The Midas Touch

The most famous King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ability to turn everything he touched into gold.

You’ve convinced yourself through many years of continuous improvement that you are overwhelmingly awesome at building software. In fact, you’ve developed a belief system that you not only understand how to build perfect software, but you obviously know how to build perfect organizations that build perfect software. Thus, with your ego serving as your personal commentator, you are convinced that you have the Midas Touch.

The world shall note that you have undeniably earned your ego. Hence, you’ve destroyed belief systems of “senior” developers and ivory-tower “architects” who’ve dared to challenge your technical authority. At the expense of disappointing the metaphoric Pharisees, you have accrued your own disciples that practice your teachings and spread your doctrine of Software Craftsmanship to others.

One day, after endless meetings of answering to frustrated stakeholders of a startup, you realize that your so-called Midas Touch is only applicable for the features that you build yourself. In fact, perhaps you do not have the Midas Touch at all.

Perhaps you’re just a product of your own personal standards…