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Developer Hegemony: The Future of Labor
It’s been said that software is eating the planet. The modern economy—the world itself—relies on technology. Demand for the people who can produce it far outweighs the supply. So why do developers occupy largely subordinate roles in the corporate structure? Developer Hegemony explores the past, present, and future of the corporation and what it means for developers. While it outlines problems with the modern corporate structure, it’s ultimately a play-by-play of how to leave the corporate carnival and control your own destiny. And it’s an emboldening, specific vision of what software development looks like in the world of developer hegemony—one where developers band together into partner firms of “efficiencers,” finally able to command the pay, respect, and freedom that’s earned by solving problems no one else can. Developers, if you grow tired of being treated like geeks who can only be trusted to take orders and churn out code, consider this your call to arms. Bring about the autonomous future that’s rightfully yours. It’s time for developer hegemony.
478 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 23, 2017
207 people are currently reading
1772 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
October 25, 2017
I feel a little dirty after having read this book. A great part of it unrolls why modern corporations are poor workplaces, particularly for software developers. Having gone independent six years ago myself, I enjoyed the cynicism of the analysis, and found myself metaphorically cheering on the author throughout much of this part. I couldn't quite shake the feeling, however, that I was suffering from massive confirmation bias.
It's often entertaining and validating to read a scorching criticism of something you don't like.
That doesn't necessarily make it true, though.
Despite the cynicism in the middle part, the overall message is positive. It discusses alternative career strategies for software developers, and tries to paint a future where programmers take control of their vocation, like (independent) doctors and lawyers.
This is a Leanpub book. This typically means that it has had no editor, but is the sole work of its author. If this is also the case here, Erik Dietrich has done an excellent job. Occasionally, as self-published books tend to do, it feels a little raw and unedited, but overall, it's well-written, and both an entertaining and thought-provoking book.
Again, it may simply be my confirmation bias talking...
It's often entertaining and validating to read a scorching criticism of something you don't like.
That doesn't necessarily make it true, though.
Despite the cynicism in the middle part, the overall message is positive. It discusses alternative career strategies for software developers, and tries to paint a future where programmers take control of their vocation, like (independent) doctors and lawyers.
This is a Leanpub book. This typically means that it has had no editor, but is the sole work of its author. If this is also the case here, Erik Dietrich has done an excellent job. Occasionally, as self-published books tend to do, it feels a little raw and unedited, but overall, it's well-written, and both an entertaining and thought-provoking book.
Again, it may simply be my confirmation bias talking...
April 22, 2018
The book is both good and bad. It’s a good read if you want to gain some perspective, but it also is severely lacking in some areas (to the point where I would say it give anti-advice)
The Good:
You will have a mini-existential crisis, especially if some of the situations described kinda sound like something you’ve experienced. Probably the best thing that you can take away from the book is to be more introspective and to try to think about the long term.
The Bad:
The format chosen and the length of the chapters (1-2-3 pages) make this look like a collection of blog posts. There is somewhat of an overall structure to the book, but this is waaaaay to verbose for the message it’s trying to send. Also, the book could have used a proper editor and a few [more] rounds of proofreading. Also, wikipedia references? Jesus Tap-dancing Christ
The Ugly:
The author generalizes his experience and slaps the label of absolute truth on it. In any endeavor there is a randomness factor and each person’s journey is different.
The author also obsesses over the pyramid of opportunists/idealists/pessimists (which he freely admits to have basically recycled and relabeled from here https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07... ). While there is a grain of truth in this, the dynamics of a team and a corporation is more complex than this. Based solely on the book I do not believe the author understands how a power structure works and the many flavors it comes in (hierarchy/formal power is just one type of power structure).
I also don’t like the fact that motivation of the people working somewhere is always assumed to be: “i like to live indoors and eat”.
The author also grossly underestimates the amount of work and exposure you need, as a developer, to reach the maturity level that you need to basically work for yourself / start your own gig. It also glances over the fact that some types of software cannot be developed w/ the proposed model.
While we have the violin out, I’m not sure that claiming that you don’t want to work at a BigTechCo is sane advice (especially for people fresh out of school) and I’m not sure the author understands the compensation structure enough to make worth it / not worth it decisions.
Also, not sure I buy the whole “risk associated with working for someone” and not being free/able to follow your moral compass. Nowadays, developers do have options and most times landing any non-entry-level job is more-or-less a formality.
Overall:
An interesting read that started promising but does not have enough credible substance to make it live up to the expectations.
The Good:
You will have a mini-existential crisis, especially if some of the situations described kinda sound like something you’ve experienced. Probably the best thing that you can take away from the book is to be more introspective and to try to think about the long term.
The Bad:
The format chosen and the length of the chapters (1-2-3 pages) make this look like a collection of blog posts. There is somewhat of an overall structure to the book, but this is waaaaay to verbose for the message it’s trying to send. Also, the book could have used a proper editor and a few [more] rounds of proofreading. Also, wikipedia references? Jesus Tap-dancing Christ
The Ugly:
The author generalizes his experience and slaps the label of absolute truth on it. In any endeavor there is a randomness factor and each person’s journey is different.
