

Ask HN: My CEO wants to learn how to code.. What do I do? - stellard1

My CEO just asked me about learning how to code. He doesn't want to actually write any, he just wants to gain a better understanding of software development.<p>I think this is great and I do not want to blow this chance by giving him some programming books that he will get bored of and not read.<p>I want to show him the pitfalls of software development so he can understand why estimating time is difficult, and how we build our technical debt by not fixing bugs when we find them and rushing features etc. I want him to know why we are forced to drop some features and why we are no longer able to keep the same velocity as when the project started.<p>Can you recommend any articles/blogs/books that can explain this stuff to managers without getting too technical?
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thibaut_barrere
I'd suggest three things:

1 - subscribe to <http://codeyear.com/> (or similar)

2 - take a couple of hours every weeks to do pair-work (not only programming,
but also estimating etc) so he get a better idea of the daily tradeoffs

3 - let him pick a couple of screencasts at times (see
<http://www.learnivore.com/> for instance) to follow from a high level view at
his own pace

If you do 2, be ready to question your own assumptions; you'll likely get
"fresh" questions that will teach you just as much as him.

~~~
sagacity
Point #2 - truly well-said.

>If you do 2, be ready to question your own assumptions; you'll likely get
"fresh" questions that will teach you just as much as him.

Bingo, again. Spot on. Having lived on both sides of the equation (hand-coder
- 20+ years ago, CXO-type since then,) I can attest to the validity of this
whole heartedly.

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chris_dcosta
Sounds like your CEO has already said to himself, if not yet to you, "how hard
can it be?"

The truth is coding is not that hard, coding well, is a different game.

Does he play sport? Explain that knowing how to hit a ball with a racket does
not mean you can win the Open, but learning programming as a comparison
doesn't stop there.

Imagine all the games in the tournament being played at once, on one court, at
the same time. That's how complex applications work, and it's that level of
information that programmers routinely have to carry in their heads when they
work.

Making one change often leads to a cascade of work because making a change in
one part can affect the outcome of many other things.

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bdfh42
Good advice stacking up here - but the challenge is in getting your boss to
appreciate the huge step from sample exercises in programming to building a
real life application.

It could be the equivalent of learning to saw through a couple of wooden
planks. Learning the basics of handling a cross cut saw gives little insight
into the craft of joinery.

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kellros
Perhaps it might be a better idea to give him related material regarding
project management and get him involved in the SDLC.

Doesn't sound like the problem you are trying to solve has much to do with
programming (writing code, design patterns, oop, etc.).

I'm serious.

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tylerkayser
There's simplicity in this site: <http://teamtreehouse.com/>

Watch one or two with him to get the ball rolling. It'll feel a lot less like
work to him.

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tobiasbischoff
Point him to Joel Spolsky's Blog <http://www.joelonsoftware.com/>

There is a reading list on the right, all good reads about software
development.

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pasbesoin
The Mythical Man Month

The Soul of a New Machine (hardware; nonetheless pertinent, if dated -- was a
best-seller)

