In the past few years, there have been some positive shifts in how software developers interact with their customers.

Anthropologically, we're an interesting bunch. Many years ago, our work was viewed as backroom; we had little or no contact with the people that were using our software. We saw computers as something like mythical beasts and computer programmers as their keepers.

Now, in just the same way that technology has proliferated into everyday life, so too have software developers. Where before we'd use go-betweens such as project managers and business analysts, software developers now have direct contact with the people who use our software. In fact, in this past decade, we've begun to see a shift from having separate IT departments to the increasing integration of our business and technology groups. This transition has meant that we have learned new skills; for example, we now know how to listen to people, understand their wants, and turn them into needs. Skills that we used to call soft skills are now genuine skills that every software developer needs to have.

At the same time, technology is moving fast, really fast. Software developers have a hard time keeping up. The reality for us is that we have to learn quickly, and we've become very good at acquiring knowledge rapidly and often on the job.

This chapter looks at what makes software developers tick, what motivates us to get out of bed in the morning and go to work. We'll also look at the way we've adapted to a rapid learning environment.

Finally, we'll look at practical techniques for fostering learning in software developers, so it becomes an innate part of what they do.

The following are the topics we will cover in this chapter:

• The power of motivation
• The entrepreneurial developer
• The team player
• The growth mindset
• Fostering a learning habit