Winning Your First Project: A Developer's Guide to Starting Your Side Hustle
Posted on Developer Journey

Winning Your First Project: A Developer’s Guide to Starting Your Side Hustle

Welcome back to our Developer Journey series! In this episode, we dive right into a crucial topic: winning your first project, particularly in the context of a side hustle. Landing that initial project is pivotal whether you want to start a consulting business or build client products. Listen to Michael and Rob talk about how to “Win Your First Project.” Let’s explore the strategies and steps to secure your first project and set yourself up for future success. 1. Establishing Your Identity for Your First Project Before you can win your first project, you need to establish who you are as a developer. This involves creating a professional presence that showcases your skills and experience. Here are some key elements... Read more

Updating Developer Tools: Keeping Your Tools Sharp and Efficient
Posted on Developer Journey

Updating Developer Tools: Keeping Your Tools Sharp and Efficient

Welcome back to another episode of our developer journey series. Picture us with our parkas, navigating through the blizzards of the ever-evolving tech landscape. This episode is dedicated to an essential part of every developer’s toolkit, “Updating Developer Tools: Keeping Your Tools Sharp and Efficient.” The Constant Evolution of Developer Tools As developers, we’re always in the thick of technological advancement. Whether you’re working within a niche or covering a broad spectrum of tech, there’s always something new on the horizon: new versions, libraries, problems, solutions, and add-ons. The saying goes, you could have ten years of experience or one year of experience ten times. We aim to ensure you accumulate a decade of progressive experience, not just repeated cycles.... Read more

Maximizing Efficiency in Software Development: Individual, Small, and Large Teams
Posted on Developer Journey

Maximizing Efficiency in Software Development: Individual, Small, and Large Teams

In this episode, we delve into the next step in the developer journey: implementation. We explore how to work within different team sizes and structures, including individual projects, small teams, and large teams. This guide will cover essential strategies for maximizing efficiency in various software development environments. Maximizing Efficiency as an Individual Developer When you’re the sole developer on a project, whether it’s a side hustle, a proof of concept for your boss, or a personal endeavor, it’s crucial to establish strong habits and practices. Here are some tips to help you maximize efficiency: By focusing on these practices, you can enhance your development process, making it more efficient and less error-prone. Maximizing Efficiency in Small Teams Working in a... Read more

Bridging the Gap: How Developers Can Thrive Amidst Differing Methodologies
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Bridging the Gap: How Developers Can Thrive Amidst Differing Methodologies

Welcome back to our podcast series, where this season, we are talking about the developer journey, focusing on Bridging the Gap: How Developers Can Thrive Amidst Differing Methodologies and growing together within development teams. Various milestones mark the path of a developer; some are encountered early, some later, and some recurring. One common challenge is dealing with situations where team members, bosses, or clients may have different directions or methods than what you’re accustomed to. How do you ensure you get the job done while raising necessary concerns? Let’s explore this dynamic. Check out the podcast Bridging the Gap: How Developers Can Thrive Amidst Differing Methodologies. Early Career Headbutts: The Cultural Clash In the early stages of a developer’s career,... Read more

Solving Problems Without Solving the Problem
Posted on Developer Journey

Solving Problems Without Solving the Problem

Welcome back to episode 3 of Season 22 of our Building Better Developers podcast. In this episode, we continue exploring problem-solving strategies. Previously, we discussed general problem-solving approaches. This episode delves into a nuanced topic: Solving Problems Without Solving the Problem. This concept frequently arises in various professional contexts, particularly in project management and consultancy. Listen to Rob and Michael Discuss Solving Problems Without Solving the Problem The Paradox of Over-Delivering Often, you may find yourself in a situation where you’re asked to demonstrate your ability to solve a problem. This could be through creating a proof of concept, drafting a proposal, or designing a demo. However, the challenge lies in balancing showing your capability for solving the problem and... Read more

Problem-Solving
Posted on Developer Journey

Embracing the Problem-Solving Mindset: From Coder to Developer

Welcome back to episode 2 of Season 22 of our podcast, where two developers discuss the journey from coder to developer. In this episode, we delve into the pivotal moments that transform a person from simply writing code to truly solving problems with technology. Problem-Solving: Journey from Coder to Developer Our host, Rob, begins by discussing an experience in high school where he participated in a programming competition. Initially, his team, comprising four coders, approached the competition by manually writing code and taking turns typing it into their single computer. Despite their best efforts, they only secured second place. This loss prompted them to rethink their strategy. The following year, they optimized their team by including a fast typist with... Read more