Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

The greatest blessing you can have is to find joy in your work. It is a cliché to say you will never work a day in your life. However, that does not mean it is also not a true statement. Jeff Dillon has found that and plans on retiring to focus on what brings him joy. This situation may be a perfect example of how to enjoy the challenge of the job most suited to you. Enjoy The Challenge Or Face Boredom We wrap up our interview with Jeff looking towards the future. He is ready to embrace his new full-time job. That sets up an excellent example for the rest of us. Of course, he could retire and ride off into the sunset. However, that seems anticlimactic and even dull. Instead of resting on his past successes, Jeff is looking forward to enjoying the challenge this new direction provides. We need to be pushed to grow. Thus, obstacles and challenges are not things to avoid. Instead, they should be pursued methodically so that we grow in the direction we desire.   Find A Win The conversation with Jeff points to another thing we need to be able to do. That is to declare victory at some point. We do not need to do this randomly. Instead, we find a good point to consider a task or project complete and declare victory. When we take that step, we free ourselves to pursue other challenges and paths. Retirement is only one such way to achieve this sort of closure that leads to growth. A Little Background Jeff has 21 years in higher education technology leadership at two public Universities. He was on the cutting edge of web development during that time and a leader in mobile evolution. He has founded three successful companies, with the latest being EdTech Connect, a platform created to democratize the Higher Education conversation. Over the past year, EdTech Connect has kept him on the leading edge of the future of Higher Education technology. That ranges from the latest mobile apps and chatbots to how institutions will soon use Artificial Intelligence to enhance the student experience. We will see how he can speak to many perspectives of Higher Ed Technology. Check out his site: https://edtechconnect.com   https://er.educause.edu/articles/sponsored/2021/9/democratizing-the-higher-ed-technology-conversation

One of the challenges of building a community is providing enough value to the members.  That requires a community effort from almost the start.  We continue our interview with Jeff Dillon, discussing the obstacles they face at Ed Tech connect. Chicken And Egg Addressed Through Community Effort It all comes down to a "which is first" problem, also known as chicken and egg.  Your community needs content and involvement to be valuable.  However, you need the members to provide some of that content and participation.  This obstacle exists for almost every site you like to frequent.  The solution is often offered through investing time and money into the content initially.  Sometimes, this is augmented by providing members other incentives early on. For example, some sites pay members in the early days or offer freebies down the road.  In any case, there has to be a way to draw in members. Gamification The lowest cost approach to the above problem has often been to use gamification. For example, gifts cards and monetary awards can be provided.  However, it is not uncommon for users to be happy with unique badges, titles, or labels to distinguish their membership.  Jeff found this to be a good starting point for their needs and has incorporated it into the solution.  Reviews and feedback lead to rewards.  Thus, the members are slowly building the needed original content. A Little Background Jeff has 21 years in higher education technology leadership at two public Universities. He was on the cutting edge of web development during that time and a leader in mobile evolution. He has founded three successful companies, with the latest being EdTech Connect, a platform created to democratize the Higher Education conversation. Over the past year, EdTech Connect has kept him on the leading edge of the future of Higher Education technology. That ranges from the latest mobile apps and chatbots to how institutions will soon be using Artificial Intelligence to enhance the student experience.  We will see how he can speak to many perspectives of Higher Ed Technology. Check out his site: https://edtechconnect.com https://er.educause.edu/articles/sponsored/2021/9/democratizing-the-higher-ed-technology-conversation

We continue the interview with Jeff Dillon of Ed Tech Connect with a solution for finding software.  That is not a simple problem to solve in the modern world of dozens and might be hundreds of options.  There are solutions that partially or completely address your needs.  However, you need a way to reduce those options to a few and then one. Finding Software Without A Guide There is an amazing amount of software available on the market from broad-purpose to highly niche solutions.  That can add up to a herculean task when finding software to fit your specific situation is required. Technology In Higher Ed - More Than Registration Any university or similar institution lives and dies through registration.  They need students and want to make the sign-up process for those students as smooth as possible.  However, that is not a simple problem to solve.  The modern student profile and course requirements are complicated and tough to streamline.  Likewise, financial aid is its own headache and is almost unique to each situation.  That is the tip of the iceberg we explore in this episode. A Little Background Jeff has 21 years in higher education technology leadership at two public Universities. He was on the cutting edge of web development during that time and a leader in the mobile evolution. He has founded three successful companies with the latest being EdTech Connect, a platform created to democratize the Higher Education conversation. Over the past year, EdTech Connect has kept him on the leading edge of the future of Higher Education technology. That ranges from the latest in mobile apps and chatbots, to how institutions will soon be using Artificial Intelligence to enhance the student experience.  We will see how he can speak to many perspectives of Higher Ed Technology. Check out his site: https://edtechconnect.com https://er.educause.edu/articles/sponsored/2021/9/democratizing-the-higher-ed-technology-conversation