The author also obsesses over the pyramid of opportunists/idealists/pessimists (which he freely admits to have basically recycled and relabeled from here https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07... ). While there is a grain of truth in this, the dynamics of a team and a corporation is more complex than this. Based solely on the book I do not believe the author understands how a power structure works and the many flavors it comes in (hierarchy/formal power is just one type of power structure).
I also don’t like the fact that motivation of the people working somewhere is always assumed to be: “i like to live indoors and eat”.
The author also grossly underestimates the amount of work and exposure you need, as a developer, to reach the maturity level that you need to basically work for yourself / start your own gig. It also glances over the fact that some types of software cannot be developed w/ the proposed model.
While we have the violin out, I’m not sure that claiming that you don’t want to work at a BigTechCo is sane advice (especially for people fresh out of school) and I’m not sure the author understands the compensation structure enough to make worth it / not worth it decisions.
Also, not sure I buy the whole “risk associated with working for someone” and not being free/able to follow your moral compass. Nowadays, developers do have options and most times landing any non-entry-level job is more-or-less a formality.
Overall:
An interesting read that started promising but does not have enough credible substance to make it live up to the expectations.
October 9, 2017
This is an important book. It might be the new "Mythical Man Month" for the next generation of software developers and knowledge workers. Only time will tell. I can only hope that the future outlined in this book might become reality one day. Perhaps we're at the dawn of the age of the "developer opportunist", the "efficiencer". A person who doesn't seek to align business with IT, but who is both business and IT. I'm going to need more time to digest the thought provoking content of this book. Needless to say that I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
October 16, 2018
Pros:
Erik makes a lot of good points that he also makes on his blog. He makes the case for changing the software development industry to give software developers the power and respect they're probably owed.
He's positive that the way that we work is going to change, and I believe him. Something has got to give with the current model which only really works for the "journeymen".
He gives no-nonsense advice to start a blog on Wordpress and to not get sucked into considering a more technical approach. When you're beginning to market yourself as something other than a cog in the machine you really shouldn't care about impressing other software developers with an overly-convoluted, self-hosted, ${latestJSFramework}, reactive and adaptive website; they're not the ones who are going to hire you.
He discussed the ludicrousness of the hiring system. It is absolutely ludicrous. But this is where "journeymen" excel and so they're not going to change this process anytime soon.
Cons:
The three groups he used to describe people in the corporate world were overly simplistic but, then again, blog-turned-books generally tend to be simplistic. I believe workers in corporate America are more complex than he makes out. Also, I have yet to see a blogger or self-help guru create a classification system for people and not posit themselves as whichever type is the coolest.
His suggestion of working a full-time job and then simply going home and working on your side business was unusual advice for a mature adult to give. The advice is acceptable as long as the practical details are spelled out: who's cooking the dinner, washing the clothes, doing the shopping, walking the dog while we spend our spare time doing this? Do we survive on 4 hours of sleep? When do we exercise, or focus on our hobbies? Will we have any friends left? And I don't mean friends like "people who support my personal productivity goals!", I mean friends you sit around and talk nonsense with. How do I prevent my partner from leaving me when all I can talk about is work because I don't do anything else? Will I have a personality any more? But the ultimate reward of doing all this work outside of work is getting to do even more work aftwards. I think that in criticising the current state of affairs he might have criticised the cult of work also, but he ended up just promoting the rat race in a different form.
Summary:
Overall a breath of fresh air — he tells it like it is. His career advice is probably a good idea for software developers based in the US where employment is a losing game for the employee. But, I understand that over there, due to the lack of a strong social security system, one wrong move could destroy your life, so I would suggest following his advice carefully.
Erik makes a lot of good points that he also makes on his blog. He makes the case for changing the software development industry to give software developers the power and respect they're probably owed.
He's positive that the way that we work is going to change, and I believe him. Something has got to give with the current model which only really works for the "journeymen".
He gives no-nonsense advice to start a blog on Wordpress and to not get sucked into considering a more technical approach. When you're beginning to market yourself as something other than a cog in the machine you really shouldn't care about impressing other software developers with an overly-convoluted, self-hosted, ${latestJSFramework}, reactive and adaptive website; they're not the ones who are going to hire you.
He discussed the ludicrousness of the hiring system. It is absolutely ludicrous. But this is where "journeymen" excel and so they're not going to change this process anytime soon.
Cons:
The three groups he used to describe people in the corporate world were overly simplistic but, then again, blog-turned-books generally tend to be simplistic. I believe workers in corporate America are more complex than he makes out. Also, I have yet to see a blogger or self-help guru create a classification system for people and not posit themselves as whichever type is the coolest.
His suggestion of working a full-time job and then simply going home and working on your side business was unusual advice for a mature adult to give. The advice is acceptable as long as the practical details are spelled out: who's cooking the dinner, washing the clothes, doing the shopping, walking the dog while we spend our spare time doing this? Do we survive on 4 hours of sleep? When do we exercise, or focus on our hobbies? Will we have any friends left? And I don't mean friends like "people who support my personal productivity goals!", I mean friends you sit around and talk nonsense with. How do I prevent my partner from leaving me when all I can talk about is work because I don't do anything else? Will I have a personality any more? But the ultimate reward of doing all this work outside of work is getting to do even more work aftwards. I think that in criticising the current state of affairs he might have criticised the cult of work also, but he ended up just promoting the rat race in a different form.
