Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

We continue our discussion with Christian Espinosa and turn to learning from your first business as you build another. We also talk about security and the cyber world, but his points on team-building and lessons learned are of a larger value. His experience is not unique, but the detail he provides helps us end the season on a deeply informative note. Start New While Learning From Your First Business We all make mistakes. Christian looked closely at his when he decided to create a new business. He also reviewed what he did right and used that as a foundation. These are invaluable areas to ensure we are learning from our first business as we start a second. Experience is the perfect teacher, and few business owners get to start with that level of experience. About Christian Christian Espinosa, a renowned thought leader, is most known as the bestselling author of "The Smartest Person in the Room," which explores the limitations of seeking validation through achievement and the desire to be the brightest intellect in any room. With a deep desire to inspire others to harness their innate wisdom, overcome perceived barriers, and summon the courage to tread new paths, Christian authored his latest book, "The In-Between: Life in the Micro." This book chronicles his remarkable transformation—from a "me against the world" mindset. One that was cultivated during his tumultuous upbringing. Into his evolution as a compassionate global citizen committed to uplifting humanity. A dynamic entrepreneur, Christian built and successfully sold Alpine Security, a cybersecurity business. He founded and currently leads Blue Goat Cyber (https://bluegoatcyber.com/). He also has an array of professional and personal development certifications. His expertise extends beyond the confines of the corporate world: he's a white hat hacker, a captivating keynote speaker, a wise real estate investor, and a connoisseur of heavy metal music and fiery cuisines. He's also spent time in the Mexican jungle with Mayan Shamans, is a C-License skydiver, and is a PADI divemaster. Whatever Christian tries, he tends to master. Beyond his impactful professional pursuits, Christian's zest for life knows no bounds. An adventurer at heart, he fearlessly leaps from planes and balloons, conquers towering peaks, explores the globe, imparts wisdom in outdoor wilderness survival, and even takes on the rigorous challenges of Ironman triathlons. Having completed an impressive 24 Ironman triathlons and scaled two of the renowned Seven Summits, Christian Espinosa epitomizes the spirit of transformative leadership and unyielding exploration. Learn More Learn more about Christian at :https://christianespinosa.com/ .Purchase one of his books, available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T6QK6FN https://www.amazon.com/Between-Life-Micro-Christian-Espinosa-ebook/dp/B0CP8RYV55 or take his course: https://programs.christianespinosa.com/the-secure-methodology

Regaining clarity at work is one of the biggest challenges developers face as responsibilities grow, distractions multiply, and expectations rise. Burnout rarely appears overnight. More often, it creeps in quietly—through constant context switching, mental fatigue, and the feeling that you're busy all day but not making real progress. For developers and technical leaders, clarity isn't a "nice to have." It's what allows you to make good decisions, focus deeply, and enjoy the work you're doing. Without it, even small tasks feel heavier than they should. About Andrew Hinkelman Andrew Hinkelman is a certified executive coach and former Chief Technology Officer who works with tech founders, CTOs, and engineering leaders to strengthen their leadership and people skills. With over 25 years of corporate experience, including 8 years as a CTO, Andrew understands firsthand the pressures technical leaders face as they move from hands-on execution to leading teams and organizations. His coaching focuses on helping leaders build trust, develop others, and stay strategic as responsibilities grow. Andrew's philosophy is simple: all professional development is personal improvement. After experiencing burnout in his own leadership journey—constantly stepping in to fix problems and being needed by everyone—he learned the value of trusting his team instead of controlling outcomes. Today, Andrew helps leaders avoid that same trap by building resilient teams, focusing on relationships, and creating environments where others can succeed. Follow Andrew on Instagram and LinkedIn. Why Regaining Clarity at Work Matters for Developers When regaining clarity at work starts to slip, the symptoms are subtle at first. Decisions take longer. You second-guess yourself more often. Work that once felt engaging starts to feel draining. This isn't a motivation problem. It's a clarity problem. Developers often push through this phase by working longer hours, assuming effort will fix it. In reality, the lack of clarity compounds the problem—leading to frustration, reduced quality, and eventually burnout. How Distractions Undermine Regaining Clarity at Work Modern work environments make regaining clarity at work especially difficult. Messages, emails, meetings, and notifications constantly pull attention away from focused thinking. Even well-intentioned tools can fragment your day into shallow work. The issue isn't that developers aren't capable of focus—it's that focus is constantly interrupted. Over time, this makes it harder to think clearly, prioritize effectively, or feel confident in decisions. The result is mental overload, not progress. Regaining Clarity at Work Through Better Daily Habits One of the most practical ways to regain clarity at work is by examining daily habits. Not in a rigid or extreme way, but by noticing patterns. What creates a good day? What leaves you feeling depleted? Sleep, movement, downtime, and boundaries play a much larger role in clarity than most developers expect. Clarity isn't created in moments of intensity—it's supported by consistency. Self-Discipline as a Foundation for Regaining Clarity at Work Self-discipline is often misunderstood as pushing harder. In reality, it's about protecting the habits that keep your energy stable. Waiting for weekends or vacations to reset burnout doesn't work if every weekday drains you. Regaining clarity at work means building routines that prevent depletion before it happens. Regaining Clarity at Work by Trusting Yourself When developers feel stuck, the instinct is often to search for more input—another article, another video, another framework. But more information rarely creates clarity. In many situations, you already know how to handle the challenge in front of you. Learning to pause, quiet your mind, and trust your experience can be more effective than consuming more advice. Regaining clarity at work often comes from removing noise, not adding insight. Regaining Clarity at Work with Allies and Peer Support Clarity is much easier to regain when you're not working in isolation. Talking through challenges with trusted peers helps break mental loops and introduce new perspectives. These allies don't need to be your manager. In fact, regaining clarity at work often comes faster when support comes from peers across teams or outside your organization—people who understand the context but aren't tied to the outcome. Expanding Beyond Your Manager to Regain Clarity at Work Strong peer relationships act as soundboards. They help you reality-check assumptions, think through decisions, and feel less alone in complex situations. Over time, these relationships become one of the most reliable ways to avoid burnout. Regaining Clarity at Work with Coaching and AI Tools Coaching and AI tools can both support regaining clarity at work, but they serve different roles. Some developers find value in AI prompts or structured reflection. Others need human conversation, body language, and shared experience. For many, a hybrid approach works best—using tools when they're helpful, and people when nuance, accountability, or emotional context matters. The goal isn't to replace connection, but to support clarity when it's needed most. Signs You're Losing Clarity at Work Constant distraction, overthinking, and decision fatigue Relying on weekends or time off as the only recovery strategy Simple Habits That Restore Clarity Daily actions that protect energy and focus Consistency over intensity when rebuilding clarity When to Use Coaching, AI, or Allies Choosing the right support for the situation Combining human insight with practical tools Conclusion Regaining clarity at work isn't about doing more—it's about doing what matters consistently. By protecting your energy, trusting yourself, and leaning on the right support, developers can avoid burnout and move forward with confidence. Take one small step this week toward regaining clarity at work, and start building habits that support sustainable, focused growth. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Detecting and Avoiding Burnout Three Ways To Avoid Burnout Avoid Burnout – Give Time To Yourself Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

For many developers and engineering leaders, executive coaching feels like something you turn to only when things go wrong. We're trained to solve problems, push through obstacles, and rely on our own expertise. So when progress slows, the default reaction is often to work harder—not to step back and reassess. That's exactly why executive coaching can be so valuable when used intentionally. At its best, coaching isn't about fixing weaknesses. It's about uncovering blind spots, challenging assumptions, and helping capable leaders see where their habits are limiting growth. When the fit is right, coaching brings clarity and momentum. When it's wrong, it simply adds noise. About Andrew Hinkelman Andrew Hinkelman is a certified executive coach and former Chief Technology Officer who works with tech founders, CTOs, and engineering leaders to strengthen their leadership and people skills. With over 25 years of corporate experience, including 8 years as a CTO, Andrew understands firsthand the pressures technical leaders face as they move from hands-on execution to leading teams and organizations. His coaching focuses on helping leaders build trust, develop others, and stay strategic as responsibilities grow. Andrew's philosophy is simple: all professional development is personal improvement. After experiencing burnout in his own leadership journey—constantly stepping in to fix problems and being needed by everyone—he learned the value of trusting his team instead of controlling outcomes. Today, Andrew helps leaders avoid that same trap by building resilient teams, focusing on relationships, and creating environments where others can succeed. Follow Andrew on Instagram and LinkedIn. What executive coaching actually does Leadership coaching is frequently misunderstood, especially in technical environments. It's not mentoring, consulting, or performance management. Rather than providing answers, a coach helps leaders examine how they think, make decisions, and show up—particularly under pressure. This kind of perspective is difficult to gain from inside your own day-to-day context. For technical leaders, this distinction matters. Many engineers advance by being exceptional problem solvers. Over time, that strength can become a constraint. Coaching helps leaders recognize when execution, control, or perfectionism starts to limit influence, trust, and scale. At its core, this work builds awareness—and awareness is what enables meaningful change. When executive coaching is the right move Coaching isn't necessary at every stage of a career. If progress feels steady and challenges are manageable, it may not add much value. However, it becomes especially useful during moments of transition or tension, such as: Stepping into a new leadership role Navigating organizational or team change Feeling stuck despite sustained effort Noticing that familiar approaches no longer work These moments often signal that your environment has changed—but your operating model hasn't. A strong coaching relationship helps leaders adapt intentionally instead of reacting out of habit. Executive coaching for leaders in new roles New leadership roles come with unspoken expectations. Success is no longer defined purely by output, and feedback becomes less direct or less frequent. Many leaders assume they need to "get everything under control" before working with a coach. In reality, coaching is most effective when things still feel unclear. That uncertainty highlights where growth is needed—whether in communication, prioritization, delegation, or decision-making at scale. You don't need to show up polished. You need to show up honestly. What a real coaching engagement looks like One common misconception is that leadership coaching is a one-time conversation or a motivational reset. In practice, effective coaching is an ongoing engagement built around clarity, feedback, and behavior change over time. It starts with defining what success actually looks like—not in abstract terms, but in concrete outcomes that matter to you and your organization. From there, the work focuses on identifying what's getting in the way. Often, these are habits that once helped you succeed but now create friction. If they were obvious, you would have addressed them already. Many engagements begin with structured feedback to ground the work in reality. This helps align self-perception with impact and reduces guesswork. It's not about judgment—it's about accuracy. How to evaluate coaching fit Coaching is a relationship, not a transaction. Talking to multiple coaches isn't optional—it's essential. A strong indicator of fit is experiencing a real working session rather than a polished sales call. Pay attention to how the coach listens, challenges assumptions, and guides reflection. Productive discomfort is often a good sign. If you leave a session seeing a situation differently or questioning a long-held belief, growth is likely. If you leave feeling simply validated, it probably isn't. Red flags that signal a poor coaching fit Coaching is not a rescue tool for poor performance. When someone is disengaged or unwilling to grow, it rarely works. Another red flag is a coach who consistently agrees with you. Comfort feels good in the moment, but it doesn't change behavior. Effective leadership development introduces intentional, constructive friction that leads to insight. Executive coaching during burnout and plateaus Burnout often comes from effort without impact. Leaders work longer hours, take on more responsibility, and still feel stuck. Coaching can help identify a keystone goal—the one focus area that makes everything else easier. It also helps leaders stop over-investing emotional energy in things outside their control, which is a common and costly source of exhaustion in senior roles. Executive Coaching Checklist Signs coaching may help you move forward Indicators that a coach will challenge rather than placate Coaching Fit Test: One Session What a meaningful trial session should reveal How to tell if the coach will stretch your thinking Stuck or Burned Out? Find the Keystone Goal How to identify the one change that unlocks momentum A reset approach for overwhelmed leaders Conclusion Executive coaching isn't about hiring someone to give advice—it's about choosing a partner who helps you see yourself and your situation more clearly. If you're navigating change, feeling stalled, or sensing that effort isn't translating into progress, this kind of support may be less about doing more and more about seeing differently. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Embrace Coaching To Advance Your Career Giving Back As A Mentor, Coach, and Lead Detecting and Avoiding Burnout Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

