Tech Lead Journal

“Soft skills are always going to be those ladders for you to climb in your career, whereas your tech skills can turn into snakes, meaning you’ve got to start again with another skill." Jacqui Read, author of “Communication Patterns,” joins in this episode to discuss why strong communication skills are crucial for developers and technical leaders, often surpassing the importance of merely technical expertise. We delve into four key communication areas: visual communication, multimodal communication, communicating knowledge, and communicating remotely. During the discussion, Jacqui suggests several practical patterns you can immediately implement to level up your communication skills, such as knowing your audience, the big picture comes first, and perspective-driven documentation.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:01:40] Architecture Kata - [00:03:17] Writing Communication Patterns - [00:05:03] Importance of Soft Skills - [00:07:33] Visual Communication - [00:09:24] Visual Communication Essentials - [00:12:12] Visual Narrative - [00:17:46] Multimodal Communication - [00:21:09] Verbal & Non-Verbal Communication - [00:26:29] Encoding & Decoding - [00:29:58] Communicating Knowledge - [00:32:22] Tips for Capturing Knowledge - [00:40:14] Get Feedback Early & Just-in-Time - [00:43:05] Communicating Remotely - [00:48:59] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:54:23] _____ Jacqui Read’s BioJacqui Read is an internationally-recognised solution and enterprise architect, and author of Communication Patterns: A Guide for Developers and Architects. She teaches public and private workshops and speaks at international conferences on topics such as architecture practices, technical communication, and systems design. Jacqui specialises in untangling and extracting value from data and knowledge, helping businesses to determine direction in complex environments. Her professional interests include collaborative modelling, knowledge management, Domain-Driven Design, sociotechnical architecture, and modernising enterprise architecture practices. Outside of work she enjoys gardening and strumming her ukulele while singing at the same time. Follow Jacqui: Personal Website – jacquiread.com LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/jacquelineread Book’s Website – communicationpatternsbook.com _____ Our Sponsors Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/170. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“As technology has become more and more pervasive, experience has become more and more important. And if companies don’t think of the experience, then users don’t think of the company." Satyam Kantamneni is the CEO of UXReactor and the author of “User Experience Design”. In this episode, Satyam delves into the power of user experience design to drive business growth and value. Satyam explains why user experience design is paramount for success and reveals the common gaps that prevent companies from truly becoming user-centric. He dissects the concept of Experience Value Chain, illustrating the levels of UX (user experience), PX (product experience), and XT (experience transformation). Satyam provides insights into how experience-driven organizations establish strong business moats and unlock incredible business values. He defines the concept of experience debt, urging organizations to prioritize a relentless pursuit of magical user experiences. Satyam also shares the PragmaticUX playbook and mindsets, providing a roadmap for organizations seeking to embark on the transformative journey towards XT.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:01:13] State of UX and Design - [00:02:35] The Gap for Being User-Centered - [00:04:51] Experience Value Chain - [00:09:09] Moving Beyond Just UI - [00:12:30] Trinity of Collaboration - [00:15:30] 3 Levels of Experience - [00:18:58] Experience Debt - [00:21:40] Experience Transformation (XT) - [00:24:16] XT & Business Moat - [00:28:04] PragmaticUX Playbook - [00:30:58] PragmaticUX Mindsets - [00:34:14] Organization’s Empathy - [00:40:14] Getting User’s Feedback - [00:43:24] Tips to Get Started - [00:45:04] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:47:10] _____ Satyam Kantamneni’s BioSatyam is the Chief Experience Officer at UXReactor. In less than 7 years, UXReactor has become the fastest growing specialized experience design firm in the US, with a team of 50+ employees spread over three continents. Through UXReactor, Satyam demonstrated that UX can and should drive enterprise-wide innovation and business outcomes. UXReactor has enabled its clients-partners to generate hundreds of millions in additional revenue from user-centered innovation. Satyam is passionate about user-centered innovation, and he authored a book titled User Experience Playbook: A Practical to Fuel Business Growth. Follow Satyam: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/kantamneni UXReactor – uxreactor.com _____ Our Sponsors Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/169. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“If you can outsource it and if it’s not something that makes you different, you should use a service, because you’ll always be asked to do more things than you can build that are differentiated to your organization.” Are you ever frustrated by your software development team getting bogged down doing undifferentiated tasks, leaving less time for innovation? In this episode, Joseph Emison, co-founder and CTO of Branch Insurance and author of “Serverless as a Game Changer,” suggests how serverless technology can streamline the way we do software development. Joe starts by explaining the existing gap between the best and average software development teams, highlighting how teams often prioritize undifferentiated tasks instead of focusing on what truly sets them apart. He challenges the conventional wisdom that code is an asset and explains why it can be a liability. Joe breaks down the definition of serverless technology and delves into the real costs of software development. He addresses a few of the most commonly raised objections to adopting serverless: lock-in, security, and uptime. You’ll also learn the Branch development principle and how they successfully implement serverless architecture and gain many benefits from the approach. This episode is a must-listen for any developer or engineering leader looking to gain an understanding of serverless technology and revolutionize the way we approach software development.