(Original creator: bolarotibi)
Acquiring the very best development talent goes beyond having the best code developer. What skills should underpin this broadly applied term and how should one go about supporting the creative process of development
“Under pressure”…a developer’s lot
Developers and development organizations have never had it so good, or been more called upon with all the technological choices on offer and the capabilities they can deliver. But equally, they have perhaps never had it so challenging with what’s being asked of them. Given the complexity of technologies, hybrid development and deployment environments, and the high expectations and increasing demands of their clients, how can they hope to succeed? As an analyst I have had cause to write the above on more than one occasion in the last year or so. Of course one doesn’t need to look far to see the possibilities and potential from the onslaught of software and communication technologies made available today and going forward. In the hands of good developers and diverse development teams, such technologies can enable all manner of business process accomplishments occur more effectively. They can make possible, greater social collaboration and outreach for the broad spectrum of industry and market sectors. You get a sense of the power and influence that developers can help to deliver when one considers the volume and variety of data now available. By utilizing the variety of analytical facilities now available they can deliver application and services that employ the deepest insights, correlations and predictions. All of which can serve to achieve the most effective outcome. Yet, we bandy around the word developer, but what does it really mean to be a developer in today’s climate? - and how is the role evolving to meet the needs of businesses today and for the future?
Developer (de.vel.op.er)
Noun 1. A person or organization that develops something. 2. A person who grows or matures at a specified time or rate. As a general definition for those that build and deliver software applications, the above definition taken from an online English dictionary works in principle. Yet for many, the notion of software developer rarely extends beyond that of someone who simply develops software code. In reality, the term developer, when applied to software, covers a broad spread of roles with myriad responsibilities and pressures; beyond that of simply producing code. Wikipedia’s definition of a software developer speaks to that broader remit: “A software developer is a person concerned with facets of the software development process. Their work includes researching, designing, implementing, and testing software. A software developer may take part in design, computer programming, or software project management. They may contribute to the overview of the project on the application level rather than component-level or individual programming tasks…” But given the business demand for IT enabled growth, the onslaught of game-changing technology and social trends, and the general consumerization of IT, the development remit is now even broader. With the digital revolution, the diversity in communication and the high expectations of clients, is it any wonder that in today’s climate developers and the wider development team need many more strings to their bow?