Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

The season of digging deeper into the Agile Manifesto continues forward to the sixth principle.  Our primary focus is on satisfying the customer.  However, we now shift into how our approach can achieve that goal.  It is time to talk about the value of a face-to-face conversation. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conv...

In this episode, we continue our crawl through the fifth principle of the agile manifesto.  Our focus switches from motivated individuals to the environment and the support they need.  Motivation is great.  However, we need to feed that and clear obstacles. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done. The Required...

The fifth principle of the Agile Manifesto is a big one.  It starts with the idea of motivated individuals and progresses to getting the job done.  This statement could be a solid foundation for a management approach and is at the heart of many such strategies.  An introduction like that should have you ready to see where the discussion goes. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them...

The principle we cover in this episode is short but powerful.  It is also one that goes to the heart of defining an Agile team.  We do not focus on the technical staff and developers.  There also needs to be an inclusion of the business people.  Therefore, development in a vacuum is not valid.  Regular communication with the customer or their representatives is essential. Business people and devel...

The third principle of the Agile Manifesto tells us to deliver working software frequently.  This step is an essential factor in satisfying the customer.  While we want to avoid the "are we there yet?" approach to delivering a solution, incremental is valuable.  When we take this principle to heart, we provide confidence in our progress, along with opportunities for feedback.  Therefore, we need t...

In this episode, we continue a walk through the twelve principles of the Agile Manifesto.  The second principle focuses on change and how it can be a competitive advantage.  Changing requirements can be a headache and cause slippage.  However, adapting to them can be a game-changer. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competiti...

We start our focus on the Agile Manifesto with a deep dive into the twelve principles they address.  Thus, we begin at the first principle and will focus on that one in this episode.  This point also gives us a foundation of trying to satisfy the customer. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. Satisfy The Customer Anyone that te...

The Agile Manifesto was a game-changing paper many years ago.  That impact is still felt today.  However, there are a lot of thoughts that are expressed that are often lost.  In this season of becoming a better developer, we look at all of the truths this short document highlights.  There are twelve principles that are worth digging into. This approach will help us look for ways to learn from thos...

Most of us are technical in our background and focus.  However, we have many facets of business we need to understand to be successful.  The area of business agreements can be confusing and seem overly formal.  Nevertheless, the documents related to this area are an essential part of clear communication and protecting the parties covered. Read The Fine Print First, let's focus on the risks of sign...

This episode sees a return to the work involved in writing a book.  First, you should consider aiming for this lofty goal.  It is not as monumental as it seems and can be a substantial confidence-booster.  Not everyone writes a book, and we have a wealth of topics from which to choose.  We also have short-form options like an e-book.  You can even attempt a children's book.  The opportunities are...

The intermission between seasons comes at a time where a retrospective seems appropriately placed.  This episode focuses on creating a podcast and some of the key steps I take to get that task done.  I decided to skip a technical laundry list and instead provide helpful hints.  My goal is to provide content that will help you get your podcast off the ground. A Quiet Environment It may seem obvious...

We come to the close of another season.  The focus for the last series of episodes has been positivity.  Therefore, I hope you have shifted to a more optimistic approach to life after these topics.  It is too easy to find the negatives in any situation.  However, the work and effort you put into finding upsides in an activity or event are worth the effort. You Find What You Look For One of the thi...

In a season full of positive points, the list of experienced worker benefits is one of the easiest to put together.  We might not see any negatives in these workers.  Unfortunately, they are human and have flaws, much like the rest of us.  Some of these issues are specific to veteran workers.  Think about the idea of getting in a rut, phoning it in, or otherwise getting set in your ways.  However,...

We all are beginners in our careers at some point.  Some of us even do so multiple times.  We are not entirely green a second time.  However, we may be new to organizations or environments many times throughout our journey.  While they can be a burden, there are also upsides of entry-level workers.  Let's look at a few of the benefits they bring with them. They Have Not Settled In A knock against...

Any event that distracts us from work can be seen as a negative.  That goes for both paperwork and in-person activities.  However, there are benefits of status meetings and reporting that make this time well spent.  These benefits may require some consideration to list them.  Thus, these are good for us to cover in a season focused on positives. A Chance To Take A Breath One of the often-ignored b...

Modern technology and related jobs have allowed us to get out of our office.  This change in a work venue can be full of challenges.  On the other hand, remote work benefits can often overwhelm the negatives.  I think that your view of this situation is a matter of your goals and personality.  Nevertheless, this is a season of positives, and we will embrace those opportunities. Own Your Schedule T...

Some things are universal in the world of work.  Nearly everyone has complained about co-workers at some point.  Even those that work alone have probably complained at some point.  That is just part of the job.  Nevertheless, our teammates and leaders provide us a long list of positives on which we can focus. A Whole Better Than The Sum First and foremost, we can accomplish much more as a team tha...

We have been looking at the bright side of things that bother us.  Many of you may be questioning what could be wrong about time off.  Why would an episode on the benefits of time off be needed?  Let's step back and think about that question.  We get into a rhythm with our work.  Even if we do not enjoy it, we typically get used to it.  As better developers, we even enjoy that in most cases.  We a...

A series that focuses on the positives of pain points could skip the tasks with a noticeable ROI.  Nevertheless, we will dive into the less apparent benefits of certifications and training.  These are not the results.  Instead, they are benefits we get from making the journey. Growing Our Skillset The idea of becoming a better developer often comes back to our overall skillset.  While we get the h...

One of the scariest things many of us face in our jobs is getting up in front of a crowd.  This situation may occur as part of presenting to our team, the management, or at a conference.  There are benefits of presentations that outweigh the related stress and fear.  Therefore, it is time to look at this black storm cloud and find the silver lining. A Focus On The Details Most of us stress the det...

There are countless performance tuning benefits.  Well, maybe not countless, but there are a number of them that are readily apparent.  However, the typical outcomes from a performance tuning project are just some of the upside to doing this work.  There are many indirect silver linings of this black cloud.  The process of improving performance can be daunting.  Nevertheless, the ROI makes it all...

As annoying things go, planning is not at the top of the list.  However, developers tend to feel they are most productive when they are writing code.  Therefore, planning can be frustrating.  It almost forces us to be patient and define an approach before getting to work.  Nevertheless, there are many benefits of planning, and it is an easy topic for finding the bright side. Look Before You Leap M...

Almost all Developers prefer to skip most meetings.  These are not activities we tend to look forward to with joy.  However, we can get positives from meetings.  Not all of these activities are created the same.  Nevertheless, an appropriate agenda and dedication to focus during this time can be very fruitful. An Agenda Is Critical There are many ways a meeting can go "off the rails."  That may be...

Grunt work is often a significant portion of our job that makes it feel like "work."  It is not the fun part of our day.  However, there are pros and cons to this well-known task. What is Grunt Work? Let's start with a definition.  Investopedia provides an excellent example. Grunt work  is an expression used to describe thankless and menial  work .  Grunt work  can also refer to jobs that lack gla...

Outliers and niche requests can often push us over the line from a simple solution to a complex one.  We commonly can get that eighty percent of the cases addressed in our initial code.  However, an outlier gets into the far more difficult final twenty percent mentioned in the Pareto principle .  These "new" requirements or missed details can cause headaches and missed deadlines.  However, they ha...