If you've ever shipped fast only to realize no one wanted what you built, you've felt the tension behind balancing building and feedback. As developers, we're trained to execute against known requirements. As soon as you step into product ownership, consulting, or entrepreneurship, those guardrails disappear. Now you have to decide what to build, who it's for, and why it matters—while still making forward progress. Get it wrong, and you either drown in feedback or disappear into code. Get it right, and you create steady momentum without wasting effort. This interview continues our discussion with Tyler Dane as we break down a practical, repeatable system for balancing building and feedback so you can keep shipping and stay aligned with real customer needs. About Tyler Dane Tyler Dane has dedicated his career to helping people better manage—and truly appreciate—their time. After working as a full-time Software Engineer, Tyler recently stepped away from traditional employment to focus entirely on building Compass Calendar, a productivity app designed to help everyday users visualize and plan their day more intentionally. The tool is built from firsthand experience, not theory—shaped by years of experimenting with productivity systems, tools, and workflows. In a bold reset, Tyler sold most of his belongings and relocated to San Francisco to focus on growing the product, collaborating with partners, and pushing Compass forward. Outside of coding, Tyler creates YouTube videos and writes about time management and productivity. After consuming countless productivity books, tools, and frameworks, he realized a common trap: doing more without actually accomplishing what matters. That insight led him to break productivity down into its most practical, nuanced components—cutting through hustle culture noise to focus on systems that actually work. Tyler is unapologetically honest and independent. With no investors, no sponsors, and nothing to sell beyond the value of his work, his focus is simple: help people get more done—and appreciate the limited time they have to do it. Follow Tyler on LinkedIn, YouTube, and X. Balancing building and feedback starts with a clear v1 The biggest cause of wasted effort isn't bad code—it's unclear scope. A clear v1 isn't a long feature list; it's a decision about which problem you are solving first. When v1 is defined, feedback becomes directional instead of distracting. You can evaluate every request with a simple question: Does this help solve the v1 problem? If the answer is no, it goes into a parking lot—not the backlog. Without that clarity, every conversation feels urgent, and every idea feels equally important. Balancing building and feedback by timeboxing your week Unstructured time leads to extremes. One week becomes all coding. The next becomes all conversations. Neither works for long. Timeboxing forces balance by design. Decide when you build and when you listen—and protect those blocks like production systems. This removes decision fatigue and prevents emotional swings based on the latest conversation. The Weekly Balance Blueprint Pick a structure: daily outreach blocks or one dedicated feedback day Convert feedback into next-week priorities instead of mid-week pivots Consistency matters more than perfection. Balancing building and feedback with daily "business refocus" blocks Short check-ins keep you out of the weeds. Spend 10–15 minutes at the start and end of your day to reconnect with the business context. Ask yourself: Who is this for? What problem am I solving? What actually moved the product forward today? These moments prevent scope creep and help you code with intent instead of habit. Balancing building and feedback using personal sprints Personal sprints introduce rhythm. Two- or three-week cycles work well because they're long enough to produce meaningful output and short enough to adjust course. Each sprint should include: Focused build time Planned feedback windows Explicit integration of what you learned This keeps learning and execution tightly coupled, rather than competing for attention. Balancing building and feedback through problem-first customer research Feedback becomes overwhelming when you ask the wrong questions. Feature requests are noisy. Problems are signals. Focus conversations on how people experience the problem today, what frustrates them, and what "better" looks like. This approach surfaces patterns instead of opinions. Problem-First Customer Conversations Ask about pains, workarounds, and desired outcomes Use "not our customer" signals to narrow your focus Clarity often comes from who you don't build for. Balancing building and feedback to prevent feature overload Not all feedback belongs in your product. Filtering input is a leadership skill. Use your v1 definition and target customer as a lens. Some ideas are valuable later. Some indicate a different market entirely. Saying "no" protects your momentum and your sanity. Balancing building and feedback by turning conversations into messaging Customer conversations don't just shape the product—they shape how you talk about it. The language people use to describe their pain becomes your marketing copy. When your messaging mirrors real problems, alignment improves across sales, onboarding, and product decisions. Balancing building and feedback with journaling to spot patterns Writing creates distance. Distance creates clarity. A lightweight journaling habit helps you spot repeated mistakes, drifting priorities, and false assumptions before they become expensive. Over time, patterns become impossible to ignore. The Founder Feedback Journal Capture decisions, assumptions, and outcomes daily Review monthly to identify drift and reset priorities It's one of the simplest tools with the highest long-term ROI. Conclusion Balancing building and feedback isn't about splitting your time evenly—it's about building a system that keeps you moving forward without losing direction. Clear scope, protected time, intentional feedback loops, and honest reflection create momentum that compounds. Start small. Adjust deliberately. And remember: progress comes from building the right things, not just building faster. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Embrace FeedBack For Better Teams Maximizing Developer Effectiveness: Feedback Loops Turning Feedback into Future Success: A Guide for Developers Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

Customer feedback for developers is one of the fastest ways to improve a product—and one of the easiest ways to derail it. When you're building something you care about, every comment feels important. The challenge is learning how to listen without letting feedback pull you in ten different directions. This episode explores how developers can use customer feedback to sharpen focus, avoid scope creep, and move faster—without losing the original vision that made the product worth building in the first place. About Tyler Dane Tyler Dane has dedicated his career to helping people better manage—and truly appreciate—their time. After working as a full-time Software Engineer, Tyler recently stepped away from traditional employment to focus entirely on building Compass Calendar, a productivity app designed to help everyday users visualize and plan their day more intentionally. The tool is built from firsthand experience, not theory—shaped by years of experimenting with productivity systems, tools, and workflows. In a bold reset, Tyler sold most of his belongings and relocated to San Francisco to focus on growing the product, collaborating with partners, and pushing Compass forward. Outside of coding, Tyler creates YouTube videos and writes about time management and productivity. After consuming countless productivity books, tools, and frameworks, he realized a common trap: doing more without actually accomplishing what matters. That insight led him to break productivity down into its most practical, nuanced components—cutting through hustle culture noise to focus on systems that actually work. Tyler is unapologetically honest and independent. With no investors, no sponsors, and nothing to sell beyond the value of his work, his focus is simple: help people get more done—and appreciate the limited time they have to do it. Follow Tyler on LinkedIn, YouTube, and X. Customer feedback for developers: Why "this is great, but…" matters Most useful feedback doesn't sound negative at first. It usually starts with, "This is great, but…" That "but" is where the signal lives. For developers, the mistake isn't ignoring feedback—it's stopping at the compliment. The real value is understanding what's missing, confusing, or blocking progress. Teams that grow fastest learn to treat that follow-up as actionable data, not criticism. The "This Is Great, But…" Checklist Capture the "but" immediately before it gets softened or forgotten Translate it into a concrete problem statement you can validate Customer feedback for developers: how to find the right people to talk to Not all feedback is equal. Talking to the wrong audience can send you down expensive paths that don't actually improve your product. Customer feedback for developers works best when it comes from people who: Actively experience the problem you're solving Would realistically adopt or pay for your solution Share similar workflows and constraints Broad feedback feels productive but often leads to vague changes. Focused conversations lead to clarity. Customer feedback for developers: filtering input to prevent scope creep Scope creep rarely starts with bad intent. It starts with trying to please everyone. The fix isn't saying "no" to customers—it's filtering feedback through a clear lens: Does this solve the core problem? Does this help our ideal user? Does this move the product forward right now? Avoid Scope Creep Without Ignoring Customers Separate "interesting ideas" from "next priorities." Keep a backlog for later so good ideas don't hijack today's focus Customer feedback for developers: balancing vision with real user needs Strong products sit at the intersection of vision and reality. If you only follow feedback, you become reactive. If you ignore it, you risk building in isolation. Customer feedback for developers should challenge assumptions—not erase direction. The goal is refinement, not reinvention, with every conversation. Customer feedback for developers: building momentum with faster shipping One consistent theme is speed. Slow feedback loops kill momentum. Shipping faster—even in small increments—creates learning. Fast cycles: Reveal what actually matters Improve judgment over time Reduce emotional attachment to individual decisions Build Momentum With Speed and Structure Short shipping cycles reduce overthinking Volume creates clarity faster than perfect planning Customer feedback for developers: choosing a niche in a crowded market General tools struggle in saturated spaces. Customer feedback for developers becomes clearer when you narrow your audience. Niching down doesn't limit opportunity—it increases relevance. How to position against "feature-parity" giants You don't win by copying large platforms. You win by serving a specific workflow better than anyone else. Self-direction when you don't have a manager Without an external structure, prioritization becomes your job. Customer feedback replaces task assignments—but only if you actively use it to set direction. Clear priorities beat unlimited freedom. Conclusion Customer feedback for developers isn't about collecting opinions—it's about building judgment. When you listen to the right people, filter ruthlessly, and ship quickly, feedback becomes a growth engine instead of a distraction. If you're building something of your own, treat feedback as fuel—not a steering wheel. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Embrace FeedBack For Better Teams Feedback And Career Help – Does The Bootcamp Provide It? Turning Feedback into Future Success: A Guide for Developers Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

