My Posts

Reducing the team size to deliver

February 26, 2018

A project was struggling to deliver in time and the project manager resolved it by reducing the team size where the typical approach is to increase the team size. This decision was based on the overhead of communication and Brooks Law.

Developer platforms must listen to developers in order to grow

February 20, 2018

This is an excellent study on why developers are so important to a platform. At the moment we are developing a platform and we have been trying to get this message across to the business side of the company. This article backs up what we have been saying.

Don't let status change the conversation

February 17, 2018

I am probably like most people in that when I meet someone who I deem to be important the way I deal with them changes. It introduces a more reserved interaction with more careful responses.

How do crypto-currencies work?

February 17, 2018

A very simple introduction to how Bitcoin works … using a stuffed penguin!

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

February 17, 2018

I really liked Simon Sinek’s other books but didn’t get into this one as much - don’t get me wrong, it is still an excellent read and you can learn a lot.

Unorthodox leadership by letting others drive

February 17, 2018

Steve Kerr, the coach of the Golden State Warriors basketball team, took an usual step recently by allowing his players to coach instead of him. He felt that things had become a little staid and wanted to shake things up … it worked - they won by their highest margin of the season. Sometimes leadership is knowing when to step back.

Making technology less manipulative

February 14, 2018

This was an excellent podcast on the ethics behind some of the decisions being made about technology today. The whole talk is excellent and thought provoking however for me one part (about 27 minutes in) stood out:

Learning from terminally ill children

February 10, 2018

I am going to try and enjoy the small things in life and focus more on those close to me; something that is not always easy when caught up in the hustle and bustle of life.

The DIY table maze marble roll

February 9, 2018

Some people have way too much time on their hands.

Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

February 8, 2018

I was really looking forward to this book as I had listened to a podcast where they explained the ideas behind it. The two authors run a design course in Stanford that gets massively oversubscribed and has a huge impact on those who take it by looking at life as a design problem. The aim is to come up with lots of possible routes for your life that could be awesome and then design a path to achieve one of them. If that doesn’t work you can use the same approach to look for new opportunities. I have not yet made the time to do the exercises and these are absolutely key to getting the most out of it.

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