A smart accountant once told said that the answer to “How much money did you make?” is always, “Who wants to know?” If it’s an investor, the answer is “A lot.” If it’s a customer, the answer is “A little.” If it’s the IRS, the answer is “None.”

Same thing with programmers. The answer to “Who is a good programmer?” is always, “Who wants to know?”

• To a project manager, the programmer who hits every deadline (regardless of quality) is a good programmer.
• To a customer, the programmer who solves their problem quickest is a good programmer.
• To a business owner, the programmer who makes them the most money is a good programmer.
• To a PHB, the programmer who makes them look the best is a good programmer.
• To a junior programmer, the best mentor is the good programmer.
• To another programmer, the programmer they are most likely to want to go into battle with is a good programmer.

Ed Weissman