Explore every episode of the podcast Healthy Developer
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| He Thought Product Management Was The Answer... | 07 May 2025 | 00:48:33 | |
Ever thought about stepping into product management—just to try something totally different from engineering? Want expert guidance to grow? Apply for 1-on-1 tech career coaching with me. That’s exactly where Monte found himself. After years in dev and even engineering leadership, he made a move he thought would lead to more ownership and product vision. But once he was in the role… something felt off. In this coaching session, we unpack what actually happens when you chase product titles inside companies—and why the version you’re offered often isn’t what you imagined. Monte thought he was stepping forward. Instead, he realized he was just managing user stories and process artifacts. If you’ve ever wondered, “Is this really what the role is supposed to be?”—you’re not alone. You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at healthydeveloper.com | |||
| You Were Right About Healthy Developer | 30 Apr 2025 | 00:05:22 | |
You ever notice how sometimes the people around you see what’s really going on before you do? That’s what happened with this channel. I tried to go broad, help everyone in tech, chase what the “experts” and the algorithm said people wanted—but you knew better. You told me what made this channel special wasn’t the hype or some generic success formula. It was the real talk. The raw stories. The focus on staying healthy, sane, and actually living your life while you write code in an industry that rarely cares about either. In this episode, I’m owning up to where I lost the plot—and why I’m bringing it all back to what *actually* matters. We’re going deep on why “Healthy Developer” is the right home for this community (and for me), what’s staying, what’s changing, and what you can expect from here on out. If you’re here to argue or troll, you won’t like this one. But if you’re tired of the tech grind, and you want real strategies for staying grounded and growing as a developer *without* burning out, you’re in the right place. Thanks for holding me to a higher standard—and for helping me find my way back. Let’s build something better, together. You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Can Employees REALLY Set Boundaries With Managers? | 06 Nov 2024 | 00:13:47 | |
Ever had a manager who expects you to be Superman? No matter what you do, they keep asking for "more, more, more." Earlier in my tech career, I thought it was my manager's fault. But when I learned the art of setting healthy boundaries at work, I realized that the power to push back was in my hands. Grow Faster in Your Tech Career: https://thrivingtechnologist.com/coaching In this episode, I’ll share insights gained from working with over 20 software companies as a developer, architect, and management consultant on setting effective boundaries with managers. Getting this right can bring immense peace and prevent burnout. Without clear boundaries, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by unreasonable expectations—and the result is often exhaustion or even job burnout. Managers often respect employees who assert boundaries more than those who don’t. It may seem counterintuitive, but consider it: would you respect someone who allows themselves to be treated like a doormat? You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Chapter markers / timelinks: (0:00) Introduction Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Healing The Rift Between Programmers And Managers | 02 May 2018 | 00:24:20 | |
It’s common in many companies for there to be animosity between programmers and managers – but it’s smarter to consider healing that rift. Earlier in my career I met many other software developers who loved to complain about management. And I’ve been just as frustrated, especially when it seems like management doesn’t know what they’re doing. But eventually after having several experiences talking to other programmers I respected, my perspective changed. In this episode, I share some stories about software projects I have been on where I was challenged to be enlightened to continue. I hope these stories help you think about what you can do to take the power of your career back into your own hands. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Daily Scrum Meeting: A Status Meeting In Disguise? | 29 Apr 2018 | 00:14:32 | |
Does it ever feel like the daily scrum meeting is really just a status meeting in disguise? The daily scrum or “stand-up” meeting was created as part of the scrum methodology for agile development to reduce time wasted in meetings. But some companies use it to gather status. In our modern software development market, there are many tools that can provide managers with real-time access to status, so this is unnecessary. In this episode, I share several tips for getting your daily stand-up meetings under control so you can run a daily scrum that actually benefits developers. Though it’s tempting for management at software companies to use the daily scrum meeting to gather status, they actually make the job of software developers harder by doing this – and put their software projects at risk! Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com
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| What REALLY Gets Software Developers Promoted? | 24 Apr 2018 | 00:12:48 | |
