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Developer Tea

Developer Tea

1,301 episodes — Page 2 of 27

Ep 1249Iteration or Target State Planning

This episode explores the dichotomy between iterative planning and target state planning in software development, discussing the benefits and drawbacks of each approach and providing decision factors to help you choose the most appropriate method for your situation.Understand the core difference between iterative planning, which emphasises agility and responding to change with short planning horizons, and target state planning, which involves laying out a more defined long-term direction.Discover that while iterative planning is often considered the "right way" for software development, target state planning can be valuable for setting a general direction, which can be updated as you learn.Learn why addressing problems atomically in an iterative fashion can be valid, but that evaluating multiple potential improvements together with a target state in mind can lead to better coordination, efficiency, and consistency.Explore the decision factors that might lead you to favour iterative planning, such as high uncertainty, learning-focused work (discovery, prototypes), and fast feedback loops.Understand the decision factors that might lead you to favour target state planning, such as clarity on the problem, working in production with high coupling, regulatory/safety risks, slow feedback loops, high cost of mistakes, broad scope of impact, and high coordination costs.Learn why choosing a planning method by default is a warning sign, and that considering the usefulness of upfront planning without being limited by dogma is important.Understand that upfront planning (target state) can enable adaptation as you learn, and that negative perceptions of it often stem from costly, incorrect plans that were difficult to change.Discover that the choice between iterative and target state planning is a spectrum rather than a pure dichotomy, and that a target state doesn't necessarily need to be a long-term plan.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Wix Studio Devs, if you think website builders mean limited control—think again. With Wix Studio’s developer-first ecosystem you can spend less time on tedious tasks and more on the functionalities that matters most:● Develop online in a VS Code-based IDE or locally via GitHub. ● Extend and replace a suite of powerful business solutions ● And ship faster with Wix Studio’s AI code assistant All of that, wrapped up in auto-maintained infrastructure for total peace of mind. Work in a developer-first ecosystem. Go to wixstudio.com📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Apr 24, 202515 min

Ep 1248Three Principles of Preparedness - Mitigate Risks and Capitalize On Opportunities

This episode delves into practical principles for navigating the unexpected in your life and career. Rather than attempting to predict specific events, the focus is on cultivating resilience and optionality by identifying vulnerabilities in your systems and adopting a proactive mindset to transform potential challenges into strategic advantages.• Discover the three core principles of preparedness: first, build for change by investing in low-cost, high-upside options to prepare for many potential futures. Second, understand the weak points in your current systems (career, personal life, finances, etc.) to create mitigation strategies. Third, think like an engineer by identifying bottlenecks and single points of failure and pressure testing your life's resources.• Learn how to invest in optionality by pursuing low-cost, high-upside opportunities such as maintaining your professional network and reading books. These investments provide flexibility, improve negotiation power, and enhance your psychological position when making decisions.• Understand the significance of identifying and analysing the weak aspects of your personal and professional systems to either mitigate risks directly, for example, by developing multiple income streams, or to create plans to absorb risks if they materialise, such as building a financial runway.• Explore the concept of thinking like an engineer by actively seeking out bottlenecks and single points of failure in your life. Employ pressure testing across various resources, including relational, monetary, and physical well-being, to bolster your resilience against potential interruptions.• Recognise that mitigating risks is crucial for safely seizing opportunities and fostering growth in both your career and personal life. A strong foundation built on resilience allows for bolder and more strategic decision-making when beneficial options arise.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com..📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!.🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Apr 17, 202515 min

Ep 1247Did I Get That Right? - A High Leverage Habit that Requires Virtually Zero Skill

This episode introduces a simple yet highly effective communication habit that can be adopted by anyone to significantly reduce the risk of misunderstandings and enhance connection. It explores how this practice, which requires thoughtful communication but no special skills, can benefit individuals at all career levels.Discover why misunderstandings pose a significant risk to your career and how our natural inclination towards low-effort communication contributes to this risk.Learn the core of this high-leverage habit: restating what someone is telling you in your own words to ensure clarity and mutual understanding. This involves summarising or rephrasing the other person's message using your own terminology.Understand the multiple benefits of this technique, including demonstrating that you are actively listening, encoding the information more effectively for yourself, and most crucially, giving the other person the opportunity to correct your understanding.Explore how this habit provides a critical opportunity to refine your understanding and check it against the speaker's intended message, ultimately leading to better comprehension.Learn how receiving confirmation ("That's right") builds credibility and fosters a sense of being understood, creating a genuine connection with others.Grasp the idea that this "mirroring back" of meaning, rather than just the words, is a cheap, deep, and high-leverage behaviour that can significantly improve your communication effectiveness in professional settings.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Apr 11, 202513 min

