How to get the attention of a busy person

Dear new developer, This post talks about how to ask for mentoring, but the principles apply to getting in touch with any busy person. Busy people are by definition busy, and get a large number of emails and requests every day. (Here's a VC talking about the difference between ignoring and not replying, and how … Continue reading How to get the attention of a busy person →

How To Excel At Your Job As A New Developer

Dear new developer, I think that there are only really four tasks you need to do to do a good job as a new developer. Say what you are going to do, then do it. This is all about communicating what you are working on. You can do this explicitly (via face to face communication … Continue reading How To Excel At Your Job As A New Developer →

The Surprising Number Of Programmers Who Can’t Program

Dear new developer, This came up in a Hacker News comment thread recently: I've been working since the 90s and I never attempted to do FizzBuzz. Is it really relevant? Maybe to screen junior developers out of college? And the response So, as someone who spends maybe 20% of their time hiring, it's still a … Continue reading The Surprising Number Of Programmers Who Can’t Program →

No company is a monolith

Dear new developer, When I was a new developer, or actually new to the business world, I thought that companies acted rationally. They don't. I remember when an old timer at my first job talked about empire builders. Basically, his perspective was that above a certain level, there's not much interest in actually doing things … Continue reading No company is a monolith →

Tips for using email well

Dear new developer, Writing great emails is a key skill. For all the hullabaloo about slack, emails still rule the roost when it comes to cross organization communication. This is because everyone has email, it is auditable and uneditable once sent, and requires no special permission beyond knowledge of an email address. Email is great … Continue reading Tips for using email well →

Develop Denver Presentation

Dear new developer, In a slight departure from the normal posting schedule, I wanted to announce that I'm speaking at Develop Denver on Friday, August 16. I'll be talking about three things that surprised me when I was a new developer. There are a number of other interesting presentations across a variety of topics. Here's … Continue reading Develop Denver Presentation →

There are no adults in the room

Dear new developer, One of the most shocking things I learned when I started working in a professional capacity is that there are no adults in the room. That is not to denigrate everyone at your company, working hard to help make the place successful. Rather, it is to say that no one knows everything … Continue reading There are no adults in the room →

Write a brag document

Dear new developer, You will encounter good managers and bad managers in your career. I've found that one common thread for all managers is that they are busy. Busy with meetings, busy with coordination with other teams or parts of the business, busy putting out fires, busy with helping team members. Busy busy busy. They … Continue reading Write a brag document →

Personal projects make you a better developer

Dear new developer, I firmly believe that having a side project makes you a better developer. This kinda sucks, because when I get home from a day struggling at the office, I don't want to sit in front of the computer for yet longer. But if you can make it happen, even if it is … Continue reading Personal projects make you a better developer →