Values: What is a developer worth?

Much like the anecdotal lessons most of us were taught at home and in elementary school, we should share our toys. Over the course of my career, I have watched many developers and technical people define themselves by the work they have accomplished. While this definition can be productive and serve many useful purposes, there is also a common trap of perspective. We should not draw our value from the work! Definition by content is philosophically consistent with the products a web developer builds, but valuation of that content is something that requires context and information... and even then, it is subjective. In this way, when a developer sees his own value as being synonymous with the knowledge he possesses or the code he has generated (or worse, simply has access to), the flow of information can sometimes become more important than the work. To make matters worse, we are usually defined by others in part by our own presentation. If we believe our value is a characterization of our code, our customers and colleagues might eventually see us within these same limits. We would put ourselves in a box.

I have come to believe strongly in some core values and tenants which I personally and professionally evangelize. I define my own value by analyzing my efforts and results in context to these values.

I will keep this category [Values] oriented toward discussions of these philosophies and hopefully some relevant experiences and practical usages.