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:01:09] Writing “Serverless as a Game Changer” - [00:04:25] Software Development Teams Gap - [00:11:07] Differentiated vs Undifferentiated - [00:14:52] The Real Costs of Software Development - [00:19:57] The Serverless Mindset - [00:24:58] Code is a Liability - [00:27:44] Infrastructure as a Code - [00:31:06] Serverless Definition - [00:32:29] Serverless Security Objections - [00:36:22] Serverless Uptime Objections - [00:40:30] Branch Development Principle - [00:45:22] Hiring Junior Developers - [00:48:39] Branch’s Cloud Bill - [00:54:06] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:55:27] _____ Joseph Emison’s BioJoe Emison is the co-founder and CTO of Branch Insurance, a B corporation and insurance carrier that makes it simple to bundle home and auto insurance. Previously, Joe founded BuildFax (acquired by Verisk), Spaceful (acquired by DMGT), and BluePrince (acquired by Harris Computer). Joe is also the author of “Serverless as a Game Changer: How to Get the Most out of the Cloud”. Follow Joe: Twitter / X – @JoeEmison LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/joemastersemison Serverless as a Game Changer: How to Get the Most Out of The Cloud – https://www.amazon.com/dp/0137392621/ _____ Our Sponsors Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/168. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“A blind spot is the gap between your intention and your impact. The more you can narrow the gap, the more you’re going to be able to be effective in your role and drive more performance." Marisa Murray is the CEO of Leaderley and the author of “Blind Spots”. In this episode, Marisa delves into blind spots and explains why leaders must uncover them to become truly effective and great. She describes a blind spot as the gap between our intention and impact, and explains how it can be difficult for leaders to get feedback about their blind spots. Marisa shares the 7 different blind spots from her book and dives deeper into three of them in this conversation: false assumptions, unhealthy detachments, and mismatched mindsets. Marisa also suggests how we can cultivate a culture to help us uncover our blind spots and also shares her practical tips for acknowledging positive intent.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:01:46] Writing “Blind Spots” - [00:07:05] Blind Spot - [00:10:08] Intention and Impact - [00:11:51] Strengths and Blind Spots - [00:14:48] Getting Feedback for Leaders - [00:18:45] 7 Blind Spots - [00:23:07] Bias and Blind Spot - [00:29:43] False Assumptions - [00:31:41] Unhealthy Detachment - [00:35:28] Mismatched Mindsets - [00:41:34] Uncovering Our Blind Spots - [00:45:05] The 3As of an Iteractive Leader - [00:48:12] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:49:33] _____ Marisa Murray’s BioMarisa Murray P. Eng., MBA, PCC is a leadership development expert and the CEO of Leaderley International, an organization dedicated to helping executives become better leaders in today’s rapidly changing, highly complex world. Marisa leverages her over two decades of executive experience as a former Partner with Accenture and VP at Bell Canada in providing executive coaching, and leadership development services for organizations including Molson-Coors, Pratt & Whitney and Queen’s University. Follow Marisa: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/murraymarisa Leaderley International – www.leaderley.com Weekly Leaderley tips – https://www.leaderley.com/leadership-tips Get feedback for free at https://www.leaderley.com/FeedbackFriend _____ Our Sponsors Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/167. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“Kanban is a strategy for optimizing the flow of value to your customers by focusing on three main goals: efficiency, effectiveness, and predictability." Colleen Johnson is the CEO of ProKanban, and in this episode, we delve into the fundamentals of Kanban and how you can use it to optimize your workflow. We start by defining Kanban and exploring its core principles. You’ll learn why work item age is the single most important aspect you should track in Kanban. Colleen then explains the concept of Service Level Expectation (SLE) and how it can improve predictability and client satisfaction. We also discuss the importance of smaller batch sizes, defining workflow policies, handling blockers, and the benefits of completing already started work items to optimize flow. We also touch on scaling Kanban beyond an individual team and discuss why Kanban is suitable for navigating unpredictable situations like the current economic climate. Towards the end, Colleen shares Women in Kanban, a community and scholarship programme to empower women to excel in Kanban.