There is a significant problem for businesses who want to develop in Ruby on Rails: a shortage of programmers. It’s not that there are few people who know Ruby (although compared to PHP and Java resources, I would guess that this is also a fact). The problem is, they don’t want full-time jobs.
Where .NET or Java coders can be dogs in a pack, the best RoR programmers are cats; they will join a company when in need of food, and leave just as soon as they please. You know who I’m talking about: the brilliant, creative loner who lives in an artsy flat and has three failed startups under his belt. Beware. He’s only joining your team to save up for the fourth.
I have seen great RoR programmers at clients’ firms come and go several times in the past year. If you’re in charge of human resources, I am not sure I can propose a solution to help hire and keep them there. What I recommend, however, is that companies factor this in when making infrastructure decisions. If you are a small company with a brilliant idea and are willing to cough up money, power and liquidity for your beloved little geeks, the rapidity with which you can develop your Rails app will compensate for those material losses. But if you’re a large company that can’t make the conceited goddamned nerd happy, you might be better off hiring .NET or Java people who are perfectly content in cubicles.
6 Comments
“Conceited goddamned nerd”? You’re making a really big assumption there—that $DEITY exists. (Note: $DEITY may be an array.)
That’s a good one.
I think most of us cool cats have trouble with the notion of being confined to a cubicle, or most of the corporate jobs available.
A bright office, a MacBook Pro and a budget for ruby books might go a long way to keeping us nerds happy. Good pay, a challenging project and colleagues you can learn from would make a killer combination.
I agree with this observation. But, if we know anything about math, it will not take long for the “herd” to catch-up! A “mixed blessing” this. Let us hope we do not get trampled to death. – thank you for RoboZen. It has lifted the spirit!
Good point, and thanks for the note!
You made my day! I will quote your post at my resume (perhaps taking out the brilliant part though in my case
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