I got my first job in tech back in December 1998. In my career so far, I’ve worked in pure coding roles, I’ve worked as a tester, and I’ve had a couple of more varied roles.
A few years back, I was working long hours for an extended period of time, and I completely burned out. While I continued coding so as not to lose the skill, it quickly became something I no longer enjoyed doing.
This year, I came to realise that my coding days are coming to an end. I’ve fought it for some time, but I’ve recently come to accept it. I’ve also had the opportunity to move into a Scrum Master role at my current workplace, which has helped a lot.
My new role has made me realise that while I may have enjoyed coding in the past, the thing I enjoy most – and that I’m good at – is delivery, aka getting shit done.
Being a Scrum Master, a Delivery Manager, an Agile PM or whatever I might call myself today or in the future, isn’t my only skill – but it is what I’m particularly good at.
I don’t know if I’ll be blogging about delivery a lot, a little, or at all. I don’t blog particularly often these days. But that’s mostly due to a lack of focus on my part. I like to do a lot of different things. As a result, I can’t focus on being the best at anything.
I’m far from the best coder. But I was always good at getting shit done. When I look at my past jobs, I don’t want to shout about what tech I used, how I solved complex problems, or how I designed my solutions. I’m far more interested in what I delivered – and the fact I got the job done – than how I did it.
I’ve worked with some amazing developers in my career. Many of those developers are great at getting things done. Some consider technology options at length, and maybe are hesitant to make a decision in case it’s the wrong one. Some may obsess over doing things perfectly. There’s definitely a place for planning rather than jumping straight in and making a mess of things. However, it can be taken too far.
Anyway, delivery is what I do. It’s what makes me tick. It’s the area I can help with the most.
And I’m glad to have finally figured this out. It only took me 19 years.
Ben Barden 