If you want to have a successful career in software development, I have one very good piece of advice to offer: put your reputation above all else. I imagine this advice translates to other industries, but it’s certainly true in the world of software development. Here are some tips that you can use to help build and maintain a strong reputation as a developer.
Think like a user
Thinking like a user is a wonderful ability for a developer. When you add a piece of functionality, think to yourself, “How would I like this as a user?” Would you want to type in a file path? Probably not. You’d rather have some sort of browse capability that let’s you click through directories to find a file. Would you like browsing to an install directory, opening a config file, and editing XML to change a setting? Doubtful. You want to click a button or pick a menu option in the application to change settings.
I like to say that I “create software that works like software should,” and it’s all about thinking like a user. Users don’t want complicated, unintuitive solutions. They want something that is easy to use, does what it’s supposed to, and looks good. Think like a user, and create great products. Nothing will produce a better reputation than consistently producing great products!
Have higher standards than everybody else
Let’s say you–a customer–have low standards, and I–a developer–have “normal” standards. I give you an application that meets my normal standards. It has some minor bugs, but it’s generally functional. Since you have low standards, you’re probably happy with it, and we have good product satisfaction.
Now let’s say you have higher standards than me. I give you my same, normal-quality application. The previous flaws are now less acceptable, and satisfaction decreases. We get into a situation where satisfaction is mediocre. Easy-to-please customers like it, hard-to-please customers don’t.
If you hold yourself to a higher standard than everybody else, though, it’s likely that you’ll delight users more often than not. When a solution isn’t up to snuff, you need the courage and discipline to put the brakes on. Make sure it meets your standards before handing it off to others, and that brings me to my next point…
Ask for more time
Never, NEVER say development is done before you believe it is. I’ve had discussions with co-workers over the years that go like this: “Managers only care about closing projects. They don’t care about quality or doing it right.” It’s definitely true that managers care about closing projects, and rightfully so–you should, too! I don’t believe they want it happen at the expense of quality, though. If they do, they’re a bad manager, and you need to figure out how to make sure their bad managing doesn’t bring you down. I’d venture to say that 99.99% of managers and customers in the world will prefer a complete/good solution 2 weeks late over a partial/bad one delivered on time. So, when you need more time, you should ask for it.
There are some tricks to asking for more time, though. First and foremost, try to ask before you’ve actually run out of time. Everybody will be annoyed with you if they’re expecting a product on Monday and you tell them on Friday that it won’t be done. On the other hand, if you come to them two weeks before the deadline to request an extra week, it will likely be more well-received. And so comes the next trick: know how much time you need. You won’t be doing yourself favors by extending the deadline, and then extending it again, and then again. When you know you’re not going to finish on time, evaluate the work that needs to be done and estimate how much effort will be required. This will help in your explanation of why you need more time while simultaneously helping to ensure you ask for a sufficient amount of time.
Have integrity
I’m telling you that your reputation is the most important thing you have, but you should never try to protect or improve it by sacrificing honesty or integrity. If you make a mistake, own up to it, and grow from it. In fact, the bigger the mistake, the more important this becomes. Let’s say you introduce a bug that cripples your customers. Clearly, it would be better to take action, letting everybody know about the critical issue and working to resolve it, rather than letting it be discovered on its own and inevitably traced back to you! Acknowledge that you made a mistake, and do whatever you can to help make it right.
Being open and honest will earn you the respect of your peers, your managers, and your customers. Treat others as you wish to be treated. When I’m asked a question, I answer to the best of my ability, providing accurate information–good or bad–along with relevant supporting details. I respond that way because that’s the type of response I hope to get when I ask a question. If you don’t provide accurate information, you’ll soon find that people don’t care what you have to say.
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