If you've ever felt like you're busy but not progressing, you're not alone. The fix usually isn't a bigger plan—it's daily forward momentum. This episode kicks off a full season dedicated to getting unstuck by building a repeatable, low-friction way to move closer to your goals without burning out. The key shift: you're rarely "stuck." More often, you've plateaued—and plateaus are solvable with small, consistent action and smarter focus. Why Daily forward momentum matters Momentum is the difference between "I'm thinking about it" and "I'm shipping it." For developers and engineering leaders, it's easy to confuse activity with progress: meetings, tickets, firefighting, context switching, and endless "urgent" tasks. Daily forward momentum is how you reclaim control. It creates a stable rhythm that survives busy weeks and keeps your goals alive even when your calendar doesn't cooperate. Daily forward momentum starts by reframing "stuck" as a plateau "Stuck" can feel like a personal failure. A plateau is just a stage. You've grown, you've learned, you've pushed forward—and now the same tactics aren't producing the same results. That's normal in engineering careers, product development, and business growth. The point isn't to force the old approach harder. The point is to adjust. When you reframe stuck as a plateau, you stop spiraling and start experimenting. Daily forward momentum vs. repeating the same approach A plateau often comes from running the same playbook and expecting a different outcome. The move here is not "work more." It works differently. Try swapping: more effort → more leverage more tasks → better priorities more planning → smaller execution loops Daily forward momentum helps you test new approaches safely. You're not betting the week on a giant change. You're placing small, consistent bets that compound. Daily forward momentum and the "work in vs work on" trap This is the trap most technical leaders know too well: you can spend all your time building, coding, and delivering… and still feel like nothing is improving. Working in the work keeps things running. Working on the system—process, automation, positioning, strategy—keeps things growing. If you're a developer-founder or a tech lead, this matters because the "on" work is rarely urgent. It's just important. Daily forward momentum makes the important work non-negotiable without making it overwhelming. Keep your focus narrow Limiting yourself to 1–2 priorities prevents overwhelm and protects follow-through. A simple split works: 15 minutes in the morning + 15 minutes later in the day to keep progress alive. Daily forward momentum in 15 minutes a day The most practical idea in this episode is almost boring—which is why it works: 15 minutes a day. This isn't a productivity hack. It's a commitment device. You're proving to yourself that forward motion can happen even on messy days. A good 15-minute target looks like: Define the next smallest task Remove one blocker Draft one message Outline one section Implement one tiny change Document the next step so tomorrow starts clean Daily forward momentum in 15 minutes Choose a small, repeatable daily action that moves one goal forward. Consistency beats intensity when you're trying to break a plateau. Daily forward momentum through automation and time reclaimed One of the fastest ways to build momentum is to reclaim time. Automations—big or small—can turn recurring hour-long chores into quick workflows. That time savings becomes fuel. You reinvest it into the next constraint, the next improvement, the next deliverable. That's how momentum starts to snowball: less drag, more throughput, more clarity. Daily forward momentum challenge: pick one task for the week This episode brings back a challenge format that's simple and actionable: Write down the tasks you've been avoiding. Pick one task for the week. Touch it every day for 5–10 minutes. At week's end, review what moved and what didn't. Adjust. Callout: The Weekly Focus Challenge List the "stuck" tasks, pick one, and move it forward every day this week. End-of-week review: what progressed, what didn't, and what you'll change next. Daily forward momentum rules: keep your focus narrow (1–2 items) If you're new to this, don't juggle seven initiatives. Start with one. If you've got a big backlog of half-finished ideas, cap yourself at two. The goal is visible progress. When you can point to real movement, motivation stops being fragile. Daily forward momentum becomes your default operating system. Final Thoughts If you want more progress without more pressure, commit to daily forward momentum this week. Pick one thing, touch it daily, and let the results prove the method. If you want more practical resets like this, follow the season and bring the challenge to your team. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Maintaining Momentum And Steady Progress Consistency And Momentum: Keys To Success New Year, New Momentum: What Developers Can Look Forward to in 2026 Habits, Roadmaps, and the Value of Career Momentum Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

Building better foundations isn't about chasing the newest framework, tool, or trend. Instead, it's about reinforcing the fundamentals that consistently support good software, healthy teams, and sustainable businesses. This episode closes out the Building Better Foundations series by stepping back and asking a practical question: are we still doing the things that matter most? Foundations rarely feel urgent. Because they're repetitive and often invisible, they're easy to deprioritize when deadlines tighten. However, when quality drops, focus slips, or growth stalls, the root cause is almost always the same—the foundations weren't maintained. Why Building Better Foundations Start With "Why" At the core of every strong foundation is clarity. Why does this work matter? Why does this business exist? Why are you building this product at all? Without clear answers, priorities blur and effort becomes reactive. As a result, teams stay busy without making meaningful progress. Re-centering on purpose provides a filter for decisions, helping teams choose what not to do just as much as what to pursue. The same principle applies to software and business. When purpose is clear, design decisions improve, roadmaps stabilize, and trade-offs become easier to justify. Building Better Foundations and Process Before Tools Tools are tempting—especially automation and AI. However, tools don't fix broken processes; they amplify them. If the underlying workflow is unclear or inefficient, adding technology only creates faster chaos. For that reason, building better foundations requires understanding the process first and then deciding where tools truly add value. This approach helps teams avoid constant tool churn and keeps attention focused on outcomes rather than novelty. Process Before Automation Clarify and stabilize workflows before introducing AI or automation Automating broken processes increases complexity, not productivity Building Better Foundations in Daily Developer Work Foundations show up in everyday habits. For example, designing before coding, writing meaningful comments, and committing code with intent all contribute to long-term stability. Although these practices may feel optional under pressure, they're what make systems maintainable and resilient. Skipping them might save minutes today, but it usually costs hours later. Over time, consistency in these habits separates fragile codebases from durable ones. Building Better Foundations for Business Growth For independent developers, consultants, and leaders, building better foundations also means working on the business—not just in it. While billable work feels productive, it doesn't scale by itself. Sustainable growth requires time spent on branding, marketing, process improvement, and planning. Although this work is often non-billable, it directly supports future stability. Working On vs. In the Business Non-billable work creates long-term opportunity Small, consistent investments compound over time Building Better Foundations and Focused Execution Distraction is one of the biggest threats to strong foundations. New ideas, side projects, and constant context switching quietly erode momentum. Focused execution means regularly checking whether current work aligns with real priorities. Short work cycles, clear goals, and intentional pauses help prevent drift and keep effort aligned. Foundation Checkpoint Are today's tasks aligned with your core goals? What can be deferred, simplified, or removed? Using AI to Strengthen Building Better Foundations AI can be a powerful accelerator when used intentionally. In practice, the most effective use cases target repetitive, low-value work and free up time for higher-impact thinking. Used thoughtfully, AI reinforces better foundations by supporting focus and experimentation. On the other hand, used carelessly, it becomes just another source of noise. Resetting Your Year With Building Better Foundations As this series wraps up, the takeaway is straightforward: revisit your foundations. Write down your goals. Clarify your priorities. Then build a roadmap and commit to it. Ultimately, building better foundations isn't a one-time effort. It's an ongoing discipline that enables growth, resilience, and adaptability. If you want better outcomes this year, start by strengthening what everything else depends on. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Finding A Mentor – Creating a Solid Foundation Strong Foundations Start with Strong Requirements Building And Reinforcing Your Foundational Skills Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

