Four Types of Web Developers, Which are You?: Development, Business, Communication

Four Types of Web Developers, Which are You?

Tags: Development, Business, Communication | Written on 15/8/08

After years of working with developers and observing motivations - it seems I've generalized people into a few categories.

Please don't balk if they aren't 100% accurate, since everyone is different it is hard to generalize - but this shows the general trends I see of paths people follow when devleoping for the web.

Type A: Developers for Developers

The core of the coding world.  They have philosophical debates about code with each other.  From this group of people came all the programming languages ( C++, PHP, Java, Ruby, etc ). If they have any people skills at all you will see them leading conferences and in the lime-light.  Otherwise you can find them in password protected MIRC channels and in the deep dark caverns of corporations where no business person has ever step foot.

Type B: Developers for Client-Developers

They build plugins, frameworks and tools for themselves and fellow developers.  The focus is on developing bits of reusable code to accomplish client work more efficiently.  In the marketplace some are self-employeed, yet most of these people occupying full-time positions as team leads (or normal developers who exceed employer expectations). Their philisophical debates are found to be mostly around what are the best tools to use, but also on how to write the best code.  Community activity is high - as most have blogs, comment regularly on blogs and attend conferences.

Type C: Client-Developers

These developers use out-of-the-box software packages and slightly modifies them to get client work done. Their focus is on doing what the boss or client tells them for the day. May listen to podcasts, or participate in community lightly via blog comments or in-frequently posted to blog hosted at Blogger.com.  Will only attend a conference if it is local and 100% paid for.  In the marketplace you will find them working 40 hour weeks.  Prime motivating factor is family and job security.

Type D: Developers for Money

These people are hack'n'mash, "developers".  You will find them grabbing dreamweaver or any WYSWYG tool to, "make a million" via affiliate programs and any idea they can get their hands on to make money.  Visit their sites and see all types of ads - link ads, popup ads, pop-under ads (though some are finding smarter methods). Products are being sold because they understand the human condition and feed desire into a sale (conversion).

What type of devleoper are you? I am definitely type B.

Comments

#1. Ryan J. Peterson on 15/8/08
I am Type E: A developer who develops to push the boundaries of what has been done, interfacing everything thing together cause I can...but I agree Marc, you hit the four most common.

Oooh look...a rabbit hole.....
#2. Mike Branski on 15/8/08
Of the four you described, I definitely fall under Type B as well.

We share the same archetype; am I finally a cool kid?
#3. Paul Bakaus on 15/8/08
This should be titled "Four types of web developers".

Really, what about all the actual backend developers, software developers? They fit into none of these categories.
#4. Marc Grabanski on 15/8/08
Paul: Changed the title to include, "web developers". Since this blog is about web development, I just assumed people would read it from that perspective.
#5. Queli Coto on 15/8/08
i'm spanish web developer, I think the type b.

greetings
#6. SayB on 4/9/08
Ah! I was actually thinking along the same lines, but just not as clear as you've said it here - u really solved 1 prob o mine - thanks! :P
n abt me .... i'd say 95% type B - 5% type C (it's quite circumstantial really) but yes, some of the times I do find my self in the Type C bracket.
#7. Marc Grabanski on 4/9/08
SayB: Many people I know are Type-C, and that is not a bad thing. They provide a certain stability and besides, there is more to this life than work!
#8. Shop all Day 2 weeks, 1 day ago
Ad a number 5, which is like 4, except not spanning automatic websites to produce ads and affiliate links (the garbage of the internet). A developer with intentions of completing his or her own project with intention of enterprise.

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