Are You a Carpenter?

Hi,

What distinguishes a software developer from a carpenter?

The carpenter produces furniture. The developer creates software.

Imagine you go to a carpenter. You enter the workshop, see various materials, tools, finished and unfinished pieces of furniture. The foreman approaches you.

He asks you about your preferences. You want a table. With an inset plexiglass top. For outdoor use.

Matching your preferences and with his expertise, he selects the right wood. For outdoor use, it needs to be a weather-resistant material. It shouldn’t warp significantly to prevent the inset top from breaking.

He tailors his solution to meet your requirements.

We software developers do the same. Before we write a line of code, we conduct interviews. We talk to the stakeholders. What is the product’s vision? What purpose does it serve? Who interacts with the system? What are the decisive quality features?

And then? The carpenter picks up his tools. But not just any tools. He goes for the best ones. Because the carpenter knows that he does better work with a plane that fits well in his hand. And it doesn’t have to be the same for everyone. No - it has to fit him.

Here, the parallel often ends. Have you ever thought about your suitable tools?

In many companies, uniform hardware is issued. Everyone gets the same computer. The same keyboard. The same mouse. And the same monitor.

That’s a missed opportunity.

At the beginning of the year, I finally bought myself a mechanical keyboard. The Keychron S1. With Brown switches, low profile, and ANSI US layout.

And voila! What a difference. No more cramped hands. Clear feedback with every keystroke. No slipping on the desk. A completely different feeling.

After that experience, the Magic Mouse had to make way for the Logitech MX Master. Same result.

The tool you use makes a difference. You will enjoy it. It’s a great feeling.

In this sense.

Rule the Backend,

~ Marcus