> Everybody who works for a living is in business.
That is, to me, a very depressing thought. I'd much rather write code or come up with ways to solve problems (related to code or that can be coded) than have to think about business.
That is, to me, a very depressing thought. I'd much rather write code or come up with ways to solve problems (related to code or that can be coded) than have to think about business.
Because if you do care, you necessary need to (1) learn what someone's problem really is, (2) figure out how to solve it, (3) explain your solution to them so they use it. And at that point, you're "doing business".
Business is not accounting. It's problem solving. It's designing algorithms that run on people and processors. And you measure the performance of your algorithm in money, because money is the best measurable proxy we have for "what people value".
I support a world with strong organizations and separation of responsibility, where designers can design, programmers can program, and chefs can cook lunch, and if the company fails, well, at least lunch was delicious. It's not the back-end programmer's fault for not spending his shower time thinking about the business model. Most people aren't looking for a financially risky job; it's on the entrepreneur to take the risk.
Alternatively, let's just get rid of salaries and everyone can work for equity. Then they'll _really_ be thinking about how much their work is helping the customer.
If you are passionate about programming, you are already doing one or more of these things for fun.
Business is about taking those problem-solutions and getting them into the hands of customers, and getting feedback from customers that lets you improve those solutions. Even if you're just a coder for BigCo, you'll be a lot better at your job if you can work with your customer (boss) to understand their requirements and their goals, and deliver well-targeted solutions.