Don’t Call Yourself a Programmer

The article, titled "Don't Call Yourself a Programmer," argues that engineers should understand how businesses work and frame their careers around increasing revenue or reducing costs rather than around programming itself. It notes that most programming jobs are in line-of-business software, such as an internal travel expense form that could save a 2,000-employee company $250,000 a year at $50 per hour. It cites Peter Drucker's distinction between Profit Centers and Cost Centers and says engineers are usually Cost Centers. It also says that describing oneself as a "programmer" invites replacement, and that most jobs are filled through personal introductions rather than public postings.