Over the past few weeks we’ve had our lead developer here at Imulus on vacation in Mexico. Initially there was some concern around the office that with him gone his day to day tasks would be a major time sink for the rest of us.

However, as the past few weeks have gone by I’ve come to the conclusion that missing a big piece of the puzzle every now and then is more of a positive than a negative. Not that we don’t want John to come back, or that we won’t be faster as a team once he returns. But more that the best way to force people to learn is to throw them into the water and make them swim. I.E. having John out may make us slower in the interim, but in the long run it will make us faster because each developer will be even more capable than before.

This trial by fire attitude is what makes people better all around, and consequently worth more in the long run.

So here’s my advice: if you’re used to having someone around that can help you get through tasks or problems stop asking them for help once in a while. Sacrifice some time, lose a few hours to the problem, and have faith that learning it on your own will be worth it in the long run. Both for your self value and the company’s. Having a tutor is great, and having a cohesive team is even better. But realizing the value in self growth is essential. It makes the process faster and less distracting for everyone in the end.