It can be confusing when most companies don’t make it clear how software developers can get promoted for more senior roles. If you’re a junior developer and trying to figure out, what exactly do I need to do? – it may not be cut and dry. Rather in this episode, I share some soft skills I’ve found in working with over 30 software development teams that I see those who get promoted exhibit. If you want to be considered for a senior software engineer role, or perhaps a higher level role such as a team lead, development manager, director, or even CTO – these skills are incredibly valuable. They will make you stand out from other candidates and naturally be seen as a more mature option for a technical leader. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| A Product Manager Is A Programmer’s Best Friend! | 22 Apr 2018 | 00:28:44 | |
Software developers are often frustrated when a product manager changes the design at the last minute. But product managers are a programmer’s best friend! In this episode, I share how your colleagues in product management are actually your biggest ally. Whether you’re in Operations, UX,Ssupport, or any other aspect of developing software – a good relationship with the manager of your product is indispensable. As the “CEO of their product”, these individuals have access to resources and the ability to influence the company in ways you may not have thought of. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Are You Refactoring Code For The Right Reasons? | 18 Apr 2018 | 00:15:31 | |
It’s tempting to jump into refactoring code that’s hard for you to understand – but make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons! But before you take that leap, you should probably consider that there can be some dangers. Whether you’re coding in Java, Javascript, C#, Python, or any other language – there are non-technical implications of code refactoring that you should be aware of. In this episode, I share 6 considerations to take into account that will help you avoid getting into a stressful situation when you choose to refactor code. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Accepting What You Can’t Change On A Software Project | 06 Apr 2018 | 00:15:27 | |
Have you ever been confronted with accepting circumstances you couldn’t change on your software project that were really difficult? Maybe you don’t agree with a decision, or you’ve been forced to work in a way that you’re not happy with? Though most of us like to think we’re able to control our career, there are times we inevitably have to learn to let go, and accept difficult circumstances. In this episode, I share a set of steps I go through to help me on software projects when I struggle with this. If you can accept difficult circumstances easier, you can get back to enjoying your software development career. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| 7 Common Agile Development Fails | 04 Apr 2018 | 00:12:57 | |
In working with over 30 companies, I’ve seen 7 common big FAILS in agile software development processes! These are so common, but so easily avoided, and they have little to do with whether you’re doing kanban or scrum. In my experience, agile issues are rarely because of a single step in the software development process, but rather because of not considering the implications on the team. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| I Can't Stop Thinking About Programming After Work! | 27 Mar 2018 | 00:08:03 | |
There’s something about software development that makes it hard to stop thinking about programming after work. Earlier in my career when I’d be obsessing over programming, I would get home and right after coming in from the car jump into a video game or play some music. But it didn’t last very long. I quickly became a workaholic programmer. When I wasn’t thinking about code, I would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and start thinking about it them. I even had dreams that I was in a whiteboarding session. Have you found healthy ways to stop thinking about programming when you get home? Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Why Do Some Programmers Never Agree? | 22 Mar 2018 | 00:07:53 | |
Why does it seem like no matter how strong your argument, some programmers never agree with you? In software development we often focus on practices like agile development, unit testing, or code reviews. But these are actually driven by underlying principles that guide the practices we select. Some good communicators will be able to say what their principles are. But even then, you’ll come across someone who just will not agree with you no matter how well you understand their principles. This is because there is usually a core limiting belief that lies beneath their stated principles. The only way to find these beliefs out, is to have an authentic relationship with the person. As a software developer, engineer, or consultant we often spend most of our day in front of the computer. So getting to know someone personally can be socially awkward and feel like it’s taking away from our productivity. We can ask “why” questions, as described in the “5 whys” concept popularized by Eric Ries, author of the lean startup, to get to root beliefs. Armed with this information, we can broaden our belief system to understand the other person better, or help them get rid of a limiting belief that may be holding them back! Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Impact Mapping: What's Your Software Development Worth? | 18 Mar 2018 | 00:11:49 | |
