In my three and a half years journey as a CEO, I have worked with more than 50 to 60 programmers. Though the number is not that big, I am lucky that I have worked with some really good programmers.

I still remember one of my colleagues and one of the best programmers I have worked with.

I called him “Mr. Anderson” because we both were big fans of The Matrix, and he kind of looked like Keanu Reeves. :D

The first time he got my attention happened when, one day, after finishing a task, he was still looking at a piece of code that he got from GitHub and trying to find out why the code worked!

Most programmers stay happy if a piece of code works and move on, but he always tried to find out why a piece of code works. I think that makes him the “The One.”

Why I Hired Him

We were looking for a senior Android developer, but he had more skills than we asked for. He was an expert in Node.js and cloud too. He had three pet projects, and one of his apps was downloaded more than 100,000 times in the Google Play store without marketing!

When I asked him what his hobbies were, he said he was a competitive programmer — and it was his hobby! He loved to participate in programming contests. His favorite site was codeforces.

I like the programmers most who have some experience at competitive programming because I believe it makes someone a better problem solver. Though we have separate developers for frontend, backend, and UX, you have to admit a good full-stack developer is more necessary in startups than in giant tech companies.

No other candidates were as good as him. So our easy choice was him!

Why He Was Great

Efficiency: Rather than just coding and meeting the criteria, he always gave his effort to make his code run faster and better.

Architecture: He always followed and maintained a good coding architecture. And before starting any project, he always brainstormed his idea with some experienced developers.

Though he had excellent knowledge, I liked how he valued experience and always wanted to learn more.

Time and task management: He always maintained his time and tasks. Though he often came to the office a little late, that didn’t matter as he delivered his tasks on time.

He could estimate the time to complete a task very accurately.

Quick learner: He could learn any new architecture or framework very fast.

Updated: He always kept himself updated about the new changes and technologies. I often find it rare among the developers.

When he had no work in the office, I often told him that he could go home. Sometimes he did, but I found him learning or reading about new things most of the time.

Problem solver: This is the most important part. He could solve almost any problem, and this was because of his knowledge. He didn’t have a ton of experience, but he did possess more knowledge than many experienced developers I knew.

I can tell you much more, but I think you all know what makes someone a good programmer! Rather I would like to tell you why he was extraordinary!

He Saved My Company More Than I Remembered

Deadlines are a pain for both developers and companies. I have worked as a programmer in an independent project and my own startup. When I worked in another company, I was very irritated and pressured to meet the deadlines.

I often wondered why companies don’t ask for more time from the customers. But when I started my own company, I realized that most of the time it doesn’t depend on the company, rather on the customers.

Startups don’t have the luxury to negotiate at their will with the customers all the time, because they will find other companies to meet their deadlines. Though I try as much as possible to make a better deadline for the programmers, often, honestly, I can’t.

By the way, I can still remember three-quarters of the most important deadlines. The projects were delivered on time only for him. He can code fast and clean.

I still remember one deadline. A highly-reputed client wanted to launch their product within a month. I told them that I was not sure if it’s really possible.

They admitted that it was tough, and it was for a government project. And they can’t miss the deadline in any way. They gave the project to a company before us, but they missed two deadlines.

Now they are looking for another company who can do this fast and error-free. Then I scheduled another meeting with them. This time Mr. Anderson was with me.

I told him before the meeting that if it’s not possible for us, he had to say so. But in the meeting, after hearing their requirements, he agreed to take the project, and he amazed me with the complete project three days before the deadline.

I gave him a huge bonus and seven days straight vacation for the project!

He Helped Others To Improve Themselves

Helping others is the greatest virtue of every human being. He was always happy to help others. He not only helped others but also tried to improve them.

When someone came to him for a problem, he always asked if they tried Google or not. If they didn’t try, he told them to do that first. Even when he helped others, he didn’t just tell them the answer. He helped them to find the answer by explaining the basics.

I know to become a good programmer, you don’t have to be helpful to others. But as a programmer in my early days, when I couldn’t find the right solution, some angels like him always helped me.

I Offered Him a Partnership

After 4–5 months, I offered him a partner position with a small stake in our firm. He refused gently. His dream was to get a Ph.D. in computer science. Right now, he was just programming for the money.

I asked him, “why don’t you come back after finishing your Ph.D.” He said that he might not start his business or be involved in a business ever. Because in his three jobs, he had seen the enormous amount of pressure co-founders have to carry on their daily life.

He didn’t want that. And honestly, I couldn’t blame him for thinking like this. I know how hard it is! Sometimes I, who am very passionate about business, wake up in the morning and think about quitting!

Last Few Words

I have worked as an employee and now a CEO. I have seen both sides of the coin. I have heard many times that the relationship between employees and the company is all about money. But that’s not always true.

By the way, Mr. Anderson got a scholarship to one of the finest universities a year ago. I am still in touch with him. He still participates in programming contests, but he wants to be a researcher!

He is the best programmer I have worked with, and I still miss him!

I really want to know the best programmers you have ever worked with. Share your story in the comments!