Comment by bcooke
4 hours ago
> (because, you know, I was getting paid to write code and that's the only way I could actually get it done)
I'm going to assume you were getting paid to build software that solved problems and created value for your customers and stakeholders. Writing code has always been just one activity that's part of the job, and developers forget that and make statements like this! That's the parent poster's point. I'm not saying it's not an extremely important part of the job, or that people don't often collaborate poorly in ways that take away from the sacred deep work time, but framing it as "I get paid to do X and not Y" is just a highly limiting way to look at or talk about the role.
>> (because, you know, I was getting paid to write code and that's the only way I could actually get it done)
> I'm going to assume you were getting paid to build software that solved problems and created value for your customers and stakeholders.
That's a distinction without a difference. At least historically, I was "paid to build software that solved problems" and I was to do that by writing code. If I didn't write code, and enough of it, I'd be fired. Getting my flow state disrupted for no good reason was something I'd resist.
Also agile ceremonies are a drag, literally becoming the thing agile was originally supposed to be fighting against (not that agile is gospel, I've always disagreed with some of its practices). They're not a good reason. And I also mentioned an actual good reason. I should also note those meetings I was referring to positively were almost always with users, not tech people.
> Writing code has always been just one activity that's part of the job, and developers forget that and make statements like this! That's the parent poster's point.
I wasn't addressing the parent poster's point per se (and I noted that and why), just noting that a lot of the "collaborative" activities he cited were often not that collaborative, and the shade he was throwing at people who were unenthusiastic about participating in them was probably unwarranted and misguided.
tl;dr: OP needs to have more empathy. There are better ways to thread the needle of his observations than what was on display in his comment.