If you’ve ever been on a software project and wondered: “what’s the impact of the work I’m doing?”, impact mapping will help you immensely. Knowing what your code is worth, or any other assets we create on software projects across any discipline (UX, QA, Infrastructure, Operations etc.) is crucial to both getting the rewards you want, and steering the company in the right direction. In this episode I share how impact mapping can be used to identify a goal from a business model canvas (described in detail in my prior episode, link below) and map it to work team members do. With a better understanding of the impact of your work, you can communicate things like “why are we doing this?“, “what is this work going to enable?” and “how do we know when we’re successful?“. Impact mapping can be used not just with software development activities like programming and testing, but also with any activities, features, or tasks a team might consider to impact the business. Advertising, partnerships, cost reduction, and other aspects of a business also benefit from having a map of impacts. If your company hasn’t shared this information with you, have a conversation with your product manager or CEO to see if they can provide some insight to your work’s impact. An important point I highlight at the end of the episode, is to not budget only for a single experiment identified through an impact map. Most software development investments fail to fully realize their goals, so budgeting for multiple experiments will help. This way you won’t have to go back to the business for more money after a “failure”, and instead get multiple attempts to reach the goal through trying several things that have an impact. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Does Corporate Culture KILL Creativity in Tech? | 23 Oct 2024 | 00:17:44 | |
Are you a tech professional who feels your creativity is being stifled by corporate culture? In this episode, I explore the impact of corporate culture on creativity in the tech industry. I share my personal journey—from leaving behind my passion for music to embracing programming as a new creative outlet, only to find that corporate constraints in tech began to suppress my creative spirit. Grow Faster in Your Tech Career: https://thrivingtechnologist.com/coaching I'll delve into how creativity in tech is often threatened by corporate environments that favor predictability over innovation. Discover why expressing creativity is vital for personal fulfillment and how the suppression of creativity can drain your energy. We'll discuss strategies to navigate tech workplace culture and reclaim your creative energy for your personal pursuits. Join the conversation about creativity suppression in tech. Have you experienced the stifling effects of corporate culture on your creativity? Share your stories and insights in the comments below. Let's work together to keep the flame of innovation alive in tech companies - and our personal lives! You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Chapter markers / timelinks: (0:00) Introduction Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| How A Business Model Canvas Helps Agile Teams | 15 Mar 2018 | 00:16:36 | |
If you’ve ever thought “who came up with these ideas?”, you probably need a business model canvas on your agile development team. Even if you don’t consider yourself able to steer the direction of a software product (you’re a programmer, in UX, operations, QA etc.) it’s critical that sound decisions are made about the business. Without a comprehensive plan forward, ego can easily take over your agile backlog. In this episode I share what a business model canvas is, examples of common software products and how the canvas (also known as a lean canvas) can help you as a software developer or any other discipline on your team. The business model canvas, business canvas, or “lean canvas” has been popularized by Eric Ries, Alex Osterwalder, and Ash Maurya. It divides up the aspects of a business into 9 sections that a software company should experiment with to increase profit. When your team is deciding “what features should we build in our software?” the business model canvas should be the first lens through which decisions are looked at. Any user stories your team adds to their backlog should tie back to these sections of the business model canvas, otherwise they can easily be “gut decisions” with no sound business backing. The canvas can provide your software development team with an array of potential opportunities to explore, other than just “cranking out features”. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Leadership Skills for Lean Software Development | 13 Mar 2018 | 00:10:40 | |
It takes special software leadership skills to learn what customers want through lean software development. In this episode, I share 7 key traits that will help you, or someone else you know who’s leading, to build the most profitable software ideas for customers. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Is Your Software Company A Feature Factory Or A Lean Startup? | 13 Mar 2018 | 00:11:11 | |
Why do some software companies build exciting products with the freedom of a lean startup, while others deliver boring products like a feature factory run by control freaks? In this episode I ask this question: “Does Your Company Feel More Like a Factory, or a College“? Whether you’re using agile methods like scrum, kanban, or any other process – up front design is still alive and well in many companies. To truly build innovative software products that cause your company to profit so you can get the rewards and recognition you want – people must let go. When features are identified has a big impact on success. Many companies focus mostly on the features for their software that they can think of or hear from customers ahead of time. But it’s those features discovered only after you release your product to them using devops and continuous delivery approaches, with an agile budget, that cause you to profit greatly. This is the approach popularized by Eric Ries book “The Lean Startup”. Companies run like a factory try to predict value, while companies run like a college discover value. Companies run like a factory control people, while companies run like a college trust people. Companies run like a factory use burn-down charts to measure progress, while companies run like a college use learning milestones. Companies run like a factory use a project budget, while companies run like a college use a monthly budget. Companies run like factory focus on measuring expenses, while companies run like a college focus on measuring profit. Do you work at a company that feels more like a software factory (or feature factory), or a college? Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Why Do So Many Programmers Lose Hope? | 06 Mar 2018 | 00:20:27 | |
