The next post in the Software Development Archetypes series…

Every project needs experienced people to improve the odds of succeeding. Skilled developer resources are hard to come by so you’re really excited to be joining a team that has some “Experienced” Developers. But it doesn’t take long on any project to realize that experience is a relative term. When asking for help, the “Experienced” Developer’s questions are often at the same level as some of the junior developers on the team. When he does propose a solution, and has it turned down, he immediately plays the “I have 12 years of experience in this industry. I think I know what I’m doing” card. As a result, he will be a ferocious, if not weakly armed, foe when arguing the merits of a situation.

On his own, the “Experienced” Developer is usually an easy person to handle. A simple “show me” is enough to counter him. Eventually, he will stop playing his “number of years in the industry” card and come around.