Summary:
Overall a breath of fresh air — he tells it like it is. His career advice is probably a good idea for software developers based in the US where employment is a losing game for the employee. But, I understand that over there, due to the lack of a strong social security system, one wrong move could destroy your life, so I would suggest following his advice carefully.
October 1, 2017
Fantastic polemic on the future of labor
I say polemic because Dietrich pulls no punches in saying what he thinks about all aspects of software development, his experience in the industry, what he sees as the future of developer labor, and related topics. I'm a professional productivity trainer and consultant and found his take bold and compelling, with numerous examples, metaphors, and case studies pointing the way to the future he describes. I highly recommend this book not only for developers seeking greater autonomy in their careers, but for any knowledge worker trying to figure out what the next level of a career in thinking looks like.
I say polemic because Dietrich pulls no punches in saying what he thinks about all aspects of software development, his experience in the industry, what he sees as the future of developer labor, and related topics. I'm a professional productivity trainer and consultant and found his take bold and compelling, with numerous examples, metaphors, and case studies pointing the way to the future he describes. I highly recommend this book not only for developers seeking greater autonomy in their careers, but for any knowledge worker trying to figure out what the next level of a career in thinking looks like.
September 26, 2019
One-sentence review: a waste of time and money that could have been a single blog post.
A review of the book in the style of the book: "This is the truth about how developers want and need to work. If you disagree, you're pathologically wrong, because this book is right. Nuff said."
The book is written from the perspective of someone for whom corporate structures didn't work out, and sadly, the book generalises this perspective to the level of universal truth. In doing that, it puts all dissenters in one of three conveniently defined stereotypical drawers that all carry some sense of the people they contain being wrong, wrong, wrong - either they're naïve, or they're stupid, or they're cunning. Reading and buying into this content will not create empowered developers, but arrogant cynicists of the worst condescending kind.
The text uses numerous pseudo-historic excurses, none of which is backed by appropriate references to justify the conclusions, to motivate how the corporate world is always wrong. These excurses are each in itself long and winding, and the fact that they replicate each other makes the book simply too long. The book also employs several fables and allegories, all to the same effect and with the same flaws as the aforementioned excurses.
There is some good content in the last few chapters and the appendix that describes a model for empowered self-employed developers. This model is efficient and works - as is proven by several individuals the author interviewed. Unfortunately, the goodness is all too well hidden in between more snark and recurses on the problematic style mentioned above.
The claim to describe "the future of labor [sic]" is misleading and too broad. The book describes, hidden in the cracks, a possible way of working for software developers. Not all work is software development, which should not be news to anyone.
The book could have been a good contribution in the form of a blog post and conference talks containing only said goodness and forgoing all of the unnecessary cynical noise. As a book, it is too long and digresses too much.
A review of the book in the style of the book: "This is the truth about how developers want and need to work. If you disagree, you're pathologically wrong, because this book is right. Nuff said."
The book is written from the perspective of someone for whom corporate structures didn't work out, and sadly, the book generalises this perspective to the level of universal truth. In doing that, it puts all dissenters in one of three conveniently defined stereotypical drawers that all carry some sense of the people they contain being wrong, wrong, wrong - either they're naïve, or they're stupid, or they're cunning. Reading and buying into this content will not create empowered developers, but arrogant cynicists of the worst condescending kind.
The text uses numerous pseudo-historic excurses, none of which is backed by appropriate references to justify the conclusions, to motivate how the corporate world is always wrong. These excurses are each in itself long and winding, and the fact that they replicate each other makes the book simply too long. The book also employs several fables and allegories, all to the same effect and with the same flaws as the aforementioned excurses.
There is some good content in the last few chapters and the appendix that describes a model for empowered self-employed developers. This model is efficient and works - as is proven by several individuals the author interviewed. Unfortunately, the goodness is all too well hidden in between more snark and recurses on the problematic style mentioned above.
The claim to describe "the future of labor [sic]" is misleading and too broad. The book describes, hidden in the cracks, a possible way of working for software developers. Not all work is software development, which should not be news to anyone.
The book could have been a good contribution in the form of a blog post and conference talks containing only said goodness and forgoing all of the unnecessary cynical noise. As a book, it is too long and digresses too much.
December 6, 2018
Açıkcası yazılım sektöründe veya ilişkili sektörlerde çalışan herkesin okumasında fayda olan kitap. Genel olarak günümüz şirketlerinin neden fikir işçileri için uygun bir ortam olmadığını Endüstriyel Devrim'den başlayarak, Marx'ı referans göstererek ve Taylor'ın getirdiği "middle management" katmanına değinerek oldukça güzel açıklıyor. Şirket insanlarını genel olarak "opportunist, idealist, pragmatist" olarak üçe ayırıyor ve insan ister istemez beraber çalıştığı herkesi kolaylıkla bu üç kalıptan birine atayabiliyor. (Ayrıca eğer kendiniz de bir süreliğine İdealist olarak takılmışssanız, ah ulan ah demenize de sebep olacaktır)
Devamında yazılım geliştiricilerinin nasıl özellikle büyük şirketlerden kaçmaları ve kendi işlerini ufak tefek kurmaları gerektiğini ve dahası bunun kaçınılmaz bir ekonomik ve tarihi gidişat olduğundan bahsediyor. (Bunun gerçekten kolay ve doğru olduğunu ben 3 senelik İrlanda ve UK tecrübemden gördüm, şirketler tam zamanlı çalışan kadar 6 aylık kontratlı serbest çalışan arıyorlar ve bu insanlar tam zamanlı maaşların en az iki (sayıyla 2) katını kazanıyorlar)
Ben tek puanı, bu hedefin nasıl tutturulacağını anlatırken, mülakat yaptığı "başarmış" yazılımcıların şablonundan kırdım. Üç aşağı beş yukarı hepsi bir blog, eğitim, podcast, tutorial sitesi gibi şeylerin sahibi insanlar. Başarı sadece eğitim videosu çekerek gelecekse, eğlenceli ve insanın Google/Amazon/Facebook'taki AI/Distributed vb çalışmalarını bıraktıracak derecede doyurucu bir kariyer olacağa benzemiyor.
