The most productive programmers have an ability to cut through to what’s really important, focus on that, and then know when they’ve gotten stuff right.

Question: What motivates you as a programmer?
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rnJustin Frankel: You know, most of it is when I want to do rnsomething on my computer and there’s not, either there’s not a way or rnthere’s not a good way or there’s not a free way to do it.  So, it comesrn out of wanting to use the thing that I'm making, ultimately. And then rnonce it becomes something of its own, I think having other people use itrn is actually very rewarding in that you get satisfaction from other rnpeople getting the same benefits that you are from the software that yourn make.
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rnQuestion: Who do you look up to?
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rnJustin Frankel: There have been people where I’ve looked at the rnwork they’ve done and have a lot of respect for them and, like John rnCarmack would be an example who was one of the founders of Id Software, rnwho made like "Doom" and "Quake" and "Wolfenstein 3D," and it was alwaysrn impressive to look and see the things that they would produce.  And rnthey would be successful in doing it and apparently enjoy themselves.  rnSo, that would be one top-of-my-head example. 
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rnAlso, in like the ‘90’s, and probably maybe before that as well, there rnwas a big demo scene were people would make demos where it would be rntrying to demonstrate what would be possible with the limited computers rnof the time and most of these people were European, I think, but they rnwould have these bit parties where they would show off their demos and arn lot of those guys, I don’t remember specific names, but it was always rnimpressive the things that they could accomplish.
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rnQuestion: What does it take to be one of the best developers?
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rnJustin Frankel: I wouldn’t say that there are “best” programmers,rn but I think that there are programmers who end up being probably ten rntimes more productive than the average programmer.  And I don’t know rnwhat it would really take, it comes down to... it comes down to just thern ability to cut through what's really important and then focus on that. rnAnd sort of having the sense to know that when you get stuff right, rneverything else can fall into place.  And there’s probably some rnnecessary element of being able to keep enough things in your head at rnthe same time, but I think really a lot of it is just sort of a rnsignal-and-noise if you find the right thing to focus on, it makes rneverything all right.
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rnQuestion: Are developers really anti-social?
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rnJustin Frankel: I think a lot of it comes down to; it’s very easyrn to spend a great deal of time focusing in on something and then forget rnto call you friends and that sort of thing.  I probably would do that rnmore if I wasn’t married, so...  But I think there are programmers that rnway, but I think there are plenty of programmers who are just regular rnpeople and do regular things and go out and, you know, do all the thingsrn that are sort of normalish.

Recorded on June 21, 2010
Interviewed by Jessica Liebman