Software Engineers Are Creatives Too—Not Just Coders

In this reflective short talk, I make the case that **software engineers are among the truest creatives** on any product team. While creativity is often associated with designers or artists, developers routinely build something from nothing, crafting elegant, scalable, and innovative solutions from scratch.

This episode is about **rethinking your team dynamics**: how to support, inspire, and protect your "delicate geniuses" so they can thrive—not just deliver.

🔍 **What you'll learn in this episode:**
- Why coding is a creative act—just like painting or composing
- How to give developers the mental space to innovate
- The role of inspiration and freedom in unlocking their best work
- Why feature work excites teams more than bug-fixing
- How to structure tasks and tickets to spark passion, not fatigue

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⏱️ **Chapters:**
1. 00:00 – Redefining “creative” on a product team
2. 00:48 – Public perception vs. hidden brilliance
3. 01:20 – Engineers as creators: building from scratch
4. 02:00 – Delicate geniuses: supporting engineering artistry
5. 02:28 – Distributing grunt work to maintain engagement
6. 03:34 – Why engineers fight over the chance to build new features
7. 04:10 – Treat code like a canvas—let them express

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🌐 **For More Content:**
- https://danondev.com

📲 **Let’s Connect:**
- Twitter: @Dan_On_Dev
- Instagram: @dan_on_dev
- Facebook: @danondev