren't you that talented?" I sometimes want to say. Why? Because there seems to be some crazy belief that you pay your dues as a developer and that you then move-on-up and away as quickly as possible.

Sad, I say. Because it takes brains, bandwidth, time and multiple projects to build a great developer. Maybe that's why they often get more respect and are paid more than Project Managers and Architects.

And, GET THIS, EMC is hosting a "D6 Developers' Challenge" and giving away $100K in prizes, $50K to the winner!

For more information go: HERE

Another thing to consider is what a developer does Vs. what a programmer does. Consider what Eric Sink the author of The Business of Software says:
"A programmer is someone who does nothing but code new features and (if you're lucky) fix bugs. They don't write specs. They don't write automated test cases. They don't help keep the automated build system up to date. They don't help customers work out tough problems. They don't help write documentation. They don't help with testing. They don't even read code. All they do is write new code. In a small ISV, you don't want any of these people in your company.

Instead of "programmers" (people that specialize in writing code), what you need are "developers" (people who will contribute in multiple ways to make the product successful)."

So, maybe I've been talking to programmers and mistaking them for developers. Maybe the programmers I approached are like the typists of the old days who aspired to be managers of typing pools. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be a manager who can manage customer expectations and motivate the workforce to meet them on time and on budget. In fact great managers are rare too.

But great developers are more like writers or artists who enlighten; they create new and more informed "lenses" through which their users experience the world. And, they're eligible to win $100K in prizes!

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