Pro Developer - This is Business

Now here's where the tale starts to get a little strange. In almost any other line of work, people who pay close attention to the financial aspects of their career are simply considered ambitious and motivated, attributes that actually garner respect in many circles. Indeed, in most industries, making money is a sign of success. However, when you hang out at the local coffee shop and listen to the musings of programmers and musicians (who for some reason tend to end up at the same espresso bars), you'll find that money is not only a secondary consideration, but that those who pursue it are frequently scorned by their fellow artists as being somehow less pure in their craft.

Among musicians, referring to a song or style of music as "commercial" is intended as an insult, one that implies that the songwriter sold their artistic soul for a few bucks and is therefore beneath creative contempt. You'll find a similar attitude among programmers. Those who have financial and career goals as a priority are often held in disdain by the true software artists.

In both cases, there is nothing wrong with being zealous about your craft. Indeed, show me someone who has no passion when it comes to their vocation, and I'll show you a very mediocre craftsman. However, if you're going to be a professional in an artistic field, you have to master the business aspects just as completely as you've mastered the creative ones. Failure to do so will bring dire consequences, not all of them immediately obvious.