Ep 1246Meta Models - Logarithmic Returns

This episode introduces a valuable meta-tool for understanding the generic shapes of models, focusing specifically on the concept of logarithmic relationships and how they manifest as diminishing returns in various aspects of our lives and work. Understanding these patterns can help us make more informed decisions about where to invest our time and resources. Uncover a meta-tool for understanding generic model shapes, specifically focusing on the concept of logarithmic relationships, which operates at a layer above specific mental models. Learn about logarithmic complexity as a concept often encountered in algorithmic analysis and graphing math, characterised by a curve where the slope continuously decreases. Discover how diminishing returns serve as a colloquial way to understand logarithmic relationships, where each unit of input effort yields progressively smaller returns in value or output. Explore examples of where diminishing returns are evident, such as increasing the reliability of a system through quality improvements, estimation efforts, and the value gained from time spent in meetings. Understand how learning processes often follow a logarithmic curve, with rapid initial gains that gradually diminish with experience. Grasp the connection between logarithmic returns and the Pareto principle (80/20 rule), where a small percentage of effort often produces a large percentage of the value. Recognise the importance of identifying the threshold on a logarithmic curve where the returns on further investment become minimal, aiding in more effective resource allocation. Consider how our natural perception might not align with logarithmic realities, potentially leading us to overvalue continued effort beyond the point of significant return. Learn how understanding these fundamental input-output relationships can empower you to make better decisions about where to focus your time, effort, and resources.

Apr 2, 202512 min

Ep 1245Dimensional Reframing - Think Along a New Axis

This episode introduces the concept of dimensional reframing as a tool to gain new perspectives on problems and facilitate decision-making by considering a new dimension.• Learn how adding a new dimension to a problem can overcome limited perception and lead to new insights.• Discover how applying the dimension of time to bug management can help prioritise and address a manageable number of bugs within a specific period.• Explore how considering your energy levels can inform your approach to personal tasks, matching tasks to your available energy.• Understand how frameworks like Getting Things Done (GTD) use the dimension of context to make tasks more actionable.• Learn how the KonMari method employs the dimension of joy to fundamentally change how you decide what items to keep.• Understand that the key to effective dimensional reframing is choosing a dimension that you care about and that helps you make decisions.• Discover that dimensional reframing can be applied to both individual items and lists of items.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Mar 26, 202512 min

Ep 1244Chesterton's Fence - Why You Should Think Twice Before Rewriting That Project

This episode explores the concept of Chesterton's fence, a principle that advises against removing or altering something without first understanding its original purpose.• Understand the core message of Chesterton's fence: before getting rid of an existing system, process, or code, take the time to understand why it was put there in the first place.• Learn about the common thought process that leads to wanting to remove things without understanding them ("Why on earth would anyone ever do it this way?").• Discover the parable of Chesterton's fence: the more intelligent reformer questions the removal of a fence until its use is understood.• See an analogy in code review where a senior engineer might question the removal of code or tests without understanding their purpose.• Understand the cognitive bias of illusory superiority and the Dunning-Kruger effect, which can lead to overestimating one's own abilities and underestimating the reasoning behind existing systems.• Recognise the mistake of assuming that predecessors were incompetent and that their work was done in error.• Appreciate the importance of adopting a curious mindset and trying to understand the original reasons behind existing practices.• Understand that Chesterton's fence is not a justification for never changing anything, but a caution against recklessness and the importance of being informed.• Learn that even when deciding to remove something, understanding its purpose can lead to better decisions and improvements in the future (e.g., replacing an old test with a better one).• Realise the value of learning from the experiences and reasoning of those who came before.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Mar 21, 20258 min

Ep 1243Reframing Areas of Growth to Your Manager

This episode discusses how to reframe areas of growth identified in performance reviews with your manager, turning potential weaknesses into strategic strengths. It emphasizes focusing on excelling in your existing strengths rather than spreading efforts thinly across all areas of improvement. Understand why it's misguided to immediately convert a list of growth areas into a to-do list and the importance of collaborating with your manager on this. Learn to identify the growth areas you are interested in and determine what has kept you from excelling in them, such as time, opportunity, or self-confidence. Discover why focusing on becoming extraordinarily good in your already strong areas can lead to unique opportunities for you and your company. Explore how to strategically discuss your growth areas with your manager, focusing on a limited set of areas for improvement and suggesting compromises or delegation for others. Challenge the conventional wisdom of balancing skills and instead consider how to become a top performer (top 2%) in your areas of strength. Realise that a team composed of individuals excelling at different things, will probably be more effective than a team of well-rounded individuals.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review!

Mar 12, 202511 min

Ep 1242Owning and Requesting Forward-Framed Feedback

This episode provides a tactical question to elicit useful feedback by taking responsibility for seeking it out and framing the request in a way that encourages advice rather than judgment. Understand that your manager giving you feedback is your responsibility, which means you should actively seek it out rather than waiting. Discover how a simple question can shift the dynamic with your manager to get better feedback, focusing on advice for the future rather than dwelling on past behaviours. Learn the tactical question to ask your manager: "What do you think will hold me back from growing?" or a modified version like, "What do you think will hold me back from getting X promotion?". Explore why framing your feedback request as seeking advice is more effective because managers generally enjoy giving advice and it focuses on future improvement. Understand that the intent is not to analyze past behavior but to identify potential roadblocks to future success and growth.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!.

