Why I Only Work with Affiliates (and Not 'Professional Developers')

Over time, I've realized I don't want to employ "professional developers"—at least, not as they're usually defined by our industry.

What I’ve seen is this: for a lot of devs, being a "pro" is all about chasing the next framework, the newest cloud acronym, or whatever flavor-of-the-week tech has just dropped on Hacker News. They’re always at conferences, not because they want to understand a client’s business or solve deep, real problems—but because every talk promises to make last week's knowledge obsolete. Shiny new tools always seem more glamorous than working code that helps a real user do a real job.

There's an obsession with collecting tools, certifications, and experiences—almost as if résumé padding and buzzwords are more important than impact.
“Kubernetes! Terraform! Serverless! AI agents! Quantum blockchain microservices!”
It’s like Pokémon—but with less practical use.

Meanwhile, actual customers usually have simple, non-glamorous problems like: “Can you make the app stop crashing so people can do their jobs?”

But fixing that isn’t talked about on podcasts or at vendor booths.

I want something different:

• People who are obsessed with understanding a customer’s workflow, their frustrations, and the nitty-gritty details that make their world work better.
• Partners who care more about solving a business problem than adding another logo to their LinkedIn.
• Affiliates—peers, not employees—who see technology as a means to an end, not the be-all and end-all.

So here’s my filter:

• If you’re mainly in it to chase the latest certification, fill your résumé with buzzwords, or out-tech the next dev shop, we won’t be a match.
• If you’re curious, business-savvy, and want to deliver real value for real people—let’s talk.

Big companies love professional developers. I want to work with affiliates: curious generalists, business-focused troubleshooters, and people who care about solving actual problems. If that’s you, you’ll fit right in.