It's quite common to hear that anyone can be a developer. Microsoft and other technology companies are infamous for telling us how everyone from a 9 year old through a 99 year old can be a developer. However, it's a little like saying that everyone from a 9 year old through a 99 year old can play baseball. (I'm using baseball and softball for this discussion in a gender neutral fashion. I understand that most women play softball, but the gist of the discussion is not gender specific.)
Yes everyone from a 9 yr old child to a 99 year old "can" play but when you start talking about professional players - what's the real range of 'who can play?' Don't get me wrong even when I was say eighteen through twenty-five I wasn't a baseball star (or any other sport for that matter). Sure I knew how to play, and would even participate in a softball game at say a company or church picnic. But was I professional? Not a chance, and there's a reason - I wasn't nearly as good as those people being picked to play for organized teams. In this case I'll even extend 'professional' to the college ranks to make it clear it's gender neutral. Let's face it those teams pick the best available players, and while anyone may have the basic skills to hit and catch the ball - only the best stick with it and are worth investing in that skill.
It is much the same in software development. Sure anyone 'can' write some code. Anyone can write a 'Hello World' program or type up a basic HTML page. But does that mean anyone can act as a professional software engineer? The answer as with baseball, is not really. Sure you can hire people who will take your money and accept the title of Software Engineer, but in the long run neither you nor they will be happy. Similar to other skilled professions (everything from Doctors to Electricians to Truck Drivers) certain people just do better in the software industry. So how do you spot them?
Well there have been several essays but finally there is a new book coming from an author I trust on this subject. Joel Spolsky author of Joel on Software is releasing a new book on hiring software and related technical people. I've just ordered a copy and depending upon your role you might want to do the same.
Given Joel's history while you may not agree with everything he has to say, you should at least consider this book if you are in the business of helping to interview new engineers. I'm sure I'll have more to say once I've read this book but for now, given how much I liked his last two books (with Joel on Software being the better of the two) I'm confident in recommending this before I've read it.
