Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by jbm 483 days ago
It's an interesting opinion, but I read the exact same opinions about JS developers in 2008 too.

I do agree that if you are "only" a developer, you will have to be in some sort of tightly defined niche, and how long those niches survive is anyone's guess.

1 comments

What do you mean with "only" developer? Someone who just knows how to code when given a spec but lacking domain knowledge (in this case ai math and hardware optimization) and larger context?
Personally, I don't think having deep domain knowledge is as important. However, being able to write the spec based on interactions with the client / customer / stakeholders is. (The AI Math and hardware optimization "never" being doable by an AI seems like an arbitrary distinction to justify one's choices.)

Incidentally, I put the word "only" in quotes because I morally and aesthetically appreciate the strength of someone who can write to spec. I have no interest in demeaning the effort it takes to do so. I have worked with supposedly senior developers who ignore specs completely, even when the specs are done by a technical person and include details / unit tests.