En beğendiğim söz: "The corporate world does not know what programming is"
Devamında yazılım geliştiricilerinin nasıl özellikle büyük şirketlerden kaçmaları ve kendi işlerini ufak tefek kurmaları gerektiğini ve dahası bunun kaçınılmaz bir ekonomik ve tarihi gidişat olduğundan bahsediyor. (Bunun gerçekten kolay ve doğru olduğunu ben 3 senelik İrlanda ve UK tecrübemden gördüm, şirketler tam zamanlı çalışan kadar 6 aylık kontratlı serbest çalışan arıyorlar ve bu insanlar tam zamanlı maaşların en az iki (sayıyla 2) katını kazanıyorlar)
Ben tek puanı, bu hedefin nasıl tutturulacağını anlatırken, mülakat yaptığı "başarmış" yazılımcıların şablonundan kırdım. Üç aşağı beş yukarı hepsi bir blog, eğitim, podcast, tutorial sitesi gibi şeylerin sahibi insanlar. Başarı sadece eğitim videosu çekerek gelecekse, eğlenceli ve insanın Google/Amazon/Facebook'taki AI/Distributed vb çalışmalarını bıraktıracak derecede doyurucu bir kariyer olacağa benzemiyor.
En beğendiğim söz: "The corporate world does not know what programming is"
February 8, 2019
The first half of this book is a dark and deeply cynical look at the current corporate culture. The part ends with a grim outline of a plan you'd have to follow to succeed in this environment.
Had the book ended at that point, it would be the most depressing thing I've read in the past few years – especially considering that I witness first-hand some of the described pathologies at my workplace. Fortunately, there's a second part which describes the alternative to the corporate model.
My biggest gripe with this title is that it offers a pretty one-sided perspective. It feels as if the author projected his personal experiences onto the general public. The selection of the people he interviewed screams confirmation bias. I'd like to see some counterexamples to the main narrative – big companies with decent culture or individuals who thrive in the corporate context without turning into Machiavellian bastards.
Having said that, the author makes a few really good points and the book made me think about my current and past job experiences. That alone was worth the time spent reading it. I recommend this book for everyone in software development industry.
Had the book ended at that point, it would be the most depressing thing I've read in the past few years – especially considering that I witness first-hand some of the described pathologies at my workplace. Fortunately, there's a second part which describes the alternative to the corporate model.
My biggest gripe with this title is that it offers a pretty one-sided perspective. It feels as if the author projected his personal experiences onto the general public. The selection of the people he interviewed screams confirmation bias. I'd like to see some counterexamples to the main narrative – big companies with decent culture or individuals who thrive in the corporate context without turning into Machiavellian bastards.
Having said that, the author makes a few really good points and the book made me think about my current and past job experiences. That alone was worth the time spent reading it. I recommend this book for everyone in software development industry.
January 21, 2018
One of the best books I have read, I think every software developer should take a look at it. The author is a good observer, gives a lot of eye-opening examples, allows to understand how corporations treat employees and what are consequences of choosing different career paths. Logical structure, good writing style, keeps you curious what comes next, with just enough humour. I couldn’t not stop reading it. You don’t get a pie-in-the-sky - the author suggest taking an evolutionary approach to changes.
February 12, 2021
Absolutely loved reading this book. If you have been a software developer for a while, almost everything sticks out as a personal experience witnessed one time or the other.
June 17, 2019
A refreshing perspective after having spent almost a year mostly reading books on management.
The criticism in this book felt accurate, if a little one-sided. The vision and suggestions, however, I have a problem with. I'm currently mostly interested in the organization of engineering teams in software product companies and the book offered little guidance on that topic. It briefly mentioned that they'll be partnering with efficiencer firms, but it's hard to believe that software product companies will be outsourcing their main competency. As has been shown time and time again, that doesn't work. So I'm left none the wiser on that front.
The criticism in this book felt accurate, if a little one-sided. The vision and suggestions, however, I have a problem with. I'm currently mostly interested in the organization of engineering teams in software product companies and the book offered little guidance on that topic. It briefly mentioned that they'll be partnering with efficiencer firms, but it's hard to believe that software product companies will be outsourcing their main competency. As has been shown time and time again, that doesn't work. So I'm left none the wiser on that front.
February 12, 2023
The agile software movement suggested that we break down the barriers between business folks and IT folks so they can work more effectively together.
