Thoughts on Engineering.

Published 2019/12/28

Describing My Writing Method

Here we are at the end of 2019 and in the past few months the blog and visibility has gone from nothing to nearly 50 postings. The money made from writing has gone from nothing to $0.43. There are now posts on Medium and Twitter about the articles from the blog. Basically, looking back, the past couple of months have served as a launching off point for an online presence and it has been more successful that I ever dared to hope way back in August when I finally got off my butt and started doing something about all of these ideas in my head.

My 50th Post

Published 2019/12/28

My 50th Post

50 already? That is a big number. It is a serious number. A lot of articles on the web state that Google doesn’t get serious about a blog until there are 50+ quality posts on the site. So in some ways, this has crossed into serious territory. In many others, it is still in its fun and wild infancy.

Why You Should Never, Ever Use The Phrase: “But It Works On My Machine”

Published 2019/12/26

Why You Should Never, Ever Use The Phrase: “But It Works On My Machine”

You weren’t hired to make it work on your machine – you were hired to make it work on every other machine in the world…

This Title Is the 1st Thing People Read (And 83% Won’t Read Any Further)

Published 2019/12/17

This Title Is the 1st Thing People Read (And 83% Won’t Read Any Further)

Why are titles so important? The answer is easy. Human nature. Humans read from left to right, top to bottom. The human eye is drawn to bigger text. The title of an article on the web checks all of these boxes. If you want attention, you need to give people a reason to read past that text.

BlogBuilding – Media Management Process Update

Published 2019/12/14

BlogBuilding – Media Management Process Update

The more I write and have ideas, the more the process needs to change to be more efficient. This is very important because as the number of Posts is growing, and the number of Post Ideas grows, the amount of content, media, and other information grows as well. It is starting to get confusing. So today I am updating and documenting an updated process for the blog around media management for both my future use as well as to educate others on how some of this stuff works.

Published 2019/12/14

#productdesign & #projectmanagement

While reviewing Post Ideas this morning I realized that many of them didn’t fit in with the general categories that currently exist on the site. Many posts are geared towards advice for new engineers (#engineeradvice) or Engineering Managers (#engineeringmgmt) but as I was working on a post around table stakes I realized that a big part of Engineering is around making things and managing the projects that result in these things being made. Therefore, under this umbrella some new categories are needed.

Do You Have What It takes To Recognize ‘Big Idea’ Moments?

Published 2019/12/13

Do You Have What It takes To Recognize ‘Big Idea’ Moments?

“If wishes were horses then beggars would ride” is a quote that I remember hearing at home often while growing up. There is also no use crying over spilled milk. The fact of the matter is, wide open big opportunities are all around us every day and we routinely miss them each and every day. We all have thoughts and dreams. We all have random shower thoughts. The gap to be bridged here is whether or not each of us can first envision how that one big idea would grow into a viable business and then find the motivation to take the first steps down that path and start doing something about it.

Whether it is money or fame, for a sense of passion or a sense of duty everyone that leverages their ambition and pursues these ideas feels the motivation to do so. Therefore, from these statements and the story above we have isolated three key elements that are required for going all carpe diem on a Big Idea: Identification, Vision, and Motivation.

Seven Things I Want Any New Engineer On My Team To Know

Published 2019/12/10

Seven Things I Want Any New Engineer On My Team To Know

The following seven things are all part of what I want any newbie on my team to know, embrace, and understand at a deep level. Anyone who has made it through the hiring process and who can embrace these ideas should end up being a great teammate. Or – if unable to get through the learning curve that these ideas imply – at least we will find out sooner rather than later that we might have whiffed on this person as a valuable member of this team. So here are the seven things that I want any new Engineer on my team to know.

Can I Be A Superhero Manager?

Published 2019/12/08

Can I Be A Superhero Manager?

Look, there in the sky! Is it a plane? Is it a new tower or bridge? Or is it … the Engineering Manager?!

While reflecting on the reasons for pursuing a management path in Engineering, it is clear that the drive to ascend to this role did not include an objective of wearing a cape. It is my earnest opinion that it can be said with reasonable confidence that not many people wake up and say to themselves: ‘I am going to go out and try and be a superhero today’. Specifically, not many Engineering Managers.

How To Be In The Room Where It Happens

Published 2019/12/04

How To Be In The Room Where It Happens

The grass is not always greener on the other side. I am sorry to have to disappoint anyone reading this, but it is true. This idea that things will be better or that having more information will lead to more satisfaction or understanding or something that will help you to fell happier and more fulfilled at the end of the day is not always accurate in the business world. I am speaking here of that feeling of anxiety that can creep in when seeing managers or upper level people go into a room, close the door and have a discussion. What are they talking about? How will it affect me?

Thoughts on Engineering. And Coffee. Posts