Software craftsperson

It's well understood that the more cross-domains knowledge you have the better off you are as a specialist in a particular area. It's very true in software business.

I've always appreciated that I had a chance to start my IT career in a small software company where over a course of 3 years I learned and practiced all different kinds of programming languages and technologies. Never since did I touch as many different things (over the same period of time) delivering production software.

All extra time I had put in learning new things, extra effort I had spent jumping from one technology to another is now well paying off. It's an invaluable asset and actually a must requirement for R&D, technical presales, and projects' rescue missions (SWAT). The three things I enjoy doing the most.

Apparently, a few years ago Scott Ambler wrote about it in his Generalizing Specialists: Improving Your IT Career Skills. I somehow missed this one. It would not have changed anything for me as by then I anyway knew this is how it should be. It's just I haven't had a reference, I was unable to support my understanding of the way to develop IT capacity in a fast growing large software company with words of somebody who's well known and respected in the community, a thought leader. Now I have it and I thought I might share it with whoever follows my posts...

Cheers