Mar 5, 20259 min

Ep 1241Work Modes Using Autonomy and Definition Clarity Quadrant - Manager Frameworks and Tools Series

This episode introduces a simple quadrant tool to visualise different working modes that a team or individual task might be in, based on levels of autonomy and definition. Understand how the quadrant is built using the X-axis of dependency (high to low) and the Y-axis of definition (high to low) to visualise different work modes. Explore how the bottom left quadrant represents work that is highly exploratory and highly dependent, often requiring collaboration across multiple departments. Learn how a "spike" usually fits into the bottom right quadrant, signifying autonomous exploration. Discover how the top left quadrant is for work that is highly dependent but highly defined, such as a migration project or adopting a new tool. Understand how the top right quadrant represents work that is the most defined and the most autonomous, typically a singular task assigned to an individual. Recognise that many development frameworks focus on optimising work to fit in the top right quadrant to improve flow by reducing dependencies. Consider that the top left quadrant is often the lowest value production due to high dependencies without creative thinking. Realise that exploratory work, if unguided, can be a liability, and it may be useful to involve more people in the exploration or ensure the individual has significant experience. Be aware that processes are often optimised for tasks in the top right quadrant, potentially leading to the avoidance of work in other quadrants.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Feb 27, 202516 min

Ep 1240Manager Frameworks and Models - Product Lifecycle Governance

This episode introduces product lifecycle governance, offering practical techniques for engineering managers to tackle challenges like backlog prioritisation and leadership misunderstandings, helping turn potential problems into strategic advantages. Uncover how to use product lifecycle governance to expose vulnerabilities in your product development process, by understanding where decisions are made and who makes them. Learn how to move beyond simply managing a product to governing its lifecycle, turning unexpected issues into opportunities for better alignment and strategic advantage. Discover why understanding your governance model is crucial for ensuring that everyone is working on the most important tasks, and how to iterate on it for better clarity and effectiveness. Explore why focusing on a clear governance model and identifying decision points can be more useful than simply executing processes without understanding the bigger picture. Learn why surfacing tech debt and integrating it into your backlog is essential for a healthy product lifecycle. Understand that documenting and sharing your governance model can lead to better collaboration and alignment within the organisation.This episode provides language and a mental model around product lifecycle governance to help navigate challenges, especially when transitioning to a new role or company. It emphasises understanding where decisions are being made, what your power is as a manager, and how to collaborate to develop a better governance model. The goal is to ensure everyone is working on the right thing at the right time, optimising decision-making and processes.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Feb 24, 202513 min

Ep 1239Philosophical Frameworks that Inform Your Decisions (Without You Even Knowing It)

This episode explores philosophical frameworks—ontology, teleology, and dynamism—to inform decision-making in uncertain situations, providing practical advice for applying these concepts in your professional and personal life. Understand how ontology, teleology, and dynamism can help you navigate conversations about future actions for teams, companies, families, or yourself. Ontology focuses on a thing's intrinsic characteristics, teleology on its purpose or outcome, and dynamism on the changing environment. Learn how these philosophical frameworks address the uncertainty of the future and provide tools for making intentional decisions. The episode connects these concepts to practical advice, especially for engineering managers, demonstrating their relevance to your career. Explore how ontology identifies a thing's characteristics in isolation, while teleology considers its purpose or outcome. Discover how dynamism identifies changes in the environment and intent, providing a contextual understanding. Consider how dynamism can recognize the need to change a team's role due to external factors, like AI, which contrasts with the potentially static views of ontology and teleology. Understand that 'should' implies value in decision-making, with choices leaning towards desirable or undesirable outcomes. The episode explores how to define the criteria for 'should' in various contexts. Realise the importance of adapting your thinking to new realities, which is crucial in decision-making.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Wix StudioWix Studio's developer-first ecosystem allows you to focus on crucial functionalities by reducing time spent on tedious tasks. Develop online in a VS Code-based IDE or locally via GitHub. Extend and replace a suite of powerful business solutions. Use Wix Studio’s AI code assistant to ship faster.Work within a developer-first ecosystem by visiting wixstudio.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordTo join a supportive community of engineers, visit the Developer Tea Discord community at https://developertea.com/discord.🧡 Leave a ReviewSupport the show by leaving a review on iTunes to help other developers discover the podcast.

Feb 17, 202524 min

Ep 1238How Can You Prepare for High-Impact Unknown Events?

