[Update 2007/08/17: I just found out, that this entry got overwritten by another one. A corrupted MySQL key file might have caused this.]
As a developer, reading things on the web, you come by Joel Spolsky pretty quickly. Joel is a top-notch essayist with many a story to share from his days on the Microsoft Excel Team and his current company Fog Creek. Now, Joel cares for a good read. Being sick of bad writing he tried to make an example of good software writing. He compiled a list of essays from The Net he deemed worth publishing in a book. Joel introduces each essay with a few comments. The preface to the piece by Michael “Rands” Lopp says, in my words, when you're done with this, you'll be going to his website and read all the other things he's written.
«Big words Joel, I don't trust you on this.» — I thought.
When I finished Michael's text I went to his website and read every other thing he's written. Took me two weeks. Joel was right.
Rands is the web-identity of Michael Lopp. He's now an engineering manager at Apple, but he spent his career at other famous places such as Borland or Netscape as an engineer. A programmer. One of us. He shares his view on how to deal with people professionally on his Rands in Repose blog.
When you ask why you should care because you're coding, not managing, try this: You're a manager of some sort, too. You deal with your co-workers, clients, your boss or the tasks assigned to you. This is management and Rands' got some tips for you. Even if your corporation takes most of that away from you, you'll still have a boss. If you do want to make sense of his actions and fail, chances are good that Rands has an explanation. Go, read
his blog. Now. Well, not just now.
If you prefer reading on paper, Michael, co-starring Rands, wrote Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager. This book is for you. Go, read it. Now.
Joel, likely to be correct again, says
What you're holding in your hands is by far the most brilliant book about managing software teams you're ever going to find.
The best is though, that the principles Rands identifies are true not for software only. People from other professions regularly comment on his blog that in XYZ, exactly the same crap goes on.
Also, the website explains the book very well.
P.S. Shipping to Germany is darn slow, it appears, so I haven't had a chance to look at the book in person, but even if it would be just as good as Rands' blog, I'd blindly buy it. So should you!