I say we reject that premise in its entirety and go forward believing that business folks and IT folks should be the same people.
Erik Dietrich has a bee in his bonnet about the software industry which could be generalised to USA corporate structures at large. He sees people within large organisations tend to play three archetypes: the pragmatist, the idealist and the opportunist. These are roughly based on the categories used in The Gervais Principle by Venkatesh Rao.
In short:
* Pragmatists are the kind of person to say 'Work to live, don't live to work'. They are employees who see work as an annoyance and chore. They seek stability in their work but do not aim for advancement in their position. Their identity is kept firmly separate from their company. Employment boundaries are typically kept. Often at the grass roots of organisation charts.
* Idealists are 'company people' through and through. They believe in their company's mission and somewhat fuse their identities with the company. Success for idealists is less about stability and more about gaining acceptance or prestige within their company. They believe work to be meritocratic and compensation to be fair. Will often 'go above and beyond' to serve their company, putting in long hours and effort which are not proportionate to their compensation. Often occupying middle management or employed professional roles.
* Opportunists are 'the other'. Like pragmatists, they do not believe or identify with an organisation. However like idealists they keep hope that career advancement is possible. They do not believe in meritocracy and believe that gaining power and wealth in an organisation is mostly about spinning narratives. Career success for opportunists comes at the expense of ceding the ethical high ground; such as spinning false narratives or redirecting blame. Often occupying ownership or executive management roles.
Dietrich sees each archetype as losing something to exist in the corporate world. Pragmatists lose hope of gaining a successful career. Idealists lose perspective about how corporations work, and waste lots of energy with their company as a consequence. Opportunists lose the ethical high ground, being forced to make unethical decisions to maintain their position.
In what appears to be a pretty grim situation, Dietrich believes he has found a way out for software developers. A way that doesn't force them to give up software development for management in order to succeed. A way that ensures developers are fairly compensated for the value they create. A way that does not require us to drink corporate kool-aid. A way that doesn't require us to do shitty things to get ahead.
His idea is the 'efficiencer firm'. A kind of software consultancy. An efficiencer firm:
- is self-sufficient without venture capital
- is made up of partners who own significant shares
- has no employees since partners take on more 'business' functions and outsource others
- does not scale for its own sake
- must keep the value contributions of each partner measurable
- only contains opportunists
He claims this structure would eliminate the required 'losing' when working for traditional companies. Since all partners know the value each person adds to the firm, each person would be paid as such, eliminating unfair compensation. Since no employees would be hired, crucially no pragmatists or idealists, there would be no management to carry out. Since consulting work can be chosen by each partner, they have far more leverage when faced with forced unethical behaviour.
If the above all seems quite far-fetched, it is because it's an incredibly distilled version written by yours truly. Dietrich makes very convincing arguments throughout the book about how software work in non-tech companies is likely to trend to arrangements like these. This includes a full history of how modern corporation came into being with the quirks they show today.
There are far more details than can be covered in this summary, so if you find the above interesting or you infuriatingly disagree I would recommend reading the book!
The book itself is incredibly digestible, with the same blog-esque easy-reading style of Uncle Bob. Also like a blog the text can be a little awkward or sensationalist at times.
Some reservations I have are the book's raising of John Sonmez as a great example of an 'efficiencer'. I personally find him incredibly vulgar and a reinforcer of macho brogrammer types in software organisations.
Another reservation is how Dietrich has opted not to take the 'efficiencer' career path himself. Seems like a great vote of confidence in his ideas by moving his career to 'content creation' (read: software developer self-help) instead.
One last reservation is that I think the work 'efficiencer' is a tongue-twisting mouth-full that will never be used as a common term. I spelled it four different times when writing this review before correct each case and can't pronounce it fluently. I'm sure if these kinds of firms emerge they will go by a different distinction or just keep the title of 'consultancy'. Perhaps 'tech partnership'?
March 7, 2018
Some interesting analysis and points of how big corps operate and their intrinsic dynamics. However the author's prophecies of the software industry feels very colored and one-sided of his own point of view, values, and choices.
I'd recommend to read https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... for some alternative ideas on overlapping topics here.
I'd recommend to read https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... for some alternative ideas on overlapping topics here.
March 16, 2021
First part is fun and promising. Rest of it gets into a self help mood, I don’t like.
July 12, 2020
I feel extremely mixed about the book. One the one hand, it definitely made me think: it provided a surprisingly new opinion on modern tech corporations and the software developer's place in them. On the other hand, it was breathtakingly cynical and it made a vast array of sweeping generalizations, with mostly only anecdotal evidence in support.
Dietrich categorizes corporate employees as either line-level "pragmatists" who have given up hope of earning their true value but are willing to take the steady salary in exchange for the minimum work possible, mid-level "idealists" who have drunk the corporate kool-aid and are willing to put in unpaid overtime in the hopes of working their way up the corporate ladder, and top-level "opportunists" who recognized the futility of the traditional promotion and gave up their morals to cheat and side-step their way to the top.
This classification is strongly skewed towards the cynical side (as he freely admitted), and I'm not sure I'm at all convinced by it. But even in contemplating why I might disagree, I found myself thinking about my own career ambitions from a new perspective. What is it that I hope to get from a corporate job? Is it just the low risk of a steady salary? The chance to be a small part of something big? A title?