This episode includes practical techniques to prepare for the unexpected by identifying vulnerabilities and building resilience, using the "curse question" and the "assumption audit" to help you turn potential problems into strategic advantages.• Uncover how to use a "curse question" to expose vulnerabilities you didn't know you had, by imagining realistic negative scenarios and what could go wrong.• Learn how to move beyond resilience to antifragility, turning unexpected events into opportunities for growth and strategic advantage, by making them benefitial rather than harmful.• Discover why your medium-confidence assumptions might be the most dangerous and how an "assumption audit" can help you rate them and their potential impact if they are wrong, to help you better understand your weaknesses.• Explore why preparing for a range of possibilities, including black swan events, is more effective than trying to predict specific outcomes, and how to spot opportunities in the unexpected.• Learn why focusing on areas of fragility and identifying risks can be more useful than focusing on trying to avoid negative events altogether.• Understand that counterfactuals can help you challenge your assumptions and create more robust plans.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Wix StudioDevs, if you think website builders mean limited control—think again.With Wix Studio’s developer-first ecosystem you can spend less time on tedious tasks andmore on the functionalities that matters most:● Develop online in a VS Code-based IDE or locally via GitHub.● Extend and replace a suite of powerful business solutions● And ship faster with Wix Studio’s AI code assistantAll of that, wrapped up in auto-maintained infrastructure for total peace of mind.Work in a developer-first ecosystem. Go to wixstudio.com📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Feb 8, 202525 min

Ep 1237Misconceptions about Exceptions and Cultural Shifts - Invisible Inertia

In this episode, we discuss how invisible inertia can cause us to misinterpret our reality in work scenarios.• Discover why common misconceptions about behaviour are so difficult to spot.• Explore why your "unique" situation might be a common trap, a "uniqueness bias".• Learn how exceptional states can become the norm and impact your life.• Uncover how people's values shape company culture, and how to evaluate this.• Why might expecting a culture to change in the direction you want be unrealistic?• Learn why you should evaluate situations for what they are right now, instead of expecting future change.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Wix StudioDevs, if you think website builders mean limited control—think again.With Wix Studio’s developer-first ecosystem you can spend less time on tedious tasks andmore on the functionalities that matters most:● Develop online in a VS Code-based IDE or locally via GitHub.● Extend and replace a suite of powerful business solutions● And ship faster with Wix Studio’s AI code assistantAll of that, wrapped up in auto-maintained infrastructure for total peace of mind.Work in a developer-first ecosystem. Go to wixstudio.com📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Jan 29, 202523 min

Ep 1236Action Orientation and Making Faster Decisions

Time-crunched and data-scarce? Learn how the RPD model can leverage expertise and intuition to speed up decision-making, and how the 'Rubicon' moment can make your team more action-oriented.Stop endless planning and start doing: Learn how understanding action phases can help your team move faster from discussion to delivery.• Is your team stuck in debate? Discover the "Rubicon" moment and how crossing it can boost productivity.• Learn to recognise when deliberation is costing you more than it's worth, and how to commit to a plan, even with limited information.• Is your team over-analysing? See how intuition and expertise can drive faster, "good-enough" decisions using the Recognition-Primed Decision (RPD) model.• Learn to make quick decisions in high-pressure situations using experience, even without perfect data.• Trust your team's expertise to move from talk to action sooner and more effectively.• Want to improve your team's speed and decision-making? Tune in to find out how to get moving!🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Wix StudioDevs, if you think website builders mean limited control—think again.With Wix Studio’s developer-first ecosystem you can spend less time on tedious tasks andmore on the functionalities that matters most:● Develop online in a VS Code-based IDE or locally via GitHub.● Extend and replace a suite of powerful business solutions● And ship faster with Wix Studio’s AI code assistantAll of that, wrapped up in auto-maintained infrastructure for total peace of mind.Work in a developer-first ecosystem. Go to wixstudio.com📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Jan 22, 202525 min

Ep 1235Match your Action to Intention - Pairing Five Whats with Five Whys

Use "What" to get more specific. Align actions with intentions for better time management.• Stop wasting time on autopilot. Discover the power of the Five Whats and start being intentional with your time.• Tired of vague labels? Ask yourself, "What am I actually doing?" to gain clarity over your activities.• Learn how to move beyond "focus time" and define the specific actions you're taking.• See how your actions align with your goals (or don't!). Use this to refine your schedule and achieve your objectives.• These concepts can flex to apply to every aspect of your life🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Wix StudioDevs, if you think website builders mean limited control—think again.With Wix Studio’s developer-first ecosystem you can spend less time on tedious tasks andmore on the functionalities that matters most:● Develop online in a VS Code-based IDE or locally via GitHub.● Extend and replace a suite of powerful business solutions● And ship faster with Wix Studio’s AI code assistantAll of that, wrapped up in auto-maintained infrastructure for total peace of mind.Work in a developer-first ecosystem. Go to wixstudio.com📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Jan 15, 202522 min

