Whether you’ve worked with a developer or you are a developer, you know life is very different for you than it is for other working professionals.
Here are two generalizations based on my personal observations::
- In coworking spaces, software developers had odd hours, often staying at their desks into the early am hours with a caffeinated drink always in hand.. Headphones were always on, and they jumped at any opportunities for free food in the space (partially because I think they worked so hard that sometimes meals were forgotten).
- In the corporate environment, the developers were at work 2 hours before everyone else, working away with the lights off and normally no shoes on. A few told me they preferred this schedule because for the bulk of their work they cannot be interrupted, so it was crucial for them to get a few hours of pure uninterrupted alone time before the hustle and bustle began.
Although I have not experienced it firsthand, many people label developers as introverted or anti-social. Still, developers can definitely have their own preferred method of communication or work ethic, but with coding becoming more and more prevalent, the “typical coder” may not be so easily generalized in today’s workforce.
Regardless of whether classic generalizations hold true, coders do mostly seem to like to work atypical hours. Business Insider wrote an article on Why Programmers Work at Night, and the first paragraph states: “A popular saying goes that programmers are machines that turn caffeine into code. And sure enough, ask a random programmer when they do their best work and there’s a high chance they will admit to a lot of late nights (BI).” Whether it is truly preferred or if it’s just become part of the cultural norm, this night shift lifestyle is no secret. Either way, having access to an office 24/7 can be beneficial to you.
At all of our Work Better locations, members have access to their office 24/7. While most members opt to work typical office hours, this broad flexibility in space access can be a make it or break it amenity for you if you’re a coder. Freelancers in general have the flexibility many professionals dream of and having a space with similar flexibility can be invaluable. .
In a blog post titled Being a Freelance Software Developer is Awesome, Doug Mil goes into detail on the sheer flexibility of his career:
Freelancing also provides the benefit of allowing you to basically work whenever you want. Sure, you'll have some meetings you'll have to coordinate during normal working hours, and you'll need to be available on Slack and by email. However, this is only going to account for a small number of hours and you can create your own schedule. Do you work better late at night than during the day? Feel free to spend all day sleeping and work when you feel most productive.(Destination:Dev)
As a software developer or freelancer, you have the flexibility (and the night work ethic) to work where you want and when you want. This pairs nicely with our coworking or private office offerings. You will have access via key card to your office at anytime, and there is a fridge and microwave for your convenience. And did I mention free snacks? You will not have the distraction of your bed at home and almost every coffee shop closes by 9pm, so this option could take your career to the next level. Come take a free tour with us, and we will happily pour you a free cup of coffee as well so you can truly picture yourself working with us.
“To conclude, programmers work at night because it doesn’t impose a time limit on when you have to stop working, which gives you a more relaxed approach, your brain doesn’t keep looking for distractions and a bright screen keeps you awake (BI).”
