An old joke — What’s common between a software engineer and a railway station beggar? When they meet their colleagues, they ask each other, “What platform do you work on?”
I am yet to learn about the begging business but having worked in the IT industry as a software developer for more than a decade, the joke did manage to extract a brief mirth from me.
Just like any other field of work, software engineering too has its own compartments of specialization. So when a software guy enquires about his fellow engineer’s platform, it generally means he’s interested to know about his specialization — Linux or Windows? Which programming language? Application side or system side? Backend or front end? Development or 0perations? Etc.
However, in the past few years, a new specialization has emerged — the full-stack engineer. Paradoxically, this specialization is about being a generalist, i.e, an engineer who can work on multiple platforms, different programming languages, and play various roles.
Want to Read More? This content is exclusive for members of Value Investing Almanack. Login to read if you are a member. Else, click here to subscribe.
- Spotlight: Big ideas from Value Investing and why applying them in your investment decision making will be a great deal
- InvestorInsights: Interviews with experienced value investors, learners, and deep thinkers
- StockTalk: Thorough analysis of business models of companies (without any recommendations)
- Behaviouronomics: Deep analysis of human behaviour and how it impacts investment decision making
- BookWorm: Reviews of the best books on Value Investing and related subjects
- Free Course – Financial Statement Analysis for Smart People (otherwise priced at Rs 5,900)
- Archives: Instant access to our huge archive from the past three years