How Software Companies Die Orson Scott Card Orson Scott Card is a science-fiction author as well as a contributor to numerous periodicals dealing with the computer age and industry. As the following notes attest, he can also turn a phrase in the tradition of Dave Barry and Mike Royko quite well. If someone has the relevant contact information, I would be happy to regularise the situation. The environment that nurtures creative programmers kills management and marketing types - and vice versa.
Programming is the Great Game.
It consumes you, body and soul. When you're caught up in it, nothing else matters. When you emerge into daylight, you might well discover that you're a hundred pounds overweight, your underwear is older than the average first grader, and judging from the number of pizza boxes lying around, it must be spring already. But you don't care, because your program runs, and the code is fast and clever and tight. You're aware that some people think you're a nerd.