Posted on Tech Notes

Maximizing Developer Effectiveness: Feedback Loops

This is an excellent article from Martin Fowler.  Follow the links to find out more about him and subsequent parts of this series. Maximizing Developer Effectiveness: Feedback Loops I often help engineering organizations that are in the midst of a transformation. This is typically both a technology transformation and a cultural transformation. For example, these organizations might be attempting to break a core monolithic system into microservices, so that they can have independent teams and adopt a DevOps approach. They also might want to improve their agile and product techniques to respond faster to feedback and signals in the market. Over and over, these efforts have failed at some point in the transformation journey. Managers are unhappy with delays and... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Special Topics

The 21-Day Habit Building Challenge

We decided that it is a good idea to start a new year with a habit building challenge.  Therefore, we have created exactly that.  The objective of this challenge is to pick something you will work on every day.  The something you work on should be do-able in fifteen minutes or less.  After twenty-one days, a new habit should be established, and your year off to a successful start.  The idea of 21 days guaranteeing a habit may be a myth.  However, this is a solid start on that goal. A New-Year Resolution That Sticks We often talk about using natural transition times to launch a new idea or product. There is no better time like this than the new... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Special Topics

Successful Completion, Declaring Victory, and Planning The Next Steps

Sooner or later, a task we work on will reach successful completion.  That is the goal, and yes, sometimes (hopefully often) we do achieve goals.  There is value in resting in that success for a time.  However, time marches on, and we need to plan for our next goal or goals. Damage Assessment We often have a push near the end of a goal that earns us that successful completion.  It is useful to assess the damage done in that final push.  We may be tired and need a little time to recover.  On the other hand, we might have burned ourselves out, achieving that goal.  Likewise, this is the best time to measure whether the cost was worth the... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Special Topics

The Weight of Waiting Until The Last Minute

It is not hard to find a movie or show during the holidays that shows the weight of waiting until the last minute to get things done.  It often is shown in terms of delaying your gift purchases.  However, we can see other examples of how challenges impact when we are already spread thin.  We feel the pain of unexpected events much more when we have a full schedule than when we have some buffer built-in. Working Well Under Pressure These examples can be applied to all areas of our life.  Nevertheless, many of us work better under pressure.  Or at least we claim to do so.  There is a burst of energy we get when under pressure.  This chemical... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Special Topics

Celebrate Achievements and Victories – Do Not Forget A Job Well Done

We have calendars full of tasks and items to be done.  However, we must take time and celebrate achievements.  Whether we have successes daily or rarely, it is worth our time to revel in the positive feelings from a job well done.  No time is better for this bit of “self-indulgence” than year-end review and planning.  Looking forward and planning for the new year is important.  However, we can learn a lot and build confidence by embracing what we accomplished in the prior year. Why We Celebrate Achievements One can argue that getting something done is not worth a celebration.  Do you celebrate brushing your teeth or making your bed?  No, we do not.  However, we could achieve a little... Read more

No Meeting Week
Posted on Tech Notes

Should Your Team Adopt No-Meeting Weeks?

This is a Great Article From Mountain Goat Software. No-meeting weeks are not a new concept. There are pros and cons to this approach. Thus it should not be adopted lightly. I read with interest about Google’s recent adoption of “No-Meeting Weeks.” Initiatives such as this have been proposed and used many times by many companies in the past. Google’s is in response to the increased fatigue many of us feel from the shift to all-remote work. As appealing as it sounds to have a week with no meetings, I think it’s a bad idea. The resurfacing of this idea, popping up afresh every few years, leads me to reason that it must not work. Companies start with great fanfare,... Read more