Joining the 5%

In a compelling speech by Bruce Eckel:

... Roughly 80% of programmers don't read books, don't go to conferences, don't continue learning, don't do anything but what they covered in college. Maybe they've gotten a job in a big company where they can do the same thing over and over. The other 20% struggle with their profession: they read, try to learn things, listen to podcasts, go to user group meetings and sometimes a conference. 80% of this 20% are not very successful yet; they're still beginning, still trying. The other 20% of this 20% -- that's about 5% of the whole who are 20x more productive.

So how do you become one of these mythical 5%?

These people are not those who can remember all the moves and have fingers that fly over the keyboard erupting system commands. In my experience those in the 5% must struggle to get there, and struggle to stay there, and it's the process of continuous learning that makes the difference.

It took me a long time to realize that there was such a significant productivity difference. It took me longer still to realize that I could - and should - aspire to achieving that increased level of productivity, and that it wasn't based on innate abilities or otherwise fixed. Bruce lists some things to do to get there:

• Read. A lot. [Books rife with advice on how to grow as a technical person include Jerry's On Becoming a Technical Leader and Secrets of Consulting, the Prags' The Pragmatic Programmer, and Chad's My Job Went to India.]
• Go to conferences. But be selective about which ones to go to.
• Listen to podcasts.
• "Using the best tools, techniques, and ideas at your disposal. Always doing your best."
• Attend user group meetings.
• Keep the big picture in mind: "... people will still spend all their time on one decision while something else might actually have a far greater influence. Architectural decisions, for example."
• Remember Jerry's maxim: "no matter what they tell you, it's always a people problem."
• Learn the difference between targets and goals (see the excellent Waltzing with Bears). And communicate both.
• Never fall for silver bullets.
• Keep in mind that "things are the way they are because they got that way ... one logical step at a time."

Tips not in Eckel's speech:

• Create passionate users. (The blogosphere isn't the same without you, Kathy!). This means giving interaction design the respect and resources that it deserves.
• Learn statistics.
• Learn about things that have - apparently - nothing to do with programming. For example, I've learned much from Seth Godin, who taught me the importance of emotions when delivering a speech, marketing yourself and your team, honesty in that marketing and much more.
• Learn when to quit and when to stick.
• Learn how to communicate better. (Less is more!)
• Strive to be the worst member of your team (see My Job Went to India for a good explanation of what this is all about).
• "Embrace failure! Seek it out. Learn to love it. That may be the only way any of us will ever be free." And learn from it.
• Be curious.
• Remember: "no matter what they tell you, it's always a people problem." Because it bears repeating.

I'd like to close the same way Bruce did his speech:

You'll need to make a lot of mistakes in order to figure things out. So be humble, and keep asking questions.