develpreneur podcast
Posted on Frontline Lessons

What Is A Fractional CTO? An interview with Brian Childress

We start a new interview and sit down with Brian Childress to answer the question, what is a fractional CTO? Well, we cover far more than that. However, we start at the beginning and look at what he does as a fractional CTO, why it matters, and the benefit of bringing one aboard Sounds Great! What Is A Fractional CTO? In short, a fractional CTO (or any fractional position) is not much different from being part-time. The benefits of bringing on a C-suite role part-time are covered in our discussion. However, cost, political capital, and practicality can all factor in. There are many things a fractional can do that are difficult and costly for one in the position full-time. You... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Frontline Lessons

It All Starts With Your Why

We start a new season and format with a look back at the interviews where we discussed your “why” and its importance. That has been a theme in several podcasts and blog articles over the years. However, it is one that we need to keep in mind at the beginning, middle, and end of our pursuits. We need to answer this question about our products, careers, brands, and relationships. Your Why Is Essential To Almost Every Decision It can seem so simple. However, we often skip ahead or forget this crucial step. A journey is not the travel from point A to point B. It also involves why you want to go to that destination in the first place. When... Read more

Self-paced training
Posted on Become a Better Developer

Live Support vs. Self-Paced Training

There has been a substantial rise in the availability of self-paced training. This can be a boon for the provider as they can earn money and train people in their sleep. The learner can also work at a pace and schedule that suits them best. However, there are issues and challenges that make those positives a blocker for learning. The Benefits of Self-Paced Training While there are benefits to self-paced training for the instructor as well as the student, we will focus on the student. It is all about the customer, after all. The biggest advantage is that self-paced content allows students to move slowly on the difficult sections and speed through the easy material. They can review and pay... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Interviews 2.0

Embrace FeedBack For Better Teams

The second part of our discussion with Phil Alves takes us into designing an environment where we embrace feedback and use it for growth. Communication is often key to successful teamwork, and feedback is the most important thing we can communicate. That is how we learn that our approach is wrong or can be improved. We can sit back and watch others. However, the active participation of feedback takes out the guesswork. Improvement Follows When We Embrace Feedback Our discussion takes us through improving as a developer and as a team. We can improve in both areas when we embrace feedback and build a culture that desires that level of communication. A close look at high-performing cultures and organizations almost... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Interviews 2.0

Code Reviews Make Better Developers – Interview With Phil Alves

We start a conversation in this episode with Phil Alves and cover a lot of ground, including why code reviews make better developers. Phil has a unique development approach as a self-made developer who grew a software development company. His experience and personal growth, as well as translating that to a company, provide us with many improvement gems. This is one of those episodes where it is helpful to take notes. Code Reviews Make Better Developers We can always start with a statement like code reviews make better developers and find ways to defend it. However, this discussion digs into why these actions improve us as developers and as a team. Phil breaks down some of the key benefits of... Read more

benefits of a mastermind group
Posted on Become a Better Developer

The Benefits Of A Mastermind Group

Due to their popularity, it is time for us to look at the benefits of a mastermind group. You hear about them often amongst coaching, training, and success podcasts and sites. They are praised by many of the successful across all industries. However, all of that positivity is often generic and avoids providing any valuable details. Even worse, they tend to be costly in both time and money. Therefore, it is worth our time to explore this tool of success. The Desired Benefits Of A Mastermind Group First, we must agree that all mastermind groups are not created equal. Some genuinely embrace what the outcome should be, and some are mostly a money-making service. Yes, there can be a price difference.... Read more