If you're building software in the AI era, speed is everywhere—and that's exactly why discipline matters more than ever. In Part 2 of our interview with Angelo Zanetti, one strategy keeps coming up as the smartest path for founders and product teams: go web first. You validate demand faster, avoid app-store friction, and you get a clearer signal before you spend real money on the mobile "tax."  About Angelo Zanetti Angelo Zanetti is the co-founder and CEO of Elemental, a South African-based software development agency helping startups and scaleups worldwide bring digital products to life. Since 2005, his team has specialized in building scalable, high-performance web apps and software platforms that solve complex business problems. With deep technical knowledge and strategic thinking, Angelo has helped founders launch bespoke software products that are lean, user-focused, and future-ready. He's served on boards including BISA and Entrepreneurs' Organisation Cape Town, and he's a proud member of the global founder community OPUS. Go web first in the AI era AI is changing how teams build, but it doesn't change what makes a product succeed. Angelo's take is balanced: AI can absolutely make developers faster—but it can also make mistakes bigger if you don't have the experience to catch what's wrong.  He shares a story that captures the risk perfectly: a developer using Cursor accidentally had the database dropped and recreated. The tool didn't intend harm—it simply took a destructive shortcut with confidence.  Go web first and use AI like an amplifier. In the hands of an experienced developer, AI accelerates delivery. In the hands of someone guessing, it accelerates failure.  Go web first when you're still validating demand If the goal is traction, the fastest route is often not a mobile app. Angelo points out that mobile adds overhead: submissions take time, changes can slow down release cycles, and testing requires compiles plus device/emulator workflows that can drag early iterations.  When you go web first, you can ship faster, adjust faster, and learn faster. That matters when you're still figuring out what users actually value. Avoid app-store friction App stores introduce delays and rules. Even when you do everything right, you're waiting on review cycles and dealing with policies that can change. By starting on the web, you keep your feedback loop tight and your roadmap in your control. Shorten the feedback loop This is the hidden advantage: going web first makes iteration feel like steering instead of guessing. You can test onboarding, pricing pages, feature positioning, and workflows in days—not weeks—then respond to what real users do, not what you hope they do. Go web first, but use AI safely AI doesn't remove the need for senior judgment. Angelo's point is that experienced developers still matter because the hard part is translation—turning vision into structure, edge cases, and maintainable architecture.  AI can accelerate progress—go web first with guardrails Go web first and set guardrails early: backups, version control, review practices, and clear boundaries for what AI can touch. Tools can generate code quickly, but your team still owns security, data safety, and reliability. Mistakes are cheaper to fix When you're validating, mistakes are inevitable. The goal is to make them inexpensive. A web-first approach keeps the cost of change lower, so you don't "lock in" bad assumptions behind a costly mobile release cycle. Go web first by planning like an architect Angelo uses a metaphor that founders immediately get: building software is like building a house—you don't start by putting up walls. You start with an architect.  Planning is a real deliverable: scope, user journeys, exceptions, and specifications. It's often undervalued because it's not as tangible as code, but Angelo calls it key to success—especially if you want to scale later without rebuilding from scratch.  Start with a clear scope and user journeys Go web first with a simple, documented path: who the user is, what outcome they want, and what steps they take. When the journey is clear, the MVP stays focused—and your team can defend scope when feature requests start creeping in. Define a foundation you can scale You don't need to over-engineer. But you do need a foundation that won't collapse if adoption spikes. A web-first product can still be built with smart architecture that supports growth—without pretending you already have millions of users. Go web first, then go mobile when users pull you there Angelo shares a practical signal for mobile timing: when people keep asking for it—repeatedly—through engagement, social channels, and real usage patterns, the decision becomes obvious. That's when "it makes sense," not when it's a personal preference.  When mobile adds real value If the web product is solving the problem and users are happy, mobile isn't automatically better. Go web first until mobile improves retention, engagement, or access in a way the web can't. When hardware features make going mobile necessary Mobile becomes the right answer when you truly need what mobile devices offer—hardware-level capabilities that a web app can't reliably provide.  Closing: Go web first, then expand with confidence Part 2 is a reminder that modern tools don't replace fundamentals—they raise the stakes. Use AI to accelerate, but respect planning and safety. And when you're still proving demand, go web first. You'll learn faster, waste less, and you'll earn your way into mobile when the market makes the call.   Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Why Build A Mobile Application? Defining An MVP Properly for Your Goals How to Build a Minimal Viable Product Without Blowing Your Budget Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

If you're building a new app or software product, your biggest risk usually isn't "bad code." It's building the wrong thing, shipping it with a shaky first impression, and then wondering why growth never shows up. In this episode of Building Better Developers, Angelo Zanetti breaks it down into a simple founder goal: prove your MVP—prove the problem is real, prove the solution is worth paying for, and prove you can deliver value without burning your runway.  About Angelo Zanetti Angelo Zanetti is the co-founder and CEO of Elemental, a South African-based software development agency helping startups and scaleups worldwide bring digital products to life. Since 2005, his team has specialized in building scalable, high-performance web apps and software platforms. Angelo blends deep technical knowledge with strategic thinking, helping founders launch bespoke products that are lean, user-focused, and built for long-term value. He's also served on several boards (including BISA and Entrepreneurs' Organisation Cape Town) and is a proud member of the global founder community OPUS. Prove your MVP by solving a real problem Angelo's first checkpoint is direct: product-market fit is about whether you're solving a real pain—or building for a problem that "doesn't really exist."  That's the trap founders fall into when the plan is "we'll launch, and the floodgates will open." In reality, traction comes from specificity: a specific user, a specific workflow, and a specific outcome that's better than the alternatives. If you can't describe your user's pain in one sentence, you're not ready to build features—you're ready to refine the problem. Keeping it simple To prove your MVP, you need a version you can ship and learn from. Angelo's advice: keep it MVP—keep it simple—make launch as easy as possible.  This is where founders accidentally turn "minimal" into "massive." They stack features, add edge cases, and delay learning. A better approach is to ship the smallest version that delivers one clear win. A practical filter: Does this feature directly help the user get the promised result? Will we learn something important by shipping it now? If we cut it, can the product still succeed? Prove your MVP with a clean, bug-free first impression One of Angelo's strongest warnings: don't treat users like beta testers. He's not a fan of launching "full of bugs" and fixing things live, because you only get one chance at a strong first impression.  That matters even more early on, when your users are deciding whether to trust you with their time, money, or data. Bugs don't just hurt quality—they kill momentum. A messy first experience can "blow your chances" to wow users.  Market before development This is the founder's lesson that never feels "technical," but decides everything: marketing starts before you build. Angelo calls out the pattern he's seen repeatedly—founders who plan customer acquisition do well, and those who assume "launch to the world" will magically work usually don't.  Marketing early doesn't mean ads on day one. It means clarity: Who is this for? Where do they hang out? What promise makes them lean in? What proof would make them try it? Prove your MVP safely in the AI era AI tools can help you move faster—but they can also help you move faster into danger. Angelo raises a big concern: "vibe-coded" apps can become a playground for hackers, where API keys get exposed, and security gaps get exploited—especially when a non-technical founder doesn't know what to look for.  He also frames planning with a great metaphor: building software is like building a house—you start with an architect. Scoping, specifications, and user journeys are often undervalued because they're not "tangible," but they're key to long-term success and scaling.  Speed is great. But speed without planning and security is how you "prove" the wrong thing—painfully. Closing thoughts If you want to prove your MVP, don't chase perfection—and don't chase feature bloat either. Solve a real problem, keep it minimal, launch with quality, and start marketing earlier than feels comfortable. That's how you get real traction, real feedback, and a real foundation to scale. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Defining An MVP Properly for Your Goals Solving Problems in Software Projects How to Build a Minimal Viable Product Without Blowing Your Budget Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

Tiered pricing is becoming the simplest way to sell AI-powered SaaS without turning your pricing page into a technical explanation. In my interview with Dan Balcauski, founder and Chief Pricing Officer at Product Tranquility, we talked about why AI is forcing new pricing decisions earlier than ever—and why "good, better, best" packaging often works because it keeps buying decisions clear while helping companies manage real AI costs.  The AI era is making pricing margin-aware again. Tiered pricing helps you protect margins without forcing buyers to learn your cost structure.  About Dan Balcauski Dan Balcauski is the founder and Chief Pricing Officer at Product Tranquility, where he helps high-volume B2B SaaS CEOs define pricing and packaging for new products. He is a TopTal certified Top 3% Product Management Professional and helps teach Kellogg Executive Education course on Product Strategy. Over the last 15 years, Dan has managed products across the full lifecycle—from concept incubation to launch, platform transitions, maintenance, and end of life—across consumer and B2B companies ranging from startups to publicly traded enterprises. He previously served as Head of Product at LawnStarter and was a Principal Product Strategist at SolarWinds. Why Tiered Pricing Is Winning in the AI Era For years, SaaS companies could price mostly around value because marginal costs were relatively stable. AI changes the math. Dan points out that companies are now cutting meaningful monthly checks to model providers, and leadership teams can't pretend cost-to-serve is irrelevant anymore.  That's a big reason tiered pricing is showing up everywhere right now. It gives teams a way to: Keep the offer simple for buyers Put premium capabilities where they belong Create a natural upgrade path that aligns with value and cost Most importantly, tiered pricing keeps you out of the weeds. The customer conversation stays focused on outcomes, not infrastructure. What Makes Tiered Pricing Actually Work Dan's point isn't "just shove AI into the top tier." Tiered pricing works when plan differences are easy to understand and tied to value drivers customers already recognize.  Here are three practical patterns from the discussion that hold up well in the AI era. 1) Put AI in higher tiers when it boosts a user's output If an AI feature makes a person more effective—faster drafting, better triage, higher quality responses—tiering can be straightforward. The buyer already understands why a "Better" or "Best" plan costs more: it changes the capability of the team.  This is also why seat-based pricing can still make sense for many AI-enhanced tools. If the value driver is still "help my team do better work," then users/seats remain an intuitive anchor.  If AI increases team productivity, tiered pricing can stay aligned to seats—because seats still map to value.  2) Use add-ons when AI changes the value driver Sometimes AI doesn't just "help" the user—it replaces work entirely. When that happens, forcing it into the same tier structure can distort value and create confusion. Dan points to Intercom as a strong example of handling this well: The core support platform stays priced per user (agents), because the value driver is agent effectiveness. Their AI agent ("Fin AI") is priced separately because the agent isn't involved—the value is the number of issues the AI resolves. That's why per-resolution pricing makes sense.  3) Don't make buyers learn token math Dan's strongest warning is about token pricing. Customers don't want to learn what tokens are, and sales teams don't want to explain them—especially when you're selling a business outcome like faster support or better customer experience.  Token-based pricing also shifts the conversation away from value and toward your vendor bill. As Dan puts it, customers don't care about your infrastructure costs, and pushing that complexity into the buying motion adds friction.  If your tiered pricing requires a footnote explaining tokens, you're adding sand in the gears.  A Tiered Pricing Checklist for AI Features Here's a simple way to apply this immediately: Good: Core workflow value, minimal AI (or AI where costs are predictable) Better: AI that boosts team output (speed, quality, throughput) Best: AI that drives outcomes at scale (automation, deflection, resolution) Add-on: Use when AI has a different value driver than the base product (example: per-resolution)  Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Setting Your Development Pricing Fixed or Hourly Project Pricing A Project Management and Pricing Guide for Success Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

