Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

You are more likely to be focused on business and technology than pop culture if you listen to this podcast.  However, there is a value in keeping up with such general knowledge areas.  One can argue that the time required to keep up with pop culture can be spent on better things.  I would have a hard time disagreeing but the good news is that we can keep up without spending much extra time.  Also, it can be a good way to get away from a problem and find a refreshing solution. Pop Culture Knowledge Is Important For Business The latest episode of Saturday Night Live or who won a movie of the year award will rarely cause your company to fail or succeed but there can be an impact.  We have noted before that people buy from those they know, like, and trust.  That means we need to build a relationship with our customers in order for them to become so. Pop culture references can often help break the ice and strike up conversations.  It is the stereotypical water cooler talk of the game last weekend or that episode that ran last night that can start a simple relationship.  Yes, it can be good to be "all business" with our customers but that can come off as stuffy or stand-offish. Trends and Market Indicators I think that pop culture does more to indicate market trends than it is given credit for.  This seems to be even more of the case these days.  We have the ability to turn off anything that does not interest us.  That all-important demographic of 25 to 45 year-olds still tend to be almost synonymous with pop culture.  If you want to talk to them, then that is the language to use.  Who knows, you might even get some product ideas while running a show or movie in the background.

When you start building a business there are two extremes you can follow.  There is the all-in approach on one end and the bootstrap approach on the other.  Fortunately, these are not mutually exclusive options so you can find a middle ground that works best for you. All In For Building A Business This approach is one that seems to be in most people's heads.  There is the vision of the entrepreneur that as one that eats, sleeps, drinks, and breathes their business.  They have long days focused on their business.  This portrait is accurate in many cases.  However, it is not the only approach.  When we are all-in for our business, we are not working on anything else.  We have quit our "day job" and made the new company all we work on. The Bootstrap Option This approach is a low-risk, long-term way to build a business.  The risk is low because you have a minimal investment and then allow the company to fund itself.  You keep your day job until the enterprise is strong enough to sustain your full-time employment (or close enough).  Of course, the small investment is going to keep you from reaching your goals as quickly as the other extreme. In this episode, we look at ways to take the best parts of these two approaches and craft a blended approach.  A side hustle can be a great way to bootstrap a business, but we have other ways to build without risk as well.  Building a business is often a scary thing to consider.  However, some planning and risk mitigation can minimize the fear so that the fun remains.

Object-Oriented Design has been around for a few decades now.  Therefore, we have whole generations of developers that have been taught OOD in their college courses as well as in their studies.  I am a big fan of this approach to software.  However, this, like many other theories, must be taken in moderation.  You can over-design your objects just as databases can take normalization too far. Sand vs. Legos When I mention moderation, I think of a discussion from years ago about design.  We were building a rather large and complex system at the time.  It also needed to be very flexible.  Our initial plans were not far from a microservice approach.  Every function in the system was a snippet of code that we could put together with others.  This approach was incredibly flexible.  However, it was a pain to maintain.   It also ended up being too much overhead in many cases as we had to cobble together large numbers of snippets and their related cost.  Our discussion led us to refer to what we were building with as sand. What we wanted, we decided, was to build with Legos.  Think about it.  You can create a large structure starting from sand.  The bricks can be of a custom design, but that is overkill for most buildings.  It is much easier to start with blocks and build from there.  This is where the Lego idea comes into play.  We can create some bricks of varying sizes and colors without having to create everything from a grain of sand. Keep The Goal In Mind In this episode, we look at how to find a level of design for our solution that matches the problem.  We also cover some things to keep in mind to avoid going too deep or too shallow in our models.  In the end, this helps us find that balance of flexibility, scalability, and maintainability that we need for an elegant design.

You might find it odd that anyone would recommend bingeing of any sort.  We all know that moderation is always best.  Nevertheless, I think there is good that can come from binge-watching your way through a season or even a series.  Let us count the ways. Binge-Watching Saves Time And Reduces Stress I am not a doctor, nor have I looked up research on binge-watching.  However, let's think about some common traits across all types of shows.  One of the traits every show has is a cliff-hanger or other hook to get you to watch the next episode.  This can be stressful at times.  You may even waste hours debating how the cliff-hanger will be resolved.  When you binge your way through a series that time between cliff-hanger and resolution is minutes instead of days, weeks, or months.  Do not get me started on the time spent skipping commercials that can be added back to your life. This is where we see your stress reduced by not dwelling on the hook and that time saved as well.  You also will have less time to fret about parts of the season or series.  A resolution will come fast enough to move you on to other themes of the show.  It makes a season more like an episode or a book where you can spend time on big-picture enjoyment. Bingeing in Moderation We cannot go through this episode without some suggestions for moderation.  There are ways you can binge with a smaller time invested.  You can spread your binge out over several nights or weekends.  I know this is not a real binge, but it can still be a binge of your free time when you have very little.  This approach also allows you to catch shows you feel you need to see (Stranger Things, Game Of Thrones, all those Marvel shows) without being irresponsible.  We all have things to do, and sometimes those preclude a real binge.  That is ok.  We can always have a faux-binge to keep up with the latest in entertainment and pop-culture.  

One of the hardest choices to make with a business is to close the doors.  Many of us have the "winners never quit" quote floating around in our head.  That quote keeps us from ending things when that may be the best step to take. It also is likely a prime factor in the sunk-cost fallacy.  In fact, knowing when to quit is almost as important as finding a window of opportunity.  That idea that we have spent too much time and money on something to give up now. Success or Failure Can Tell You When To Quit Quitting is not always about failure.  Sometimes we need to consider getting out while we are on top.  This concept is regularly discussed with professional athletes, but also a key to success in gambling.  The business reasons for quitting while on a successful run are more than avoiding "pressing your luck."  There are trends and cycles that can be key indicators that a success is about to tank or at least be less successful. Ways To Get Out Safely There are many ways to get out of a product, service, or business without declaring failure.  Yes, sometimes we need to get out immediately to stop losses.  On the other hand, there are times when we have some breathing room to find a graceful exit.  It is these times we focus on in this episode.  Shutting the doors is quick, maybe painful, but like ripping off a band-aid.  A graceful exit from a market takes planning and can be done in a way that leaves your customers asking for more.