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:01:18] Kanban - [00:04:24] Work Item Age - [00:04:59] Calculating Work Item Age - [00:10:20] Small Batch Size - [00:13:08] Service Level Expectation (SLE) - [00:16:54] Managing Blockers - [00:21:05] Stop Pulling More, Finish Open Work Items - [00:24:46] Optimizing Flow - [00:28:14] Scaling Kanban Beyond a Team - [00:30:17] Kanban in the Current Tough Time - [00:34:37] Tools to Get Started - [00:37:21] Women in Kanban - [00:39:33] Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:41:45] _____ Colleen Johnson’s BioColleen is the CEO of ProKanban.org, an inclusive Kanban learning community. She is also co-founder of ScatterSpoke, a proud Atlassian Ventures Portfolio company driving actionable improvements through retrospective data. She has presented and taught agile to audiences around the world. As a coach, she has worked across a range of industries with clients like Wells Fargo, eTrade, Home Depot, Tanium, Gemini, and more. Colleen helps organizations apply a systems thinking approach to aligning agile methodologies end-to-end. She has served as a board member for Agile Denver, the Agile Uprising, and chair of the Mile High Agile Conference. She is happiest in the woods, camping with her three kids and very patient husband. Follow Colleen: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/colleen-johnson/ Twitter – @scrumhive Threads – @colleenrae.j ProKanban – prokanban.org Women in Kanban – https://prokanban.org/women-in-kanban/ _____ Our Sponsors Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/166. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“As software engineers, only a fraction of your time is spent coding. A lot of your time is spent thinking. And I’m not seeing LLMs taking that away from us anytime soon, at least, for now." Can AI help you learn to code? Will AI take your developer job? Join me discussing these topics with Leo Porter and Daniel Zingaro, the co-authors of “Learning AI-Assisted Python Programming”. In this episode, we discuss the impact of AI assistants on how we learn and approach programming, particularly for students and educators. We examine the shifting skillset of developers, emphasizing the importance of code reading, specification, testing, and problem decomposition over syntax and library semantics. We also confront critical questions like the ethical implications of AI, the potential impact on developers’ job, and whether it can help lead us to a more equitable society.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:01:11] AI Assistant - [00:07:55] How AI Assistant Affect Student - [00:11:04] Problem Decomposition Skill - [00:16:46] How LLM Works - [00:19:47] Prompt Engineering - [00:23:36] Automating Tedious Tasks - [00:29:29] AI Ethical Issues - [00:33:30] AI Replacing Developers - [00:40:08] A More Equitable Society - [00:47:34] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:55:58] _____ Leo Porter’s BioLeo Porter is a Teaching Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at UC San Diego. He is best known for his award-winning research on the impact of Peer Instruction in computing courses, the use of clicker data to predict student outcomes, and the development of the Basic Data Structures Concept Inventory. He co-wrote the first book on integrating LLMs into the instruction of programming with Daniel Zingaro, entitled “Learn AI-Assisted Python Programming: With GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT”. He also co-teaches popular Coursera and edX courses with over 500,000 enrolled learners. He is a Distinguished Member of the ACM. Daniel Zingaro’s BioDr. Daniel Zingaro is an award-winning Associate Teaching Professor of Mathematical and Computational Sciences at the University of Toronto Mississauga. He is well known for his uniquely interactive approach to teaching and internationally recognized for his expertise in active learning. He is the co-author of “Learn AI-Assisted Python Programming” (Manning Publications, 2023), author of “Algorithmic Thinking” 2/e (No Starch Press, 2024), co-author of “Start Competitive Programming!” (self-published, 2024), and author of Learn to Code by Solving Problems (No Starch Press, 2021). Follow Leo & Daniel: Leo’s LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/leoporter/ Daniel’s LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/danielzingaro _____ Our Sponsors Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/165. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“The number one result of a good lead is reduced technical debt. Seeing technical debt just melts away and then stops occurring in the future. If you are a good lead, your systems will be stable all the time.” Are you a developer ready to step up and lead? Join us as we explore the world of lead development with Shelley Benhoff, author of “Lead Developer Career Guide”. In this episode, Shelley sheds light on the core responsibilities of a lead developer, clarifying the distinctions between different leadership titles within the field. We discuss the must-have leadership and mentoring skills you need to transform you into an inspiring leader. Shelley defines key success metrics and provides a self-assessment checklist to gauge your readiness for this exciting role. Shelley also covers the importance of a lead developer in optimizing development processes and fostering strong collaborations with stakeholders.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:00:59] Tips for Building Courses - [00:02:20] Writing “Lead Developer Career Guide” - [00:04:28] The Different Lead Developer Titles - [00:06:45] Leadership Skills - [00:08:43] Main Responsibilities - [00:10:28] Mentoring - [00:12:42] Success Measure - [00:14:22] Getting Appreciated - [00:16:19] Career Trajectory - [00:18:13] Readiness Check - [00:21:42] Leadership Styles - [00:24:12] Development Standards - [00:27:50] Optimizing The Development Process - [00:30:02] Learning from Different Stakeholders - [00:31:29] Writing Technical Documentation - [00:33:36] Preventive Measures - [00:36:55] Providing Estimates - [00:39:44] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:41:50] _____ Shelley Benhoff’s BioShelley has 20+ years of experience in IT as a Business Owner, Author, Speaker, Docker Community Leader, and Sitecore Technology MVP. She has a passion for tiaras, technology, gaming, and general nerdery. She loves to learn new things as well as mentor and teach others. She teaches content creation, content marketing, leadership, communication, Docker, and Sitecore development. Shelley is currently a Co-Owner of HoffsTech, LLC, an organization that she started with her family to provide online courses and digital media production. Follow Shelley: Website – hoffstech.com Twitter / X – @SBenhoff LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/shelley-benhoff-69787513/ Tiaras and Tech Podcast – https://tiarasandtech.com/ TikTok – @tiarasandtech Instagram – @tiarasandtech Threads – @tiarasandtech _____ Our Sponsors Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/164. