server security
Posted on General

A Quick Guide For Server Security

We have looked at security in the past, but we have gotten into the specifics of given platforms.  It can help to start with a common sense list of tasks that will help you lock down server security no matter the platform you are on.  In the modern world of virtual machines and containers all over the network, these general rules may be easier to track and implement. Keep Up To Date If you don’t know where to start on server security, then go to the experts.  The OWASP and NIST sites are an excellent source for the latest information and best practices.  You may think these sites are too complicated or security-minded for you to find them useful.  However, these... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on A Summary Of Amazon Services

AWS – The Compute Family of Services

This season (season 4) will cover the groups of services Amazon provides in their AWS offerings.  Each episode will focus on a particular group and review the included services from a high level.  We have created posts over the last year to go a little deeper into each service.  However, this season will give you some great ideas on where to start and what they currently offer. The Virtual Machine We start our season with a focus on the “compute” family of services.  These cover a few different ways to handle your cloud-based applications.  The first we look at is the traditional virtual machine.  This service starts with the elastic compute cloud (EC2).  We use this service as part of... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Podcast

Management By Walking Around – With Remote Teams

There are a large number of management strategies that have been pushed over the years.  The study and promotion of these approaches is a cottage industry unto itself.  One of my favorite ideas is Management By Walking Around.  This is a practice that works excellent for traditional office environments.  However, it becomes a bit of a challenge when some or all of your team is remote. Casual Communication A key to management by walking around is the idea that you can get all you need from informal communication.  Formal channels like status reports and meetings are sufficient.  These methods are just not the most effective.  There is also the challenge with reducing bias in communication that comes from a formal... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Podcast

Deadlines: A professional approach to the Side-Hustle

We have focused a lot on the fun part of a side-hustle.  The goal is to enjoy our work as we pour more effort into our success.  On the other hand, we need to have a professional approach to the side-hustle.  It is not enough to say we are working on a side project.  There has to be some effort, dare I say “hustle,” that is included in your march to success. Deadlines, Not Soft Dates You have spent time and effort on planning out your side-hustle.  This might include statements or promises made to a client.  That makes those dates you set as part of the plan deadlines.  These are dates where you must deliver what you said you would. ... Read more

cloud applications
Posted on General

Getting All You Can From Cloud Applications

Recent discussions and work situations have caused me to think a lot about cloud applications.  This pondering has included research of varying degrees into dozens of these sort of solutions.  The good and bad news is that there are more options than ever before.  That being said, it is time to examine ways that we can make the most of this overabundance of choices.  Of course, your options will vary based on your situation so let’s look at the different approaches. Start-Up Mode The first (and most comfortable) situation is when you are in start-up mode.  This situation is where you have no legacy concerns and nothing that ties you to any particular product.  We see this occur when a... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Podcast

Perseverance – A Critical Key To Success

When we talk about skills that are important for success, some have a higher value than others.  History has shown us that perseverance is one of those that is the most significant.  Nearly every successful business was created by someone that experienced more than a few failures before that success.  That ability to get up after getting knocked down is perseverance. Bound To Come Some Trouble There is a song lyric about life and the struggles we will see.  There is “bound to come some trouble” in our lives no matter how we live them.  This includes almost every project we decide to take on.  I will allow that somewhere out there someone is cruising smoothly through a project.  However, I... Read more