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Developer Stigma After a Bad Or Catastrophic Release?
An anonymous reader writes "We hear in the news all the time about how executives can drive a company into the ground and yet somehow become more desirable to other big companies. What we don't hear about are the grunts who implemented those decisions, and whether or not they end up resume-stained or blacklisted. Since we've got so many developers with lots of time in the trenches, I thought I would appeal to their experience. When disaster looms and sales starts pushing for development that has little chance but to end in disaster, what happens to the programmer who decides he needs his job enough to follow orders? Have they ever become unhireable?"
First of all, if you say at your next job interview "I worked on _____" they won't know what the hell you're talking about. Even IT people don't know about every single software solution ever made and how it performed. The odds that they'll have any idea what you're talking about is non-existant unless you worked on Vista or something.
But if you are working on some super high profile project like for Microsoft or Facebook or something, you'll definitely want to quit BEFORE the project is even close to done. If you know it's idiotic and as soon as it's done it's a disaster and the execs all blame you for their own stupid idea and fire you, well then you're out of a job anyway. So beat them to it and quit! But before you do, tell the higher ups that you refuse to work on a project that pointless and wrong because of what it'll do to your career. Tell them if they don't let you make the major changes you know it needs or cancel the project, you quit. Usually they'll just tell you to quit but who knows, it might get you somewhere.
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I have personally been through this. When companies (or at least the sales people in companies) aren't making their monthly quota they start to get desperate and throw every piece of trash against the wall to see what sticks. I used to think this was a bad thing so I feel a certain kinship to this author. As a developer the consequences of delivering, or attempting to deliver what they told/sold the customer causes their requests to become more and more asinine until eventually they are selling software with features only found in fairy tales.
But just because sales has started promising free elevator rides to the moon so that customers will buy your product does not give you an excuse to not build it... that is what we, as developers do. We make the impossible seem easy, we make it seem magical. That is the career path we have chosen. Alas, perhaps you're not that talented. Perhaps you should consider a job at best buy and continue the 9-5 grind.
The path I will suggest is arduous it will not be paved with roses and cupcakes. Yes, projects will crater, and the disasters will be spectacular -- with enough shrapnel flying every direction to damage everybody. Your companies reputation will become the equivalent of a "turd sandwich", and you will on some days resemble an angry hobbit screaming rants in languages long since forgotten during this age of men. You will need to bend time, and find a way to work 30 hours a day, and your body odor will, at times cause small children and virtuous women to shun you. (It helps if your office has a shower) .. But your skills through this process, they will become uber, nay.. "legendary".
Some slashdot trolls here will say that what I propose is impossible - that you cannot dodge bullets shot at you at point blank range -- but they don't realize you won't need to dodge the bullets at all.
So if you believe the force runs deep and strong in your blood young padawan, then trust it. Give yourself over to it, let it control you and guide you. You'd be amazed what you can do with the blast shield down if you just fucking try.
Oh.. and to respond to your question: True JEDI's don't apply for jobs, they choose which job they want and take it.
ps> After 7 years as CTO .. I ended up getting the CEO's job. (true story)