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“The whole idea of being intentional is instead of being reactive or unintentional and just letting your life come to you, we have this opportunity to choose what we want to do and who we want to become." Are you tired of feeling uninspired and disengaged in your engineering career? If so, this episode is for you! Jeff Perry is back again for a second episode with his latest book, “The Intentional Engineer”. In this episode, Jeff uncovers the keys to building a meaningful, fulfilling career by cultivating more intentionality. We dive into the ‘quiet quitting’ phenomenon happening worldwide, and Jeff shares his personal story of disengagement during a particular stage in his career. Learn Jeff’s Intentional Engineer model to assess your current situation and start becoming more intentional toward your lives and career. You will also learn the importance of identifying your core values, the power of mindsets, getting your career clarity, finding your genius zones, and a few core skills you should learn for living more intentionally!   Listen out for: Writing “The Intentional Engineer” - [00:03:31] Jeff’s Story of Becoming Intentional - [00:08:33] Quiet Quitting Phenomenon - [00:11:17] Being Intentional - [00:14:41] Intentional Engineer Model - [00:17:50] Going Beyond the Tipping Point - [00:21:25] Identifying Core Values - [00:25:01] The Power of Mindsets - [00:28:00] Outwards vs Inward Mindsets - [00:33:10] Getting Career Clarity - [00:36:42] Genius Zone - [00:39:57] Getting More Into Genius Zone - [00:42:54] Skills to Support Your Intentions - [00:45:42] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:48:44] _____ Jeff Perry’s BioJeff Perry is a leadership and career expert known for helping individuals, teams, and organizations unlock their potential in all facets of life. Given his background in engineering, business, and leadership, he specializes in working with engineering and technical professionals, but the principles he shares are universal. Jeff received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington. Follow Jeff: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffcperry/ Personal Website – jeff-perry.com Engineering Career Coach Podcast – https://engineeringmanagementinstitute.org/the-podcast/ _____ Our Sponsors Miro is your team's visual workspace to connect, collaborate, and create innovations together, from anywhere. Sign up today at miro.com/podcast and get your first 3 Miro boards free forever. Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/163. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“The People Playbook: First, be clear about your goals and communicate with massive clarity to your team what you’re trying to accomplish. Second, be brilliant at the basics." Andrew Bartlow is the co-founder of the People Leader Accelerator and the co-author of “Scaling for Success”. In this episode, Andrew discusses the common challenges faced by high-growth organizations and offers strategies for successful scaling. He emphasizes the significance of organizations creating a unique people’s playbook and cautions against blindly adopting best practices from other companies. Andrew highlights 7 essential people practices organizations should prioritize, which includes organizational structure, learning & development, and culture & engagement.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:03:55] Writing “Scaling for Success” - [00:06:56] High-Growth Organization Challenges - [00:08:52] Goldilocks Zone - [00:11:11] People Playbook - [00:12:52] The Danger of Best Practices - [00:15:13] Crisis of Leadership & Autonomy - [00:17:29] Lack of Role Clarity - [00:21:34] 7 Key People Practices - [00:25:45] Key Practice: Organizational Structure - [00:30:44] Politics & Power Dynamics - [00:37:49] Key Practice: Learning & Development - [00:40:30] Key Practice: Culture, Engagement & Communications - [00:46:22] Sensing Employee Engagement - [00:52:17] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:55:14] _____ Andrew Bartlow’s BioAndrew Bartlow has almost 25 years of experience as a thought leader in organizational effectiveness, and as a practical operator linking business strategy to HR priorities inside corporations. In addition to advisory and mentoring activities through Series B Consulting, Andrew serves as an Operating Partner & Senior Advisor for Altamont Capital Partners, the cofounder and Network Director for WiseGrowth Networks, the cofounder and Managing Partner of People Leader Accelerator, and an HR Venture Advisor for SemperVirens Venture Capital. Follow Andrew: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/bartlow People Leader Accelerator – peopleleaderaccelerator.com Series B Consulting – seriesbconsulting.com _____ Our Sponsors Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/162. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“Why are some software developers average and some others great? After a few years, I noticed that creativity is an important aspect of problem-solving and software development.” Wouter Groeneveld is a software engineer, computer science education researcher, and the author of “The Creative Programmer”. In this episode, Wouter dives deep into what makes good engineers truly exceptional: creativity! Wouter describes his definition of creativity and shares the 7 key dimensions of a creative programmer - from technical mastery to embracing constraints and being curious. Listen to the episode to take your coding to the next level and unleash your inner creativity as a software engineer!   