Who is a Developer?
A lot of people think, if they can write some code, they qualify as a software developer.
IMHO don’t call yourself a developer if you don’t take ownership and responsibility for solving the overall, real business/user problem.
A good developer
- understands the overall problem and its context.
- has good problem solving skills (we are in the business of creative problem solving)
- has empathy for the users and is a user and business advocate.
- takes ownership by being a part-of the team and having a sense of belonging.
- makes investment into continuous learning & improvement
[Agile and Software Craftsmanship movements has made great strives in this direction. However some Agile folks don’t get it. We can’t draw a line and say this side is business and that side is development. Its ONE team working towards a common goal. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of teams who end up creating artificial boundaries between people wanting the software and people building it.]
Anyway, having the ability to just writing some code does not qualify you to be a developer.
Almost a year ago, I wrote something more insightful: Programming in the 21st Century