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Learn From Others (Before Becoming an Entrepreneur)

One of the attributes of a successful entrepreneur is a sense for what not to do.  They still take risks, but the successful ones are either very lucky or have a good set of business skills.  These skills can be learned but experience is often the best teacher.  That is why those that are successful find a way to learn from others in prior jobs as an employee. One Step At A Time The idea of being an entrepreneur is in fashion.  It has become a dream of many people that want to emulate after seeing the success stories of silicon valley unicorns.  These young entrepreneurs are more successful when they go out into the business world before starting their... Read more

improve technical skills
Posted on Become a Better Developer

Improve Technical Skills Through Practice

All skills have a combination of natural talent, effort, and experience.  Technical skills are no different.  You can improve professional skills by practicing them in your daily responsibilities.  Yes, you should take advantage of this, and you likely have little say in this form of practice.  On the other hand, you can focus on becoming a better developer through intentional efforts to improve your problem-solving skills as well. Practice Makes Perfect There are two common ways to practice your problem-solving skills.  One works with new code and one with prior problems solved.  For new issues, take some time to think through them without referring to notes or previous examples of your work.  This step will at least help you get better... Read more

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Improve Productivity – Pick Up Your Head And Plan

How often have you been too busy to consider ways to improve productivity?  Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon problem.  We can easily get buried in day-to-day tasks and details.  However, our best way forward often requires us to pick our heads up. Improve Productivity With Planning I think we all learn somewhere along the way that design and planning make us more likely to be successful in any endeavor.  That makes it all the more frustrating when we find ourselves buried in the weeds.  You are not alone in this challenge.  IT work often carries a lot of details and small tasks that drag us away from our primary work and goals. The key to winning this battle is quality over quantity.  It... Read more

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Buying Toys and Enjoying Life

Once we become adults we often relegate playing as something that died along with our childhood.  This can often be a mistake.  A trip for buying toys may look very different as an adult.  However, it can still be one that refreshes us and triggers those same positive feelings we get with any reward. Buying Toys Can Be Practical The first thing to get clear is what toys mean.  These are anything that we get enjoyment from.  Thus, our toys can be things like tools, appliances, accessories, or even simple items.  In fact, our toy buying thrill may be triggered by a trip to pick up office supplies, silverware, or even giving to a charity. I think we try to justify... Read more

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Build Or Buy – Deciding What Is Right For You

In a simple way of looking at solutions, the decision comes down to build or buy.  We run into this a lot in planning and running a business.  Time after time we are faced with the decision of either doing something ourselves or finding someone else to handle it.  Yes, even the decision to outsource boils down to a build or buy conundrum. Build Or Buy – Common Themes Although very situation requires reflection, there are similarities in these options that can help us with our decision.  Thus, we can look at pros and cons of each approach that are nearly universal.  This may not get us to an easy answer.  However, it can get us to a decision sooner... Read more

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Code Generation Or Manual Coding as a Learning Tool

It is hard to imagine how different software development was even a few decades ago.  We used to have to write our applications manually.  Heck, even copy and paste was complicated.  Luckily, code generation is becoming common no matter which language you use.  This may be in the form of direct generation of code or tools that make the process easier.  However, that is not always the best way to get the job done. Frameworks and Generators The biggest bang for your buck comes from generators and frameworks.  These tools can get your application up and running in minutes.  Even when that is not the case, the time saved by using these tools can add up to weeks and even months.  There is... Read more