One of the biggest misconceptions nonprogrammers have with programming is that it’s simply algorithmic. But we know it’s not. Programming is as much art as it is science. We are passionate about our work in much the same way that artists are passionate about theirs.

It’s our job to make that apparent. By doing so, we can change the relationship with our client. Development stops being just service work. We’re no longer just the mechanics brought on to build the app.

Engage your client with the intricate details of your labor. Instead of simply giving them a couple of halfhearted options to solve their problem, offer them those same options with a strong conviction toward one. Then explain why. When a client sees your passion come through on even the most banal of options, they’re more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt when your opinion differs from theirs. They’ll view you as the expert in your own domain.

How do people in other industries make their work interesting to the consumer? It’s easy to talk about Jamie Oliver, the “Naked Chef,” who has popularized British cuisine, healthy eating, and generally mashing everything together with your hands. It’s easy to talk about a musician like Jack White who, in Davis Guggenheim’s rock guitar documentary It Might Get Loud, talks of his blood-stained guitars. It’s interesting because cooking and music tickle the senses, and people will generally listen to famous people talk about their craft.

But let me vouch for some lesser known names.

Lou Manfredini is “Mr. Fix-It.” He’s an exuberant handyman who knows everything about fixing up a home. On his weekly Chicago radio show, he helps homeowners fix every type of problem. Whether it’s installing a new HVAC unit, combating a leaky roof, or sealing a deck, Manfredini has a recommendation and opinion on everything. He’s equally passionate about the type of paint you should use in your kid’s room as he is about getting the vermin out of your basement.

Jeffrey Ruhalter is a fourth-generation master butcher in Manhattan. If butchering doesn’t make you queasy, watch him butcher a pig^[14] or trim a piece of dry-aged steak.^[15] His eccentric style of communication oozes passion. He’s someone whose recommendation you’d absolutely trust. You can’t help but find his work interesting (unless porterhouse ain’t your thing).

Manfredini and Ruhalter prove that you don’t have to be in Hollywood to make your work interesting. They are heroes in otherwise unsexy vocations. We can do the same. Plus, I’d like to think programming merits more interest than leaky-sink fixing.