At ApexSQL we're making killer tools for SQL Server, and to do so we're proud to have strong product and website teams currently consisting of developers and SQAs. We have no programmers in our teams and we don't need any.
What is the difference between a programmer and a developer?
Definition
Programmer is a grunt receiving orders from a team leader and/or project manager working on a piece of code outsourced for someone else's solution and based on someone else's plan.
Developer is a spec-ops, lean-mean-development-machine part of a small band of heroes owning and building top-notch solutions, come hell or high water.
Examples
Programmer has many bosses: a senior, a team leader, a project manager, etc.
Developer has only one boss: the customer.
Programmer wants to write a program or some code.
Developer wants to create the best solution for the customer.
Programmer comes to work and works for 8h.
Developer has incremental results each day regardless of hours worked.
Programmer asks questions.
Developer makes suggestions.
Programmer speaks for himself as one from the team.
Developer speaks to the team and for the team.
Programmer reads roadmaps and writes code to accommodate roadmaps.
Developer makes roadmaps and works to accommodate customers.
Programmer doesn't know the competitors and tends to be surprised.
Developer knows what competitors had for breakfast and what they plan for dinner.
Programmer schedules meetings and gives updates to stakeholders when asked to do so.
Developer has an active com-link with battle buddies and keeps stakeholders constantly informed of mission status.
Programmer learns when new skills are needed for work and/or is trained by others.
Developer learns organically and shares the knowledge by training others.
Programmer works with other teams to share personal workload.
Developer works with other teams to lessen everyone's workload.
Programmer strives not to fail the sprint.
Developer strives to add more work on top of a successful sprint.
Programmer waits for SQAs to test code changes and report bugs.
Developer self-tests new code and makes it tough for SQAs to find bugs.
Programmer is unsure about performance of created tools.
Developer perf-tests regularly and knows that owned tools are top-performers in the market.
Programmer expects of SQAs to write test cases and to regression test everything.
Developer cooperates with SQAs to write unit tests, to implement detailed logging and to automate regression testing.
Programmer uses 3rd party tools to speed up work.
Developer uses our company tools to speed up work and to help improve the tools in the process.
Programmer "overcommits", "cannot reproduce", "cannot fix", "must ask someone else".
Developer gets the job done. Period.