Ep 1234Upgrade Your Resolutions

In today's episode, we're focusing on taking your resolutions and making them matter. I will give you two challenges in this episode to improve the quality and potential of success for your resolutions.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Wix StudioDevs, if you think website builders mean limited control—think again.With Wix Studio’s developer-first ecosystem you can spend less time on tedious tasks andmore on the functionalities that matters most:● Develop online in a VS Code-based IDE or locally via GitHub.● Extend and replace a suite of powerful business solutions● And ship faster with Wix Studio’s AI code assistantAll of that, wrapped up in auto-maintained infrastructure for total peace of mind.Work in a developer-first ecosystem. Go to wixstudio.com📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Jan 11, 202518 min

Ep 1232Ten Years of Developer Tea

Today, we celebrate 10 years of Developer Tea. I wouldn't be doing this podcast without you listening. Especially if you have been listening for many years, thank you!📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Jan 5, 20258 min

Ep 1231Better Low-Information Estimates - Putting the "Scientific" in SWAG

How can you create better scientific wild a** guesses when the work is not well defined? We discuss a few strategies in this episode. We also talk a bit about what an estimate is in the first place, and how it differs from a commitment / deadline.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Wix StudioDevs, if you think website builders mean limited control—think again.With Wix Studio’s developer-first ecosystem you can spend less time on tedious tasks andmore on the functionalities that matters most:● Develop online in a VS Code-based IDE or locally via GitHub.● Extend and replace a suite of powerful business solutions● And ship faster with Wix Studio’s AI code assistantAll of that, wrapped up in auto-maintained infrastructure for total peace of mind.Work in a developer-first ecosystem. Go to wixstudio.com📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Dec 17, 202427 min

Ep 1230Agency - How The On Over In Model Can Help You Grow Your Career

Are you operating in the world, or are you working on a problem? This shift in agency can make all the difference in your career.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Wix StudioDevs, if you think website builders mean limited control—think again.With Wix Studio’s developer-first ecosystem you can spend less time on tedious tasks andmore on the functionalities that matters most:● Develop online in a VS Code-based IDE or locally via GitHub.● Extend and replace a suite of powerful business solutions● And ship faster with Wix Studio’s AI code assistantAll of that, wrapped up in auto-maintained infrastructure for total peace of mind.Work in a developer-first ecosystem. Go to wixstudio.com📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Dec 11, 202413 min

Ep 1229Using ChatGPT for Career Experience Simulations - LLMs and Direct Simulations for Faster Career Experience Gains

Can you use ChatGPT to become a better engineer? I'm not just talking about learning a language or fixing a bug with ChatGPT providing advice... I'm talking about career simulations. In this episode we discuss how the airline industry has fixed the problem of experience, and how we can learn from their insights to create low-stakes learning environments that boost our career and confidence through the roof.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Wix StudioDevs, if you think website builders mean limited control—think again.With Wix Studio’s developer-first ecosystem you can spend less time on tedious tasks andmore on the functionalities that matters most:● Develop online in a VS Code-based IDE or locally via GitHub.● Extend and replace a suite of powerful business solutions● And ship faster with Wix Studio’s AI code assistantAll of that, wrapped up in auto-maintained infrastructure for total peace of mind.Work in a developer-first ecosystem. Go to wixstudio.com📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Dec 3, 202431 min

Ep 1228Coaching Yourself: Career Coaching Personas for Everyday Engineers, Part Three - Shoulder Socrates

In today's episode we discuss the concept of adopting self-coaching personas, and discuss the third persona, "Shoulder Socrates."🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Wix StudioDevs, if you think website builders mean limited control—think again.With Wix Studio’s developer-first ecosystem you can spend less time on tedious tasks andmore on the functionalities that matters most:● Develop online in a VS Code-based IDE or locally via GitHub.● Extend and replace a suite of powerful business solutions● And ship faster with Wix Studio’s AI code assistantAll of that, wrapped up in auto-maintained infrastructure for total peace of mind.Work in a developer-first ecosystem. Go to wixstudio.com📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Nov 19, 202416 min

Ep 1227Coaching Yourself: Career Coaching Personas for Everyday Engineers, Part Two - The Overoptimizer

In today's episode we discuss the concept of adopting self-coaching personas, and discuss the second persona, the over-optimizer.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Wix StudioDevs, if you think website builders mean limited control—think again.With Wix Studio’s developer-first ecosystem you can spend less time on tedious tasks andmore on the functionalities that matters most:● Develop online in a VS Code-based IDE or locally via GitHub.● Extend and replace a suite of powerful business solutions● And ship faster with Wix Studio’s AI code assistantAll of that, wrapped up in auto-maintained infrastructure for total peace of mind.Work in a developer-first ecosystem. Go to wixstudio.com📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Nov 12, 202421 min

Ep 1226Coaching Yourself: Career Coaching Personas for Everyday Engineers, Part One - The Available Manager

