Software Lead Weekly Software Lead Weekly

From Inbox-Zero to Todo-List-Zero (For Managers)
5 minutes read.

I still think that calendar management with colors per theme, blocking time for Maker mode, setting 15min default length, etc. is an underutilized tool for many. Inertia is dangerous for managers, as you can quickly lose control over your time. Joe Goldberg will cover a few tactics that you can learn a lot from. I'd also recommend checking the links at the end of the post like the "GTD Gmail" as it will provide you with some ideas to try out in the next couple of weeks.

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Client: We Accept the Risks of You Testing in Prod. Me:
1 minutes read.

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

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21st Century Recruiting
7 minutes read.

"Instead of looking for the "right fit," we should instead ask ourselves how will the company be changed by the addition of this person, and is that adaptation something that will bring value to the company?" -- Avishai Ish-Shalom with excellent advice I recommend hiring managers to think about: Where is your team heading towards in the next 12-18 months? How should the talent & skills puzzle look like to execute that vision? What is the story you have in mind for candidates to explain their role in that journey? In some cases, where the expertise is not required, you could hire for potential and have the team train the new hire to grow where you need them to. So as hiring managers, we should act as the CEO of our teams and create the vision to guide our hiring and recruiting principles.

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How to Become a Bad Developer
5 minutes read.

Rafael Quintanilha with two concepts - inversion and via negativa thinking - that you can apply to learn faster in your career. What would you add to it from your experience? Can you share it with your team and discuss it? I’d add "Assume that writing code is your only way to show progress" and "Assume the customers know what they need and how they need it."

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Essential Meetings to Have With Your People as a Manager
8 minutes read.

Ajahne Santa Anna created not only the structure but also the resources you need to check as a manager to have effective and meaningful meetings with your teammates. The only thing I'd add it to it is thinking about peers meetings - other managers from the same department or people you often work with, e.g., product managers, and other managers from other departments that you interact with weekly.

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Time Anxiety: Is It Too Late?
4 minutes read.

Anne-Laure Le Cunff with a great suggestion I found myself optimized for in the past few years: be happy. I do things that feel like playing to me (may look like hard work for others), be around people I love and get energized from and assist others in areas of expertise (teach what I learn, as I learn it). I try to follow my emotions and instincts for how happiness looks to me rather than my ego. If something feels right, I accept it. I try to quiet down the voice of "is it good enough though?" because my immediate answer (of the ego) is always No. I let myself play in multiple games: work, family, side projects, hobbies, etc. So far, what worked for me is to optimize for happiness and high energy levels, so these games have to work well together as I get older. This is for me life worth living.

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Engineering Management Books
5 minutes read.

Jamison Dance shares a few books that I think more people should know of. He also shares if and why he enjoyed them. I believe you'll add a few books to your reading list, or listen to them on your commute, as I often do. Can you offer a few books that you liked or disliked and why on our SWLW Slack community? If you're not there, reply to this email and I"ll add you.

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@JamesClear: A principle for writing, investing, and life in general: It is much easier to notice when something is working than to predict ahead of time if it will work. Take action, make many small bets, and run lots of quick (but thoughtful) experiments. Then, double-down on the winners.

@jtwald: LRS - Long Runway Syndrome When a startup raises too much money too early, becoming so comfortable that they lose the motivation to find product market fit. The most painful part is these startups have the capital & resources to do something great.