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:03:35] Reasons Software Projects Fail - [00:06:10] The Creative Programmer - [00:08:29] Social Approval & Seniority Aspects - [00:14:06] Technical Knowledge: Getting More Inputs - [00:17:39] Personal Knowledge Management - [00:20:22] Creativity Begets Creativity - [00:23:37] Collaboration & Communication - [00:25:37] Collective Creativity - [00:29:05] Constraints - [00:30:55] Critical Thinking - [00:35:33] Creative State of Mind - [00:39:42] Virtual Interruptions - [00:41:56] Well-Rested - [00:44:36] Curiosity & Perseverance - [00:47:11] 2 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:49:04] _____ Wouter Groeneveld’s BioWouter Groeneveld is a software engineer, computer science education researcher, and professional bread baker. Wouter was an enterprise software engineer for 11 years with a passion for inspiring and teaching others. After a few years of experience, he became involved in teaching, coaching, and onboarding. Witnessing the failure of many software projects led him to ask the following question: What makes a good software engineer? That question ultimately caused him to quit his job in the industry in 2018 and rejoin academia. Since then, Wouter has been conducting research on nontechnical skills in the software engineering world. He has written extensively about the topic. A list of his academic publications can be found at https://brainbaking.com/works/papers/ (all papers are open access).. Follow Wouter: Website – brainbaking.com Email – ⁠wouter@brainbaking.com⁠ _____ Our Sponsors Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/161. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“If we want to deliver better results, we need to change the system and our way of working." Gil Broza is an Agile leadership expert and the author of the latest book “Deliver Better Results”. In this episode, Gil discusses ways to level up our value delivery system to deliver better results. We first delve into the fundamental concept of systems thinking and cause-effect relationships, which are exemplified by reinforcing and balancing loops. Gil also explains the importance of ways of working, particularly on shifting mindset and focusing on people first before the process. Gil then explains the SQUARE Model detailed in his book, and how the model helps us understand and assess our system’s fitness for purpose easily. He also shares some of the 10 strategies from his book that we can use to enhance our fitness level and deliver better results.  Listen out for: Career Journey - [03:43] Deliver Better Results - [06:25] Systems Thinking - [11:15] Reinforcing & Balancing Loop - [14:15] Ways of Working - [16:24] Mindset: Values, Beliefs, Principles - [19:08] People First vs Process First - [23:22] SQUARE Model - [27:08] What Matters Most - [34:36] Clear Decision Making - [40:48] How to Get Started - [45:58] The Danger of Metrics - [47:07] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [50:52] _____ Gil Broza’s BioGil Broza specializes in helping tech leaders deliver far better results by upgrading their Agile ways of working. He also supports their non-software colleagues in creating real business agility in their teams. Gil has helped over 100 organizations achieve real, sustainable improvements by working with their unique value delivery contexts and focusing on mindset, culture, and leadership. Companies also invite Gil for specialized support, such as strategic mapping of their improvement journey, facilitation of organizational mindset workshops, and keynotes for internal conferences. He is the author of four highly acclaimed books: Deliver Better Results, The Agile Mind-Set, The Human Side of Agile, and Agile for Non-Software Teams. He lives in Toronto, Canada. Follow Gil: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/gilbroza Website – 3PVantage.com Free Gift Download: Deliver Better Results - Chapter 1 – HeardOnPodcast.DeliverBetterResultsBook.com _____ Our Sponsors Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 45% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead45 for all products in all formats. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/160. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“A lot of developers tie their self-worth to their code. Being able to let go of your ego and understanding the feedback is based on the code, and it has nothing to do with anything about me. It’s just the code.” Adrienne Tacke is a software engineer, keynote speaker, and the author of the upcoming book “Looks Good To Me”. In this episode, we discuss code reviews and why it is an essential part of the software development process. Adrienne discusses the importance and benefits of code review, the common code review workflow and the different roles involved, how to provide effective code review comments, and why we should leverage on code review tools and automation. She also provides tips on how to speed up our code review turnaround time.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:03:31] Looks Good to Me (LGTM) - [00:09:05] Code Review Story - [00:12:24] Importance of Code Review - [00:15:38] Code Review Benefits - [00:20:27] Code Review Role: Author - [00:25:50] Code Review Role: Reviewer - [00:32:42] Code Review Role: The Team - [00:38:41] Code Review Tools & Automation - [00:45:53] Effective Code Review Comments - [00:51:44] Code Review Turnaround - [00:57:45] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [01:04:56] _____ Adrienne Tacke’s BioAdrienne is a Filipina software engineer, keynote speaker, author of the best-selling book Coding for Kids: Python, and a LinkedIn Learning instructor who’s reached over 65,000 learners with her courses (a number she’ll likely surpass when you read this). She is writing Looks Good To Me: Constructive Code Reviews, a labor of love that she hopes will improve code reviews everywhere. Perhaps most important, however, is that she spends way too much money on desserts and ungodly amounts of time playing Age of Empires II. Follow Adrienne: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/adriennetacke Twitter / X – @AdrienneTacke Instagram – @adriennetacke Website – adrienne.io _____ Our Sponsors Miro is your team's visual workspace to connect, collaborate, and create innovations together, from anywhere. Sign up today at miro.com/podcast and get your first 3 Miro boards free forever. