Software Lead Weekly
Issue #207, 11th November 2016
This Week's Favorite
I Hear a Lot Re: Mid/Senior Tech Roles: "Women and Minorities Don't Apply!" Let Me Lay Out Some of the Reasons That Happens (Tweetstorm)
4 minutes read.
Great tweetstorm by Sarah Mei on the many problems we have in our process today. So many gems in it, hard for me to even try to pick but this one really opened my eyes: "Job hopping often just means bad luck with several non-inclusive teams in a row. It's extremely common, even for higher-level folks... the COMPANY interviews well, but can't support the person day-to-day." -- hiring the right people means we can also provide a safe and supportive environment, matching it to their values, skills and talent. This is a daily challenge, not a one time bang (i.e. hiring).
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
4 minutes read.
Great tweetstorm by Sarah Mei on the many problems we have in our process today. So many gems in it, hard for me to even try to pick but this one really opened my eyes: "Job hopping often just means bad luck with several non-inclusive teams in a row. It's extremely common, even for higher-level folks... the COMPANY interviews well, but can't support the person day-to-day." -- hiring the right people means we can also provide a safe and supportive environment, matching it to their values, skills and talent. This is a daily challenge, not a one time bang (i.e. hiring).
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
Culture
We All Know What's Coming (i.e. LinkedIn & MBP)
1 minutes read.
My humble effort to help you start the weekend with a smile on your face.
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
1 minutes read.
My humble effort to help you start the weekend with a smile on your face.
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
On Being Wrong (Video)
17 minutes read.
Kathryn Schulz will make you laugh (the picnic story is epic!) and also want to share this video with a bunch of people in your company. Our ability to constantly feel right at present moment is dangerous. Instead: empathy and some good dose of humility will take you a long way. Look down.
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
17 minutes read.
Kathryn Schulz will make you laugh (the picnic story is epic!) and also want to share this video with a bunch of people in your company. Our ability to constantly feel right at present moment is dangerous. Instead: empathy and some good dose of humility will take you a long way. Look down.
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
How Amazon Web Services (AWS) Achieved an $11.5B Run Rate by Working Backwards
5 minutes read.
Working backwards is a powerful method to consider products development, in a way that could benefit both internal buy-in and external validation: "For new initiatives a product manager typically starts by writing an internal press release announcing the finished product... It looks simple, but when he was putting together a pitch for Amazon Web Services, the current head of AWS Andy Jassy tore through 31 drafts of the initial press release before taking it to Jeff Bezos."
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
5 minutes read.
Working backwards is a powerful method to consider products development, in a way that could benefit both internal buy-in and external validation: "For new initiatives a product manager typically starts by writing an internal press release announcing the finished product... It looks simple, but when he was putting together a pitch for Amazon Web Services, the current head of AWS Andy Jassy tore through 31 drafts of the initial press release before taking it to Jeff Bezos."
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
Status Meetings Are the Scourge
5 minutes read.
Jason Fried is not a big fan of status meetings (aka Daily standups or weekly status). I get it, and I think that the format can and should be adjusted according to team's size and dynamics. The missing part though is being able to see each other, to share concerns or risks in a way people can look at your face and emotionally connect. Figuring out the right balance of "helpful meetings" should be treated just the same as you deploy software: small iterations.
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
5 minutes read.
Jason Fried is not a big fan of status meetings (aka Daily standups or weekly status). I get it, and I think that the format can and should be adjusted according to team's size and dynamics. The missing part though is being able to see each other, to share concerns or risks in a way people can look at your face and emotionally connect. Figuring out the right balance of "helpful meetings" should be treated just the same as you deploy software: small iterations.
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
Peopleware
How to Use Your Calendar to Maximize Your Effectiveness
3 minutes read.
Ryan Carson shares how he utilizes his calendar to block enough time for critical areas he needs to work on. I've moved a lot of my todo list into my calendar, reminding myself (in the event description) the top questions and dilemmas I need to face with.
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
3 minutes read.
Ryan Carson shares how he utilizes his calendar to block enough time for critical areas he needs to work on. I've moved a lot of my todo list into my calendar, reminding myself (in the event description) the top questions and dilemmas I need to face with.
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
On 1:1s
4 minutes read.
"For me, 1:1s were about active relationship building, with a focus on the important-but-not urgent. But having built a relationships where we talked regularly and I listened, that created space for conversations to happen outside of the 1:1. " -- Cate Huston with good observations and advice on being a good listener to understand how people feel about their work, rather than reporting on the status of their work.
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
4 minutes read.
"For me, 1:1s were about active relationship building, with a focus on the important-but-not urgent. But having built a relationships where we talked regularly and I listened, that created space for conversations to happen outside of the 1:1. " -- Cate Huston with good observations and advice on being a good listener to understand how people feel about their work, rather than reporting on the status of their work.
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
Why Tim Cook Is Steve Ballmer and Why He Still Has His Job at Apple
7 minutes read.
Steve Blank touch a solid point on the differences between operational-type CEO and visionary-type (or product-driven CEO). This has a drastic effect on the way the business is built and how opportunities are handled, while other companies disrupt yesterday's assumptions. Great read and a good reminder to the power of keeping our eyes on the customer, rather than our current solution(s).
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
7 minutes read.
Steve Blank touch a solid point on the differences between operational-type CEO and visionary-type (or product-driven CEO). This has a drastic effect on the way the business is built and how opportunities are handled, while other companies disrupt yesterday's assumptions. Great read and a good reminder to the power of keeping our eyes on the customer, rather than our current solution(s).
Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.
Inspiring Tweets
@KentBeck: Don't spend more time discussing a reversible change than it would take to make (& potentially reverse) the change
@raganwald: Meetings are complete distraction from coding. Without them, I could work without interruption on solving the wrong problems.
- Oren
P.S. Can you share this email? I'd love for more people to experiment and improve their company's culture.
P.S. Can you share this email? I'd love for more people to experiment and improve their company's culture.