Software projects regularly come in on or ahead of schedule. The company's technical support group is so idle that it's known internally as the Maytag department. Observers in and outside Athene credit this remarkable success to the deliberate construction of a distinctly engineer-friendly culture that nurtures loyalty and excellence. Much of the inspiration for Athene's corporate culture is drawn from PeopleWare, written by Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister, a landmark 1987 book on software development that was reissued in 1999 by Dorset House Publishing. PeopleWare's thesis is that success in an IT environment is much more a function of sociology than technology.
Software is all about smart people joyfully working together in teams.
Consistent creation of good software requires that people be treated with the same respect that the instruments of production were in an earlier era, say DeMarco and Lister. Recruit to Retain Potential employees encounter Athene's culture long before their first day at work. President and CEO Eric Johnson has crafted a vetting regimen worthy of the U.S. space program. If you want to be the best, you have to get the best people. You just can't get there with the adequate or the ordinary.