In the first decade of my career, I would get angry at everyone around me and turned to the Internet to vent my frustration. It seemed like managers and other people who didn’t understand software development had caused me to lose hope in my future. In this episode, I share what caused me to lose hope, and many programmers I run across struggle with these symptoms as well. If you’re a programmer who has turned to escapism and joining the chorus of complainers – I implore you to reconsider! Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. CHAPTER MARKERS (3:00) We're Forced to Cut Corners Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com
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| Caffeine Makes It Harder To Be Agile! | 04 Mar 2018 | 00:21:31 | |
If you want to be a calm programmer, you may want to consider cutting down on caffeine. On a project that’s truly agile, most people need extra patience. Especially if they have high anxiety from using coffee or other stimulants to get through the day. In this episode, I share some things you may want to know if you want a sustainable career in software development. Though you may not be able to completely cut out caffeine, it can wreak havoc on you and your team’s ability to work together well. When work is already difficult, and people are under stress, caffeine only tends to make things worse. I hope these tips for avoiding caffeine withdrawal help you to stay a healthy programmer! Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Why Do People Take Credit For Your Ideas? | 03 Mar 2018 | 00:20:09 | |
Have you ever had an idea for something on your software project, but someone else takes the credit? Plagiarism can be extremely frustrating, and it’s typically caused by narcissistic personality types. In this episode, I share why this happens, how to prevent it – and how to cope with it. I also share a personal story of when this has happened to me. This sucks, there’s no way around it. But if you’re creative enough to come up with new software development ideas, you can do it again! I hope this episode helps you avoid this situation in the future, and have a healthy mindset if you unfortunately do get plagiarized. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| 5 Big Lies The Software Industry Tells You | 28 Feb 2018 | 00:12:06 | |
Looking at what decisions others make about their career in software can be a big mistake. Though having a career in software development can be exciting, there is also cause for serious caution. In this episode, I share the 5 biggest lies I have bought myself, and I hope you don’t about your career in software development. With healthy decisions and a realistic mindset, you can advance quicker than others and not get stuck in common traps. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. CHAPTER MARKERS (1:40) Technical Skill Determines Your Success Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| An Agile Budget Keeps You From Being A Code Monkey | 26 Feb 2018 | 00:20:25 | |
If you feel like a “code monkey” with pressure to work fast – you need an agile budget. It took me many years, but I finally figured out the reason why. Companies that try to build software like a manufacturing plant budget the wrong way. This creates pressure on workers, and produces boring products that barely keep a software company profitable. At companies that understand this, you’ll be more creative and spend less time trying to estimate. If the leaders at your software company don’t understand this, they may still have a (barely) profitable business, but they’ll be wasting tons of money. In this episode, I share hard learned lessons about the software industry that every company should build their foundation upon. Agile budgeting is a key to healthy software development company culture – and careers! Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Is Planning Poker Safe On Your Team? | 25 Feb 2018 | 00:12:19 | |
If you’ve ever had to estimate software development work, you may have engaged in “planning poker”. This method of estimating brings with it some potential benefits. But depending on the culture of your team, it can also cause big problems. In this episode, I hope to avoid you falling into using this common practice if it isn’t right for your team. Planning poker might be just what your team needs – but you need to make the smart choice! Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Programming Made it Hard to Lose Weight | 20 Feb 2018 | 00:14:45 | |
