[saasjosh]

It's interesting how in 2024, managers still believe that building software is simply the act of pushing random buttons on a keyboard while moving a mouse.

If the developer stops typing for a minute, or a few hours in order to use his brain to think about a hard problem, then the developer doesn't deserve to get paid because he's not actively using his computer?

If you really want to track developer hours accurately, you need to invent a microchip that will be implanted in the developer's brain.

This chip will track all electrical activity related to building your software, so that you get the best bang for the hourly rate you're paying the developer.

[fragmede]

So I can get paid for all the time I spend thinking about the problem while I'm sleeping and in the shower? Sign me up!

[saasjosh]

Why not? If a solution suddenly pops up while you're walking in the woods, you don't want to get paid for it?

Is the developer getting paid for the software he's building, or for the number of key-presses recorded on his keyboard?

That's why paying developers an hourly rate doesn't make sense.

If you like hourly rates so much, then become a manager at a factory, and leave the tech industry to people who are aware of knowledge work.

[potta_coffee]

Almost all of my best work is done while I'm out taking a walk. I leave my desk and the problem solves itself.

[saasjosh]

Same. It's been proven time and time again that hard problems can be solved by simply walking away while the brain keeps working on it in the background.