"Maintenance" Vs "Development"

http://www.sastwingees.org/2011/03/16/maintenance-an-untouchable/

A fantastic post on our attitude towards 'Maintenance' Vs "Development" work.

Mythologically, Hinduism enunciates that Vishnu the protector, the God in charge of maintenance and growth visit earth many times in different Avatarams for executing his job.Creator Brahma is banished from having temples because his cleverness leads to low moral ethics (he lied). People celebrate the destroyer, Shiva who paves way for creation and the protector Vishnu, but not the creator Brahma! Yet vast majority of our people are keen to create rather than maintain and grow.

On the other hand, a more basic and practical difference between the two jobs in software is the fear of losing touch and locking up oneself in an old and outdated technology stack, not to mention the potential loss of revenue associated with the experience in the latest, greatest technology. If the remuneration structure is adjusted such that maintenance folks make as much as or more than the folks in development, things can change.

Incidentally, in Japan, people start with the development work and slowly graduate to the customer facing maintenance work! Maintenance work comes as a reward for good development work It makes sense if you think of it. People who tinker with existing stuff find new ways to grow and invent new stuff that helps people immediately which is good for business. Development without association with the customers may or may not succeed.