Marketing
- Both ends of the technology adoption curve might prove to be lucrative.
- You can't compete on price. In fact, you can't afford to compete on price.
- Supply and demand. Exploit market imbalances.
- Don't just know how to program. Now is the time to think about business domains you invest your time in.
- Be the worst guy in every band you're in.
- The people around you affect your own performance. Choose your crowd wisely.
- I haven't been given the opportunity...? Seize the opportunity!
- Be a generalist. Generalists are rare...and, therefore, precious.
- Your skill should transcend technology platforms.
- Be a specialist. Too many of us seem to believe that specializing in something simply means not knowing about other things.
- Don't invest on single technology or platform. Vendor - centric views are typically myopic.
- Passionate. Work because you couldn't not work.
Investment
- Learning. Don't wait to be told. Ask!
- Learn the business you work for. You can't creatively help a business until you know how it works.
- Find a teacher. It's ok to depend on someone. Just make sure it's the right person.
- Be a teacher. To find out whether you really know something, try teach it to someone else.
- Be a teacher. Mentors tend not to get laid off.
- Practice. Practice at your limits.
- Implementation. If you want to feel you own a process, help implement it.
- Stand on shoulder of Giant. Mine existing code for insights.
- Use existing code to reflect on your own capabilities.
Execution
- It's now. What can we do? Right Now?
- Mind reading. The mind - reading trick, if done well, leads to people depending on you.
- Daily report. Have an accomplishment to report every day.
- Don't forget whom you work for. Your managers' successes are your successes.
- Satisfaction. Be ambitious, but don't wear it on your sleeve.
- Get job well done today. How much more fun could you make your job?
- What's your value? Ask, "Was I worth it today?"
- Beware of being blinded by your won success.
- Enjoy Maintenance. Maintenance can be a place of freedom and creativity.
- Concentrate on 8 working hours per day. Projects are marathons, not sprints.
- Learn from failure. Every wrong note is but one step away from a right one.
- Stressful times offer the best opportunities to build loyalty.
- Say "No". Saying "Yes" to avoid disappointment is just lying.
- Don't panic. Heroes never panic.
- Say it, implement it, demonstrate it. Status reports can help you market yourself.
Sales
- Don't ignore feelings. Performance appraisals are never objective.
- Communication is important. Your customers are afraid of you.
- Communication and documentation. You are what you can explain.
- Show up. Learn about your colleagues.
- The right language to the right people. Market your accomplishments in the language of your business.
- Change the world. Have a mission. Make sure people know it.
- Let people hear your voice.
- Have your own brand. Your name is your name.
- Google never forgets.
- Publish your code. Anyone can use Rails. Few can say Rails contributor.
- Be a master.
- Relationships. Fear gets between us and the pros.
Leading technologies
- Outdated technologies. Your shiny new skills are already obsolete.
- You are not your job.
- Endlessness. Focus on doing, not on being done.
- Create yourself a product roadmap.
- Notice the market. Watch the alpha geeks.
- Developer, review themselves.
- Monkey catching trap. Rigid values make you fragile.
- Avoid waterfall career plannings.
- Daily improvement.
- Independent.
