Quote:
Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile
My $0.02 is that rather than trying to become a programmer, become a software engineer - the guy who actually conceptually designs the software, decides what functions it should/should not have, interfaces, etc. Then assigns actually coding those tasks to the production grunts.
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Can't speak for other industries, but in mine a software engineer is in fact the one slinging code. The position you describe above is an architect.
The way I describe it to outsiders is that a software development group does not make software, it makes houses.
The
CTO owns a construction company.
The
Architect works with the future owners of the house to determine what it is they want built and give feedback based on experience, e.g. "I know you'd like to have 18.3 foot ceilings, but we can cut the cost by going with a standard dimension. Also, the skylight in the bathroom might have probelems with condensation during the winter. What if we replaced it with XYZ instead?" They then use their expertise and knowledge of the lot, the local building codes, etc to create blueprints for the house that fits the customer's needs and budget.
Once the Architect has created his blueprints, he hands them off to the
Project Manager. The project manager is the foreman of the construction company. he knows how to work with all of the builders to deliver the house on time and on spec. The PM knows enough about architecture to read and understand the blueprint and make sure that the builders don't accidentally turn the bathroom into a bedroom, and he uses his experience to break the project into practical chunks (e.g. let's create the foundation before we start framing.)
The
Software Engineers and
Developers are the ones who actually build the house under the direction of the PM, with occasional clarifications from the architect. They have different specialties (one might be a guru for building a strong foundation, another is the drywall guy and another does finish carpentry) and they work together to build the house.
This is of course an oversimplified version of things and differs substantially from company to company, but it's how things work in my experience.