His ending rally was to get out of the game entirely by spurning the corporate pyramid and instead founding small, agile, "efficiencer" partnership firms. Before reading this book, I'd found the idea of working as a contractor or consultant as mildly disappointing - it seems like turning away from the possibility of doing something "big". Now I'm at least willing to entertain the idea.
Dietrich categorizes corporate employees as either line-level "pragmatists" who have given up hope of earning their true value but are willing to take the steady salary in exchange for the minimum work possible, mid-level "idealists" who have drunk the corporate kool-aid and are willing to put in unpaid overtime in the hopes of working their way up the corporate ladder, and top-level "opportunists" who recognized the futility of the traditional promotion and gave up their morals to cheat and side-step their way to the top.
This classification is strongly skewed towards the cynical side (as he freely admitted), and I'm not sure I'm at all convinced by it. But even in contemplating why I might disagree, I found myself thinking about my own career ambitions from a new perspective. What is it that I hope to get from a corporate job? Is it just the low risk of a steady salary? The chance to be a small part of something big? A title?
His ending rally was to get out of the game entirely by spurning the corporate pyramid and instead founding small, agile, "efficiencer" partnership firms. Before reading this book, I'd found the idea of working as a contractor or consultant as mildly disappointing - it seems like turning away from the possibility of doing something "big". Now I'm at least willing to entertain the idea.
January 19, 2020
Something I think speaks to the efficacy of the author's paradigm is the way the reviews of the book break down. You have the pragmatists, who are depressed at the truths expressed in the book; you have the opportunists, who nod, while feeling a twinge of guilt at their own behaviors as exposed here (and in more than one case, a suspicion of confirmation bias, as their own success leads them to conclude the book is correct); and you have the idealists, who hate this book because it flies in the face of what they value most.
I'm not saying this book is 100% correct about the industry. In fact, grading its 'correctness' is largely a matter of perspective. Take, for instance, the low star reviews, which complain that things are more nuanced than Dietrich indicates. Sure, absolutely. But that matters if and only if your goal isn't to escape the work you are presently doing and receive more of the rewards that the people above your place in the organization are receiving. The people who are working because they enjoy the work aren't wrong and I don't think Dietrich would claim they are. They just aren't people for whom this mental framework will provide much value.
If your reason for poorly rating the book is that you don't believe it's premise, that's fine. If your reason for poorly rating the book is that it made you feel uncomfortable about the buy-in you've made to the corporate regime, you might consider looking at why that discomfort stuck with you long enough to bother reviewing the book at all.
I'm not saying this book is 100% correct about the industry. In fact, grading its 'correctness' is largely a matter of perspective. Take, for instance, the low star reviews, which complain that things are more nuanced than Dietrich indicates. Sure, absolutely. But that matters if and only if your goal isn't to escape the work you are presently doing and receive more of the rewards that the people above your place in the organization are receiving. The people who are working because they enjoy the work aren't wrong and I don't think Dietrich would claim they are. They just aren't people for whom this mental framework will provide much value.
If your reason for poorly rating the book is that you don't believe it's premise, that's fine. If your reason for poorly rating the book is that it made you feel uncomfortable about the buy-in you've made to the corporate regime, you might consider looking at why that discomfort stuck with you long enough to bother reviewing the book at all.
July 27, 2020
3.5/5
Erik has some amazing articles on his blog that makes you want to give his book a try. Hence I decided to read the kindle copy.
It's a good book asking each pragmatic programmer to look towards a more opportunistic approach. He shows how ineffective the current triangular pyramidal setup is and how it's a concept of the past. With the rise of knowledge workers who know more than just programming (including business, accounting and marketing), current mid level managers who are just resources will become the first to be removed from companies. Good developers are scarce and every good org knows that.
I agree with him in the sense that the world is headed in this direction and more and more smarter developers will look towards freelancing. I also agree that programming is a means to an end. The being automation here. We should learn to market ourselves better through blogs and books and online courses.
It's a good book overall, can get cynical at times and it's a bit too long for the content it has.
Erik has some amazing articles on his blog that makes you want to give his book a try. Hence I decided to read the kindle copy.
It's a good book asking each pragmatic programmer to look towards a more opportunistic approach. He shows how ineffective the current triangular pyramidal setup is and how it's a concept of the past. With the rise of knowledge workers who know more than just programming (including business, accounting and marketing), current mid level managers who are just resources will become the first to be removed from companies. Good developers are scarce and every good org knows that.
I agree with him in the sense that the world is headed in this direction and more and more smarter developers will look towards freelancing. I also agree that programming is a means to an end. The being automation here. We should learn to market ourselves better through blogs and books and online courses.
It's a good book overall, can get cynical at times and it's a bit too long for the content it has.
February 17, 2019
In the same vein as 'The New Kingmakers: How Developers Conquered the World', this book describes the hero's journey of the software engineering profession. The past three decades have shown outlier rise-to-power scenarios where the world's wealthiest people became so because they knew how to tap the value of software, but this is clearly indicative of an overall trend.
Erik Dietrich illustrates why developers have all the leverage to reclaim the bulk of the value capture in the new economy.
