Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

One of the challenges of good polymorphic design is code consistency.  We are building a way to communicate with developers.  Therefore, our language or syntax needs to be easy to understand.  Likewise, we need to set and meet expectations properly. Code Consistency In Results The most common error I find in this area of coding is found in the values returned.  When we stick to native types and nu...

We discussed in the previous episode how polymorphic behavior gives us a form of a common language for objects.  Thus we need to consider the idea of polymorphism without side effects, so we have clear and concise commands.  There is also a consistency required for this to be an approach that is truly useful. What Is Polymorphism Without Side Effects As always, we should start with a definition of...

We start the next series of episodes with a polymorphism overview.  This is a core concept for proper object-oriented design.  Likewise, we will dig into several practical ways to use this. Polymorphism Overview - A Definition As with many topics, it seems best to start with a definition from Wikipedia . In programming languages and type theory, polymorphism is the provision of a single interface...

We have discussed the accessor levels of our data.  In most environments, the three levels are public, protected, and private.  In this episode, we go deeper into these concepts and a practical approach to data hiding. The Private Access Level This level of access should be our default.  It can be considered the critical step in data hiding.  Private hides our data and methods.  I find a physical...

We have developed many bad habits over the years as OOP has proliferated frameworks and tools.  In this episode, we look at the practical side of data encapsulation and access levels like private, protected, and public. Tools Are A Beginning Modern frameworks and tools provide ways to generate a general object-oriented solution quickly.  Therefore, the tools will give us a start, but not the best...

Data encapsulation and data hiding are terms for keeping object properties from public consumption.  This concept is an essential part of object-oriented programming.  We need to be able to have internal processes and values that we can change without impacting users.  It also allows us to limit the impact of changes in large systems.  Thus, we will start our OOP season with a look at this somewha...

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and related concepts have become almost ubiquitous in modern software projects. It was a novel idea a few decades ago that has been incorporated into many frameworks and languages. We even have situations where OOP was "bolted on" to existing systems. However, all of that out of the box OOP design can hide it from us and keep us from fully embracing it. Therefore,...

We decided that it is a good idea to start a new year with a habit building challenge.  Therefore, we have created exactly that.  The objective of this challenge is to pick something you will work on every day.  The something you work on should be do-able in fifteen minutes or less.  After twenty-one days, a new habit should be established, and your year off to a successful start.  The idea of 21...

Sooner or later, a task we work on will reach successful completion.  That is the goal, and yes, sometimes (hopefully often) we do achieve goals.  There is value in resting in that success for a time.  However, time marches on, and we need to plan for our next goal or goals. Damage Assessment We often have a push near the end of a goal that earns us that successful completion.  It is useful to ass...

It is not hard to find a movie or show during the holidays that shows the weight of waiting until the last minute to get things done.  It often is shown in terms of delaying your gift purchases.  However, we can see other examples of how challenges impact when we are already spread thin.  We feel the pain of unexpected events much more when we have a full schedule than when we have some buffer bui...

We have calendars full of tasks and items to be done.  However, we must take time and celebrate achievements.  Whether we have successes daily or rarely, it is worth our time to revel in the positive feelings from a job well done.  No time is better for this bit of "self-indulgence" than year-end review and planning.  Looking forward and planning for the new year is important.  However, we can lea...

Every year we find ourselves reviewing what was done and planning for the months ahead.  We do this as part of crafting New Year's resolutions or to plan for our business.  When we have a side hustle that makes this time more valuable.  As an incentive for you to get your planning and review done, here are some side hustle ideas that can come from this investment. Seasonal Problems As Side Hustle...

Many things can be used to measure your success.  One of the most important of these is whether you can find a job that makes you happy.  That will allow you to live a life where you never work.  There is a job that you perform to pay the bills.  However, that is not a bad thing when you do what you love.  I believe that all of us have this magical job out there.  It may be romantic, like thinking...

Holidays and vacations provide us with many benefits.  However, maintaining momentum can be difficult during these times.  There are more than the normal level of distractions, along with a need to relax at least a little.  Fortunately, we can take small steps and keep our forward progress without taking much away from our time off. A Pause Is Ok While this episode focuses on how to maintain momen...

Holiday sales start to show up earlier and earlier every year.  Black Friday has become well known and is not just for your personal purchases.  There are a lot of business-related purchases that can be impacted by these seasonal sales.  That is worth looking into whether you are using up an annual budget or trying to add tools for your side hustle. Holiday Sales and Discounts Most sales are drive...

There are two sides to quiet periods or closing business over holidays.  We might do this to ease our schedules, or vendors may do so.  In either case, there is a need to plan and properly communicate with those impacted.  Lack of planning can cause all manner of headaches that have no useful solution. Launching a Product or Service The most common of these challenges in my recent experiences is d...

We have often touched on the idea of an incremental approach as one that builds to great achievements.  Let's look closer at how that works.  There are many arguments against these concepts as "not enough."  However, it is inarguable that small steps are forward progress, and they can build up habits.  Those habits can build great achievements and even become lifetime habits that never fade. A Few...

Sometimes it is important to get back to the basics when we plan for success.  One of the most basic tasks to address is the idea of system backups.  Many modern organizations build this into their daily processes.  However, we may not be able to take advantage of that for our personal work.  Moreover, side hustles need to include some of these standard processes to avoid data loss. Side Hustle Sy...

The holy grail of full-time work from our home has several challenges.  One of the most impactful snares is a blurring of the lines between work and the rest of our life.  Therefore, we need to consider how some work boundaries can be set and enforced.  Slave labor is never a goal, and we need to be aware of whether we are being taken for granted. Quality Or Quantity There is always a trade-off in...

We are moving to more and more remote options for our job and career.  However, we need to set work boundaries if we are going to enjoy long-term success.  These constraints on our schedules will help us find a balance between work and other areas of life.  Your family will thank you, and so will your general health. Physical Work Boundaries Our work environment is an essential ingredient in our s...

We frequently look for ways to become better.  One part of that approach is steady (daily) forward progress.  However, this approach can be exhausting and even lead to burnout.  Therefore, we need to be aware of our professional development pace and avoid allowing it to drag us down. Daily Pacing The Pomodoro technique is a well-known approach to setting a pace through our day.  This creates perio...

There is an old saw that hard work pays off.  It may seem to be a truth that only holds in some cases.  However, things tend to work out for us when we put in the time, effort and have some patience.  A recent "pay-off" reminded me that overnight success is seldom overnight. The 10000 Hour Rule There is a book that talks about how it takes ten thousand hours to master something .  That is a focus...

In this final episode of the Agile Manifesto season, we look at the key takeaways we should have.  These items have been a focus throughout the season.  However, we can not ignore these critical aspects of "doing Agile right."  This agile principles summary will give us some items to consider as we try to improve as developers. Satisfy The Customer The final judge for any product is the customer. ...

We are nearing the end of the season on the Agile Manifesto and more.  However, we have several agile development patterns left to consider before wrapping this up.  The themes of teamwork, communication, and satisfying the customer continue to pop up as part of this series of patterns. Swarm Agile assumes that things will happen that require us to change our approach.  These challenges may be new...

We continue a review of key agile patterns with more ways to make sure it all goes right.  Each pattern is possibly overstated.  However, we need these to be a part of our process to get the benefits of an Agile approach.  As always, when we veer away from these patterns, we increase our odds of failure. Product Ownership We have mentioned the product owner as a role in Scrum.  We need this person...