I came across an interesting blog entry (linked below) that discuss how to keep software developers / engineers (pick your preferred terminology) happy. Pretty much spot on I'd say! Software by Rob: Nine Things Developers Want More Than Money

Also, another posting by the same guy regarding expectations and the management of them. Expectation management is something that rarely seems to happen in software development, very often the disconnect between the expectations that Sales teams have and the reality that the development team can deliver is phenomenal. Attempting to match these up can lead to some very tense moments. Software by Rob: Why Expectations Can Kill You and What You Can Do About It.