I have to doubt the CEO's assumption that an increase in demand will lead to an increase the amount of programmers needed. One of the perks of object oriented programming is the concept of Object Reuse. sections of code, or entire files can be used in other classes, programs and projects. Which means that a programmer working to fulfill the needs of one client may be able to reuse elements of the same code to accommodate other clients in the future.
By recycling good code into other applications, the efficiency of the current volume of coders is increased and leads to a plateau if not an eventual decrease in demand for additional coders.
There may always be room for new coders to compete, but the barriers for entry will be created by the more established programmers, which have already been awarded for their work in the past to the point where they can reuse code from previous clients in methods which would be able to fulfill new clients needs as well.
There may always be room for new coders to compete, but the barriers for entry will be created by the more established programmers, which have already been awarded for their work in the past to the point where they can reuse code from previous clients in methods which would be able to fulfill new clients needs as well.
Hi Steven!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you that I doubt the Jack Hughes' assumption that an increase in demand will lead to an increase in the amount of programmers needed. The core of TopCoder’s solutions is the idea that software components can be reused for new projects. If a robust system has been created and continuously developed, then it should be able to support increased demand with slight modifications when necessary. But, the idea that his own employees never wrote any code might be standing in the way of their ability to support increasing demand without increased help. Although it is very progressive and advanced to be using a crowdsourced community of 225,000 programmers that impressively delivered a successful software code, it could also be what keeps them from rapid development without having to spend extra money. The contest method was previously a competitive advantage for TopCoder, but as more contests become available, they face the potential to have fewer coders competing. This would definitely inhibit their ability to keep growing, especially if they are trying to address the needs of larger clients. It may have seemed like a great idea and a sustainable advantage over others to function in this manner, but TopCoder will soon face many issues including staggering recruitment and difficulty meeting the needs of their clients. I do not think that contests will continue to be a sustainable competitive advantage because others who have the ability to, can easily copy the strategy. And, in order to meet the needs of their clients, the executives at TopCoder will need to figure out how to sustain their recruitment numbers. Community members will gravitate towards the most interesting contests on the internet. Technology-lovers at that high of a skill level will not be satisfied with the same old experience if they can involve themselves with new opportunities. So, TopCoder should develop a strategy to keep the community interested, and fast.
Also, because the blog will not let me post an original comment, here is my response for question four and my replacement for tech musing two:
I am going to discuss Poshmark (poshmark.com). Poshmark facilitates consumer-to-consumer collaborative consumption. Poshmark allows users to develop “closets” where they can post pictures of clothing or accessories that they would like to sell. Other users can shop these virtual closets on the application or through any internet connection and make purchases. Once a purchase has been made, the original user has two days to mail the good to its new owner. Poshmark covers the cost of shipping and takes a small cut of the purchase price. Customers can negotiate with each other or make trades for different items from each other’s closets. Poshmark will automatically mark the item as sold in the closet and encourage the user to share the news of the sale on social media. There are also themed sales that customers can shop from or submit items from their closet to. I have personally used Poshmark for a while and it makes the process very easy and fun to take part in. Poshmark has many competitors including ThreadFlip and Mercari, and in a less creative and fashion-focused way, Ebay is a competitor as well. I have spent almost two full semesters working with the same professor on all things sharing economy and collaborative consumption. An application like Poshmark addresses many problems in society. Most people throw out clothes that they no longer want, but Poshmark allows them to recycle those clothes and accessories back into society, and make an extra dollar or two (or twenty) in the process. By recycling clothes and accessories back into society, Poshmark slowly reduces the need for the production of new clothes. By doing this, Poshmark is lowering the impact on the environment of garment manufacturing. This is the newest trend in mobile shopping, and it continues to facilitate shopping on the go for great brands at affordable prices.
It actually will allow you to post your own tech musing. Lots of people are doing it. Nonetheless, I really want to use https://poshmark.com/. It would save me from having to be turned down at Buffalo Exchange. Thanks for sharing this!
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