1. At least two large monitors tuned to an accurate and comfortable brightness/contrast ratio/colour balance.
2. Ergonomic high-end chair picked by the person using it, correct desk height, monitor height and other ergonomic configuration for prolonged sitting and typing.
3. Correct lighting to reduce eye strain.
4. Clear desk and plenty of space so there is no clutter in the way.
5. Silence and isolation from distraction. Social activities and team work can occur elsewhere in specifically designed areas.
6. Ergonomic high-end mouse and keyboard picked by the person using them. Spare no expense.
7. Flexibility for developers to change the tools and work environment on an individual basis as they discover their own preferences.
8. Ability for developers to walk away from a problem, do something completely unrelated to work and come back later in a better state of mind to continue. This is similar to (7) - maximum flexibility.
9. Tablet and/or laptop for portable use when a developer decides these tools are better suited for the current task. It can be more productive in the long run to sit outside in the sun or on a comfy couch reading part of a book or technical paper, listing ideas, drawing UI mockups, thinking or clearing the mind.
10. Quality fresh food of multiple varieties available at different proximities (10m, 100m, 1km).
11. An environment filled with smart people and a "hacker friendly culture".
12. Managers that understand their primary role as removing roadblocks rather than micromanaging the project through quantitative measures such as bugs found per line of code.
14. An interesting and challenging problem to work on. I can have all the above but if the task at hand is the equivalent of shoveling dirt, I will procrastinate the day away in my fancy chair, clicking my fancy mouse, surfing the web on my triple 30" setup.
1. At least two large monitors tuned to an accurate and comfortable brightness/contrast ratio/colour balance.
2. Ergonomic high-end chair picked by the person using it, correct desk height, monitor height and other ergonomic configuration for prolonged sitting and typing.
3. Correct lighting to reduce eye strain.
4. Clear desk and plenty of space so there is no clutter in the way.
5. Silence and isolation from distraction. Social activities and team work can occur elsewhere in specifically designed areas.
6. Ergonomic high-end mouse and keyboard picked by the person using them. Spare no expense.
7. Flexibility for developers to change the tools and work environment on an individual basis as they discover their own preferences.
8. Ability for developers to walk away from a problem, do something completely unrelated to work and come back later in a better state of mind to continue. This is similar to (7) - maximum flexibility.
9. Tablet and/or laptop for portable use when a developer decides these tools are better suited for the current task. It can be more productive in the long run to sit outside in the sun or on a comfy couch reading part of a book or technical paper, listing ideas, drawing UI mockups, thinking or clearing the mind.
10. Quality fresh food of multiple varieties available at different proximities (10m, 100m, 1km).
11. An environment filled with smart people and a "hacker friendly culture".
12. Managers that understand their primary role as removing roadblocks rather than micromanaging the project through quantitative measures such as bugs found per line of code.
13. A blue space ship as deemed necessary.
Yes, this is a serious list.