"This is, of course, a disconcerting proposition for the business folks. Managers and former developers will need to come face-to-face with an uncomfortable question, and that’s “What do you need me for, then?” My honest answer to that is, “I don’t know. You’ll probably figure something out.”
Erik Dietrich illustrates why developers have all the leverage to reclaim the bulk of the value capture in the new economy.
"This is, of course, a disconcerting proposition for the business folks. Managers and former developers will need to come face-to-face with an uncomfortable question, and that’s “What do you need me for, then?” My honest answer to that is, “I don’t know. You’ll probably figure something out.”
April 23, 2024
I somewhat expected more from this book after reading all the great endorsements for it. It had some very interesting thoughts, especially around treating modern knowledge workers (devs) like industrial age labourers doesn't work, and that they should operate more like classical knowledge workers, such as doctors and lawyers, where they work in partnerships. Dietrich emphasised that modern developers get a raw deal.
The first 2/3 of this book were filled without how to be an 'opportunist', stating the best way to get ownership and prestige is to stop being a developer. The final 3rd focussed on opening a partnership where you offered services in the forms of efficiencies, not being a stock standard app dev shop.
There was a little about making more opportunities for oneself, by writing books, doing courses, and moonlighting, but I really wanted more about achieving autonomy and respect in the workplace.
The first 2/3 of this book were filled without how to be an 'opportunist', stating the best way to get ownership and prestige is to stop being a developer. The final 3rd focussed on opening a partnership where you offered services in the forms of efficiencies, not being a stock standard app dev shop.
There was a little about making more opportunities for oneself, by writing books, doing courses, and moonlighting, but I really wanted more about achieving autonomy and respect in the workplace.
September 21, 2020
First half might be depressing. Second half has lot of actionables.
The author goes to great lengths to describe how tech corporations work. He talks about three types of people that make up a corporate pyramid. And describes the characteristics of each type.
This part feels very depressing. But from my experience, it's very real.
In the latter part, the author discusses a lot of success stories. How some people spent time developing a personal brand and gained enough leverage to live on their terms.
It also says that a person should learn and inculcate skills outside of their jobs, such as marketing, financial, basic sales, networking etc. Being oblivious to these skills put us at a great disadvantage and that a lot of developers don't realise this.
Overall, a very good book. Must read for every developer.
The author goes to great lengths to describe how tech corporations work. He talks about three types of people that make up a corporate pyramid. And describes the characteristics of each type.
This part feels very depressing. But from my experience, it's very real.
In the latter part, the author discusses a lot of success stories. How some people spent time developing a personal brand and gained enough leverage to live on their terms.
It also says that a person should learn and inculcate skills outside of their jobs, such as marketing, financial, basic sales, networking etc. Being oblivious to these skills put us at a great disadvantage and that a lot of developers don't realise this.
Overall, a very good book. Must read for every developer.
January 29, 2021
This is definitely a polemic so of course you need to read it with an open mind and keep the biases the author has in the back of your mind. Some reviewers didn't like the simplification of pragmatists/idealists/opportunists in the corporate structure and also found it too cynical, however I found that the grouping into those three tiers was described very well. The book does very well in summarizing the bad things about corporate culture and might feel you leaving a little in the dumps before it switches to a very optimistic idea of where Mr. Dietrich thinks things will and/or should go. I don't necessarily agree with his proposal, or definitely his terminology of "efficiencers", but hey, with a book like this, you need to come up with your own signature term for your idea, so it gets a pass.
January 10, 2025
Interesting perspective on how software devs should take more control over their work.
Breaks down corporate environment into three roles on a pyramid (from bottom to top)
- pragmatists (there to collect a paycheque and do the job)
- idealists (people that believe in the vision of the corp and that it's a meritocracy)
- opportunists (people that understand how things "actually" work)
Can be quite cynical at certain points (maybe overly so), but raises some interesting points for thought. Could software devs be more like lawyers/doctors (independent and more in control of the work that they do). Don't want to be labeled a programmer as it is career limiting. Kind of makes sense as programmers are usually going to be seen as a "cost-center". Talks about becoming an efficiencer. Your job isn't to code, but to use tech to make the company more efficient.
Breaks down corporate environment into three roles on a pyramid (from bottom to top)
- pragmatists (there to collect a paycheque and do the job)
- idealists (people that believe in the vision of the corp and that it's a meritocracy)
- opportunists (people that understand how things "actually" work)
Can be quite cynical at certain points (maybe overly so), but raises some interesting points for thought. Could software devs be more like lawyers/doctors (independent and more in control of the work that they do). Don't want to be labeled a programmer as it is career limiting. Kind of makes sense as programmers are usually going to be seen as a "cost-center". Talks about becoming an efficiencer. Your job isn't to code, but to use tech to make the company more efficient.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It sheds light on the ridiculousness of corporate structures in knowledge work like software development. I have always struggled working in a corporate environment as I find the whole process of interviews, annual reviews, IDPs etc. did not result in having great people in the company, or helping anyone improve and become their best in any way. It's all a bunch of baloney that was setup in the past by early corporations and is being copied to this day. Anyway, I don't want to spoil the book for anyone so I'll just say that if you feel disillusioned by the corporate employment as well, this book will make you feel you are definitely not alone and offers alternatives.
