Develpreneur: Become A Better Developer And Entrepreneur

We all like to work through the problems we have been presented.  However, this is not the fastest way to a solution.  When we are in an office, we can pester our co-workers.  On the other hand, we can always use search engines to pester the entire Internet instead. Search Engines Require Thoughtful Questions The first thing to know about search engines is how to properly ask a question.  Although most of them will handle standard English sentences that approach will not always return the best results.  This can cost minutes or even hours of time as you vet the various answers.  These engines work off of keywords and phrases, so it helps to use those in phrasing the search terms or question.  Likewise, specifics always help.  The more specific the subject, the more likely the top results are what you need. For example, "Java Spring Authentication" will not retrieve results as useful as "Tutorial Spring Authentication 4.0 STS Tomcat MySQL."  General questions return a broad result set.  In this way, search eng

Eating the Frog is a term that may be new to you.  Simply put, this is the idea of getting the things done that you want to do the least.  It is a popular way to improve productivity and get things done.  However, it is also a practice that can help with reducing stress and increasing happiness.  In this episode, we look at how doing what you dislike is a key to happiness. Removing Obstacles is Key To Reducing Stress Depression and lack of productivity go hand in hand.  Likewise, productivity and happiness are often related.  These are all complicated concepts, so the cause and effect of them are also a little muddy.  We can improve productivity through a lot of methods.  One of the best is reducing our "dead time" and getting a quick start.  The dread and included foot-dragging we do with undesirable tasks are a few of many contributors to the productivity reducers.  Thus, we sometimes are the most significant obstacle to our ability to get things done. Worry Equals Stress We worry about the things we have o

In this episode, we take the risk of self-promotion and look at the elements of a good mastermind program.  We put our money where our mouth is in this respect.  The program we recommend happens to look a lot like ours.  However, this episode is more than an advertisement.  We lay out some features that you can add to yours or look for when selecting one. Accountability is Key To a Mastermind Program I have found that the greatest value of a program like this is being held accountable.  It also is what we strive for every time our program is reviewed.  This focus makes perfect sense when the goal of a mastermind program is to make everyone more effective.  We teach and learn in every meeting.  Thus, finding ways to practice and enforce what we have learned is important for its success.  Accountability is the path to this goal.  We look for ways to incorporate team discussions and feedback into our daily work.  Then we check in on each other to help us review and grade the changes we make. Everyone Contributes

In case you have not noticed, mobile applications are all the rage.  In fact, the very definition of mobile is constantly evolving as well.  The apps that were aimed at tablets and phones now include those aimed at more devices.  These include devices like Google home and Amazon Alexa as well as general IOT devices.  This flood of platforms makes the native vs. mobile approach to building applications a key consideration. Native vs. Mobile Friendly Can Be Simple The choice between the two options can be a given in some cases.  The requirements of your solution may dictate one or the other.  For example, a need to work in a disconnected state eliminates responsive.  On the other hand, a requirement to support several platforms or work from a browser would remove the native solution option. These rules are not iron-clad, but they can make it obvious what your choice needs to be.  A start from a solid foundation of requirements is critical for being able to make the quick decision in these instances.  Luckily, t

The modern landscape in almost every line of business makes it less likely than ever that we will stay in one job throughout our career.  Switching careers has even become more common as the Internet has opened up new avenues and lowered barriers to entry.  That being said, in this episode, we look at the pros and cons for ourselves and our employees of moving around. Switching Careers Can Be A Small Step Technology ties together a lot of businesses and pursuits.  It has even become a sort of common denominator.  For example, Microsoft Office skills can be useful in almost every industry and every job.  Email is equally as pervasive.  When you add to this how the Internet has reduced the barriers to entry for many jobs, switching a career is easier than ever.  The re-education and re-tooling that was required in the past have been almost eliminated. Job Hopping Has Its Pluses and Minuses The bulk of this episode covers the pros and cons of someone moving jobs.  There is a lot to consider about a prospective e

We get into a line of business to crush it.  At least, I assume that is our goal.  I cannot think of anyone that launched a business with the goal of barely getting by or outright failure.  Crushing it requires a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.  However, there are things we can do to make success more likely. Do What You Love The most important part of crushing it is having a desire to see your goals accomplished.  When you focus on success rather than the steps along the way, you are almost guaranteed to fail.  This may seem a little confusing, but when your goal is the end (money, sales, fane, etc.) you will not have the energy to accomplish the means (solving a problem, providing a service, etc.). Crushing It is Not The Goal While we are talking about confusing concepts, let's consider the goal itself.  When we want to crush it we will not be successful unless we have something we truly want to crush.  Success comes from passion and it has to be for something other than mere success.  For example, the come

The journey to a product launch can seem incredibly long.  However, the final steps in polishing a product for commercial availability cannot be ignored.  Doing so risks sinking the product or at least slowing its adoption. Commercial Products are Different A key point of this episode is that commercial software carries higher expectations than other types.  Whether it feels that way or not, there is far less selling required for other applications.  Bugs are part of any application, but workarounds and delays to fixes are easier to forgive for personal and internal applications.  A customer that paid money for your product is not going to be happy to hear that they need to "outsmart" a bug rather than it being fixed. A Product Launch is More Than "Ship It" The details are what make a commercial product.  Many of these features and aspects are easy to forget.  They are just that pervasive.  Things like documentation, install guides, user manuals, useful technical documentation, system requirements, and more,