I gained weight quickly from programming and needed help with weight loss early in my career. I took part in the corporate events that provided unhealthy food because it was “there”… I was accepted easier by my coworkers because I would eat the same fatty and high calorie meals that they chose… And I fell into emotional eating, because the stress of software development was depleting my diet of nutrients. So I started to tell myself “losing weight is vanity – I’m not one of THOSE people“. But in this episode, I share my personal story of weight loss after ballooning up to over 210 pounds. I hope my story helps someone else out there who is struggling with the lifestyle of programmers that can make it hard to stay in shape. Corporate culture won’t always make it easy – but you’re worth it! There is hope for you – losing weight is not impossible, but you’ve got to stand your ground! Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| If Your Tech Job is Comfortable, You're in Danger | 16 Oct 2024 | 00:21:21 | |
Is your tech job feeling a little too comfortable? You might be unknowingly putting your career at risk. In the fast-paced world of technology, complacency can lead to career stagnation, limiting your earning potential and jeopardizing your job security. Grow Faster in Your Tech Career: https://thrivingtechnologist.com/coaching In this video, we'll uncover The Hidden Dangers of Comfort in Tech Jobs - How staying in your comfort zone can make you obsolete in a rapidly evolving industry. Signs You're Experiencing Career Stagnation - Recognize the red flags that indicate you're not growing professionally. The Importance of Continuous Skill Development - Why updating your skills is crucial for career advancement and remaining competitive. Strategies to Overcome Complacency - Practical steps to reignite your passion and drive in your tech career. Exploring Self-Employment and Tech Consulting - How becoming self-employed or starting a solo venture can enhance your career growth. Don't let the comfort of today become the regret of tomorrow. It's time to take control and ensure you're not left behind in the ever-changing technology industry. You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Chapter markers / timelinks: (0:00) Introduction Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| The Secret of Scrum Nobody Wants To Talk About! | 19 Feb 2018 | 00:07:17 | |
Too many companies and agile coaches keep the secret of scrum from people! When agile methods of software development were first brought on the scene, they led to abuse. Managers “cherry picked” the practices that gave them more control, but software products didn’t actually get any better! In fact, when you ask most programmers or other software professionals Scrum seems to add MORE pressure and problems. In this episode, I share the secret of Scrum. If your company doesn’t know this secret, you’re wasting your time because the word “agile” means NOTHING! If you don’t understand why scrum doesn’t work, I hope this episode offers some insight. Using a sprint in scrum can cause more problems than it’s worth – without the right mindset to learn from failure. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Is Your Software Development Leader a Narcissist? | 18 Feb 2018 | 00:14:26 | |
Are you on a project with a software leader who’s a narcissist, and criticizes everything you do? Did they treat you like a “rockstar” developer at first, but now it seems like you can never please them? Working under a narcissist can be one of the most frustrating experiences in your software development career. In this episode, I share some key traits and behaviors to look for in identifying if you’re working under one. Though people can exhibit several of these traits and NOT be a narcissist, if you see a pattern of several of these behaviors – BEWARE. I hope this information helps you identify whether you’re being abused emotionally – and cope until you’re able to get out. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| How To Find The Best Software Project For Your Personality | 15 Feb 2018 | 00:20:29 | |
Ever get the feeling the software project you’re on clashes with your personality? Does the way people work together seem very different than you? Have you had a great experience on one project, only to start enough and feel miserable? If this has ever happened to you, I hope today’s episode helps you avoid this. Depending on the stage of a software product’s life cycle, you may or may not be the right fit for a team. This has nothing to do with the programming technology stack, operations procedures, or software development process. It has more to do with your goals and preferences at this single moment in your career. I explain how the early, growth, and sunset stages of a typical software product’s profit life cycle impact your happiness. Armed with this information, you can make the best decision in your software development career and hopefully find the perfect software project. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Why Are YOU Making Programming Harder? | 15 Feb 2018 | 00:17:10 | |
I hear a common complaint that programming has gotten harder over the years. The more years I spent in software development, I fell into getting frustrated and blaming other people, or the technology. But I realized that I was a big part of the problem – though it was hard to admit. In this episode, I share some things I didn’t realize at first that I was doing to make my job harder than it needed to be. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| What Happens When Software Products Reach End Of Life | 14 Feb 2018 | 00:17:47 | |
Do you have a feeling that the software product you’re working on is reaching its end of life? Every software product goes through a sunset stage as part of its life cycle. This is a natural progression of your software business, but it needs to be handled carefully. In this episode, I share some considerations your development team can apply to navigate this stage better. If you want to ensure that your software development career keeps moving forward, you need to understand this stage of the life cycle. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| How Market Fit Changes Software Companies | 13 Feb 2018 | 00:24:31 | |
