In software development it is possible that a posse forms inside or across teams when people start placing their loyalty to one another above their loyalty to the customer/employer
In this post I will discuss my Lone Ranger pattern, a type of human behavior of software engineers, and the impact I think it has on its surroundings. Now the lone ranger is obviously someone who mostly operates alone. Lone rangers get the job done by themselves and are counted upon to save the day. Alas, the day needs constant saving.
In this post, I'll elaborate on what I identify as the Young Buck pattern. With my Wild West metaphor in mind, with the Young Buck I refer to the image of the young gunslingers that are just leaving home, stepping out into the big world. Usually, they are still full of high ideals and have a simplistic sense of justice. Unfortunately, their lack of real-world experience sometimes lets them get played for a fool.
There are heroes in software development teams. They are software developers that are often well respected by their peers and well known by management. They can be held up as an example for others. Shining example to all. But there are downsides...
In the software industry, the metaphor that is probably used the most for explaining things is the construction of buildings. A lot of our terminology relates to it. Building, architect, architecture, design, engineer. Unfortunately it is all too often that this metaphor falls short and doesn't really address the problem sufficiently.
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