If a programmer really enjoys what he’s doing, he’s going to overlook the money. It’s true. Good programmers aren’t motivated by the money.
Apparently I’m a shit programmer.
Or maybe I’m misunderstanding the thing. If I’m unhappy, maybe paying me substantially more would make me content. Or maybe not. But more importantly, someone else offering me money to quit and join them would have me out the door so fast the chair would still be spinning.
(edit)
Beyond that, there are some valid points in there, like not wanting to work on stuff that is easy, or that nobody will use. Valid point. For my personal projects. My job is my job. I’m not doing it because I enjoy it, I’m getting actively bribed to do it, that’s the reason I’m doing it in the first place. If I could, I’d far prefer working on private stuff, be it coding or not. I’m not however, because someone is paying me to work on their stuff instead.
Does a cool project help? No. No. Not at all. Not in the slightest, because it’s not my project.
Does a cool work environment help? Maybe. Depends.
Do nice colleagues help? A bit, but they’re my colleagues not my friends.
What helps? A lot of money, reduced weekly hours, plenty days off, 100% from home to avoid wasting extra time on commute, stuff like that. Basically, make the fact that I have to waste 33%++ of my weekdays on someone else’s yachts and mercedes benz as painless as it can be, and then bribe me to accept the rest as a necessary evil.
My experience is that people are often motivated by quite different things.
Money matters to me, but it’s not what motivates me to work. What motivates me to work is how worthwhile the work seems to me and how much I enjoy working with my colleagues. And yeah, that’s tedious, it’d be so much easier if it was all about money, but that’s not the way my brain works.
If all of your material needs were met, would you do the exact same work you’re doing now for free?
If the answer is no, you’re working for money.
Don’t kid yourself, we’re all just hookers. We specifically have the privilege to somewhat choose which dick we have to serve, but we’re hookers still.
I have a job because of the money, but on a day to day basis, money doesn’t even factor into my motivations. I’m motivated by having work that’s interesting and which I can trick myself into believing is meaningful. The closest I come to being motivated by money is a feeling of anxiety I get if I imagine being fired, and anxiety only makes it harder for me to work, so it’s pretty much the opposite of motivation.
I think he’s just saying that working in a shit environment is sometimes more harmful than underpaying them. Pay is important but it won’t always keep someone if the job is awful.
I started and ended my working life as the proverbial blue collar worker, mostly a labourer. Programming was my hobby and I loved it. I lived and breathed and dreamt programming.
I went pro for one reason and one reason only: money. Well, okay, there was some satisfaction in helping nice people solve interesting problems, something that is rare when working as a labourer.
I knew my days were numbered when an HR goon started using transparent misinterpretations of various motivational theories to lecture me on how money really didn’t matter that much to me. She was right in the sense that prefer I time at home to getting paid time-and-a-half for overtime, even when I’m clearly underpaid, but completely out to lunch when considering my desire for hobbies and travel.
Money may not be a very good motivator, but lack of money is one hell of a demotivator!
I think motivation is a bit more nuanced than that. Also what is said isn’t restricted to programmers. Money is an external motivator, which means it isn’t really motivating as in providing fulfillment and energy when doing a job. It can give you a reason to to the job, “it pays the bills” or “it pays the bills extremely well”, but that’s something different.
That being said, I do look for jobs where I am motivated about the projects and the environment. In fact this is the main thing I evaluate when applying for a position. I also expect to be (and am) well-paid but I’m not aiming for the top bucks, because those jobs don’t interest me. I’m spending 8 hours a day doing this work, a big majority of the high-quality hours of the week are sunk into the job. I’m happy I get to spend them doing things I enjoy, with people I enjoy working with, as opposed to having to slog through them just because I need the money.
Apparently I’m a shit programmer.
Or maybe I’m misunderstanding the thing. If I’m unhappy, maybe paying me substantially more would make me content. Or maybe not. But more importantly, someone else offering me money to quit and join them would have me out the door so fast the chair would still be spinning.
(edit)
Beyond that, there are some valid points in there, like not wanting to work on stuff that is easy, or that nobody will use. Valid point. For my personal projects. My job is my job. I’m not doing it because I enjoy it, I’m getting actively bribed to do it, that’s the reason I’m doing it in the first place. If I could, I’d far prefer working on private stuff, be it coding or not. I’m not however, because someone is paying me to work on their stuff instead.
Does a cool project help? No. No. Not at all. Not in the slightest, because it’s not my project.
Does a cool work environment help? Maybe. Depends.
Do nice colleagues help? A bit, but they’re my colleagues not my friends.
What helps? A lot of money, reduced weekly hours, plenty days off, 100% from home to avoid wasting extra time on commute, stuff like that. Basically, make the fact that I have to waste 33%++ of my weekdays on someone else’s yachts and mercedes benz as painless as it can be, and then bribe me to accept the rest as a necessary evil.
My experience is that people are often motivated by quite different things.
Money matters to me, but it’s not what motivates me to work. What motivates me to work is how worthwhile the work seems to me and how much I enjoy working with my colleagues. And yeah, that’s tedious, it’d be so much easier if it was all about money, but that’s not the way my brain works.
If all of your material needs were met, would you do the exact same work you’re doing now for free?
If the answer is no, you’re working for money.
Don’t kid yourself, we’re all just hookers. We specifically have the privilege to somewhat choose which dick we have to serve, but we’re hookers still.
I have a job because of the money, but on a day to day basis, money doesn’t even factor into my motivations. I’m motivated by having work that’s interesting and which I can trick myself into believing is meaningful. The closest I come to being motivated by money is a feeling of anxiety I get if I imagine being fired, and anxiety only makes it harder for me to work, so it’s pretty much the opposite of motivation.
Some of it, yes. Some of it I already do for free.
Money matters, I gotta pay the rent. If I had to, I’d do whatever shit job to get by.
But once the basic scrap for survival and comfort is met, it’s not what motivates me.
I think he’s just saying that working in a shit environment is sometimes more harmful than underpaying them. Pay is important but it won’t always keep someone if the job is awful.
I started and ended my working life as the proverbial blue collar worker, mostly a labourer. Programming was my hobby and I loved it. I lived and breathed and dreamt programming.
I went pro for one reason and one reason only: money. Well, okay, there was some satisfaction in helping nice people solve interesting problems, something that is rare when working as a labourer.
I knew my days were numbered when an HR goon started using transparent misinterpretations of various motivational theories to lecture me on how money really didn’t matter that much to me. She was right in the sense that prefer I time at home to getting paid time-and-a-half for overtime, even when I’m clearly underpaid, but completely out to lunch when considering my desire for hobbies and travel.
Money may not be a very good motivator, but lack of money is one hell of a demotivator!
That’s a good way of putting it. Thank you. :)
I think motivation is a bit more nuanced than that. Also what is said isn’t restricted to programmers. Money is an external motivator, which means it isn’t really motivating as in providing fulfillment and energy when doing a job. It can give you a reason to to the job, “it pays the bills” or “it pays the bills extremely well”, but that’s something different.
That being said, I do look for jobs where I am motivated about the projects and the environment. In fact this is the main thing I evaluate when applying for a position. I also expect to be (and am) well-paid but I’m not aiming for the top bucks, because those jobs don’t interest me. I’m spending 8 hours a day doing this work, a big majority of the high-quality hours of the week are sunk into the job. I’m happy I get to spend them doing things I enjoy, with people I enjoy working with, as opposed to having to slog through them just because I need the money.