25 Apr 2026
Dont call yourself a programmer
This is an article published in 2011 I read recently , and the author says it’s a readme for junior engineers entering the tech industry . It talks about a lot of things and I actually think this article is relevant to professionals working in tech , more important than ever with AI accelerating the work of software developers
Here are some points I found useful in this article
- Finding out whether you work in a profit centre or a cost centre and making sure you are in the former , with AI I think being in the profit centre is whats going to protect you from being obsolete . Your work should help the company make more money if its not then you become easier to replace
- Best description of networking - all networking is just being helpful to people who someday might be of use to you (or not you can never predict 100% ) . I think this one line summarises why networking is important and cannot be ignored
- Communication - Being able to explain a non technical person what you do and how you create value for your organisation is a key skill which you need to learn . This connects to the broader point which is you should understand how the work you do helps the company make money , once you understand that you will be able to explain it to others
- Negotiation - Negotiation is a really important skill and you should read a book or two about it . I agree it’s important but not sure outside of salary raises where this skill comes handy . Need to dig more and find out