Explore essential soft skills like productivity, communication, and planning. Discover tips on prioritizing tasks and managing mental clutter with productivity tools. Learn the importance of focus in feature development and how to organization your thoughts effectively. The discussion also delves into setting realistic deadlines and managing expectations. Gain insights into sharing knowledge for personal and career advancement, all while tackling the challenges of salary discussions in the tech world.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Prioritized To-Do List
Prioritize your to-do list at the start of each day.
Focus on your most important task first (eat the frog).
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Getting Things Done
Capture every task in a system like "Getting Things Done."
Sort tasks by project and then prioritize by urgency or agony.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Externalize Your Thoughts
Regularly offload ideas and tasks from your mind into a system like Notion.
This frees up mental space and prevents forgetting important items.
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Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson presents a fresh and unconventional approach to business. The book argues against traditional business practices such as writing business plans, seeking outside investors, and staffing up. Instead, it advocates for a simpler, more efficient way of doing business, emphasizing the importance of productivity, avoiding unnecessary meetings and paperwork, and ignoring the competition. The authors draw from their experiences at 37signals (now Basecamp) to provide practical advice and examples that support their counterintuitive ideas. The book is designed to inspire and provoke readers to rethink their approach to work and entrepreneurship.
In this episode of Syntax, Scott and Wes talk about soft skills tips — productivity, planning, communication, and more.
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Show Notes
2:20 - Productivity
Make a todo list and prioritize
Get ideas out of your brain
Use a tool like Notion as a second brain
Batch related things together
Recharge when you need it
Have a system and stick to it
16:34 - Finishing projects
Start
Do a little every day
Go all-in for a few days
Clearly identify what needs to be done (Github issues, todo app)
23:30 - Planning tips
I use Mind Node
Whimsical
Write it down when you have an idea
Put everything in a calendar
30:24 - Communication
Be honest and upfront with deadlines
Give yourself padding — many people are overly optimistic
Don’t let people expect communication from you, at all, or at all times
Assume good intentions
Don’t be a jerk to clients or coworkers
40:28 - Skill and career advancement
FDD — fun driven development
Share what you learn
Don’t let other’s progress get you down — there is always someone smarter doing crazier stuff
Solve your own problems
Apply and interview for anything that’s interesting
Track your progress
I want to ___, I wish I could ____, You are lucky that you get to _____
Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats 