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned is the joy of a team victory.  We can celebrate and be proud of individual accomplishments.  However, it is better when you can share the joy with others that were part of the struggle.  We can do a lot to improve our lives, but the way to make the most impact is to find others to share your journey. A Team Victory Can Come At Any Time In sports a team is well-defined.  There are players, coaches, managers, etc. that contribute in various ways.  We also see this in business.  If you have a paycheck signed by the same person, then you are on the same team.  Of course, politics and self-interest can spoil any of these team situations, but ideally, teammates work together.  The point is to try to build a team where possible and avoid being a problem-solving loner. Strength in Numbers Some situations obviously are better with a team.  American football is a perfect example.  If there were only one player, it would be hard to "build a pocket" pass to a receiver, or

A challenge for many IT workers is business networking.  We chose out career often as a desire to avoid dealing with people more than we have to.  We are often introverts and not very comfortable in a crowd.  That makes it even harder for us to find our way to a useful discussion in a networking environment. Business Networking Is Critical The problem is, of course, that we have to network to build a customer list and become successful.  The good news is that we do not have to suffer through these situations.  A good script and routine can help us avoid the uncomfortable "winging it" situation.  Instead of having to grope for words, we can recite a message we want to share and simplify our interactions.  This approach may not be ideal, but it does allow us to get over the hump of an introduction when we are in these large group situations.  At that point, we might be able to pique enough interest to shrink the conversation to a few interested parties.  That is a win-win. Fall Back On Your Brand One of the bes

One of the reasons for an enjoying an IT career is problem-solving.  We get to face a challenge of varying levels every day.  That can lead to us spending more time working on a problem than we need to.  Thus, we need to keep in mind schedules and resources we have to meet our deadlines. Problem-Solving as a Team Sport There is a reason we find many developer offices set up in a way that lends itself to interaction.  Yes, cubicles can be a cheap way to create an "office."  However, they also tend to lead us to communicate with our coworkers more than a real office with walls and a door.  Some managers claim their door is always open, but cubicle dwellers have no door.  This approach to seating is not an invasion of privacy.  It is a way to help us attack problems as a team. Two Heads Are Better Than One Ther is no shame in reaching out to others for your latest struggle.  We all are human and can overlook simple details that lead to a solution.  I think this is even more prevalent in coding as the details are

We live in the technology age.  Also known as the information age.  Thus, we have more and easier ways to educate ourselves each day.  As Apple says, "there is an app for that."  However, we need to be intentional in our approach to continuing education.  Moderation is best and a roadmap will help us reach our goals. Continuing Education Via the Internet A core strength of the Internet is the delivery of news all the time.  Not only that, the news can be on any topic you choose.  Content is not only readily available, it is always growing.  This flood of information can be daunting.  However, there are several tools available to organize your content and build good habits of information consumption. Learn By Osmosis The best tools available provide ways to learn while doing other tasks.  These include digital mediums like audiobooks and podcasts.  When you combine these with the ocean of gadgets available to consume them there is no excuse for not trying them out.  These options allow us to learn while exerci

A higher degree in my mind is anything beyond a high school diploma.  These days, that diploma is almost always a minimum requirement for a technology job.  There are just too many applicants that have that and more. A Higher Degree Sets a Baseline A degree is a great way to raise the ceiling for your career, but it also is a way to lift the floor.  In fact, a college degree can be a path to avoiding some steps of the ladder climbing required in any career.  These rungs may be skipping out on years at a help desk, mindless coding jobs, or other standard entry-level tasks.  In my case, I was even able to skip a company-sponsored month of learning how to code. Types of Degrees The bulk of this episode is spent examining the types of degrees you can pursue.  We also look at a general degree as opposed to one that has a tighter focus.  There are arguments on both sides of these.  However, that does not mean either choice is good (or bad).  Your specific situation will point towards the type and focus of degrees t

Experience is the number one asset you can bring to your job.  A close second is a degree and certifications.  There are situations where a decision is required between a degree (or higher degree) or technical certification.  It turns out that certifications are often a better deal and a quicker payoff than that advanced degree. Certifications Require Time and Money The value of a certificate in any technology is that it shows a minimum level of knowledge.  Much like a degree, this allows for an academic approach to building experience.  Thus, no worthwhile degree is a slam dunk.  There is also a fee for almost every certificate.  Often there are also book and class fees that are all but required to achieve your goal.  The long-term commitment to earn a degree is not needed.  However, a focused learning period is. Providing Value Honestly, I saw a faster and better improvement in my career through certifications than a higher degree.  However, those certs. have to be renewed over time and updated as technolog