October 20, 2018
This book has three layers of content. One is a true observation and assessment of corporate layers. Second is how the author envision future of programming industry. Third is about how and why technical staff should learn to market themselves.
There are many developers these days who pretends that they just want to program the JIRA task assigned to them and go home. Then after a few days they complain about not being recognized enough and not getting new opportunities. This book is a guide for all of them.
Sometimes this book is a bit over descriptive and opinionated. But I would still recommend it as a must read for every technical staff in software field.
There are many developers these days who pretends that they just want to program the JIRA task assigned to them and go home. Then after a few days they complain about not being recognized enough and not getting new opportunities. This book is a guide for all of them.
Sometimes this book is a bit over descriptive and opinionated. But I would still recommend it as a must read for every technical staff in software field.
December 18, 2019
A refreshingly cynical take on how companies work. I worked at a relatively good software company my first year out of college, but I still found myself nodding in agreement as I read. He's too hard on startups though. He basically makes the case that we should all be independent consultants/contractors, which in general I think is a great idea. However, startups are still needed to create brand new products. Though the author didn't address it, this book sparked the following question for me: "Could a high-growth startup some how handle their engineering needs through groups of independent contractors instead of regular employees? And could that be a competitive advantage?"
October 17, 2021
I have a dev friend that worries he's not bringing enough value to the company he's working for. I can't define monetary value I bring too. My job interviews devolve into begging for a job, because of it. The book says, “But what you need to do is get away from saying that you know Python and you’ll do anything, just please-oh-please give you a job.”.
Ideas I loved:
* We are entities engaging in trade. If you don't know the value you're bringing to the table, you're practically begging.
* As devs, we sell time and money savings to businesses.
* We can learn sales, marketing, and business, and work for ourselves, instead of putting up with corporate crap.
Ideas I loved:
* We are entities engaging in trade. If you don't know the value you're bringing to the table, you're practically begging.
* As devs, we sell time and money savings to businesses.
* We can learn sales, marketing, and business, and work for ourselves, instead of putting up with corporate crap.
May 21, 2023
A strange book and not quite what I was expecting. I guess I was hoping for a sort of The Phoenix Project style but it ended up being, like somebody else said, more a collection ranty blog posts railing against the corporate world (justifiably most of the time) and what a dog-eat-dog place it can be. However, it never really touched on those of us happily coding in our 50's who have no desire to climb the corporate ladder and who are happy with their lot.
That said the author makes some good points and is worth it for the appendices where the full interviews with some of the lesser heroes of the industry are published. Their views, reasoning and thought-processes are brilliant.
That said the author makes some good points and is worth it for the appendices where the full interviews with some of the lesser heroes of the industry are published. Their views, reasoning and thought-processes are brilliant.
July 16, 2023
Interesting read about how some people view the world.
This book was eye-opening for me. The author is clearly status-obsessed and came into the industry with corporate advancement on a pedestal, and he assumes most people start out with the same mentality which hasn't been what I've seen. After being thoroughly disillusioned with his idealized he does point out a lot of real issues and explains the behavior of a few people pretty well, though most people are not at all limited to his three archetypes and their tiny spectrum of goals in life. Regardless of not agreeing with the premise I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.
This book was eye-opening for me. The author is clearly status-obsessed and came into the industry with corporate advancement on a pedestal, and he assumes most people start out with the same mentality which hasn't been what I've seen. After being thoroughly disillusioned with his idealized he does point out a lot of real issues and explains the behavior of a few people pretty well, though most people are not at all limited to his three archetypes and their tiny spectrum of goals in life. Regardless of not agreeing with the premise I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.
July 4, 2024
Boy do I wish I had known of this book back at its release. The beginning of the book outlines an ideal state for people in tech that are tired of not getting credit (or more directly compensation) for what they deliver. The rest of the book covers the context of how we got to be where we are in corporate life and how to bridge the gap to this ideal state. Some of it is a little hard to swallow at first based on the terms used, but it softens and offers a working structure for how to navigate the various layers of Corporate. Developer Hegemony helped me reframe the true nature of my capabilities and work. I look forward to embarking on the future state outlined in these pages.
May 6, 2019
I'm going to have a hard time reviewing this book and giving it five stars is maybe too high. It wasn't the easiest book to read. It definitely has some depressing moments.
The first part of the book takes a very cynical look at corporations. If you've worked for companies of any size beyond small then you'll probably read this part and start feeling depressed. You'll be able to take the categories Dietrich describes and put former/current coworkers and yourself into them. This doesn't always feel good.
The first part finishes with an outline of how to get ahead in the corporate world.
The second and last part of the book extols the virtue of starting your own thing and being independent. It definitely makes a good case for it.
Other reviews have gone into a bit more detail than my own. Dig into those if you want a bit more details.
Some others that I think highlight good points:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The first part of the book takes a very cynical look at corporations. If you've worked for companies of any size beyond small then you'll probably read this part and start feeling depressed. You'll be able to take the categories Dietrich describes and put former/current coworkers and yourself into them. This doesn't always feel good.
The first part finishes with an outline of how to get ahead in the corporate world.
The second and last part of the book extols the virtue of starting your own thing and being independent. It definitely makes a good case for it.
Other reviews have gone into a bit more detail than my own. Dig into those if you want a bit more details.
Some others that I think highlight good points:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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