Dear Chris Fox, thank you for your comments.
No one has to say you need to move up the management ranks. In fact, we advocate for organizations to create a track that allows developers…
Dear Chris Fox, thank you for your comments. Perhaps if the situation was framed as defending your architecture or code decisions in a room with other competing ideas, is that something you might have to do as a developer or architect on occasion?
No one has to say you need to move up the management ranks. In fact, we advocate for organizations to create a track that allows developers to pursue what they love doing as opposed to being forced into a management career progression. That being said, even when you are not management, you still need to work with a team and in that team there are going to be times when technical direction differs and alternative solutions are on the table. If you feel passionately in support of your approach, do you not advocate for it, or in other words “sell the idea”?
You are right to a point, it is not in your job description. But defending and supporting your ideas certainly is something you should do. This activity in some ways resembles selling, thus the point of the article you commented on.
Continue to do what you love, that is the way it should be in your work and professional career. Recognize though that there are skills you need to be successful long-term that go beyond just coding, testing, and other technical skills that developers gravitate towards.