We start the next set of interviews with a discussion about technology in higher ed with Jeff Dillon.  He has spent his career in this area of focus and has a wealth of ideas.  These are applicable to multiple verticals as you will find during our conversation.  Of course, if you are in the world of higher ed, you will likely find his site invaluable. Simple Beginnings The path Jeff has followed does not seem particularly special.  However, when you look at his trajectory and the growth of technology in higher ed you will see a perfect pairing.  He is like a fine wine paired with a high-quality meal.  While each is good on its own, you get so much more considering them together.  The is much that has transpired in the world of education over the last few decades.  Jeff has had a front-row seat.  We can learn from him how to keep up with rapidly changing environments. Technology In Higher Ed - More Than Registration Any university or similar institution lives and dies through registration.  They need students and want to make the sign-up process for those students as smooth as possible.  However, that is not a simple problem to solve.  The modern student profile and course requirements are complicated and tough to streamline.  Likewise, financial aid is its own headache and is almost unique to each situation.  That is the tip of the iceberg we explore in this episode. A Little Background Jeff has 21 years in higher education technology leadership at two public Universities. He was on the cutting edge of web development during that time and a leader in the mobile evolution. He has founded three successful companies with the latest being EdTech Connect, a platform created to democratize the Higher Education conversation. Over the past year, EdTech Connect has kept him on the leading edge of the future of Higher Education technology. That ranges from the latest in mobile apps and chatbots, to how institutions will soon be using Artificial Intelligence to enhance the student experience.  We will see how he can speak to many perspectives of Higher Ed Technology. Check out his site: https://edtechconnect.com https://er.educause.edu/articles/sponsored/2021/9/democratizing-the-higher-ed-technology-conversation

We take a break from our interviews and a wealth of recommendations to review how to apply these.  There is a technical fit and organizational fit for solutions of all types.  It is critical that you know how these may fit your specific situation. Technical Fit The idea of technical fit is possibly the easiest to see from the outside.  There are specific requisites in the solution that must match the problem definition.  For example, a development shop that uses C# for its code will not benefit from a Java code generator.  There may be some helpful output.  However, it will not fit the development standards.  Thus, there is little difference in a process or other non-technical solutions.  You may see constraints related to resources, budget, speed, maintainability, or other areas. Those include solutions for business growth.  In a simple example, you may grow a business through more customers in a current market or moving to a new market.  Therefore, your mileage may vary based on your focus. Buyer Beware The most significant challenge in finding an organizational or technical fit is determining where it will not be suitable.  Thus, the focus is often on where a fit occurs rather than where it does not.  That is part of the nature of selling products or convincing ourselves which solution is best.  Therefore, focus on where needs are met rather than where requirements are not.  This approach will expose solutions that do not fit.  

The last part of our interview episodes with Krishna Mohan dive into how he helps companies grow.  The primary concept is planning for growth.  However, we also need to ensure we give the changes time to be effective.  Krishna often sees this as an annual approach and that fits well with budgets, resources, and incorporates seasonal differences where they occur. Planning For Growth The first part of any plan is setting a goal.  We need to create a finish line that is our current situation plus the desired growth.  Once we have those in place, we need to set a course for those end goals that have reasonable milestones along the way.  It is unlikely you can double or triple your business in a year.  However, you can grow aggressively and load up your pipeline with resources and potential customers to make the needed steps over a longer term.  There is a reasonable limit to growth smart and effectively.  That limit constrains what we can do over a year, but we can stretch our timeframe beyond twelve months and achieve those objectives. Avoid One And Done There are the above limits on growth that we need to be aware of. But, likewise, we want to grow sustainably.  This situation is like a diet that works but then is immediately abandoned.   We instead want to take steps and grow in a way that builds momentum and habits.  Those will allow us to grow and continue to build on past success instead of struggling to maintain our new levels of success. A Little Background Krishna loves to share what he has learned along the way to becoming a successful Entrepreneur and Business Coach.  You might be able to convince him to share a copy of one of his books. 1. Elite Real Estate Professionals- Leaders in Real Estate Industry (#1 Best Seller on Amazon) 2. Insiders Secret to Build Business Credit and Financing 3. How I find $10K in any Business within 45 Minutes (Available for Free on my website: https://geniusbusinesscoach.com/ ) He also is offering a 3 Part business education series for free.

We continue our discussion with Krishna Mohan with a focus on the question, "are you ready for growth".  Everyone wants to grow their business.  However, not everyone is truly ready to pay the price in focus and effort to do so.  There are risks and investments required.  We start there and then move into the concepts of working in your business as opposed to on your business. Are You Ready For Growth? Growing a business requires you to be ready to sacrifice short-term goals to invest in the future.  There is no magic pill that allows you to continue focusing on your business and grow it at the same time.  There is planning required and a diversion of resources towards growth.  You can look down or ahead but not both. There are many reasons to say "no" when asked, "are you ready for growth".  There is nothing wrong with that.  We can look at how to adjust a plan for your level of risk acceptance or need to maintain the current course of a business.  You may also want to get more things stabilized in your business before focusing on growth. Work In Or On Your Business Many businesses languish as small operations because there is a lack of work on the business instead of in it.  The difference between these two approaches is whether your daily business needs consume your time and resources or if they allow you time to plan and look for new business.  When your current customers consume all of your resources you are working in the business.  On the other hand, when you have time to search out new customers, you are working on it. A Little Background Krishna loves to share what he has learned along the way to becoming a successful Entrepreneur and Business Coach.  You might be able to convince him to share a copy of one of his books. 1. Elite Real Estate Professionals- Leaders in Real Estate Industry (#1 Best Seller on Amazon) 2. Insiders Secret to Build Business Credit and Financing 3. How I find $10K in any Business within 45 Minutes (Available for Free on my website: https://geniusbusinesscoach.com/ ) He also is offering a 3 Part business education series for free.

