On the importance of general skills vs specific technologies
April 14th, 2008
A while ago I discussed the subject of software development skills with my friend. The discussion revolved around the question of how much weight to put on specific technological skills versus general skills related to software design, algorithms, architecture and stuff.
Well, Martin Fowler has already put it better than I ever could, so you should probably just read that instead.
April 22nd, 2008 at 08:11
This is very intriguing subject, I would very much like to comment on this even though I doubt that I have very much add to the Martin Fowlers excellent writing.
Of course you have to have both, understanding of the techonology and general skills. Without technology skills you are like a car without tires – make a big noise, but not moving anywhere.
However, it’s not like old days anymore. One person very often doesn’t write the whole software and the methods the team uses propagnate through the company. Inability to absorb these methods is absolute no-go for an employee.
Personally I believe that there is a huge talent factor in software industry. Not a talent in a sense of bach or beethoven but a talent in asking the right questions and doing your homework. And I also believe that you have to have enough self confidence. There are just many people, me included, who at some point during their career were thinking that there are things I just never can understand. It wasn’t really the case, I just thought I couln’t do it and it prevented me from learning or even trying to learn.