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/159. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“Every organization has a mission, a vision, and a set of values. As a leader, your number one task is to live those values and talk about them at every opportunity with your team to create alignment." Today's clip is from Tech Lead Journal episode 115 with Manoj Awasthi, the CTO at JULO and previously the SVP of Engineering at Tokopedia. In this clip, Manoj described the role of a senior engineering leader before then explaining some important aspects of engineering leadership, such as scaling up engineering team, hiring engineers and engineering managers, and creating culture alignment.   Listen out for: Role of Senior Engineering Leader - [00:00:26] Scaling Engineering Team - [00:06:55] Hiring Engineers - [00:09:51] Hiring Engineering Managers/Leaders - [00:12:29] Aligning Culture - [00:14:11] _____ Manoj Awasthi’s BioManoj Awasthi is the CTO at JULO, a fintech startup based in Jakarta. Prior to JULO, Manoj spent more than six years leading technology teams at Tokopedia wearing multiple hats during the growth years of Tokopedia from 2016 until 2022 as it scaled. During this time, he witnessed the tech team growing from 80 people to 2000+. He is a techie at heart, has a natural empathy for people and believes that wonders can happen through the alignment of teams towards a clear goal. When he is not working, he can be found either reading a book (almost every day) or having quality time with his family. Follow Manoj: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/manojawasthi/ Twitter – @awmanoj GitHub – github.com/awmanoj Blog – awmanoj.github.io/ _____ Our Sponsors Are you looking for a new cool swag? Tech Lead Journal now offers you some swags that you can purchase online. These swags are printed on-demand based on your preference, and will be delivered safely to you all over the world where shipping is available. Check out all the cool swags available by visiting techleadjournal.dev/shop. And don't forget to brag yourself once you receive any of those swags. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/115. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“An effective developer is an effective software tester. As a developer, it’s your responsibility to make sure what you do works. And automated testing is such an easy and cheap way of doing it." Today's clip is from Tech Lead Journal episode 139 with Mauricio Aniche, the author of “Effective Software Testing”. In this clip, Mauricio explained how to become a more effective software developer by using effective and systematic software testing approaches. We discussed several such testing techniques, such as testing pyramid, specification-based testing, and behavior-driven design. Listen out for: An Effective Developer is an Effective Tester - [00:00:26] Reasons for Writing Automated Tests - [00:01:35] Systematic Tester - [00:04:38] Testing Pyramid - [00:08:43] Unit vs Integration Test - [00:11:18] Specification-Based Testing - [00:13:48] Behavior-Driven Design - [00:16:27] _____ Mauricio Aniche’s BioDr. Maurício Aniche’s life mission is to help software engineers to become better and more productive. Maurício is a Tech Lead at Adyen, where he heads the Tech Academy team and leads different engineering enablement initiatives. Maurício is also an assistant professor of software engineering at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. His teaching efforts in software testing gave him the Computer Science Teacher of the Year 2021 award and the TU Delft Education Fellowship, a prestigious fellowship given to innovative lecturers. He is the author of the “Effective Software Testing: A Developer’s Guide”, published by Manning in 2022. He’s currently working on a new book entitled “Simple Object-Oriented Design” which should be on the market soon. Follow Mauricio: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/mauricioaniche Twitter – @mauricioaniche Website – effective-software-testing.com Newsletter – effectivesoftwaretesting.substack.com _____ Our Sponsors Are you looking for a new cool swag? Tech Lead Journal now offers you some swags that you can purchase online. These swags are printed on-demand based on your preference, and will be delivered safely to you all over the world where shipping is available. Check out all the cool swags available by visiting techleadjournal.dev/shop. And don't forget to brag yourself once you receive any of those swags. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/139. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“The three core dimensions of developer experience are feedback loops, cognitive load, and flow state." Today's clip is from Tech Lead Journal episode 134 with Margaret-Anne (Peggy) Storey and Abi Noda, the coauthors of the ACM paper “DevEx: What Actually Drives Productivity”. In this clip, they shared their view on the well-known SPACE and DORA metrics, and pointed out the danger of misusing and abusing the DORA metrics. Peggy and Abi then explained the three core dimensions of developer experience from their latest paper, which are feedback loops, cognitive load, and flow state. Listen out for: SPACE & DORA Metrics - [00:00:26] Misuse and Abuse of DORA Metrics - [00:05:43] New Developer Experience Paper - [00:09:20] Developer Experience - [00:11:46] 3 Core Dimensions - [00:15:03] _____ Margaret-Anne Storey’s BioMargaret-Anne (Peggy) Storey is a professor of computer science at the University of Victoria and holds a Canada Research Chair in human and social aspects of software engineering. Her