Developer Dilemna

As if the current market conditions are not turbulent enough, now we have another form of imbroglio that stand infront of us. Just like the roller coaster transformation from centralized to distributed and back from distributed to centralized networking approaches, now we have talk of producing customized solutions but yet not too specific, but to make it a generic solution that can be scaled up to make it customized. I think I have already confused you enough. To put it simple, the demand of today is to have solutions that combine software intelligence but yet simple enough to be malleable to cater to taste of ever dynamic customer demands. The main challenge is that by the very nature of software development, beyond certain point, it makes no sense to sqeeze it to any further levels of genericity and it might prove counter-productive effort wise. I mean if you try to make the solution too generic, the seemingly LITTLE extra effort to configure to make it work for specific customer need, will in most cases turn out to be larger effort than anticipated. .I heard somebody saying when a programmer face an issue they will look at Generic solution but ironically now they will have two issues to face. So, one can not ALWAYS get driven by the fancy sounding word "Generic". So, where do we draw the line. Unfortunately, we dont have any specifc..err..generic guidelines for this. All I can say evaluate the ecosystem, capabilities, uniqueness of the solution and most importantly find out the possible need to reuse the solution in future, and then decide the course

To be Or Not to be

After having spent 13.5 years of experience in the IT field, I thought I have gone through the thick and thin of project management. But, So, did several others. Well then I should say I am still and I would continue to do the same, for several more years to come. Of course, I may get strangled with additional responsibilities that means additional hours of my association at work (physically being or otherwise) and it also mean additional layers fat around my waist. Going by the good old saying that it indicates level prosperity and should I be satiated with. That is on the lighter vein. But, on the serious note, what next for me. I did not mean what the company holds for me what I hold towards the company to prove an edge over others, leave side the extra fat that is bulging around my waistline covering the six packs beneath.
Some one said, you need to get certified to make a mark. Easy said than done. Alright, I became a PMP certified. Some one else said, 'hey, you are forgetting your techincal capabilities'...Ok, I got certified on some of the technologies. Boss, how about on the functional side? I meekly nodded the head and went ahead and completed a couple.
I am not trying to question the reasoning or validity of the ask to improve competencies.
But, if I were to tread the path of my career again, I would suggest the below.
In my experience, what I generally is, we tend to maintain a Iron curtain between the activities of the Senior Managers and Middle Management and similarly between the Middle Management and Junior folks. I am not advocating that we make everything visible to everyone which would be nonsensical and detrimental. What I am trying to say is we need to work on virtualization of upstream activities to the team to understand how the activities that they indulge in has implications on what goes upstream. Of course, every organization has training programs to provide a peek into that but I did not find them effective as it goes like another drawling, monotonous training program as they won’t be able to correlate them in true sense. For example, we don’t need to make the resource to wait to become Project Manager or such position, to give a practical view of what typically goes into billing process (with some non-disclosures of course).
I liken this to a summer camp for children, where they are encouraged to have a feel of several things, not with an attempt to make them expert immediately or to take that as profession.
When it comes to project team, what it means would be providing an insight into what typically goes up and down the value chain with his role being marked somewhere on this line. This not just helps set up a common platform for the individuals to be better prepare for higher roles but also be able to volunteer to take up higher responsibilities with pleasure as he now has better view of the horizon and connectivity is conspicuous

Land of Hypocrisies

Looking at the uproar that got triggered, in the political circles, by the women's reservation bill, I am totally bemused to see how these very stereotypes, the self proclaimed champions of women's empowerment and literacy, switch their positions, to protect their historical male bastions in the legislature. However, When I pondered over multitude of several other hypocrisies that are part of our "Mera Bharat Mahan" populace, it did not surprise me so much
To list a few, On the one hand we say the law stands equal for all but with no common civil code.
We jeer at sleazy shows on TV but lure for scantily clad IMPORTED white skinned cheerleaders in the name of "Nothing but cricket", We, the proclaimers of devotees of Nature in all the forms, see every place suitable for attending to nature's call and for exploitation, We proudly call ourselves, biggest democracy in the world but with less than 50% of qualified (many unqualified too) electorate exercise their franchise. We become so possessed when it comes to talking about Indian culture and music but when it comes to promotion of the same, we happily let the onslaught of western influences on our music, rechristening that remixed rotten filmy music as the true representation of Indianness.
The height of hypocrisy is very much witnessed when the very same Indian populace who reckon breaking law as their birth right, would be very careful not to litter or bribe a policeman, while being in another country.
Jai Ho India, the FREEEE and LIBERATED SOUL