launch your business
Posted on Become a Better Developer

3 Ways To Start Your Business

Think about what you like about your job.  This is where you want to go first to start your business.  By the way, we can start down this path at any time.  However, we are more likely to succeed if we have spent some time honing our skills before we try to go out on our own.  Also, starting down a path of self-employment does not mean you have to quit your job and go all-in.  The risk of starting a business can be reduced by working on a side hustle until it can sustain itself. In choosing your path, it is helpful to know that the options each have traits and approaches that are better suited to different joys... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Podcast

Object-Oriented Design – A Pragmatic Approach

Object-Oriented Design has been around for a few decades now.  Therefore, we have whole generations of developers that have been taught OOD in their college courses as well as in their studies.  I am a big fan of this approach to software.  However, this, like many other theories, must be taken in moderation.  You can over-design your objects just as databases can take normalization too far. Sand vs. Legos When I mention moderation, I think of a discussion from years ago about design.  We were building a rather large and complex system at the time.  It also needed to be very flexible.  Our initial plans were not far from a microservice approach.  Every function in the system was a snippet... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Podcast

Binge-Watching For Fun And Entertainment

You might find it odd that anyone would recommend bingeing of any sort.  We all know that moderation is always best.  Nevertheless, I think there is good that can come from binge-watching your way through a season or even a series.  Let us count the ways. Binge-Watching Saves Time And Reduces Stress I am not a doctor, nor have I looked up research on binge-watching.  However, let’s think about some common traits across all types of shows.  One of the traits every show has is a cliff-hanger or other hook to get you to watch the next episode.  This can be stressful at times.  You may even waste hours debating how the cliff-hanger will be resolved.  When you binge your way through a series that time between... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Podcast

How To Decide When To Quit

One of the hardest choices to make with a business is to close the doors.  Many of us have the “winners never quit” quote floating around in our head.  That quote keeps us from ending things when that may be the best step to take. It also is likely a prime factor in the sunk-cost fallacy.  In fact, knowing when to quit is almost as important as finding a window of opportunity.  That idea that we have spent too much time and money on something to give up now. Success or Failure Can Tell You When To Quit Quitting is not always about failure.  Sometimes we need to consider getting out while we are on top.  This concept is regularly discussed with... Read more

product roadmap
Posted on Become a Better Developer

Building A Product Roadmap – Challenges and Suggestions

We always find ways to improve on our software creations.  This struggle can prove to be a distraction and even detrimental to releasing an application.  To combat those challenges and plan our releases, we can build a product roadmap.  The map gives us a plan for the current version while allowing us to track ideas we want to save for later. A Product Roadmap As Best Practice The value of a product roadmap should not be lost on you.  Some customers and vendors will want to see your roadmap.  The presence of one shows that you have thought through your efforts.  It points to the product as a living and evolving one while proving that the implementation effort included constraint.  Too much... Read more

business knowledge
Posted on Become a Better Developer

Increase Your Value Through Business Knowledge

We have focused a lot on the technical aspects of an IT career.  However, the business (or businesses) you work in is a significant factor in your journey to a better developer.  Let me correct that statement.  It is not the business you are in as much as it is your understanding of the related opportunities and challenges. The Goal Is Solving Problems I know we keep returning to this.  However, it is once again relevant.  You are in a line of business or potentially multiples of those.  That will color your experience and the challenges you face.  Thus, a developer that been working on finance applications will have a different set of skills than one in healthcare.  The language and... Read more