October 15, 2024 | By @mattborja
Personal Message
Have you ever hated wanting something you secretly needed? The silly human complexity of craving recognition or meaning, only to feel unseen when it finally arrives because it lacks authenticity.
In this article, I want to address an issue I’ve personally struggled with in the tech industry in recent years: the disparity in recognition between developers who work privately in proprietary environments and those who thrive in more public or product-driven roles. I've also seen many skilled developers, particularly those with more reserved or introverted personalities, face challenges in gaining visibility, support, or career advancement—despite their passion and expertise.
Examples of this can be seen in developers like Zloirock, who maintains the widely-used core-js JavaScript library. Despite his critical contributions, Zloirock has faced financial and personal challenges due to a lack of support from the industry. Similarly, Werner Koch, the creator of Gnu Privacy Guard (GPG), has struggled to maintain funding for the software responsible for securing global email communications.
In some cases, cultural or regional factors may make public engagement impractical or even discouraged. These stories highlight the often hidden injustices developers like myself face, even when their work is indispensable.
I fall into the proprietary category—someone who struggles with self-promotion and visibility.
Introduction
In an industry often focused on equity and equality for well-known demographic groups, one form of inequality often goes unnoticed: the disparity in recognition and opportunity between developers who thrive in the public eye and those who remain secluded or private, despite similar levels of passion and technical expertise.
Recognition Disparities in Proprietary Environments
In many proprietary environments, developers often face internal disparities in recognition based on visibility rather than the quality of their work. Corporate culture tends to reward those who are vocal or engage in highly visible, product-driven projects, while more introverted developers—who may prefer working on long-term, behind-the-scenes improvements—often find themselves overlooked.
In environments where rapid product cycles and short-term results are prioritized, developers who focus on infrastructure, system stability, or less glamorous tasks can struggle to gain recognition, even though their contributions are critical to a company’s long-term success. This creates a frustrating dynamic where developers are pressured to sacrifice quality for speed, simply to stay relevant in the eyes of leadership.
The Impact of Corporate Culture and Internal Politics
One of the key issues in proprietary environments is that recognition often comes not just from technical expertise, but also from navigating internal politics, making connections, or gaining visibility through high-profile projects. Developers who are deeply invested in the quality of their work—and who prioritize craftsmanship over public-facing contributions—are frequently at a disadvantage. In such environments, those who remain private and focused on their work often find themselves undervalued or passed over for promotions and career advancements.
This disparity is further exacerbated by the focus on short-term metrics of success, such as meeting tight deadlines or launching features quickly, often at the expense of sustainable, well-built systems. Developers who care about long-term stability can feel alienated when their contributions aren't valued in these fast-paced corporate cultures.
Open-Source Developers: Similar Challenges with Public Engagement
These recognition disparities aren’t limited to proprietary environments. Developers in the open-source community face similar challenges, particularly when it comes to balancing public engagement with their passion for technical excellence. Open-source projects tend to reward those who contribute visibly—through conference speaking, participating in discussions, or maintaining high-profile projects. Developers who prefer working privately or behind the scenes, even when their contributions are foundational, may struggle to gain recognition.
Figures like Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux, and Donald Knuth, a pioneer in algorithms and TeX, are examples of individuals who prefer deep, focused work over public interaction. Despite their significant contributions, introverted developers can find it harder to navigate open-source ecosystems that prioritize visibility over the quality of work alone.
Rectifying the Social Injustice
To address this issue, we need to shift how we recognize and value contributions in both proprietary and open-source environments. Here are a few key steps:
Redefining Recognition and Value: Organizations should place more emphasis on long-term contributions and quality, rather than simply rewarding fast deliverables or public visibility. Contributions that are foundational or behind the scenes should be equally celebrated.
Creating Inclusive Professional Networks: Smaller, focused technical communities within companies and the open-source world can help recognize developers who are more private or introverted, without requiring them to engage in large-scale public forums. These spaces can value craftsmanship and technical skill over visibility.
Company Culture Reforms: In proprietary environments, companies should encourage a culture where long-term, maintainable work is as valued as rapid feature delivery. Developers who prioritize quality should be recognized for ensuring systems' longevity and reliability.
Globalizing Access and Exposure: Expanding opportunities to developers in underrepresented regions by offering remote opportunities, scholarships, and mentorship programs can democratize access to recognition in both proprietary and open-source settings.
Promoting Quality-Focused Communities: Promoting spaces that value quality craftsmanship over public engagement allows developers to shine in environments where they feel comfortable, without needing to seek the limelight.
Conclusion
The disparity between visible and secluded developers represents an overlooked form of inequality in both proprietary and open-source environments. By expanding the definition of success and making room for developers who prefer to focus on long-term quality and craftsmanship, we can build a more inclusive and fair industry that values passion, integrity, and long-term contributions—whether those contributions are in the public eye or behind the scenes.
Disclaimer
This article was created with the assistance of ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI, to help compile ideas and structure the content. However, all information provided has been manually reviewed and verified by the author. The viewpoints, interpretations, and narrative have been carefully curated to reflect the author's perspective and understanding of the subject matter.
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