We can code for a quick solution, or we can focus on developing automation for the same.  There are times when we stumble across the latter while concentrating on the former.  However, it is better to focus on automating the solution.  This approach is not science, but the steps can help you overcome obstacles when you hit a brick wall. Steps For Developing Automation It is critical to understand that a process must be well-defined before we can begin work on automation.  Therefore, it is worth our time to gather all of the requirements.  Once we have collected those, we can work on a general solution.  If that is too big a step, then start with a simple, specific answer and then try to find ways to generalize it. It is important to note that sometimes there will be steps that appear impossible to automate.  That is ok; we can automate the easy stuff first and then work on those pieces later.  A 50% solution is better than a 0% solution. Rinse and Repeat Make sure you document the steps as you put together the first solution.  When you have partial automation, his documentation is critical to future improvements.  See what I did there?  I assumed there would be future improvements.  The key to true automation is to regularly review systems that are not 100% automated. These reviews will give you a chance to automate steps that had to be left manual.  The review may include new resources, new understanding, or an increased value of automating those steps left behind.  Of course, you may also find that the 50% solution was all that was needed.

It may seem odd, but one of the great things to embrace in life is puzzles.  Whether you prefer crosswords, sudoku or any of the other puzzles out there, they can all provide more than a fun past-time. Stay Sharp The first benefit of puzzles and mental challenges is that they help you stay sharp.  This may seem like just more work.  However, one of the keys to good health is keeping mentally healthy.  There are a lot of positive side effects of good mental health, and that includes things like a general sense of well-being.  It even makes you more likely to be happy. Although there are a lot of apps that you can use to scratch your puzzle itch, pencil and paper are even better.  Our world of screens and wireless is not always the best way to live, so a break to "unplug" with a puzzle can be refreshing. Social Benefits Mental challenges can keep you alert and also help with the various obstacles life throws at you.  Problem-solving skills are one of those skills that can be applied throughout life.  Better yet, the ability to solve puzzles and brain-teasers is a great way to meet people and provide icebreakers at parties.  Give it a shot.  You may find a new favorite way to spend some quiet time.

One of the attributes of a successful entrepreneur is a sense of what not to do.  They still take risks, but the successful ones are either very lucky or have a good set of business skills.  These skills can be learned but experience is often the best teacher.  That is why those that are successful find a way to learn from others in prior jobs as an employee. One Step At A Time The idea of being an entrepreneur is in fashion.  It has become a dream of many people that want to emulate after seeing the success stories of silicon valley unicorns.  These young entrepreneurs are more successful when they go out into the business world before starting their own businesses. There is a lot that can be learned by spending time in an industry.  There are terms every business uses and mistakes others make that we can avoid.  It may seem like a tough road to follow, but the time spent working in the trenches is often priceless. Embrace Opportunity The key to making your time as an employee worthwhile is to remember it is an educational opportunity.  Make sure you pay attention to the lingo, the processes, and how connections are made.  This is a period where you can consider yourself as being paid to learn and build your future network.  Do not let it pass you by or underestimate the value of this step of your career.

How often have you been too busy to consider ways to improve productivity?  Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon problem.  We can easily get buried in day-to-day tasks and details.  However, our best way forward often requires us to pick our heads up. Improve Productivity With Planning I think we all learn somewhere along the way that design and planning make us more likely to be successful in any endeavor.  That makes it all the more frustrating when we find ourselves buried in the weeds.  You are not alone in this challenge.  IT work often carries a lot of details and small tasks that drag us away from our primary work and goals. The key to winning this battle is quality over quantity.  It is easy to focus on a quick fix.  However, quick is rarely the best approach.  The better way to craft a solution is to take a step back and find a real fix that will keep the problem from resurfacing.  When we indeed solve the problem instead of finding a patch, it will be one less thing to worry about.  Thus, freeing the time spent we would have spent on another temporary fix. Busy is not Productive Just as quick fixes are not the best ones, being busy is not the same as being productive.  This happens to be the best path to becoming a better developer.  When you step back and plan your next move, design a solution, or fix rather than a patch, you provide real solutions.  That helps you step from coder to a developer. A better developer is one that is more productive.  This episode looks at a few ways to become better without adding to your skills.  These tips are reminders to do things the right way.  Fortunately, these are all steps you can take immediately.

Once we become adults we often relegate playing as something that died along with our childhood.  This can often be a mistake.  A trip for buying toys may look very different as an adult.  However, it can still be one that refreshes us and triggers those same positive feelings we get with any reward. Buying Toys Can Be Practical The first thing to get clear is what toys mean.  These are anything that we get enjoyment from.  Thus, our toys can be things like tools, appliances, accessories, or even simple items.  In fact, our toy buying thrill may be triggered by a trip to pick up office supplies, silverware, or even giving to a charity. I think we try to justify our toys too often as an adult rather than enjoying the experience.  That is the focus of this episode.  In particular, an IT career is full of toys and ways to reward ourselves while still being "very adult" in our focus. Work and Play The best thing about the things we often enjoy in the IT sector is that they also can help our career.  Some of these items may be expensive, but they are so important we might even be able to write them off on our taxes.  These include toys like laptops, smartphones, tablets, and any new technology product like Goole Home.  We look at why we should embrace our ability to scratch our buying toys itch while still looking for ways to apply those items in our day job.