In today's episode we discuss the concept of adopting self-coaching personas, and discuss a critical first persona to start with.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Wix StudioDevs, if you think website builders mean limited control—think again.With Wix Studio’s developer-first ecosystem you can spend less time on tedious tasks andmore on the functionalities that matters most:● Develop online in a VS Code-based IDE or locally via GitHub.● Extend and replace a suite of powerful business solutions● And ship faster with Wix Studio’s AI code assistantAll of that, wrapped up in auto-maintained infrastructure for total peace of mind.Work in a developer-first ecosystem. Go to wixstudio.com📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Nov 4, 202419 min

Ep 1225The Highest Leverage Work You Do - Footing the Ladder

High-leverage work often comes in the simplest form of helping another person with their efforts.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Oct 18, 202415 min

Ep 1224Prioritization is the Ultimate Skill

Learn to prioritize, and everything else falls into place. This is clarity through perspective and purpose.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Oct 4, 202414 min

Ep 1223Career Growth Comes From Finding Low Hanging Fruit in the Gaps

Your career growth will be directly correlated to your ability to solve critical unsolved problems in the gaps of your organization's problems. Focus on finding the problems that have a high chance of success for you specifically - the low hanging fruit.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Sep 19, 20248 min

Ep 1222How Culture Might Eat Your Values For Breakfast

In this episode we discuss the delineation between culture and values. What you allow is just as important as what you value.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedYour developers know how to write code. What they’re missing is the context to know what code to write. Unblocked gives engineering teams the answers they need to get their jobs done – without having to wait on or interrupt their teammates. Get started for free at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Sep 5, 202414 min

Ep 1221The Tricky Parts of Merit Cycles

The blunt reality: Merit cycles are not how you build your earning power or career. They are a function of company culture and HR, and generally speaking are disconnected from your biggest opportunities for growth.So, where should you focus? That's what we talk about in today's episode.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedYour developers know how to write code. What they’re missing is the context to know what code to write. Unblocked gives engineering teams the answers they need to get their jobs done – without having to wait on or interrupt their teammates. Get started for free at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Aug 29, 202426 min

Ep 1220Limiting Factors - The Hidden Focus That Matters the Most

In today's episode we discuss focus, again. This time, through the lens of a few mental models that help us decide what is actually the right thing to focus on. You'll learn the real enemy of focus (note: it's not just distraction).🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedYour developers know how to write code. What they’re missing is the context to know what code to write. Unblocked gives engineering teams the answers they need to get their jobs done – without having to wait on or interrupt their teammates. Get started for free at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Aug 22, 202416 min

Ep 1219Improve Your Chances In Your Engineering Job Search Using the Scientific Method with Brian Pulliam

I'm joined today by Brian Pulliam. I've personally engaged Brian as a career coach. In this discussion we'll talk a bit about coaching, and about how you can set yourself up to become a much better candidate in your job search as an engineering leader.Values Exercise Live:Jonathan and Brian perform a live exercise, transforming company core values into interview questions.Discussing the importance of aligning your experiences with the values that a company holds."I'm going to do this live right now with you, actually. I think it'll be a cool exercise..."Advanced Interview Techniques:How to handle unexpected questions by paraphrasing.Preparing for common interview questions derived from company values."You should convert every single one of those core values into a question that starts with tell me about a time when you demonstrated X."Finding a Way to Succeed:The importance of creative problem solving in leadership.Examples of finding efficient solutions to technical problems without writing code."With zero lines of code...the ops team just reconfigured a job to run more often."Effective Storytelling in Interviews:How to use stories to demonstrate competencies and cultural fit.The role of storytelling in making a lasting impression on interviewers."Stories move the world...people write $50 million dollar checks to startup founders based on stories."Building a Culture of Excellence:Strategies for fostering a high-performance team environment.Reflections on leadership and creating positive workplace dynamics."We provide stable, fast, low friction developer experiences for all engineering teams at Zillow."🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedYour developers know how to write code. What they’re missing is the context to know what code to write. Unblocked gives engineering teams the answers they need to get their jobs done – without having to wait on or interrupt their teammates. Get started for free at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Aug 14, 20241h 26m

Ep 1218Improve Your Chances In Your Engineering Job Search Using the Scientific Method with Brian Pulliam