Have you seen the signs that your software company is profiting and may have reached market fit? The way teams work together needs to change when a software product reaches this critical point in its life cycle. That doesn’t mean innovation stops, but a focus on moving towards partnering and stability of technology becomes increased. In this episode, I share some insights I’ve had about how software teams can go about navigating this difficult phase in the life cycle of a software product. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Is Your Software Company Managed By FEAR? | 11 Feb 2018 | 00:25:26 | |
Why do software companies try to innovate under a culture of fear? Does the software company you work at frustrate people with a focus on cost savings over GROWTH? In this episode, I share some critical insights to how many companies strangle innovation by managing to fear! Armed with this information, you can stop feeling like a cog in a wheel – and help the culture at your software company improve. If you’ve had agile coaches, DevOps experts, and other “gurus” try to help your company and it still feels like a pressure cooker – this might be why! Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Grow A Software Product The Smart Way | 11 Feb 2018 | 00:13:38 | |
Are you concerned that your software company isn’t setup for growth? In working with over 30 companies, I’ve come across many that don’t understand the software business life cycle. This episode offers some essential information you can use to understand how your company is being managed. The foundation I provide here can help you determine where in the life cycle of your software products the team you might be working on is at. This will help you make better decisions about technology and software processes – and I’ll expand on it in future episodes. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Programmer Flow State: “In The Zone” Coding | 10 Feb 2018 | 00:17:07 | |
Have you solved programming problems easier when “in the zone” or “flow state”? If you’ve experienced this, once achieved it’s hard to work any other way. In this episode, I want to share some strategies you can use to avoid getting interrupted. These will also help you get into the flow state more often so you can enjoy productive and creative sessions of work regularly. If you follow the tips in this episode, you can help others understand why getting into a flow state is more important than letting others interrupt you at will while programming. It will take setting expectations and creating healthy boundaries for yourself, but can result in breakthroughs in efficiency and your enjoyment of software development. Avoiding interruptions can make one of the biggest differences to your satisfaction over your tech career, whether you’re a software developer or a consultant. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| How To Earn Respect On A New Software Project | 07 Feb 2018 | 00:19:15 | |
Are you joining a new company, team, or project? Do you want to make sure others respect you so you can use the technologies you want – and get your skills used? Early in my career I thought the best way to do this was to impress others with my technical acumen. But I learned quickly that this only causes frustration and delayed me being accepted. In this episode, I share stories and tips that will help you approach a new team with a positive attitude. You’ll overcome walls people can put up and instead have others welcome your suggestions for improving their software project. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Think Your Corporate Job Is Secure? Think Again | 02 Oct 2024 | 00:24:40 | |
What if the real risk isn't leaving your corporate job, but staying in it? If you’re comfortable in your tech job today, layoffs aren’t the only risk you face. The myth of job security is a common cause for staying stuck and growing complacent. 7 years ago my life was turned upside down when I realized for the first time - just how trapped I’d become. I developed chronic insomnia and anxiety, and it eventually emptied my bank account. All because I refused to accept that I’d outgrown working for corporations. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be an entrepreneur or just work solo as a consultant - but I knew I was done with having a boss. In this episode, I’d like to help you get a sober view at what staying in corporate jobs can cost you. Unfortunately, job security is a myth. I hope this content about overcoming fear of self-employment helps you find the courage to explore more empowering ways of work - if you’ve outgrown the corporate tech job grind. Whether you want to become an independent software development consultant or start a SaaS (software as a service) business, tech professionals in IT jobs and at software companies don't have to stay chained to their corporate jobs forever. There is no such thing as a "secure job"! But you'll have to step into the unknown waters of being a solopreneur - if you want to experience self-empowerment. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Chapter markers / timelinks: (0:00) Introduction Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Are You A Perfectionist Programmer? | 07 Feb 2018 | 00:20:17 | |
