On the first software project of my career, I thought doing a good job was all that mattered to move ahead. And while I was successful, I was manipulated by many other programmers through political games. After that experience, I was tempted many times in my career to fight dirty. And sometimes, I made the wrong decision.

In this episode, I share the reasons why we're tempted as coders on software projects to throw ethics to the wind when the temptation for money, power, or prestige are strong. And how falling prey to that temptation may get you ahead in the short term, but it hurts you in the end.

I hope you find some encouragement to take the high road when faced with political games on software development teams, and refuse to bend to other people's will who are unethical!

Join my Patreon:  https://thrivingtechnologist.com/patreon

Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: https://thrivingtechnologist.com/coaching

TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech:  https://thrivingtechnologist.com/techroles

The Thriving Technologist career guide:  https://thrivingtechnologist.com/guide

You can also watch this episode on YouTube. 

Chapter markers / timelinks:

(0:00) Introduction (2:04) 1. Why Programmers Are Tempted To Fight Dirty (2:09) 1.1 High Stakes Competition (3:00) 1.2 Visibility and Recognition (3:50) 1.3 Fear of Obsolescence (5:32) 1.4 Cultural and Structural Encouragement (8:22) 1.5 Misguided Notions of Success (9:37) 2. Resisting Corruption in Tech (10:31) 2.1 Long Term Results & Reputation (12:39) 2.2 The Power of Networking (14:54) 2.3 Personal Peace and Satisfaction (17:17) 2.4 The Ripple Effect of Positivity (18:42) 2.5 Faith In Doing The Right Thing (20:10) Episode Groove

Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com