Minimal viable pricing is the fastest way to stop debating what your product should cost and start learning what customers will actually pay for. In my interview with Dan Balcauski, founder and Chief Pricing Officer at Product Tranquility, we talked about how early-stage teams can set pricing that's "good enough" to sell, validate value, and iterate—without getting stuck chasing the perfect number. Pricing can feel risky because it shapes perception, positioning, and revenue. But Dan's message is practical: you don't need perfect pricing to move forward—you need minimal viable pricing that creates clear decisions and real feedback loops. Minimal viable pricing isn't "cheap pricing." It's "clear pricing" that helps you test value and drive decisions. About Dan Balcauski Dan Balcauski is the founder and Chief Pricing Officer at Product Tranquility, where he helps high-volume B2B SaaS CEOs define pricing and packaging for new products. A TopTal-certified Top 3% Product Management Professional, Dan also teaches in Kellogg Executive Education's Product Strategy coursework. Over the last 15 years, he has led products across the full lifecycle—from concept incubation to launch, platform transitions, maintenance, and end-of-life—across both consumer and B2B markets. Before Product Tranquility, he served as Head of Product at LawnStarter and as a Principal Product Strategist at SolarWinds following its $4B acquisition. What "minimal viable pricing" actually means Dan's approach starts with a mindset shift: early-stage companies rarely fail because their initial price was off by 10–20%. They fail because they haven't found a repeatable customer problem, a clear value promise, or a reliable way to acquire customers. Minimal viable pricing means: You set a price you can defend. You package it in a way customers can understand. You use real conversations and real deals to refine it. It's pricing as a learning tool—not a spreadsheet exercise. Minimal viable pricing starts with your "free option" One of the most actionable parts of the discussion was Dan's breakdown of freemium vs free trial—and why it matters so much for minimal viable pricing. A free trial creates urgency. There's a natural deadline, which forces customers to evaluate value and decide. A freemium model can work, but it often creates a huge pool of users who never engage deeply enough to convert. If your goal is to learn quickly, trials often generate clearer signals: Who gets value fast? What feature set drives adoption? What objections stop the purchase? Minimal viable pricing works best when your go-to-market motion creates real decisions—not endless "maybe later." Trial length: don't confuse "short" with "effective" There's a trend toward shorter trials (like 7 days), but Dan's point is simple: a short clock doesn't help if your customer can't realistically experience value in that window. In B2B especially, onboarding delays, competing priorities, and internal approvals can chew up days instantly. A minimal viable pricing approach asks: What's the shortest trial that still allows a motivated customer to succeed? If you're selling to teams, the answer is often longer than you think. Use minimal viable pricing to clarify positioning Dan also shared a framing that sticks: are you selling a Timex or a Rolex? In other words, are you competing on affordability and simplicity—or premium value and outcomes? Minimal viable pricing isn't just about the number. It's also about: The story your pricing tells The kind of customer you attract The expectations you set around results and support You don't need a dozen plans to communicate this. You need clarity. If customers can't tell who your product is for from the pricing page, your "pricing problem" might actually be a positioning problem. The goal: learn faster, not argue longer Minimal viable pricing gives you a way to move forward without pretending you have perfect information. Start with something simple, sell it, listen hard, and iterate. If you want a practical takeaway from Dan's perspective, it's this: pricing is one of your best feedback loops. Use it early. Use it intentionally. And don't let the hunt for "perfect" delay the real work—helping customers win. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Defining An MVP Properly for Your Goals Price With Confidence: Estimation Made Simple How to Build a Minimal Viable Product Without Blowing Your Budget Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

If you want real improvement—not just more dashboards—workflow efficiency metrics have to start with something most teams avoid: visibility. In Part 2 of our interview with Michael Toguchi, we move from "big ideas" into the operational reality leaders face every day: shadow tools, duplicate systems, fuzzy ROI, and the pricing pressure that shows up when AI makes work faster. This conversation is a reality check for ops leaders, engineering leaders, and consultants trying to scale without drowning in tool sprawl—or measuring productivity in ways that break trust. Workflow efficiency metrics only work when the workflow is visible. If work lives in shadows, your data will lie. About Michael Toguchi Michael Toguchi is the Chief Strategy Officer at eResources, where he leads strategy for technology that supports complex, high-stakes workflows across higher education and mission-driven organizations. With 25+ years in digital transformation, Michael helps teams reduce tool sprawl, eliminate manual bottlenecks, strengthen compliance, and measure improvements in ways that translate into real operational capacity and impact. Tool Sprawl Starts as "Helpful" (Until It Becomes Expensive) Every organization eventually meets the "skunk works" problem: someone builds a spreadsheet, a quick app, a mini database, or a side process that solves a real pain—fast. It's well-intentioned. It's also how silos form. Over time, those small fixes become a parallel organization: Data gets duplicated in multiple places Teams report numbers that don't match Leaders lose confidence in what's "true" Tech debt grows quietly because no one owns it end-to-end Michael's warning is simple: when every department solves problems in isolation, the organization pays for it later—usually in rework, compliance risk, and decision-making paralysis. Shadow tools don't just create tech debt—they create decision debt. Workflow Efficiency Metrics Start With Transparency, Not Control The fix isn't to ban spreadsheets or crush experimentation. Michael's approach is more practical: shine the light on the workflow, then standardize intentionally. That means asking better questions: Who is doing this work today—and why? Where does the data enter, and where does it leave? Which steps exist because the system is unclear… versus because the work is truly necessary? What systems must integrate so people aren't forced into duplicate entry? Transparency isn't micromanagement. It's a shared map. And once everyone sees the same map, you can make changes that stick. "Shine the transparency light on the workflow." Then decide what to standardize and integrate. Workflow Efficiency Metrics That Matter: Time Saved → Capacity Gained A big takeaway from Part 2 is how Michael thinks about measurement. Leaders often struggle here because "value" feels subjective—until you translate it into something tangible. Instead of measuring activity ("tickets closed" or "hours logged"), focus on outcomes: time reclaimed errors reduced handoffs eliminated cycle time improved compliance risk reduced Michael shares a practical framing: if you reclaim even a slice of time—say 15% of a team's capacity—that's not just a feel-good metric. It's a lever you can pull: that capacity becomes more customers served more projects shipped more support coverage fewer burnout-driven departures In other words, the metric isn't "time saved." The metric is what the organization can now do because time was saved. Time saved is only "real" when it turns into capacity, quality, or revenue. When AI Shrinks Time, Time-and-Materials Pricing Breaks Then Michael hits the business-model shift that a lot of teams are quietly wrestling with: AI compresses time. Work that took weeks can take days. The value may be the same—or higher—but the hours shrink. If you sell hours, you're forced into a bad choice: charge less (even if the impact is huge), or justify hours that no longer make sense Michael's answer is to move up the stack: value-based pricing, retainers, and partnership models—ways of charging for outcomes, access, and expertise instead of minutes on a clock. That shift requires maturity: you must be able to explain your value clearly and measure the results you're creating. Which brings us right back to the point of the episode… Workflow efficiency metrics aren't just internal tools. They're how you prove impact when "time spent" stops being the story. Value-priced work + retainers make sense when time shrinks—but outcomes still matter. Closing Thoughts on Workflow Efficiency Metrics Part 2 is a playbook for modern leaders: reduce tool sprawl with transparency, measure efficiency without eroding trust, and adapt your pricing model as AI changes the relationship between time and value. In a world where speed is easier to buy, the winners will be the teams who can see the workflow, measure what matters, and price the impact. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Boost Your Developer Efficiency: Automation Tips for Developers Upgrading Your Business: Save Time And Improve Efficiency Invest In Your Team – They Will Want To Stay Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

