revisit problems
Posted on Become a Better Developer

Revisit Problems To Provide Better Solutions

One of the most frustrating barriers to improvement is the idea that “we always did it this way.”  The idea that once a problem is solved, there is no better solution has been proven wrong time and again.  If that were true, then we would have stopped with a walkman and never known about an iPod.  Thus, it is worth our time to revisit problems as we advance our skills.  Doing so can provide better solutions or lead to addressing more complex issues. Sudoku Patterns The famous puzzle, Sudoku provides an excellent example of how to keep revisiting a problem.  The goal of the puzzle is to enter the numbers 0-9 in a nine by nine grid.  No number is... Read more

Posted on Podcast

Stay True To Yourself For A Happy Life

The good and bad news about being truly happy is that it comes down to individual taste.  We are only going to be truly happy when we are doing the things we enjoy.  That means that focusing your success on what others want will not bring happiness.  You must be true to yourself, and a little honesty does not hurt either. Know Yourself The scary thing is that we do not always know what is best for us.  We listen to others and gauge our happiness on what we are told should lead to happiness.  This happiness may be money, success, friends, relationships, or a good haircut.  That leads to frustration and wasted effort.  We end up chasing someone else’s dreams... Read more

Posted on Podcast

Raises and Compensation For Your Employees

When you start a business, the idea of proper compensation of employees is not often a primary concern.  There may be a budget and a business plan.  However, compensation is just a number at that point.  The challenge changes once you put people into those positions and the discussions of compensation come up. Fair And Balanced Compensation Fair and balanced is not just a phrase for Fox News.  This also should be your goal for compensating employees.  It would be awesome if we could just pour money on our employees, but that is just not reality.  Instead, we have to balance to value brought to the company with a desire to compensate our employees in a way that makes them feel... Read more

on the job training
Posted on Become a Better Developer

On The Job Training And Opportunities For Building Your Skills

Once you get started on an IT career with even the lowest end job, you have opportunities to learn every day.  This form of on the job training is critical to keeping up in this fast moving area.  Better yet, you can squeeze some extra training out of your job that allows for more free time and enjoyment of life.  There are some plans to make and challenges to overcome in making the most of these opportunities. The first challenge I want to pose is to create an education plan of some sort.  This does not have to be a formal document of hundreds of pages.  Instead, it can be a short checklist of critical topics and learning targets.  Tackle this... Read more

Posted on Podcast

Building Your Personal Code Repository

Of the countless tips and tricks I have learned over the years, none is more valuable than a personal code repository.  We put so much time and effort into our source code it only makes sense to reap the benefits as long as possible.  That is made possible by keeping track of what we have done and how to grab it for future use. Personal Code Repository Challenges One of the most significant challenges for a personal repository is maintaining access to your code.  When a project wraps up, or a job is left, the source often ends up behind walls.  Those are walls we might be able to overcome with a request, but that takes time.  We do not... Read more

Posted on Podcast

Keeping Things Light In a Hectic World

We spend a lot of time talking about how to squeeze every drop out of each day.  That includes ways to stay driven and avoid distractions.  Although all of this is important, we also need to focus on keeping things light where possible.  We have too much that is unquestionably serious to not take advantage when things can be casual. Keeping Things Light Requires Perspective The hardest part of keeping things light is avoiding the crushing weight of our goals and responsibilities.  Let’s face it, we pile a lot on our backs and then feel bad when we struggle under the load.  The simple answer is to stop putting so much pressure on ourselves.  However, that is not very realistic.  Instead, focus... Read more