XP 2017

When you think of a developer what comes to mind? A brogrammer living in San Francisco working 23 hours a day on the next Facebook? If so, you wouldn’t be alone. Like so many industries, software development is rife with stereotypes. And one that is particularly pervasive is the idea that all developers, if given the chance, would opt for a complete rewrite of an application.

While it’s true that there are many software developers who do enjoy starting with a clean slate, there is also a group who loves working on making existing applications better. Rather than starting from scratch and building an 80% solution, these developers are ideal for taking over a project once it has become stable, and nurturing it for a long time. Neither developer is better. Both are needed in the software world. In this talk, you’ll learn what motivates the small but passionate group of "menders" — people who love taking an existing project and making it better over time.