Career

There is Always a Need for Good Software Developers

What I’m about to say does not pertain to everyone having trouble finding employment in software development during this difficult time, but DO NOT fall into the trap of automatically believing that you’re one of the exceptions.  It’s likely that you’re not. People have been asking if I had any advice for software developers who [...]

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Hypocrisy as a Management Tool

As I look back over my career, it often pains me to remember the many mistakes I’ve made. But when I push past the pain and embarrassment, I also recall how I’ve used those experiences to improve myself. It’s so true that you come to appreciate the really hard times so much more as the [...]

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The Most Important Question is Always “Why”

The most important question is always why. Why do you think that is? Picture a familiar scenario. Your young child asks one day… “Why did you marry Mommy?” “Because we love each other.” “But, why?” “Because we grew to care for each other.” “Why?” “We were attracted to each other…” “Why?” “…so we started to [...]

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Observations of a Speaker Idol Event

Update I’ve updated some of the points below, based on some of the comments I received, including points about when to answer questions, the appropriateness of jokes, and following through after the presentation. Last night, I attended a terrific Speaker Idol event at the NYC .NET Developer’s Group at the Microsoft office in NYC. It’s [...]

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Using the Same Bat Babe Ruth Used Won’t Make You Babe Ruth

My wife is a photographer, right on the cusp of going professional. People who are familiar with her work constantly turn to her for advice on photography and Photoshop. They want to know what tools she uses to get the results she gets, such as what lenses and Photoshop plug-ins to use. Often they end [...]

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Developers, You Do More Than Code

When it comes to estimating, developers live in an idealistic world. Despite repeated experiences of constant interruptions causing projects to overrun estimates, developers tend to look at subsequent projects with wishful thinking. It’s strange. Most developers associate so much pain with the last minute rush to deadlines, you’d think they’d surely tack time onto their [...]

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Wanting to Do Everything

I’ve been sick on and off for the past few weeks. It reached a pinnacle last week when I inevitably came down with the flu. I hadn’t been this sick in a few years, and like many of us who’s experienced this, not being able to do anything towards my goals was driving me absolutely [...]

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Brazen Careerist

I don’t normally write general posts referring to other blogs, but for a while I’ve wanted to give a shout out to Penelope Trunk over at her Brazen Careerist blog. Anyone who’s familiar with her writing is likely aware of how strongly people react to her posts (mostly negative, it seems, especially at her former [...]

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Self Taught

Scott H. Young is one of the wisest and most intelligent self-help writers I’ve read, and the fact that he just started college makes this even more impressive. It’ll be interesting to follow his writing as he matures, and to see how he reacts as he experiences life as an adult. I have a strong [...]

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Using the Calendar to Focus

The ability to focus is one of the most powerful habits that a person can establish. The reason people try so hard to get organized with to-do lists, GTD, etc., is because of the inherent need to free themselves up to focus on something important to accomplish. There’s a building frustration over the lack of [...]

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Don’t Forget to Think

Thinking hurts. Not thinking hurts more. When you’re harried at work, do you tend to shoot from the hip when called upon to make a decision? No matter how confident and experienced we are in our abilities, it’s too easy to make a huge mistake without some sort of decision-making process. We’re often forced to [...]

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