In this episode, I want to ask you a question that might make you defensive: “Are you a perfectionist programmer?“. I can tell you, after many years of being a software developer, I’ve gotten much better at this. But one of the things I want to help you with in this video is to maybe think a little bit about how you work with others – and maybe make better decisions about what kind of expectations you have from software developers, technologists, and other people on your team so that you don’t get into a situation where you turn people off and you can’t really get their best work and cooperation because you might expect them to work exactly how you do. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| “New Framework Disease” (NFD) in Software Development | 06 Feb 2018 | 00:21:49 | |
Technology addiction hurts your software development career if materialism makes you chase shiny objects. When I was a child, I used to like looking through the magazines my father got with all kinds of gadgets in them. As an adult, I often got caught up in obtaining the latest cars, guitars, or other material possessions. And though you may have a handle on materialism in your personal life - it can become prevalent in a software development career. We suffer from technology addiction when we get bored from repetitiveness - this is pretty obvious. But we also suffer from envy - and this is common because many companies don't keep their software developers growing. We can also put on "rose colored glasses" and deceive ourselves into thinking a new framework, API, or other technology will solve our problems. Failing to master a language or technology puts you at a serious disadvantage in your tech career. It's highly important that you develop the ability to match technology to the business. The only way this will happen, is if you both master your current tech stack - and develop an appreciation for what is unique in the business of your current software project. Ultimately, you need to be able to deliver results. Hiring practices in the industry make this an ongoing problem, but you can avoid some of the snares by thinking about the insights I share in this video. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| What Is DevOps REALLY About? (Hint: NOT CI/CD) | 05 Feb 2018 | 00:15:29 | |
There's plenty of "fake news" from the software industry, so beware of the DevOps lie. There's a lot of confusion - just follow the money to see why. In this video I help you discover the real answer to "what is DevOps?", and why it may not be working for you. Though automated deployment technologies, cloud infrastructure, and other "fun" tools are exciting to talk about... ...DevOps is really about getting people to work together. I hope this episode helps you understand the core reason why DevOps came to be, and how it's a subset of Continuous Delivery. Though both of these terms ultimately seek to allow your company to release quicker (and more often) - I've seen them fail when gone about the wrong way. You can help your company achieve the promises of DevOps by following the tips in this episode. If you can help others answer the question "what is DevOps?" correctly - you can help your company achieve the cross-functional teamwork necessary. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Related resources: Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Pull Your Software Project Out Of A Death Spiral! | 04 Feb 2018 | 00:14:37 | |
Being on a software project death spiral can be extremely stressful. It usually happens when your company is doing FAKE Agile software development. People feel despair, and it looks like there's no end in sight? In this episode, I share some practical tips to help you correct this situation. Though it's never easy to recover from a death spiral, don't give up when there's hope! Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Programming Estimation – Estimate Software Tasks With Caution | 01 Feb 2018 | 00:13:07 | |
When someone comes to you for an estimate of a software task, do you feel uneasy? Programming estimation is a dangerous activity that should be approached with caution! But people make estimating software tasks more stressful than needed. In this episode, I share some tips that will help you have better success rates when estimating software. Though you may not be able to get out of estimating altogether (#noestimates), you can minimize the damage. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Say NO On A Software Project - So They Will Listen! | 31 Jan 2018 | 00:12:12 | |
It's bound to happen that at some point you'll be asked to do some work that you know will have a negative outcome. How you say no on a software project can build resentment if you don't establish clear boundaries - and decline the request with grace. In this episode I share some tips I've found work well for diffusing resistance to your desire to do the work some other way. When you understand the person making the request better, you'll do a better job aligning your message with their needs. You will need to help them overcome the pressure they already feel to meet any commitment they already made to their boss. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| What To Do When Your Software Tasks Will Be Late | 29 Jan 2018 | 00:10:49 | |
No matter how experienced you are, sometimes your software tasks will be late. How you handle this often has far reaching implications on your career and your health. In this episode, I share some insights I've had from doing this well - and not so well. Learning to be transparent, reset expectations, and refuse to be strong-armed into releasing low quality work will ensure you have a sustainable software development career. You can also watch this episode on YouTube.
