The Myth and Danger of Experience

I was having a discussion with a veteran developer the other day.  During this discussion he laid out a problem that I knew another developer in the company had solved a while back.  Or at least it sounded the same. It was at least worth a five minute conversation in my book, and I advised him to talk to the other developer.

His response? 

“I've got twenty-five years experience writing code, and I don’t need anyone else’s input.” (paraphrased.  It was close to that, though.)

I was taken aback.  I am a strong proponent of collaboration.  I've heard and live the aphorisms.  You know, along the lines of “None of us is as smart as all of us.”  

Why in the world would anyone, presented with a willing second set of eyes and an open invitation to collaborate, refuse?  Fear of having to change what you've already done?  Fear that the other person will know more/you’ll be embarrassed?

Another thing that was said during that discussion:  "I can code on my own.  I have done this long enough to be accountable for the code I write.  At what point am I responsible for the work I do as an individual?" (paraphrased again.)

Again, I was agog.  My response was "Well, honestly, I feel that collaboration works well right down to writing lines of code.  It's called pair programming, and I would like to see us do more of this kind of work."  

He looked at me as if I'd said the sky was green and the grass was blue.  

I don't know.  I thought that in software and in life, as you got more experienced, you realized how much you don't know.  Like Socrates said, "True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing."  Except something about software development breeds in certain people this hubris, this certainty that they do not need other opinions, that they do not need to collaborate.

And in doing so they do not realize how isolated and shallow that "deep body" of experience actually is.

I don't assert whether solution that the veteran developer proposed was a good one or a bad one, given the requirements.  Only that if it was a good solution, a five minute conversation would not have changed it, and might have shared organizational knowledge around.   Instead, the siloing continues, and I continue to strive to break the silos.