We have all heard that it is better to give than receive.  However, instead of taking it at face value, this is something worth looking at deeper.  In this episode, we look at how to live a life we love and passing that along to others through giving. Charity Is More Than Money The first thing to consider is that money is just one way we can give.  There also may be a number of ways you want to give back.  A charity is not the only avenue.  There are all sorts of causes and ways to help others besides the "needy."  Time can be given to a mentor program, helping youth, or pro bono work in your chosen field.  The key to this is to give for the joy and not to give yourself networking credit.  That is marketing, not charity. A Fuller Life The benefits to all of these options for giving are a lengthy list.  However, the key is to improve your life quality.  It is easy to get swallowed up in technology, business, and your entrepreneurial vision.  Thus, we have a danger of becoming soulless automatons and losing our

Accounting may not be the most exciting part of a business, but it is an integral part of success.  We primarily keep score for our business based on how it generates revenue.  More importantly, a company needs to gain a profit on that income.  When we do not track the ins and outs of our funds, we are more likely to have more going out than in. Accounting As A Means of Protecting Ourselves When a business is a means to pay our salary or those of others then revenue and profit is seen as critical.  However, a side hustle is often done for fun or extra spending money instead of paying bills.  Thus, it is easy to gloss over the costs that go into that side-hustle.  At the end of the day, we find our selves with a little more money in our pocket.  Unfortunately, the cost of producing that money is sometimes more than it is worth. Track Costs For Smart Investing No matter your situation, your time is worth money.  You also need to be aware of the incidental costs involved in your projects.  Everyday things like g

System security is a big business.  We see hackers in the news all the time, and no one wants to be the next victim that has to admit to a breach.  This allows security firms to charge top dollar for their services and consultation.  However, there are a lot of simple and inexpensive steps we can take to dramatically reduce the odds of being the next victim System Security Through Smart Procedures The first thing to consider is that most security breaches come about through human error.  The well-known breach of the DNC started with a phishing email.  The victim responded and gave up important credentials.  No high tech skills were needed.  This is buttressed by most famous hackers highlighting how they used social engineering instead of code hacking.  Why spend time hacking a password when you can easily guess it or can be given it through a well-worded email? Best Practices This is not to say that hacking does not occur.  There are pirates and coders with ill intent that can penetrate systems.  In fact, it

We have looked at a few ways to improve productivity through the early podcast episodes.  However, we have only touched on the idea of rhythm and how it can make or break us.  Habits are hard to break, whether good or bad and those are the things that drive our natural rhythm Know When You Are At Your Best The first step in getting productive is to determine what works for you.  There are some variations each of us can embrace.  Unfortunately, what works for you, may cause me all sorts of problems.  In general, we need to determine whether we work better in the morning, mid-day, evening, or late night.  Then we need to determine the good "blocks" of work for our schedule.  Some of us do great with long periods of focused work.  However, others do good in short spurts of an hour or two with some breaks in between. Experiment With Your Rhythm Life hacking is all about finding ways to make improvements through trial-and-error.  Finding your best rhythm is the same exercise.  Most of us know what works for us, bu

I have to admit that the Develpreneur icon and banners are not designed by me.  I used a site called 99 Designs for this work.  I have a few skills and none of them are brand design.  Thus, I outsourced that work so I could have something that was effective. Brand Design: Play To Your Strengths Many (maybe even most) of us have passable design skills at best.  We are visionaries or technicians, but not very good at creating appealing artwork.  There is no shame in this.  We all have our strengths and weaknesses.  In fact, the sign of a good manager and leader is the ability to delegate weaknesses to those that can offset them.  If you are great at design then you might want to skip this episode.  However, the rest of us can gain a lot from the resources covered here. Help From Friends The best part of the process of building a brand through outside resources is that you can always get other opinions.  For example, I am only mediocre at picking a good design.  Nevertheless, I was able to make some good selecti

When best practices are considered for development, version control has become a normal facet of any modern coding.  Many integrated development environments now include integration to some version control by default.  In fact, Git is often assumed as the tool of choice.  That being said, we still need to use these tools properly. Version Control Requires Regular Usage The most common failing I find with new developers is a lack of actually using the tool correctly.  Although committing code is rarely more than a few button clicks and providing a comment, it still seems too much for many coders.  I say this because may shops have code commits on a weekly or less frequent basis.  I also see comments that are empty or useless (e.g., "fixed some bugs") in too many repositories. Good use of version control includes meaningful comments on every commit and daily commits at least.  This approach does not mean code must be working when for each commit, just that the changes are submitted. Branches and Tags Modern ver

Burnout is a big stumbling block to productivity. It is a bit like clinical depression where you are not sure it is coming, but when it hits, recovery is painful.  In this episode, we look at some of the signs of burnout and even some warning signs.  However, we do not stop there.  We also look at ways to stay productive, push hard, and still avoid burnout. Burnout Comes in Many Forms There are many ways that burnout will appear.  It may be a lack of getting up in the morning and a constant feeling of exhaustion.  However, it often is much more subtle.  The ability to focus may become difficult and productivity slumps rather than crashes.  There may also be a trend towards doing work on the edges that is easy, but busywork rather than truly useful.  For example, when you spend hours on getting a button on one screen to look right rather than address the functionality launched when it is clicked. Finding Balance The key to avoiding burnout is finding a routine that does not drain you at the end of the day, wee