Over the years we saw a lot of different attempts to properly manage the work of software developers and related technical specialists. One of the most grotesque example is using Lines of Code as a key metric for developer productivity, as discussed in The Mythical Man-Month.
Still, even today hourly-based contracts remain standard in the industry due to their simplicity and clarity. Man-hour has become a currency, albeit with different valuations, since a Senior Developer is usually expected to do more in the same amount of hours than a Junior Developer.
Here, I’m not saying that man-hours need to go, but rather want to discuss what makes them valuable.
Recent Return-to-office policies are a clear sign that a lot of managers still believe that the value is created at a point where employees press buttons on the keyboard or attend face-to-face meetings. Similarly, if somebody takes an hour to go for a walk during the workday – that is a case of lost productivity.
This is the key misunderstanding of the point where the value is actually created in the Technology industry. After years of reflecting on these problems, I now believe that the value is created mostly in thinking.
This is especially noticeable now where a lot of mechanical or routine tasks can be automated using AI agents. Slow thinking, however, is not something modern AI agents are capable of. Once you figure out what you are building in your head, the mechanical implementation becomes much easier. Slow thinking is a real value point in the industry.
Therefore, it is in managers’ best interests to stimulate employees’ focused thinking on work items. Doing so is not easy though. For example, making people stare at a computer screen or at each other during meetings is not it.
What actually needs to be done here requires individual approach as people and their thinking patterns are different. This requires planning, work and …thinking. However, recognizing that the value is created at thinking would be a good first step.