Great Software Teams Need Both Experience and Fresh Energy
by Brian Pollack
If you needed to build a wall, would you hire a young go-getter with lots of energy and muscles or a wise mason with 30 years of experience?
Honestly, you need both. Tech teams especially need a mix of senior developers and leads who have seen all of the things that can go wrong. In my humble opinion, 90% of coding is knowing how to handle the "unhappy path." Anyone who has been in IT long enough knows that no matter how you imagined users using your app, tool, or system, they will find a different way.
Your team also needs go-getters who are not stuck in old patterns. Software is constantly evolving and there is something to be said for fresh eyes and the energy to try new tools and libraries. After all, 90% of coding is choosing the right framework or platform from the start.
Experienced senior developers can connect the dots between what the client is asking for and what they really should be asking for. This is critical because 90% of coding is making sure you have good requirements.
Fresh developers are still excited and spend time building their own projects, testing libraries, learning from blogs and YouTube. Fresh developers don't mind writing all the plumbing code that we all know makes up about 90% of the code base.
Every team needs a mix of experience and enthusiasm. Make sure yours is balanced. And if you happen to know anyone good at estimating projects, that's 90% of coding and I still haven't figured it out.
Have questions about software development, AI, or turning an idea into a reliable product? Schedule a call with me. I’m always happy to share what I’ve learned and discuss what might work for your situation.
Originally published on Protovate.AI
Protovate builds practical AI-powered software for complex, real-world environments. Led by Brian Pollack and a global team with more than 30 years of experience, Protovate helps organizations innovate responsibly, improve efficiency, and turn emerging technology into solutions that deliver measurable impact.
Over the decades, the Protovate team has worked with organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Walmart, Covidien, Singtel, LG, Yahoo, and Lowe’s.
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