If you've ever felt like your team is running on duct tape and good intentions, you're not alone. In this Building Better Developers interview, Michael Toguchi (Chief Strategy Officer at eResources) makes a simple point that changes how you approach growth: process before tools. Before you buy another platform, automate another workflow, or roll out a new system, you need clarity on how the work actually gets done—and who it's meant to serve. You can't tool your way out of chaos. The real fix starts upstream—before the migration, before the CRM, before the next sprint. It starts with people, leadership, and making the work visible enough to improve it. Process before tools isn't a slogan—it's the difference between scaling sustainably and scaling stress. If you want, I can also tighten the second sentence to include the phrase again without sounding repetitive, but this version should clear the Yoast check immediately. About Michael Toguchi Michael Toguchi is the Chief Strategy Officer at eResources, where he helps lead a platform that manages complex workflows for scholarships, grants, admissions, and accessibility services. With 25+ years supporting universities, nonprofits, and foundations through digital transformation, Michael focuses on making systems simpler, sustainable, and human-centered—so teams can scale without burnout and spend more time on mission-driven work. Process Before Tools: Why "Survival Mode" Becomes the Default Michael describes a pattern that mission-driven organizations (and plenty of startups) fall into: survival mode. Everyone is moving fast, reacting to urgent needs, and doing what it takes to keep the wheels turning. The downside is that the process gets postponed indefinitely. The team says things like: "We'll document it later." "We'll clean it up after this deadline." "We just need something that works." And it does work… until it doesn't. When the organization grows, the cracks grow with it: inconsistent outcomes, tribal knowledge, bottlenecks, and the quiet creep of burnout. Process Before Tools: Start Small, Make It Digestible One of the strongest points Michael makes is that meaningful change rarely comes from a dramatic, top-down overhaul. The most sustainable improvements begin with small, digestible steps. Instead of trying to "fix everything," identify a single pain point the team feels every week: A handoff that always breaks A recurring rework loop A reporting task that eats hours A workflow that depends on one person's memory Then improve that one piece, measure it, and repeat. Sustainable change isn't a magic wand. It's a series of small wins that teams can actually absorb. Process Before Tools: You Need Leadership Alignment (Not Just Agreement) A lot of teams confuse "buy-in" with "approval." Leadership might approve a new system or initiative, but that's not the same as aligning on why it matters, what success looks like, and what tradeoffs are acceptable. Michael emphasizes clarity: What problem are we solving? Who owns the workflow? What will we stop doing to make room for the change? How will we know it's working? Without alignment, the organization drifts into mixed expectations—some people expect speed, others expect compliance, others expect perfect reporting. The result is frustration on all sides. Process Before Tools: Win With People, Not Platforms Michael's most practical warning is also the simplest: don't make it about tools. Tools can amplify a good process, but they can't create it. If you automate a messy workflow, you don't get a better workflow—you get a faster mess. The winning strategy is human-first: build champions inside the team communicate the vision in plain language reduce fear by making the change incremental keep feedback loops tight When teams feel heard, they participate. When they participate, the workflow becomes real. And once the workflow is real, the tool decision becomes obvious. Tools don't transform organizations—people do. Process Before Tools: A Practical Takeaway You Can Use This Week Here's a simple way to apply Part 1 immediately: Pick one workflow everyone complains about. Write down the steps as they happen today (no judgment). Identify one "failure point" (handoff, duplicate entry, unclear ownership). Fix only that this week. Tell the team what changed and why. That's how you move from survival mode to sustainable growth—without waiting for a budget cycle or a platform replacement. Closing Thoughts This interview is a reminder that building better systems is really about building better teams. Before you chase the next tool, tighten the workflow. Before you automate, clarify. Before you scale, align. In Part 2, we'll go deeper into workflow transparency, tool sprawl, measurable efficiency, and what happens when AI compresses time and challenges the way we price work. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Individuals and Interactions Over Processes And Tools The Science Of Processes – Interview With Samuel Drauschak Automating Your Processes Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

You validated the idea. You built the page. Maybe you're even getting traffic. And yet… the conversions don't match the effort. In Part 2 of our interview with Samir ElKamouny, we shift from "prove the concept" to conversion rate optimization—the discipline of diagnosing what's actually limiting growth and improving the parts of your funnel that matter most. This isn't about chasing shiny marketing tactics. It's about execution: the kind that turns a funnel from "pretty good" into "predictable." About Samir ElKamouny Samir ElKamouny is an entrepreneur and marketing expert who believes execution is everything—an early lesson inspired by his father's legacy of big ideas. He has helped scale businesses by pairing strategic action with a commitment to impact, guided by values such as Freedom, Happiness, Health, Family, and Spirituality. In this episode, that philosophy becomes funnel execution: identify the bottleneck, prioritize the 80/20, and optimize what's already working. Conversion Rate Optimization Starts With One Question: Where's the Constraint? Many teams skip straight to A/B testing headlines or tweaking button colors. Samir takes a more surgical approach. Before you optimize anything, you need to know what kind of problem you have: Do you have a traffic problem? Or do you have a conversion problem? Because those are different fixes. If you're not getting enough visitors, obsessing over landing page micro-changes won't move the needle. But if you are getting traffic and still not getting demos, leads, or signups—then you've got a conversion bottleneck, and conversion rate optimization is exactly the right tool. Bottleneck First Traffic problem = distribution. Demo problem = messaging, offer, trust, friction, or flow. Diagnose the constraint before you "optimize." Use the 80/20 Rule to Avoid Busywork Samir's funnel advice lines up with how great engineers debug systems: don't touch everything—find the one thing causing most of the pain. That's the 80/20 rule applied to marketing and funnels: A small number of pages create most conversions. A small number of objections block most sales. A small number of steps create most drop-off. When you apply conversion rate optimization well, you're not "improving your funnel" in general. You're improving the one point that's limiting everything downstream. A practical example: if you're generating leads but no one books calls, the issue probably isn't your top-of-funnel content. It's the handoff—your booking experience, your follow-up, or the clarity of what the call is for. The "Two-Second Clarity Test" for Positioning Samir emphasizes something that's brutally simple—and incredibly effective: When someone lands on your page, they should understand what you do in about two seconds. Not "kind of." Not "after reading three paragraphs." Two seconds. That clarity acts like a conversion multiplier. If visitors are confused, they don't scroll. They don't click. They bounce. And no amount of A/B testing can fix a page that doesn't communicate the offer. Two-Second Clarity Test: Can a first-time visitor instantly answer: What is this? Who is it for? What outcome do I get? If not, start there. Don't Test What Nobody Sees One of the most actionable parts of Part 2 is Samir's reminder to test based on attention, not opinions. Teams often test sections that aren't getting seen or clicked because they "feel important." But if users never reach that section—or don't interact with it—optimizing it is wasted effort. Instead, focus on experiments where user engagement is highest: above the fold the primary CTA area pricing/packages booking forms the first "proof" section (testimonials, logos, outcomes) That's how you make conversion rate optimization practical: test the parts of the page that actually get traffic, eyeballs, and clicks. A Simple Conversion Rate Optimization Framework You Can Use This Week Here's a clean execution loop you can run without overcomplicating it: Pick one conversion goal (demo booked, lead submitted, trial started). Locate the biggest drop-off (analytics + recordings + basic funnel tracking). Form one hypothesis ("People don't trust us yet," "Offer is unclear," "Form is too long"). Make one meaningful change (not five at once). Measure the result and keep only what improves the goal. That's it. Clear goal. One bottleneck. One change. Real measurement. Closing Thoughts: Optimize the Constraint, Not Your Ego The best part of Samir's approach is that it respects reality. It avoids "marketing theater" and focuses on execution that produces outcomes. If you want conversion rate optimization to work, don't start with cleverness. Start with constraints: Where are people dropping off? What do they not understand? What stops them from taking the next step? Fix that one thing, and the whole system improves. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Business Tune-Up Checklist: How to Refresh, Refocus, and Reignite Mid-Year How to Succeed with Digital Marketing for Small Businesses Close Deals With LinkedIn Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

If you're a developer or founder, you already know how to build. The hard part is building the right thing, for the right people, at the right time. In Part 1 of our interview with Samir ElKamouny, we dig into a practical market validation strategy that helps you avoid the most expensive mistake in software: investing months of effort into something the market didn't ask for. Samir's message is refreshingly grounded: big ideas are great, but execution is everything. And execution doesn't start with code—it starts with clarity, research, and small tests that tell you whether you're on the right path. About Samir ElKamouny Samir ElKamouny is an entrepreneur and marketing expert who believes execution is everything—an early lesson inspired by his father's legacy of big ideas. He's helped scale businesses by pairing strategic action with a commitment to impact, guided by values like Freedom, Happiness, Health, Family, and Spirituality. In this episode, that philosophy shows up as practical market validation: test demand and messaging before you overbuild. Market Validation Strategy: Start With "Is This Real?" Before "Can I Build It?" One of the biggest mindset shifts Samir reinforces is that your first job isn't product development—it's discovery. Before you worry about features, tech stacks, or perfect UI, you need answers to questions like: What problem are we solving—and for whom? What alternatives do people already use? Why would someone switch (or pay)? What would make this stand out in the market? This is where market research becomes your leverage. It reduces risk, sharpens your messaging, and keeps your roadmap tied to real-world demand instead of assumptions. Ideas Don't Win—Execution Wins: You can have a great idea, but if you can't clearly explain why it matters and who it's for, you'll struggle to sell it—even if you build it perfectly. Market Validation Strategy: Use Market Research to Find Differentiation Samir talks about loving market research because it forces you to look for what actually matters: differentiation. A useful way to think about this (especially for builders) is to treat your market research like a product spec—but for the buyer's brain: What are the top 3 pains people complain about? What outcomes do they want most? What language do they use to describe the problem? What do they distrust about existing options? That last point is gold: distrust is often where your positioning lives. If buyers think "all solutions in this space are overpriced and confusing," your market edge might be "simple, transparent, and fast to implement." Market Validation Strategy: Run the $5/Day Test (Before You Write Code) Here's where Samir gets extremely actionable: you don't need a perfect product to validate interest. You need a simple way to test messaging and capture intent. Think lightweight experiments: a basic landing page with one clear promise a short form ("Interested? Tell me your biggest challenge.") a tiny ad budget to test demand and messaging (Samir mentions even $5/day) a few direct conversations with the people you're building for This isn't about "launching." It's about getting signals—fast. The Goal Isn't Perfection—It's Proof: If people won't click, reply, or sign up when the idea is explained clearly, a bigger build won't fix that. Validation comes before optimization. Market Validation Strategy: Build a Funnel That Matches the Buyer's Learning Curve Samir also breaks down why funnels aren't one-size-fits-all. The funnel you need depends on how much your buyer must be educated before they can decide. If you're in a well-known category—say "CRM"—buyers already understand the problem and the solution type. Your job becomes differentiation and trust. But if your product is new, complex, or requires behavior change, you may need a longer funnel: more education, more examples, more proof, and more clarity before a buyer is ready to act. Either way, the key is to define the conversion goal (lead, consultation, free trial, signup) and build only what supports that path. Market Validation Strategy: A 48-Hour Checklist for Builders Try this quick validation sprint before you commit to a full build: Write a one-sentence offer (who it's for + outcome). Build a simple landing page (problem, promise, proof, CTA). Run a tiny ad test or post where your audience hangs out. Track clicks + form submissions (signals > opinions). Talk to 3–5 responders and ask what they expected. If the message lands, you've earned the right to build the next layer. If it doesn't, you just saved yourself months of building the wrong thing. Closing Thoughts: Execute Small, Learn Fast, Build Smart A strong market validation strategy is less about "finding the perfect idea" and more about building the habit of learning quickly. Samir's approach helps you move from assumptions to evidence—without betting your time, energy, or budget on hope. So before you spin up a repo, define your offer, test your messaging, and look for real-world signals. Once you have proof, then you can build with confidence—because you're not just building software. You're building something people actually want. In Part 2, we'll take the next step: how to diagnose funnel bottlenecks, improve clarity, and use smarter testing to increase conversions once you've got traction. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Branding and Marketing Fundamentals with Kevin Adelsberger Leverage YouTube For Marketing And Brand Growth How to Succeed with Digital Marketing for Small Businesses Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

