3 Things That Scare Away Good Software Developers (And What to Say Instead)

Want to lose talented developers fast? Say these three things: Red Flag #1: "Can you copy this app?" I once had a requirement that said "make it work like it does in production." I didn't know how it worked in production. Worst requirements meeting ever. Red Flag #2: "We'll pay you in equity for now" This shows you don't value them. Yes, startups have more equity than cash. But 90% of startups fail. Equity-only compensation isn't fair to developers who need to pay their bills. Red Flag #3: "Can you add this one tiny feature?" Sure, once is fine. But keep doing this and it's death by a thousand paper cuts. No reward. No satisfaction. Just endless scope creep. What to Say Instead: ✅ Provide clear goals ✅ Maintain a prioritized backlog (everyone loves priorities) ✅ Set realistic budgets and timelines ✅ Give them trust and autonomy ✅ Get out of their way and let them solve problems Developers love writing code and solving problems. Give them the structure to do that well. Which one of these resonated with you? Drop it in the comments. #SoftwareDevelopment #TechLeadership #DeveloperRelations #TechManagement #StartupAdvice #EngineeringManagement #CTO #FractionalCTO #DeveloperExperience