A Underappreciated Software Developer capable of quickly and quietly finishing their work before anyone even knows they have started.

Special Abilities

Overview

Assassins are a powerful force for delivering features on time. Their astonishing level of productivity is due to both their innate coding skills as well as their ability to give priority to tasks that are of the highest value. Their focus on being the engine that drives the project forward places them in a unique position to demonstrate to stakeholders that the team as a whole can be trusted to deliver business value on or ahead of schedule.

Assassins operate at their highest levels when surrounded by a thoughtfully composed mix of other Underappreciated Software Developers. Assassins greatly appreciate the support of their team, and when they feel supported will go above and beyond to help establish and maintain an excellent team reputation among stakeholders.

The Assassin’s drive to push themselves requires that they rest often between bursts of extreme productivity. Mastering their ability to sustainably perform at a high level will tend to be their greatest opportunity for self-improvement. Once mastered, they will be able to enjoy work-life balance as well as the thrill and excitement of producing maximum value in the shortest period of time.

Identification Checklist

• Will deliver features to stakeholders in a time-frame that radically exceeds expectations.
• Will focus on quickly delivering a minimalist first version of a feature as proof of concept.
• Will take the initiative to start working on a feature before it has official requirements or has been prioritized and scheduled.
• Will sacrifice quality for speed if they believe it is in the best interest of the project.

Common Misconceptions

• Assassins are often mistaken for The Diva, but their confidence in their ability to execute can sometimes be confused with arrogance.
• Assassins can easily be confused with The Bull in the China Shop. However, Assassins are judicious and strategic as they select which corners to cut in the name of speed.

Supporting Team Members

• The Telepath can make sure Assassins have as complete an understanding of a feature’s requirements as possible before they begin executing.
• The Healer can refactor or even rewrite code to help integrate the Assassin’s feature more seamlessly into the codebase.
• The Wizard can help them overcome any technical hurdle they run into that would slow down delivery.
• The Sage can coach an Assassin in ways to improve quality while not losing speed.

Showing Appreciation

• Assassins will sometimes work overtime to deliver a feature early, and will always welcome being granted time off to recover.
• Assassins will appreciate their colleagues understanding that their development style is intended to make the entire team look good, rather than draw attention to themselves.
• Assassins will often enjoy celebrating with their team immediately after a major delivery.