Posted on Podcast

Staying Healthy and Exercise for The Insanely Busy

We have a full schedule and are always busy.  That is no excuse for skipping exercise.  In fact, staying healthy is a critical key to success.  In this episode, we look at some ways to keep your body healthy.  Better yet, how to do this without sacrificing too much of that all-important resource: time. Staying Healthy is About Habits We have seen how success in any area is best predicted by good habits.  Health is no different.  When we are intentional about our health, we can find ways to build practices that achieve that goal.  The good news is that we can do simple things like changing our work venue.  Thus, we can get some exercise while we work.  An... Read more

Posted on Podcast

Underpromise and Overdeliver for Long-term Success

There is an old saying that we should underpromise and overdeliver.  This may seem obvious to us, but it is worth considering in our career and business.  In fact, this approach is one of the best recipes for success in both your individual career and that of your company or employer. Underpromise and Overdeliver to Separate from Competition There are many ways to appeal to customers, but this concept is not often put forward.  The underlying message follows these lines, but it is rarely stated.  Instead, we often see marketing focus on quality, features, and other things that are easy to market.  Value does touch on this concept, but it does not rise to the same level in my mind. ... Read more

Posted on Podcast

Databases – An Overview and Introduction

Like any area of technology, there is a lot to know about databases.  We are not going to cover all of them.  In this episode, we will look at popular modern databases and keep to a non-technical overview. Databases Come In Many Types There are many database solutions available on the market.  These range from the familiar relational databases to lesser-used ones like object databases.  Each of these has its own set of strengths and weaknesses to be assessed for your needs.  The only way to be capable of this sort of assessment is to become familiar with the types out there and the projects that are best for each. They Are Easy To Use The good news is that we have a large number... Read more

technical retrospective
Posted on General

A Technical Retrospective of 2017

We have once again reached the time of year when it is good to look back on what happened in the last twelve months.  This site being the blog it is, I think a technical retrospective is an essential part of planning for the year ahead.  We will find new opportunities and trends to watch. Bots and IOT The Internet of things has started to hit home.  I mean literally, not just figuratively.  We now have competing devices on the market and in increasing numbers of households that allow us to be connected at any time by saying Google, Alexis, or Siri.  The tools are just getting started in what they have to offer and open a whole new interface world. ... Read more

Posted on Podcast

Automation and Batching Tasks for Improved Productivity

It may be my background in technology, but I find automation to be the greatest way to improve productivity.  This time-saving mechanism is not new either.  We can look back a hundred years to see where assembly lines and automation allowed us to progress rapidly.  In fact, computers are made for automation. Automation is Not Just Technology Even though computers have given us a wealth of automation options, there are low tech methods available as well.  At its essence, automation is the concept of “killing two birds with one stone.”  When we combine efforts or tasks through batching we get extra work done in the same time frame.  Thus, we automatically have less to do.  For example, I automate mail... Read more