New Year's Day hits different when you're recording with a live studio audience, passing the mic around, and starting the year with a mix of laughs, honest reflection, and big goals. In this Building Better Developers special episode, Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche kick off 2026 by sharing a "good thing / bad thing" recap from a recent Christmas party—then opening the floor to the team to talk about the New Year developer goals. It's casual, it's real, and it's a reminder that growth (personal and professional) usually starts with clarity. Michael's 2026 New Year developer goals: Payoff and Growth When the conversation turns forward, Michael shares something that hits hard for anyone building a business—or rebuilding momentum. He describes the last year (or two) as a heavy investment: retooling, branding, marketing, refining direction, and putting in the work that doesn't immediately show results. Now, in 2026, he's looking for payoff—not in a "get rich quick" way, but in the sense of seeing the fruits of consistent effort. He also mentions narrowing focus for Develpreneur and wanting to see that a clearer direction translates into growth. There's something powerful about that moment: when you stop trying to do everything, and start building depth in the things that matter. If you spent 2025 laying groundwork, 2026 is your chance to ship with confidence. Foundations aren't the finish line—but they make speed possible. Rob's 2026 New Year developer goals: Scale, Network, and Teach Again Rob's focus is straightforward: he wants to keep growing the business, but also move from "a couple projects went well" to scaling—bringing in more work and creating consistent momentum. One of the practical strategies he calls out is getting out more: business conventions, tech conventions, and networking. Not just online—real-world conversations that create opportunities. He also hints at something long-time listeners will appreciate: he wants to relaunch teaching episodes. That includes new "kitchen sink" style applications, plus content around AI and emerging technologies. It's a return to hands-on learning—less theory, more building. Team Voices on New Year developer goals: Milestones, Features, and New Seasons Wes, a programmer at RRB Consulting, brings a personal win that feels like pure New Year energy: his car is getting paid off early in the year. That's freedom. Breathing room. And honestly, a reminder that progress isn't only measured in commits and deployments. Professionally, Wes is excited about projects with features coming together in the first quarter—things moving from "in progress" to "in the client's hands." Natalie shares that 2026 is a "new season of change" for her—wrapping up big chapters and getting ready to reinvest significant time back into RRB. Rob adds another layer: he's planning to be a digital nomad in 2026 and launching a site to document the adventures and the tech behind them. One Day at a Time (Yes, Even for Developers) As the episode closes, there's a simple challenge: don't give up on your New Year's resolutions on day one. Make it to day two. Day three. Day ten. Keep it small. Keep it moving. And then: back to interviews, back to Building Better Foundations, and the ongoing push toward major milestones—like eventually hitting episode 1000. Pick one small habit you can keep for 10 days. If you can do 10, you can do 30. If you can do 30, you can change your year. Ready for 2026? This episode isn't about perfect plans—it's about momentum, focus, and showing up. Whether you're chasing payoff after a long build season, scaling your business, shipping features, or stepping into a new chapter… the message is the same: Start. Today. Then do it again tomorrow. Happy New Year—and we'll see you in the next episode. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Strategies for Your New Year Planning Become A Better Developer In The New Year Goal Setting and Habits: The Keys to a Productive New Year Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

It's New Year's Eve-Eve, and instead of recording from our usual virtual setups, we did something we've talked about for years: we hit record in the same room. If you're watching on YouTube, you can actually see us together. If you're listening on audio, you'll just have to trust us—this one was in-person. In this special episode of Building Better Developers (our Building Better Foundations season), we keep it simple: a Year-End Reflection for Developers. What are we ready to leave behind from this year? What do we want to carry into the next one? And what's the reality behind the loudest tech conversations? A Year-End Reflection for Developers isn't about perfection. It's about clarity—keeping what worked, dropping what didn't, and starting the next year lighter. Year-End Reflection for Developers: What We're Ready to Leave Behind We opened the discussion with a question you can ask your team, your friends, or yourself: What are you ready to see go away? For Rob, it was the endless, extreme framing around AI. Not AI itself—he uses it and enjoys it—but the constant "AI will save everything" or "AI will destroy everything" energy that dominated so many conversations this year. The truth is, we're still going to talk about AI next year. The goal is to move the conversation toward reality: what it can do well, what it can't, and how to use it responsibly without acting like it's magic—or doom. Year-End Reflection for Developers on AI Hype vs Reality A big part of this Year-End Reflection for Developers was dialing down the panic and dialing up practical thinking. AI tools can absolutely help developers move faster. They can help summarize, brainstorm, refactor, and even unblock you when you're stuck. But the hype has pushed people into extremes, and extremes aren't useful when you're shipping software. If you used AI this year, you already know the real story: sometimes it's brilliant, and sometimes it confidently hands you nonsense. Use AI like a tool, not a truth machine. A Year-End Reflection for Developers should include one rule: verify before you trust. Year-End Reflection for Developers on "AI Caused the Layoffs" Michael took the AI conversation in a different direction: big businesses blaming AI for layoffs. Yes, AI will impact jobs over time. But what we're seeing right now often looks more like companies correcting after the COVID-era "no hire / no fire" period. In other words, the bottom line is driving decisions, and AI is becoming a convenient headline. If you're cutting roles for financial reasons, just say that. Don't hide behind buzzwords. That honesty matters—not just for employees, but for the industry. Developers don't benefit from fear-based narratives. We benefit from transparency and real strategy. Year-End Reflection for Developers: Studio Audience Takeaways Because we had an in-room setup, we passed the mic to a few of our "studio audience" members. Ian shared the positive side of his year: getting hands-on experience in Agile and learning what it's like to build alongside a team of developers on a large project. It had hangups, and it ran longer than expected—but that's real work, and real growth. Wesley echoed the burnout around AI buzzwords and made a strong point: when we say "AI," we need to be specific. A lot of what people mean right now is "large language models," and lumping everything under "AI" only adds confusion. He also called out how hype can warp markets—like hardware prices skyrocketing when everyone jumps on the trend. Year-End Reflection for Developers: Less Fear, More People Natalie brought the most human answer of the night: she wants less fear. Less fear, less uncertainty, less constant tension—and more remembering that we're all in this together. That hit home, because a Year-End Reflection for Developers isn't just about tech. It's about how we work, how we treat each other, and how we show up next year. Year-End Reflection for Developers: What's Next We closed with a simple message: go enjoy the next few days. Get out. Socialize. Be kind. Let go of the fear and anger where you can. We'll see you in 2026. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Strategies for Your New Year Planning Make a Final Push to Setup a Great New Year Become A Better Developer In The New Year Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

The week before Christmas has a way of exposing how the year really went. Deadlines either slow down or pile up, calendars get messy, and the pressure to "wrap everything up" shows up at the same time you're trying to enjoy the season. In this Pre-Christmas episode of Building Better Developers, Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche keep it practical: looking back on the year, calling out what worked (and what didn't), and sharing why a year-end reset for developers is the best way to prepare for a better new year. Why a Year-End Reset for Developers Matters A year-end reset for developers isn't just taking a few days off. It's stepping back long enough to see the patterns you've been living in: where you made progress, where you got stuck, and where you've been running on fumes. This episode is about doing that reflection without guilt—and using it to set yourself up for momentum, rather than burnout. A year-end reset for developers is how you stop repeating the same year with a new calendar. The Good, the Bad, and the Real: Looking Back on the Year Rob kicks things off with a simple reflection: one good thing and one bad thing from the year. The good news is that the business made it through another year. That matters more than people like to admit. Survival means you kept moving, you adapted, and you didn't shut the doors. He also highlights a significant win: spending more time working on the business, rather than just being inside it. That includes improving systems, making changes, and investing in the foundation that supports growth. The bad is honest too: the company didn't grow as much as he wanted. Some goals didn't land. Still, even that can be useful—because it creates space to strengthen the core instead of rushing to scale. A year-end reset for developers starts with one question—what did you build that will help you next year? Micro Goals: How a Year-End Reset for Developers Turns Into Progress One of the biggest themes in this episode is that progress doesn't require dramatic change. Rob leans into incremental improvement—the small steps that keep forward motion alive when life gets busy. He talks about regularly touching key areas of the business: rebuilding and redesigning parts of the brand, creating internal tools, and moving toward more custom systems to reduce dependency on licenses and patchwork solutions. It's a steady approach: a little time each week, consistently, until the results show up. He also points out that networking and marketing may not be fun for everyone, but doing them consistently builds relationships—and those relationships often become valuable in ways you can't predict. Micro goals are the engine of a year-end reset for developers—small steps, repeated, create big change. When You're Split Across Stacks, the Reset Becomes Essential Michael talks about something many devs feel: context switching is expensive. This year, he has had two major projects running in two different technology worlds—Django/Python/Apache on one side and Java/Spring/AWS/Redis on the other. Even when you enjoy the work, the mental shift between stacks adds friction. That's why a year-end reset for developers needs to include something most of us skip: rest. Not "watch a screen while thinking about work" rest—real rest. Rest Is Not a Suggestion: The Core of a Year-End Reset for Developers Michael shares what he's been trying to implement more seriously: turning off distractions, stepping away from screens, and scheduling real breaks. Michael took a couple of days off over Thanksgiving and felt a clear difference. Because the truth is, there's a point where "powering through" stops working. You can still finish tasks, but it takes ten times the effort. Your mind gets foggy. Your focus disappears. Then you start mistaking exhaustion for a productivity problem. So the recommendation is simple: schedule rest like it's a requirement. Take a walk. Read a book. Get away from devices. Let your eyes rest. Get out into your community. Look at holiday events, concerts, or just go see Christmas lights. The goal is to reconnect with life outside your backlog. The fastest way to improve your output is often a year-end reset for developers—rest first, then refocus. Boundaries Make You Better: Deadlines, Routines, and Quitting Time Rob adds an important point: structure helps. Having a "quit time" creates a boundary that forces smarter choices. He's found that shrinking the to-do list and accepting "it'll be there tomorrow" can actually increase productivity. We've preached this for years, and it still holds: once you push past a certain number of hours each week, you're not producing more—you're just working longer. A year-end reset for developers includes rebuilding boundaries that protect your focus. He also shares something worth repeating: everyone needs a way to disconnect. Exercise, cooking, a hobby, a walk—whatever it is, find it. If you don't have it, go discover it. Closing Thoughts: Enjoy the Season and Start Fresh This episode wraps with a simple holiday message: enjoy the time you have. Spend it with family and friends. Take a break. Indulge a little. Get out of the house. Recharge. Then when the new year hits, you'll be ready to set goals that actually stick—because you'll be thinking clearly and moving on purpose. A year-end reset for developers isn't a luxury. It's how you finish the year with gratitude—and start the next one with momentum. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources The Magic of Christmas Movies: A Heartwarming Tradition Gratitude and Growth: A Thanksgiving Special on Building Better Developers Thanksgiving Reflections for Developers: A Moment to Reset and Appreciate Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

