Real work

1/7 Many programmers think of all activities that are not coding as "not real work". Meetings, documenting, even modelling on a whiteboard.

— Mathias Verraes (@mathiasverraes) January 5, 2017

2/7 When the programmer needs to interrupt a coding session to coach a junior, or peer review code, it's "an interruption from real work".

— Mathias Verraes (@mathiasverraes) January 5, 2017

3/7 When in a meeting it's decided that the million dollar problem can be solved with two spreadsheets and some duct tape, it's "not work".

— Mathias Verraes (@mathiasverraes) January 5, 2017

4/7 Guess what kind of solutions the programmer will come up with when invited in a meeting? Right, solutions involving programming.

— Mathias Verraes (@mathiasverraes) January 5, 2017

5/7 And of course, problems with that code will be solved with ever more programming. "One bad programmer can easily create 10 jobs/year".

— Mathias Verraes (@mathiasverraes) January 5, 2017

6/7 This is why I reject the "Always Be Coding" mindset. Instead of just building, spend time on retrospection on what & how to build.

— Mathias Verraes (@mathiasverraes) January 5, 2017

7/7 Change the definition of "real work" in order to get better work. "Always Be Coding" is monoculture.

— Mathias Verraes (@mathiasverraes) January 5, 2017