Software Lead Weekly Software Lead Weekly

"Writing Is Thinking"—an Annotated Twitter Thread
6 minutes read.

"Why don’t people write? Turns out writing is really sticking your neck out. Those details, facts, assumptions may be "rope" to hang you. So writing is culture. Everyone takes risks in writing. So don’t weaponize writing as a team by using it against ideas that didn’t work." -- Steven Sinofsky is an incredible thinker and writer. "Writing is culture" - The comfort people have with sharing written documents and to criticize ideas (rather than the person) says a lot about the safety they feel at work. Can we utilize this tactic of writing more? Can we create a place for others to feel safe enough to share their ideas and thoughts without it being used against them?

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Spotify Has a I <3 GDPR Playlist!
1 minutes read.

My humble effort to help you start the weekend with a smile on your face.

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The Idea Maze
3 minutes read.

I love the concept Chris Dixon presents, thinking about your company's long-term execution as "Idea Maze," as you can see the complexity of making decisions over time. Companies with good discipline and frameworks around how to make decisions should have a clear advantage over time: you can use that to make the turn at the right time or at least have a better sense figuring out you made a wrong turn and go back. I enjoyed reading the comments as well, so if you want to dive deeper, give it a look.

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What Technical Recruiters Want From Engineering Candidates
4 minutes read.

Interesting observations you should know of (or learn from) whether you're on the hiring side or the interviewee side. My favorite takeaway: "Think of your resume like a poem. Edit out what is not necessary. This includes words that are fluff, jargon, saying the same thing multiple ways, and tasks and responsibilities that are table stakes. Also, connect the dots for the recruiter. If you're looking to make a career change, took time off, are looking to relocate, etc. call that out for the recruiter and give some rationale."

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Things Are Going So Well We’re Doing a Hiring Freeze
4 minutes read.

"Hiring freezes are usually for companies that are struggling. Trying desperately to cut costs to stay afloat. And here we are, doing better than ever, pulling that same move? Yes." -- DHH and Basecamp continues to remind us that we can do things differently if we believe this is the right thing to do for us. There are so many ways to build great companies because the definition of "great" is ours to define.

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On Managing Your Friends
4 minutes read.

"You used to be peers. You talked over lunch about your days, you rolled your eyes together about That Person on the team... and now you’ve been asked to manage the team. Now not only are you in charge of That Person’s career path, you’re also responsible for your friend’s performance reviews, too." -- please read and then read again Jennifer Dary's advice on "Stay in your lane." Being able to feel okay with the new situation is how you start working on becoming a better manager. Don't let discomfort and awkwardness hold you back.

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What Rebels Want From Their Boss (image)
3 minutes read.

Being a rebel is how I felt almost my entire career - I was looking for ways to make an impact, and almost always tried to change many things that were extremely hard to change. I had to learn how to bring this attitude while also use data, facts and stories to convey the message of how it could help the business. I had to figure out which fights I'm okay with losing. I enjoy conflicts, I push for discomfort and I often ask the same from people I work with. Are you a rebel yourself? Are you leading a team with rebels? Read the ideas in it, as you can gain a lot of fresh perspective on how rebels try to operate within a company. Make it their advantage rather than covering up on their behaviors. Just draw the lines, set clear expectations and hold them accountable.

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Manager Readme: Communication Expectations Worksheet
3 minutes read.

Try using Lara Hogan's worksheet to set clear and explicit expectations as a manager with your teammates. You build trust by creating mutual agreement on how to work together. Write it down, talk about it.

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@jbeda: My daughter after I explain my typical day: "Why would you make a programming company and you don't get to program?"

@mjpt777: Productivity is inversely proportional to the complexity of a system. Keep it simple, and spend effort to keep it simple, if you want to go fast.