Category Archives: management
Status Report Theater
It’s been 7 months since I’ve written a status report. Of course I have thoughts on alternatives to this obsolete ritual.
I am not the manager you are looking for
Over the past 5 or so years managing software teams, I’ve come to realize that I’m not the manager that some organizations want. That’s ok with me.
On Commitment
I have a different definition than most leaders when I talk about “commitment”.
I Don’t Hire Rockstars
[ad name=”Leaderboard”] Wow, it’s been a really long time since I’ve posted anything. Booked has been keeping me very busy, but I’m going to make an attempt to publish more posts this year. I was out to dinner with some friends the other night. These are guys that I worked with in a past life…
When will you be home?
What time will you be home today? It’s a simple question. If you’re like most people you go to work and come home about the same time every day. You should be an expert in estimating when you’ll arrive at home. I bet you cannot predict the time that you’ll get home tonight, though. I…
Loss Aversion and Tech Debt
Humans are loss-adverse. We place an irrationally high value on losing something over gaining an identical item. So for example, I’d be more upset about losing $10 than the happiness I’d feel by gaining $10. If I buy a meal and hate it, I’ll likely finish it anyway. [ad name=”Leaderboard”] In general, people would rather…
On Hiring Techies
[ad name=”Leaderboard”] I’ve had the good fortune to have worked on some incredible teams. The best teams I have been a part of each had a very structured and rigorous interview process. It took longer than average to hire new team members, but the tenure of team members was high and our attrition rates were…
On Hiring Techies – Evaluate Potential, Not Accomplishments
[ad name=”Leaderboard”] This is a part of a series on Hiring Techies. Evaluate Potential, Not Accomplishments I don’t spend a ton of time reading resumes. Depending on the position we’re hiring for, I may look for a few critical skills but I’m mainly looking for themes that tell me that the candidate has a passion…
On Hiring Techies – Coding Challenge
[ad name=”Leaderboard”] This is a part of a series on Hiring Techies. Coding Challenge Of course, if I’m evaluating a candidate to join my team I want to ensure that they know what they’re talking about. There are many ways to do this. Some people slam a candidate with technical questions for hours. Some people…
On Hiring Techies – The Team Interview
[ad name=”Leaderboard”] This is a part of a series on Hiring Techies. The Team Interview Who is involved in your interview process? Do a few managers speak to a candidate and then decide whether or not to hire them? There are few things more disruptive than having someone dropped into your team. If the day…