This episode starts a discussion with Krishna Mohan.  We start with some of his background and a journey from specific experiences to building general solutions.  This is a story about converting your unique experience and approach into something that is a fit for others that they may not have found otherwise. A Typical Start There is a lot of Krishna's background that can be glossed over and seem typical.  He started out as a hard worker and smart individual then went to work for a big company.  That could have been almost the end and he could have ridden that corporate path.  However, he saw value in what he had experienced that was unique and needed to be shared.  All of those specific experiences could be adapted to provide more general solutions.  Thus, Genius Visionary was born. A Little Genius Sprinkled In Few would argue that Jack Welch is a legend in the world of business.  We see in Krishna's story how far-reaching the impact of great leaders can be.  While there are important things to note that he learned from that early experience, it is also important to realize what you might be able to do for others.  Becoming a better developer is not just a selfish pursuit, it will impact others as well. A Little Background Krishna loves to share what he has learned along the way to becoming a successful Entrepreneur and Business Coach.  You might be able to convince him to share a copy of one of his books. 1. Elite Real Estate Professionals- Leaders in Real Estate Industry (#1 Best Seller on Amazon) 2. Insiders Secret to Build Business Credit and Financing 3. How I find $10K in any Business within 45 Minutes (Available for Free on my website: https://geniusbusinesscoach.com/ ) He also is offering a 3 Part business education series for free.

This episode offers a side trip during the interviews season and focuses on meaningful discussions.  We have mentioned difficult discussions.  However, the important ones are the ones that teach us and provide experience without having to experience failure.  We can find them anywhere and just need to go into them with an intent to go deeper. Meaningful Discussions - Start With Tell Me Your Story There are many ways to get others to share their experience with you.  I have found the best way is to directly ask them to share their story.  This may be the journey of their career or how they managed to buy that hotdog they are eating.  The scope and range can vary widely.  However, the key is to get them to share the desired story.  You are showing interest and they likely will respond with a valuable conversation. Honest Curiosity When you start from a position of curiosity and open acceptance of the position of others it can lead to meaningful discussions.  That seems to be an important point to make in the modern world of my way or the highway.  The good news is that you will grow and learn by being challenged by the experience and opinions of others.  You do not have to blindly accept nor reject their position.  Take it in, reflect on it, and allow it to refine and define your views and thoughts.  It is a way to think outside of the box with others serving as your muse. Take The First Step There are many ways to reach out to others.  You can find a mastermind group such as ours.  You can also find sites like the lunch club.  These are just a few ways to get yourself out of your comfort zone and grow your network of resources.  I think you will find it is far easier to learn from meaningful discussions than you expected.

Here is a bonus episode in our interview with Sam McNeill.  They provide a memorable marketing sort of tool known as insta-hit.  He mentioned this during the interview, and it is impressive to see it in action.  That gives us an excellent launching pad for talking about ways to stick in the mind of your customers. Use What You Have For Memorable Marketing There is definitely a link from the insta-hit to work done by Song Division.  However, it is just a fun little thing they can add to any event.  You have talents related to your work and beyond.  Use those to find ways to add a little color to a drab presentation.  You might even be able to get them to remember your key points and relate them to your company.  Wow!  That is almost like a brand. Yes, those little things can go a long way towards building memorable traits around your company that can define your brand. Have Fun One of the points mentioned by Sam is that he remembers these songs years later.  They provide a unique experience for the customer but also keeps it fresh for the artist.  Do not underestimate the value of keeping morale and excitement high.  When you start phoning it in, the end is coming soon.  You will see everything deteriorate.  Therefore, the more you do to keep everyone looking forward to the next job, the more likely you are to see continued success. A Little Background Voted as a Top Five Speaker in Spice Magazine’s Hot 100, Sam McNeill - SongDivision GM for UK & Europe - is an in-demand Corporate MC and accredited DiSC Facilitators.  Sam has hosted over 600 interactive face-2-face and online experiences.  These include musical team-building workshops, gala awards events, and product launches on five continents. Sam’s accolades include winning ‘Future Leader’ awards for Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). Sam is also a member of Connect Corporate’s esteemed list of ’40 under 40’ industry professionals. Sam’s professionalism and energy have made him a favorite among some of the biggest brands in the world, including Coca- Cola, Microsoft, McDonald’s, Spotify, and Fujitsu, and Virgin. Sam earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Studies (Classical Voice) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Learn More You can learn more about Sam's work and the organization he loves by visiting the Song Division website.  If you think they might be able to help you, then give him a call. SongDivision