research focuses on improving processes, tools, communication, and collaboration in software engineering. She serves as chief scientist at DX and consults with Microsoft to improve developer productivity. Abi Noda’s BioAbi Noda is the founder and CEO at DX, where he leads the company’s strategic direction and R&D efforts. His work focuses on developing measurement methods to help organizations improve developer experience and productivity. Before joining DX, Noda held engineering leadership roles at various companies and founded Pull Panda, which was acquired by GitHub in 2019. For more information, visit his website at abinoda.com. Follow Margaret: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/margaret-anne-storey-8419462/ Twitter – @margaretstorey Follow Abi: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/abinoda/ Twitter – @abinoda Newsletter – newsletter.abinoda.com _____ Our Sponsors Are you looking for a new cool swag? Tech Lead Journal now offers you some swags that you can purchase online. These swags are printed on-demand based on your preference, and will be delivered safely to you all over the world where shipping is available. Check out all the cool swags available by visiting techleadjournal.dev/shop. And don't forget to brag yourself once you receive any of those swags. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/134. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“Developer experience is an approach to thinking about engineering excellence and maximizing engineering performance by increasing the capacity and performance of the individuals and the team as a whole." Today's clip is from Tech Lead Journal episode 112 with Abi Noda, the CEO & co-founder of DX. In this clip, Abi shared what developer experience is, why it is becoming an industry trend nowadays, and the different ways of how it is being implemented in the industry. Abi explained why the traditional metrics normally used to measure developer productivity do not really work and can even provide perverse incentives. Abi then touched on the two popular researches widely known in the industry, i.e. the DORA report and SPACE framework.   Listen out for: Developer Productivity Industry Trend - [00:00:26] Developer Experience for Developers - [00:02:40] Different Names of Developer Experience - [00:04:42] Traditional Metrics - [00:08:27] DORA & SPACE - [00:12:28] _____ Abi Noda’s BioAbi is the founder and CEO of getdx.com, which helps engineering leaders measure and improve developer experience. Abi formerly founded Pull Panda, which was acquired by GitHub. Follow Abi: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/abinoda Twitter – @abinoda Website – abinoda.com DX – getdx.com Software Engineering Research – abinoda.substack.com _____ Our Sponsors Are you looking for a new cool swag? Tech Lead Journal now offers you some swags that you can purchase online. These swags are printed on-demand based on your preference, and will be delivered safely to you all over the world where shipping is available. Check out all the cool swags available by visiting techleadjournal.dev/shop. And don't forget to brag yourself once you receive any of those swags. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/112. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“A good API doesn’t expose the internal data models or internal logic too much. And the more your clients are not under your control, the less you want to do that." Today's clip is from Tech Lead Journal episode 125 with Daniel Luebke, a software architect and the co-author of “Patterns for API Design”. In this clip, we discussed some API design patterns and best practices taken from his book. Daniel shared the importance of understanding domain requirements for building APIs and several API and message best practices.  Listen out for: Writing API Design Book - [00:00:26] Loosely Coupled Message Exchanges - [00:04:29] API Design Best Practices - [00:07:07] Message Best Practices - [00:12:24] _____ Daniel Luebke’s BioDaniel Lübke is an independent coding and consulting software architect with a focus on business process automation and digitization projects. His interests are software architecture, business process design, and system integration, which inherently require APIs to develop solutions. He received his PhD at the Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany, in 2007 and has worked in many industry projects in different domains since then. Daniel is author and editor of several books, articles, and research papers; gives training; and regularly presents at conferences on topics of APIs and software architecture. Follow Daniel: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/danielluebke Twitter – @dluebke Blog – digital-solution-architecture.com _____ Our Sponsors Are you looking for a new cool swag? Tech Lead Journal now offers you some swags that you can purchase online. These swags are printed on-demand based on your preference, and will be delivered safely to you all over the world where shipping is available. Check out all the cool swags available by visiting techleadjournal.dev/shop. And don't forget to brag yourself once you receive any of those swags. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/125. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“A team has to be able to go fast if they have to. But they should always choose to go at a steady pace, most of the time. In the long run, what we emphasize is for each team to find their own space and pace." Balazs Barna is the Head of US Engineering at Wise. In this episode, we delved into his insights on building sustainable engineering from scaling up Wise. Balazs started by touching on the engineering management role and described the traits of good and bad engineering management. We then went to discuss two different aspects of sustainable engineering, which are sustainable tech and sustainable teams. Throughout the discussion, Balazs outlined several key practices, such as weak code ownership, microservice strategy, stable pace, and building a bench.