I'm joined today by Brian Pulliam. I've personally engaged Brian as a career coach. In this discussion we'll talk a bit about coaching, and about how you can set yourself up to become a much better candidate in your job search as an engineering leader.Introduction to Career Coaching:What is a career coach and how they differ from a manager or mentor.Brian Pulliam shares his journey from tech to becoming an athletics coach."I was in tech for about 26 years...being an athletics coach with my wife...I sought out my own career coach."The Value of Career Coaching:How a career coach can provide objective, unfiltered feedback.The benefits of having an advocate without conflicts of interest."As a career coach, you know, I'm self-employed...no conflict of interest, maybe with your own boss."Strategies for Career Growth:The importance of optimizing your career path like you would optimize code.Using career coaching to navigate sticky situations and grow professionally."We optimize for memory, right? We optimize for CPU...coaches can help you learn how to optimize."Interview Tactics and Mindset:The value of authenticity in interviews and presenting your true self.Why technical proficiency isn't the only factor in landing a job.How asking the right questions can set you apart from other candidates."The person who starts writing code right away...is almost certainly not perceived as a senior developer."Preparing for Market Fluctuations:Understanding the cyclical nature of the tech job market.How to prepare for job changes even when you’re happily employed.The analogy of tech hiring seasons and being ready for winter."Tech has hiring seasons...the challenge with the hiring seasons in tech...they are of indeterminate length."Building a Resilient Career:Insights into maintaining career readiness and job security.The importance of continual learning and adapting to market demands."Test your ability to get a new job when you don't need a new job...the power you have when you go into an interview and you are happily employed."Real-life Examples and Lessons:Brian’s personal experiences with layoffs and career transitions.Practical advice on leveraging your network and resources."My very first job out of school...I got laid off very unexpectedly...26 years between layoffs."Preparing for Interview Questions:How to handle unexpected questions by paraphrasing.Preparing for common interview questions derived from company values."You should convert every single one of those core values into a question that starts with tell me about a time when you demonstrated X."🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedYour developers know how to write code. What they’re missing is the context to know what code to write. Unblocked gives engineering teams the answers they need to get their jobs done – without having to wait on or interrupt their teammates. Get started for free at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Aug 8, 20241h 27m

Ep 1217Focus On Outcomes By Resetting Your Base

In this episode we talk about the concept of "resetting your base" - moving in a direction you don't necessarily want to go in order to achieve better outcomes in the long run.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedYour developers know how to write code. What they’re missing is the context to know what code to write. Unblocked gives engineering teams the answers they need to get their jobs done – without having to wait on or interrupt their teammates. Get started for free at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Aug 2, 202418 min

Ep 1216Portraying Confidence in the Face of the Unknown

In today's episode we discuss how you might build your confidence without being disingenuous. This isn't a lesson in psychology or tricks - it's about building true confidence in what you do (and importantly, don't) know.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedYour developers know how to write code. What they’re missing is the context to know what code to write. Unblocked gives engineering teams the answers they need to get their jobs done – without having to wait on or interrupt their teammates. Get started for free at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Jul 24, 202416 min

Ep 1215Now, Next, Later, Never - A Simple Daily Framework for Managing Information and Prioritization

In today's episode, we'll discuss an absolutely simple structure for prioritization and information flow in your daily work. The flow relies on a basic text editor - that's it!🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedYour developers know how to write code. What they’re missing is the context to know what code to write. Unblocked gives engineering teams the answers they need to get their jobs done – without having to wait on or interrupt their teammates. Get started for free at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Jul 17, 202426 min

Ep 1214Bias to Action As A Skill

You have seen "bias to action" on job requirements, but what does this really mean? Is it something that can be learned? Make sure you know the difference between this skill and a more automatic cognitive bias.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Jul 5, 202412 min

Ep 1213Managing Using Core Indicators of Team Outcomes

In this episode, we use the Start / Stop / Continue framework in a new way. As leaders, we should always know what outcome indicators a given discussion is based on. In this episode, we discuss the three core outcome indicators for managers to pay close attention to.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Jun 3, 202414 min

Ep 1212Inverted Thinking As a Strategy To Combat Bias

In today's episode, we talk about inversion and inverted thinking. This is a mental model inspired by considering the "negative space" instead of the space occupied by the thing you are seeking. For example, if you are trying to avoid failure, you might intuitively seek a "successful strategy" instead of looking at the reasons it may fail directly. Inversion will help you avoid these traps.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

May 15, 20246 min

Ep 1211Talking To Yourself for Better One-On-Ones

In today's episode we discuss a preparation step for your next one-on-one. Don't just wing it - do your homework... and talk to yourself a little bit.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

May 8, 202410 min

Ep 1211Interview Prep: Two Counterintuitive Tips

In today's episode we'll discuss some counterintuitive advice for your interviews. This advice applies in interview settings, but also applies in 1-1 meetings as well.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedUnblocked provides helpful and accurate answers developers need to get jobs done. It tailors answers by augmenting your source code with existing team knowledge in GitHub, Slack, Confluence and more. Spend less time digging for context and more time building great software. Check it out at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

May 1, 202421 min

Ep 1210The Top Resumé Mistake I See, Plus the Best Resumé Advice I've Ever Received

After today's episode, your resumé is going to get better! In this episode I will share the biggest mistake and the best advice I've ever received about building a great resumé. This will take some work from you, but I hope you walk away from this episode feeling like you have the right mindset to improve your resumé drastically, and land more interviews, ultimately leading to better job opportunities for the Developer Tea audience!🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Neo4jIs your code getting dragged down by endless JOINs and long query times? Try simplifying the complexity with graphs!With Neo4j, you can code in your favorite programming language and against anydriver. See what graphs can do for you at Neo4j.com/developer📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Apr 25, 202418 min

