Which Type of Programmer are You?

( its not who you think you are, rather its who your peers think you are. ;- )

1. Visionary/Artist Programmer

The Visionary Programmer is a rare breed that can capture lightning in
a bottle and produce code that 99.9% of others cannot. These inventors
create new applications and paradigms that drive innovation in the
software industry. Napster, Netscape, and the World Wide Web are all
inventions from visionary programmers. For these people, software is
more art than science. Speed and quality are not always the best, but
great fortunes are made on the backs of these wizards. Most
development shops can afford only a single visionary programmer, which
is often the company’s technical founder or CTO.


2. Trailblazer Programmer

The Trailblazer Programmer takes a good idea and runs with it. These
are the people who most often create the prototypes that ultimately
become useful products. Trailblazers can produce in a day what takes
most programmers weeks or months. Trailblazers are always
experimenting with new tools and technologies, constantly learning and
searching for ways to increase productivity, and typically serve as
mentors and teachers to other programmers. You will often find a
trailblazer coding away late at night when everyone else has left the
office. Though these professionals tend to be expensive, every
successful development shop needs at least one or two trailblazers.


3. Workhorse Programmer

The Workhorse Programmer is the backbone of any productive development
shop. These people are not particularly innovative, but they are
highly productive and reliable. Give a workhorse programmer a good set
of specs and the right tools, and they will often deliver on time and
within budget.


4. Drone Programmer

Filling the fat in a true bell curve, many programmers are “drones”
who work 9-5 to collect a paycheck. These people shy away from new
technology, avoid learning new things, and likely will not be reading
this article. Most large development shops are full of drones because
management fails to realize that more expensive programmers are
actually cheaper.


5. Idiot Programmer

Every village has its idiot, and software development is no exception.
Programming requires abstract and logical thinking, yet some
right-brained people are lured to programming in search of a good
salary. Idiot Programmers often struggle with the simplest of
algorithms, constantly miss deadlines and fail to make much progress.
The sad thing is these are often wonderful people, but simply in the
wrong job.