Same skills, different rules

My first boss assumed I had everything memorized. He’d watch me code during the day and nod approvingly. What he didn’t know was that I wrote most of it at home the night before and brought it to the office on diskette. We had no internet at the office.

I wasn’t exactly honest about this arrangement.

But that’s the thing. Development isn’t about memorizing syntax. It’s about knowing what exists and how to adapt it. The real skill is pattern matching and finding solutions, not being a walking encyclopedia.

He was stuck in school mode. In school, you’re expected to know everything off the top of your head. In business, you should be valued for knowing how to find the right answer.

Same skills, different rules. Most people never make the switch.

(That job isn’t on my resume anymore.)