My first boss taught me there are two types of programmers: pluggers and rock stars. It was the late 90’s, and programming talent was in high demand. I was the young gun they brought in. A plugger would not have … Continue reading
This year I joined the sit-stand work environment revolution and I love it! When it comes to being a successful software professional, investing in the right tools is important. Many of us overlook ergonomics, especially our desk and chair. In … Continue reading
The world is now generating zetabytes of data annually and it is only projected to increase. The spread of smart phones, the amount of sophisticated yet cheap sensors, near zero cost of storage, and the amount of investment dollars behind Big … Continue reading
Many software projects find themselves in chaos. Perhaps the department is growing like crazy, new hires left and right, no one really understands the project but a launch is on the horizon. Another option is the department is short staffed … Continue reading
Last night at dinner the question came up: Why do software engineers always complicate things??? There are two sides to the coin, good intentions, and poor intentions. I think most people end up complicating things because of good intentions. The … Continue reading
Today’s topic is success as software professionals. Many important lessons on this subject can be found in an unlikely place – Colin Powell’s auto-biography “My American Journey”, published in 1995. Hey, what does this have to do with software you might … Continue reading
Peopleware – Book Review Peopleware 2nd Edition Productive Projects and Teams By Tom Demarco and Timothy Lister Peopleware is a timeless book on the human side of making software. We have all encountered many of the anti-patterns described in the … Continue reading
Nine years later Primal Leadership still stands up as an interesting read on leadership strategies. My boss recommended it to me, part of the coaching strategy discussed below. Although this does not appear directly related to software, I believe that … Continue reading
The Passionate Programmer Book Review Creating a Remarkable Career in Software Development, by Chad Fowler – Published 2009 Revised and updated second edition of “My Job Went to India: 52 Ways To Save Your Job” This is a great book along the … Continue reading
