The 7 Signs of a Bad Programmer

Not the only ones, unfortunately

The Secret Developer
4 min readJan 12, 2023
Photo by Kari Shea on Unsplash

There are many ways to be ineffective at a job. Here are a few that seem to be a running theme with some programmers I’ve worked with over the years:

I’m a Software Engineer, not a Programmer

You know what they’re like. Mechanical keyboard in the office? Can’t make the standup because they were thinking about that problem (it’s 5 minutes to mention what you’re thinking). How long did it take to get the latte?

I’m not entirely certain how people can become so arrogant with 3 years of experience, but there you go.

I like to impress with my job title. Who? What do you mean, nobody cares.

Perhaps a little more time working and a little less time working on your status?

Whiteboard in the background

Some people in the industry do have degrees. I’ve worked with Doctors (not the medical kind, OK). Those with qualifications in the industry often choose not to mention them, because within many organizations there is a reverse snobbishness around education.

Yet others wear glasses without medical reason (which really happens) and stand in front of a…

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The Secret Developer

A top software developer who has worked for some of the biggest tech companies (yes, that one too) reveals the stories behind Big Tech and software engineering.