Comment by sfpotter
7 hours ago
Alternatively, consider being an idealistic programmer!
- Fall in love with a single topic, regardless of how trendy.
- Learn as much as you can about it.
- Keep learning about it.
- Learn about it some more.
- Spend years of your life doing nothing but breathing and thinking about this one topic.
- Let fads and fashion pass you by.
- Don't settle for good enough. Try to build the best version possible.
- Choose where you work based on your ability to reach staggering new heights with this one topic, and disregard whether it seems like an amazing CV line item.
- Fail to even notice fads and fashions passing you by.
- Become a master.
Redundancy groups are full of idealists.
It's ok to be passionate about a topic, but also understand if that topic is still relevant in 3-5 years.
Being an idealist doesn't excuse you from being a realist.
I get you're comparing philosophies but none of those suggestions are mutually exclusive to the lessons taught in this book.
Not only are they not mutually exclusive, but if we're being honest, only idealistic programmers care enough to read Pragmatic Programmer, and they read it in the process of becoming a master.
Yeah, we need both types.
Amen