Proactive engineering

What does it mean to be an engineer? What does it mean to be a craftsman?

Engineering to me is the ability to come up with solutions to problems using a combination of technology, science, math, and many other disciplines. A stronger engineer can come up with a good solution where a lesser engineer couldn't. Craftsmanship to me is the mindset to think long term in terms of a product or craft and always trying to get better and better outcome of a product's life. A stronger craftsman will create products that are way more usable, stable, and effective than products created by a lesser craftsman. The phrase "the desire to do a job well for its own sake" is a good way to describe it.

I think it's healthy for a software developer to try to improve and embody what it means to be an engineer and a craftsman in their career. Take a proactive approach. As an engineer try to push the boundaries on what's possible and coming up with solutions to problems yet dreamed of. Maybe set aside time, or whenever you find yourself having downtime, to just brainstorm and dream with your users on what's possible and how you can push the boundaries on existing solutions. As a software craftsman try to refine what you have done in the past and see what can be improved upon for the sake of exploring how to make something more usable, stable, and effective. Have the desire to do a job better or increase your ability to do so for its own sake. Don't just be reactive as an engineer, take proactive steps to bring something new to the table.

These important attributes are huge reasons why I don't think companies should overburden their employees with things like performance metrics or time tracking to squeeze every drop of productivity out of their engineers. When an employee experiences those kind of confines, you lose a mindset of creativity and excellence that is probably the most valuable asset in the tech industry. No one ever said "Apple squeezed so much labor efficiently out of their engineers so that's why their phones don't seem to crash" or "Windows phone failed because they missed out on productivity from their engineers."