Christopher Duncan is the author of the groundbreaking books, "The Career Programmer: Guerilla Tactics for an Imperfect World" and "Unite the Tribes Ending Turf Wars for Career and Business Success". In this interview he talks about and provides solutions to a variety of issues that software professionals face everyday. He also touches on how a software programmer needs to change his perspective to not only ensure that he succeeds but also help his organization do better.

IndicThreads >> Hi Chris! Could you introduce yourself to our readers?

Christopher Duncan >> Hi, glad to be here! Given that I’m now my fourth career doing writing, speaking and strategy consulting, I’m not sure which one of my multiple personalities to introduce. Having spent various phases of my life as a working class musician, a sales consultant and a cubicle dwelling programmer before starting my speaking business, it’s probably easy to see that like most programmers, I think one of the most important things in a career is to love what you’re doing.

IndicThreads >> The info for your book “The Career Programmer...” says that “Unrealistic schedules, unstable releases, continual overtime, and skyrocketing stress levels are legendary in the software development industry...” What do you think is so different about this industry that has resulted in this condition?

Christopher Duncan >> I see a lot of similarities between the music and programming business. In both arenas, you have a ton of people who do it for free in their spare time just because it’s so much fun. I think that the business environment takes advantage of that passion, which contributes to the problem. Mostly, however, it’s caused by the sparks that fly when two radically different worlds collide.

"I see a lot of similarities between the music and programming business..."

In software development, we’re constantly working with new technologies or trying new things. How long will it take? No matter how hard we try, if you’ve never done it before, you simply don’t know. Although many would like to believe otherwise, programming is complicated. Worse still, you’re constantly at the mercy of someone else’s code, whether it’s the operating system or the XYZ library you just bought to display those snazzy graphics. If it blows up when a customer runs your software, guess who they’re going to blame? It’s no wonder that the night watchman’s attack Chihuahua dives for cover every time a deadline draws near so he doesn’t have to dodge monitors being thrown from 5th floor windows by stressed out programmers.

"The sheer unpredictability of our product almost guarantees a certain amount of chaos..."

Now take that volatile, unpredictable world and match it up against a well run business. The suits, no matter how much I enjoy poking fun at them, are experts in organization, management and maintaining a predictable, well oiled machine. They approach software the same as they would selling canned tuna. They hire marketing people of a similar sort, who concentrate on moving the merchandise. The real problem arises when both of these folks start making promises and predictions. When you inventory tuna, you know what you’re getting into, and you can run a business and run your marketing strategies with confidence. Now imagine a food wholesaler with a million cans in the warehouse labeled, “Maybe it’s tuna, maybe it ain’t”, stacked right alongside another batch of cans sporting the confidence building phrase, “We’re reasonably sure this product won’t kill you.” The sheer unpredictability of our product almost guarantees a certain amount of chaos, and when managed in the traditional way, it’s a sure thing.