Ep 1209Prioritization Using Critical Path Thinking

In today's episode, we talk about the counterintuitive process of prioritizing based on critical path. This is not a novel concept that I've invented, but rather a revisiting of the classic discussion started by Eli Goldratt in his book "The Goal", and later in his book "Critical Path", based on the theory of constraints.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: PropelAuthIf you're building a B2B product and looking for an auth provider that can support you now and as you grow, give PropelAuth a try. All of their features are available to test without a credit card, and you can get started at www.propelauth.com today!📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Apr 23, 202413 min

Ep 1208Cultural Antidotes - Clarity Isn't Just Honesty

The most common mistake for any manager is to fail to clarify. This often happens because we mistake our average communications for having perfect clarity, when in fact we most often don't communicate at high levels of clarity. This isn't because we are bad at communication, but rather because our social communications carry less consequence when they aren't precise.Clarity is not simply being honest. We'll discuss the importance of clarity in this episode, and your first steps towards achieving clarity above the norm.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedUnblocked provides helpful and accurate answers developers need to get jobs done. It tailors answers by augmenting your source code with existing team knowledge in GitHub, Slack, Confluence and more. Spend less time digging for context and more time building great software. Check it out at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Apr 17, 202413 min

Ep 1207Demystifying Culture and Values

What does your culture have to do with your values? In this episode we open up the discussion about a model of thinking for culture and values to understand how they link, and more importantly, when they don't.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedUnblocked provides helpful and accurate answers developers need to get jobs done. It tailors answers by augmenting your source code with existing team knowledge in GitHub, Slack, Confluence and more. Spend less time digging for context and more time building great software. Check it out at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Apr 10, 202421 min

Ep 1206Principles of Work - Shorten Your Feedback Loops

Your feedback loops should be short enough that the cost of making a mistake is low enough that the value of the learning in the feedback loop exceeds the magnitude of the cost of a mistake. In other words: shorten your feedback loops to the point that you're no longer afraid to make a mistake.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedUnblocked provides helpful and accurate answers developers need to get jobs done. It tailors answers by augmenting your source code with existing team knowledge in GitHub, Slack, Confluence and more. Spend less time digging for context and more time building great software. Check it out at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Apr 3, 202418 min

Ep 1205Principles of Work - Be Your Own Advocate

In this episode we discuss the importance of being your own advocate, and why this is likely the most rational position to hold. The takeaway: At any point, the person advocating the most for you is almost definitely YOU.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Mar 29, 202412 min

Ep 1204Practical Application of Information Theory

In this episode we discuss a practical application of information theory. Information theory is similar to the classic theory of communication, but distinct in important ways; these two theories together are a useful combo for creating a strategy for clarification.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedUnblocked provides helpful and accurate answers developers need to get jobs done. It tailors answers by augmenting your source code with existing team knowledge in GitHub, Slack, Confluence and more. Spend less time digging for context and more time building great software. Check it out at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Mar 27, 202417 min

Ep 1203Revisiting Core Working Principles - Hyperfixation on Measurements and Communication Degradation

In today's episode we talk about working principles again. Specifically, we're looking at a problem with measurement fixation, as well as the natural curve of degradation that most communication follows.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Jam.devIf you’re an engineer and you would rather spend your time writing code than responding to comments in your issue tracker, send your team Jam.dev. Go to jam.dev to get started, it’s free.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Mar 22, 202419 min

Ep 1202Revisiting Core Working Principles - Clarity as a Precursor to Focus and Strategy for Possibilities

In this episode we are revisiting some of my own personal core principles of working. I'm sharing these with you for you to do whatever you want with them, so please share however you can!The principles we discuss today are around the relationship between clarity and focus, and about how most negotiations aren't about feasibility but instead about strategy.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Neo4jIs your code getting dragged down by endless JOINs and long query times? Try simplifying the complexity with graphs!With Neo4j, you can code in your favorite programming language and against anydriver. See what graphs can do for you at Neo4j.com/developer📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Mar 20, 202418 min

Ep 1201Two Principle Categories To Judge Productivity Advice

In today's episode we talk about principles of productivity. Most of the advice you receive will fit in the two categories we discuss in this episode. Once you connect with these ideas, you'll be able to use them for your own gain.🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Jam.devIf you’re an engineer and you would rather spend your time writing code than responding to comments in your issue tracker, send your team Jam.dev. Go to jam.dev to get started, it’s free.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Mar 16, 202423 min

Ep 1200Cost of Delay Curves and Classes of Service

In today's episode we discuss the concept of "cost of delay", and explore the fact that cost of delay does not necessarily follow a linear path. When cost of delay has a cliff, or an exponential curve, how do you weigh one opportunity versus another?🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: UnblockedIf you would rather spend your time coding instead of digging for answers or dealing with questions from colleagues, give Unblocked a try. Unblocked provides helpful and accurate answers to questions about your codebase. Get started at getunblocked.com.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Mar 14, 202424 min