Ok, there is another task, and there is this one guy that is really,
really good: never makes a fuss about getting more stuff piled on,
never needs any check-in, always delivers above satisfation. This guy
(or more frequently, gal) will end up doing a disproportionate amount of
the work for no extra charge and no advantage... S(he) is hit by the
Curse of the Competent!
Currently, the structure of software companies mimicks strongly that
of manufacturing plants. If you look at their composition and makeup more
closely, you'll find that software companies are much more like artists'
workshops than like factories: the outcome of a programmer's work is
much more varied in quality than that of a laborer, and the risks are
much higher. I argue that in the long term, the current software sweat
shops will disappear and a community of small ateliers will replace them.
My spin on excessive executive compensation: the overpayment of CEOs and
other corporate officers is due to the psychological need of boards of
directors to find the Perfect Match. In doing so, they focus on formal criteria
(schooling, experience in similar companies) that are hard to match and hence
give rise to excessive compensation. If the boards focused on things that are
likely to be related to future performance, such as attitude and personality,
we may end up having cheaper, yet better CEOs.
Essays