In Part 2 of our Building Better Foundations interview with Hunter Jensen, founder and CEO of Barefoot Solutions and Barefoot Labs, we explore how companies can begin adapting their business to AI over the next one to three years. Rather than imagining futuristic scenarios, Hunter keeps the focus on what's already happening—and what leaders must do now to stay ahead. About Hunter Jensen Hunter Jensen is the Founder and CEO of Barefoot Solutions, a digital agency specializing in artificial intelligence, data science, and digital transformation. With over 20 years of experience, Hunter has worked with startups and Fortune 500 companies, including Microsoft and Salesforce, to implement innovative technology strategies that drive measurable ROI. A seasoned leader and expert in the AI space, Hunter helps businesses harness cutting-edge technologies to achieve growth and efficiency. Facebook / Twitter (X) / LinkedIn / Website Where Companies Will See the First Wins When Adapting Their Business to AI Hunter starts by shortening the timeline. Five years is too far; the real transformation is happening in the next 12–36 months. Today's early value comes from AI supporting back-office functions: HR Accounting Research Administrative work These areas already show measurable ROI. But adapting your business to AI isn't just about automating repetitive tasks. "What comes next is using AI to support the thing your business actually does." – Hunter Jensen If you're in cybersecurity, AI will amplify cybersecurity tasks. If you work in finance, AI will speed up analysis and deal preparation. If you're in legal, AI will reshape workflows and client expectations. These shifts mark the second major phase of adapting your business to AI. The Coming Surplus: How AI Redefines Knowledge Work When Adapting Your Business to AI As companies begin adapting their business to AI, productivity skyrockets. Hunter predicts that many teams will get 5x more output from the same number of people. We see this creating a new challenge: a surplus of available work hours. This has already happened in software development. With AI-enhanced coding, the same team can deliver far more in far less time. Hunter warns that other knowledge-work fields—including law, consulting, and analytics—are next in line. "Layoffs are not a growth strategy. You need to innovate." – Hunter Jensen Instead of cutting staff, leaders should redirect excess capacity into new products, services, and innovation. Adapting Your Business to AI Requires Rethinking Your Model The biggest disruption comes not from tools—but from business models. Hunter shares how Barefoot Solutions, after 20 years of hourly-based software development, had to rethink its entire model when adapting its business to AI. With AI writing code faster than ever, traditional hourly billing simply couldn't reflect true value. The result? A shift toward product development, leading to the creation of Compass, an internal AI platform that helps organizations securely use their data. Many industries—especially those built on billable hours—will need to make similar changes. That means exploring: Value-based pricing Productized services Internal tools that create leverage Hybrid service + product offerings Adapting your business to AI means adapting how you make money, not just how you work. What Developers and Students Should Do Now For younger developers or recent graduates, adapting your career to AI is just as important as adapting your business to AI. Hunter recommends: Building strong AI literacy Understanding how to investigate, validate, and critique AI output Learning to integrate AI APIs into real applications Creating proof-of-concept projects that solve real business problems "The best way to learn is by building. Anything. Solve one real pain point." – Hunter Jensen Those projects become powerful résumé builders—and valuable stepping stones into the industry. Why Data Is Now the Ultimate Competitive Advantage The era of "first mover advantage" is over. AI allows competitors to replicate an idea in a weekend. But one thing cannot be cloned: your proprietary data. Hunter argues that adapting your business to AI means treating your data like a strategic asset. Companies with decades of untouched data—financial, healthcare, legal, operational—hold the new competitive moat. If you can use AI to unlock insights from that data, you create advantages no competitor can copy. Turning Disruption Into Opportunity As Hunter explains, adapting your business to AI is not optional: Productivity will surge Pricing models will shift Historic data will become a treasure chest Innovation will define survival But for entrepreneurs, leaders, and developers, this is also the most exciting moment in decades. The companies that adapt will not only survive—they'll lead. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Leveraging AI for Business: How Automation and AI Boost Efficiency and Growth Business Automation and Templates: How to Streamline Your Workflow Why Bother With Automated Testing? Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

In this episode of Building Better Foundations, we interview Hunter Jensen, founder and CEO of Barefoot Solutions and Barefoot Labs, to explore what it really takes when getting started with AI in your business. As companies rush toward AI adoption, Hunter offers grounded, practical advice on avoiding early mistakes, protecting your data, and choosing the right starting point. About Hunter Jensen Hunter Jensen is the Founder and CEO of Barefoot Solutions, a digital agency specializing in artificial intelligence, data science, and digital transformation. With over 20 years of experience, Hunter has worked with startups and Fortune 500 companies, including Microsoft and Salesforce, to implement innovative technology strategies that drive measurable ROI. A seasoned leader and expert in the AI space, Hunter helps businesses harness cutting-edge technologies to achieve growth and efficiency. Facebook / Twitter (X) / LinkedIn / Website Why "Just Add AI" Is Not a Strategy When Getting Started with AI in Your Business Hunter begins by addressing the biggest misconception leaders face when getting started with AI in their business: the belief that a single, all-knowing model can absorb everything your business does and instantly deliver insights across every department. "Leaders imagine an all-knowing model. We are nowhere near that being safe or realistic." – Hunter Jensen The core issue is access control. Even the best models cannot safely enforce who should or should not see certain data. If an LLM is trained on HR data, how do you stop it from sharing salary information with an employee who shouldn't see it? This is why getting started with AI in your business must begin with clear boundaries and realistic expectations. Safe First Steps When Getting Started with AI in Your Business As Hunter explains, companies don't need to dive straight into custom models. A safer, simpler path exists for getting started with AI in your business, especially for teams on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Start With Tools Already Built Into Your Environment Hunter recommends two solid, low-risk entry points: Microsoft 365 Copilot Google Gemini for Workspace These platforms provide: Built-in enterprise protections Familiar workflows Safe, contained AI access A gentle learning curve for employees Hunter emphasizes that employees are already using public AI tools, even if policy forbids it. When getting started with AI in your business, providing approved tools is essential to keeping data safe. "If you're not providing safe tools, your team will use unsafe ones." – Hunter Jensen These tools won't solve every AI need, but they are an ideal first step. Choosing the Right Model for Your Needs Another common question when getting started with AI in your business is: Which model is best? ChatGPT? Gemini? Claude? Hunter explains that the landscape changes weekly—sometimes daily. Today's leading model could be irelevent tomorrow. For this reason, businesses should avoid hard commitments to a single model. Experiment Before Committing Hunter suggests opening multiple LLMs side-by-side—such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity—and testing each for quality and speed. This gives teams a feel for what works before deciding how AI fits into their workflow. This experimentation mindset is essential when getting started with AI in your business because: Different models excel at different tasks Some models are faster or cheaper Some handle long context or code better New releases constantly change the landscape Your AI system should remain flexible enough to shift models as needed. Protecting Your Data from Day One One of Hunter's strongest warnings is about data safety. If you're serious about getting started with AI in your business, you must pay attention to licensing. If you are not paying for AI, you have no control over your data. Some industries—like legal, finance, and healthcare—may need even stricter controls or private deployments. This leads naturally to the next stage of AI adoption. The Next Step After Getting Started with AI in Your Business Once companies understand their needs, the next phase is building an internal system that: Connects securely to business software Honors existing user permissions Keeps all data inside the company network Uses models selected for specific tasks Hunter's product Compass is perfect for this phase. Instead of trusting the model to protect data, you rely on your own systems and access controls. This is how AI becomes truly safe and powerful. "The model should only see what the user is allowed to see—nothing more." – Hunter Jensen Final Thoughts on Getting Started with AI in Your Business Part 1 of our interview with Hunter Jensen makes one thing clear: getting started with AI in your business isn't about chasing the latest model. It's about protecting your data, giving your team safe tools, and preparing for a multi-model future. Stay tuned for Part 2 as we dive deeper into internal AI deployment, advanced architectures, and building long-term AI strategy. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Leveraging AI for Business: How Automation and AI Boost Efficiency and Growth Business Automation and Templates: How to Streamline Your Workflow Why Bother With Automated Testing? Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content