Visit me at JaymeEdwards.com Find me on Facebook at JaymeEdwardsMedia Find me on Twitter as @jaymeedwards | |||
| Democratic Software Architecture - Sharing Technology Decisions | 29 Jan 2018 | 00:29:34 | |
Do the teams you work on have an "elite few" that are looked to for making technology decisions? Are there times you wish people would work together more to drive software architecture? In today's episode I share both good, and bad experiences I've had with team structures that effect software architecture. It seems logical at first to only allow people with more experience to make these decisions about tools, processes, and frameworks. But only teams that have an inclusive technical culture bring out the best in people by giving them shared ownership over the process. Included are some tips I've found useful over my career to speed up the rate of adopting new technologies as part of your product's stack - and making it everyone's job. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Software Project Burnout: Is It Them Or You? | 28 Jan 2018 | 00:24:15 | |
It's easy to blame your company when a software project seems to require so many hours, that you suffer from software project burnout. And there certainly are companies that haven't figured out how to set deadlines in a way that expectations can be reset if things go wrong. But you can also burn yourself out, if you don't set healthy boundaries. I've actually worked overtime at the BEGINNING of a project! This would happen when I wanted to try and "make sure" we wouldn't be late. Or sometimes when I was just so excited to learn new technologies I DIDN'T WANT TO STOP. In this episode, I encourage you to do whatever you can to prevent working any sort of overtime. Even if you love working with software and technology, you need to consider the precedent you set. If employers know you will sacrifice your well being to meet deadlines, it's too tempting for them to abuse again! Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Can Imposter Syndrome Help Software Developers Grow? | 24 Jan 2018 | 00:23:04 | |
Imposter syndrome is something software teams often talk negatively about, but it can actually be a sign of growth. The feeling that you don't know what others think you do can cause a lot of stress and anxiety. We all put up with this feeling when we're new, because others expect that we don't know what we're doing. But after a few years in software development, we can forget that feeling. When asked to do work that requires us to grow, it's critical that we get comfortable with it. There are a few reasons why software professionals tend to be especially susceptible to this. One is that other egotistical, narcissistic developers can make fun of us. But this says more about THEM than us. Another is that we worry that we'll be "found out" by management for needing to learn something. But emotionally intelligent managers and leaders see through the false wall of lies that some developers can put up when they try to appear infallible. In this episode, I encourage you to look at imposter syndrome as a healthy sign that you need to grow. If you can be honest, detach from what others think, and learn to reset expectations with others - you don't need a reason to worry that you're an imposter. Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| The Secret to Finding Profitable Software Ideas | 25 Sep 2024 | 00:13:55 | |
Thinking of quitting the tech industry grind to start a profitable software business yourself? Before you take the plunge, don't make the same mistakes I did! The secret to finding a profitable software idea, is that it must come from your customers. Unless you know a real pain that people who would use your software are experiencing, you can easily fool yourself into thinking it's good enough to build a software product business on. In this episode, I share what I've learned about finding real software product ideas. I use a combination of IBISWorld, ChatGPT, and a book by Dane Maxwell to help my software development coaching clients discover software startup ideas. IBISWorld Businesses Start from Zero by Dane Maxwell Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Chapter markers / timelinks: (0:00) Introduction Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Your Software Project Is Failing - Now What? | 23 Jan 2018 | 00:35:43 | |
We all hate that sinking feeling when we realize we're on a failing software project. What you do then will have a bigger impact on your health than your reputation. Earlier in my career, I would try to avoid blame as my number one priority. As I got more experienced, I saw the folly of this and realized I needed to follow through with my best work. How we deal with tough times says more to others than how we behave when things are going smoothly. In this episode I share the story of two clients I worked with that had failing projects. Sadly - I've been on more failed projects than successful ones, but I felt these two might help you think about how you cope with this situation. Remember just because a project fails - it doesn't mean YOU are a failure. It's OK to accept circumstances, accept your limitations - and do what you can. Your family, relationships, and health will thank you for it! Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| Can You Be Agile - Even When Your Company Isn't? | 23 Jan 2018 | 00:17:26 | |
Stop getting angry that you're company isn't more AGILE! It's human nature that causes digital transformations to fail. I spent most of my career trying to help companies be agile. But people in positions of power are often driven by greed and the illusion of control, and they won't support efforts that require them to change. I had a nasty bout of insomnia in April of 2017 where I had to resign from my job. I spent the 8 months that followed healing, researching, and trying to understand where I went wrong. I'm no "guru" and I certainly don't know everything about this industry - but after working with 30+ companies I've seen some patterns. This year I want to help you avoid the pain I went through by having a healthier, more sustainable career in software development! Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||
| 5 Signs Your Software Business Is Led By Amateurs! | 08 Nov 2017 | 00:15:20 | |
Do you ever get that sinking feeling that the people running your software business don’t really know what they’re doing? Here’s 5 signs your software business is led by amateurs! It can be practically a sport to make fun of leadership for not understanding modern software development and its implications. That’s not the purpose of this post. If you’re working at a company where several of these signs are present, you have three options. Put up with it, try to change it for the better, or move on. Here’s 5 signs your software business leadership needs help:
If the place you’re working at has these problems, do you have the courage to move from complaining to having some serious conversations? Even if you consider yourself just a cog in a huge machine, you can help your leaders make better decisions that keep the company profitable! Join my Patreon: Learn about one-on-one career coaching with me: TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: The Thriving Technologist career guide: You can also watch this episode on YouTube. Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com | |||