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:03:42] Building on Strengths - [00:05:52] Traits of a Good Engineering Management - [00:07:11] Limiting Work in Progress - [00:09:51] Traits of a Bad Engineering Management - [00:12:33] Sustainable Tech - [00:14:17] Weak Code Ownership - [00:19:25] Transitioning to Weak Code Ownership - [00:24:04] Microservice per Integration - [00:26:57] Managing Change Coupling - [00:30:12] Sustainable Team - [00:32:46] Dealing With Technical Debt - [00:35:57] Steady Pace - [00:37:41] Building a Bench - [00:39:59] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:44:51] _____ Balazs Barna’s BioBalazs Barna is the Head of Austin Operations & US Engineering at Wise. At Wise, Balazs oversees the newly formed Austin office and the global engineering team, building the tech and infrastructure needed to facilitate instant, convenient and affordable cross border transactions. Balazs led and helped his team build the company’s historic direct access integration to the Hungarian banking sector’s instant payment system, the first of its kind for a company with a payment service license. He also oversaw and built Wise’s core infrastructure that enables the company’s European operations. Prior to joining Wise, Balazs worked at MSCI and Morgan Stanley. He graduated from Corvinus University of Budapest in Business Information Systems (BSc), and Computer Engineering (MSc) from Pannon University. Follow Balazs: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/balazsbarn _____ Our Sponsors Are you looking for a new cool swag? Tech Lead Journal now offers you some swags that you can purchase online. These swags are printed on-demand based on your preference, and will be delivered safely to you all over the world where shipping is available. Check out all the cool swags available by visiting techleadjournal.dev/shop. And don't forget to brag yourself once you receive any of those swags. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/158. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“In a world that runs on software, when we develop and deploy software, we are part of a larger system where our failures are no longer about us, they are also about other people." Today's clip is from Tech Lead Journal episode 122 with Kevlin Henney, a consultant, writer, and speaker on software development and has written and edited several popular books. In this clip, Kevlin brought up some timeless software development concepts developers should learn from the past on cohesion, coupling, and code quality. He also explained why he becomes associated with public software failures widely known as KevlinHenney screens and how the trend started in the beginning. Listen out for: Learning From the Past - [00:00:26] KevlinHenney Screens - [00:13:18] _____ Kevlin Henney’s BioKevlin Henney is an independent consultant, trainer, writer and speaker. His interests cover what happens on both sides of the keyboard, and everything from the detail of code to the bigger picture of software architecture. Kevlin is co–author of two volumes in the Pattern–Oriented Software Architecture series, editor of 97 Things Every Programmer Should Know and co-editor of 97 Things Every Java Programmer Should Know. Follow Kevlin: Twitter – @KevlinHenney Mastodon – @kevlin@mastodon.social LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/kevlin Medium – kevlinhenney.medium.com Instagram – instagram.com/kevlin.henney _____ Our Sponsors Are you looking for a new cool swag? Tech Lead Journal now offers you some swags that you can purchase online. These swags are printed on-demand based on your preference, and will be delivered safely to you all over the world where shipping is available. Check out all the cool swags available by visiting techleadjournal.dev/shop. And don't forget to brag yourself once you receive any of those swags. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/122. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

“Everything in software architecture is a trade-off, and the why is more important than how." Today's clip is from Tech Lead Journal episode 120 with Neal Ford, a Director and software architect at ThoughtWorks. In this clip, we discussed the definition of software architecture and how it relates to software design. Neal then described the two important laws of software architecture related to trade-offs and the why. Neal then explained why software architecture is difficult and discussed the hard parts.   Listen out for: Definition of Software Architecture - [00:00:26] Software Architecture vs Design - [00:04:06] Laws of Software Architecture - [00:06:01] The Hard Parts of Software Architecture - [00:10:33] _____ Neal Ford’s BioNeal Ford is Director, Software Architect, and Meme Wrangler at ThoughtWorks. He is also the designer and developer of applications, articles, video presentations, and author and/or editor of an increasingly large number of books spanning a variety of subjects and technologies, including the two most recent Fundamentals of Software Architecture and Building Evolutionary Architectures. His professional focus includes designing and building of large-scale enterprise applications. He is also an internationally acclaimed speaker, speaking at over 700 developer conferences worldwide, delivering more than 3000 presentations. Follow Neal: Website – nealford.com Twitter – @neal4d _____ Our Sponsors Are you looking for a new cool swag? Tech Lead Journal now offers you some swags that you can purchase online. These swags are printed on-demand based on your preference, and will be delivered safely to you all over the world where shipping is available. Check out all the cool swags available by visiting techleadjournal.dev/shop. And don't forget to brag yourself once you receive any of those swags. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/120. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.