Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
779 episodes - English - Latest episode: 28 days ago - ★★★★★ - 12 ratingsThis podcast is for aspiring entrepreneurs and technologists as well as those that want to become a designer and implementors of great software solutions. That includes solving problems through technology. We look at the whole skill set that makes a great developer. This includes tech skills, business and entrepreneurial skills, and life-hacking, so you have the time to get the job done while still enjoying life.
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Episodes
Use Regular Touch Points And Automation For Better Networking
January 05, 2023 11:00 - 26 minutes - 36.3 MBWe wrap up our discussion with Ian Campbell of Mission Suite with a look at touch points and automation. They are essential pieces of his approach to networking. We all want to be heard and feel that we bring value. A regular conversation does that better than occasionally making contact and only when something is needed. Automation is not the most personal thing we can do. However, it helps us do things on a schedule. Improve Efficiency Through Touch Points And Automation Networking tak...
Create a A Better Professional Network Through Planning
January 03, 2023 11:00 - 24 minutes - 33.7 MBThis episode continues our discussion with Ian Campbell of Mission Suite. We go into his approach to building a better professional network by identifying layers of contacts. He uses a baseball field analogy that fits the approach very well. His approach walks us through a way to give weight to those that provide us the most benefit while cultivating others. Be Intentional For A Better Professional Network We start with a plan and goals. These are familiar as we do the same for almost ev...
Become A Better Developer In The New Year
December 31, 2022 11:00 - 7 minutes - 10.8 MBWe end the year with an announcement to become a better developer at school.develpreneur.com. This is our new portal for learning and training. We have free courses you can run through in roughly an hour or less, up to classes that will take you days or weeks to complete. The goal is to provide you with a full library of options to become a better developer. Building A Better Developer That has always been our motto, and we regularly make changes to help you do so easier. We looked at th...
Creating a SAAS Solution - Ian Campbell Interview
December 29, 2022 11:00 - 25 minutes - 35.4 MBWe start a new discussion in this episode. Ian Campbell is the CEO of the SAAS solution Mission Suite. Not surprisingly, we start the conversation with his background and the path to creating this product. He has a background that is possibly different from what you would expect from a software CEO. However, his software solution approach has tips for us all. The Value Of A SAAS Solution There are many arguments for building or buying a software solution. However, the SAAS approach takes...
Tech Bros and Solving Diversity Issues
December 27, 2022 11:00 - 21 minutes - 30.2 MBIn our last episode, we discussed the value of diverse perspectives. We wrap up our William A. Adams interview with ideas for solving diversity issues. We have seen where he has made great strides in raising awareness. However, we do not wrap up our conversation without offering solutions to this problem. It makes no sense to complain about a problem without suggesting solutions. A Blueprint For Solving Diversity Issues I enjoy the idea of "tech bros" that William brings up. This is a co...
Positive Thinking - Our Gift To You
December 24, 2022 11:00 - 15 minutes - 20.9 MBOur annual Christmas special includes a wish for you to embrace positive thinking during this season. Better yet, we hope you will also embrace that mindset in the year ahead. We know that confirmation bias can make us think we are correct and our view is right. Therefore, we should craft that view to be where we are content, successful, and even happy. We can help set our environment through our attitude, and it makes no sense to avoid doing so in a way that benefits us. The Power of Posi...
Use Differing Perspectives To Be Better
December 22, 2022 11:00 - 27 minutes - 38.3 MBWe continue our conversation with "The" William A. Adams with a foray into diversity. Differing perspectives that are correctly managed and embraced are a part of high-functioning teams. Diversity is a popular term to use to get good press. However, that is not useful in itself. We must look for diverse experiences and backgrounds and then utilize them to improve the team. This benefit only occurs when we work with the differences rather than force them to conform. Differing Perspectives F...
Destined For A Career In Software - A William A. Adams Interview
December 20, 2022 11:00 - 24 minutes - 33.4 MBWe start a new discussion in this episode. Our conversation with "The" William A. Adams begins with a background that shows he was made for a career in software. He makes the most of the hand he was dealt and has an incredible resume with experiences to match. By the way, William also happens to be a black man in a predominately white world of IT. However, more on that in later episodes. A Career In Software Was An Obvious Choice As we look at the stories and activities of his childhood,...
Rock Bottom Can Be a Starting Line
December 15, 2022 11:00 - 24 minutes - 34.4 MBThe discussion with Chip Nightingale concludes with his story about hitting rock bottom and then turning around to grow back to success. He was in about as bad a place one can be and was ready to call it quits. However, he was stopped and managed to turn things around. His story is one that points out that while we can be in a bad situation, that does make it the end. Sometimes it is where our story truly begins. Rock Bottom Is Not An End Chip's story about rock bottom may not feel quite...
Invest In Your Team - They Will Want To Stay
December 13, 2022 11:00 - 24 minutes - 33.3 MBThis episode continues our discussion with Chip Nightingale. We explore how it can be risky to invest in your team but also rewarding. The view of employees as quick to leave once they receive training is short-sighted and often wrong. There is a natural fear that people grow to a certain point and then leave. However, that is not always the case. Many times they will stay because they know they will continue to grow. Invest In Your Team For Growth You can invest in your team as a leader...
Informal Mentoring - A Chip Nightingale Interview
December 08, 2022 11:00 - 23 minutes - 32.7 MBWe start our next interview with a discussion about informal mentoring with Chip Nightingale. There are many formal mentoring options out there for you. However, some of the best ways to advance your career are to look to the informal ones that are available in your daily life. Your coworkers, leads, and even your boss can provide you with mentoring that is invaluable to your career. Informal Mentoring Happens Every Day There are people in our work and personal lives that pour into us an...
Learn To Work As A Team - A Missing Part of Education
December 06, 2022 11:00 - 19 minutes - 26.2 MBThe last part of our interview with Sebastian Schieke looks at how we fail to educate people on how to work as a team. We have activities as part of education that give experience with teamwork. However, we tend to skip the essential parts, like how to work with others and assess what motivates us. Better Awareness Helps Us Work As A Team One of the first things we need to understand is what motivates us and how we communicate best. Then, we can work on matching those attributes with tho...
Personal Motivators And Drivers - Find The Right Approach
December 01, 2022 11:00 - 21 minutes - 29.4 MBWe dive further into personal motivators and drivers while discussing with Sebastian Schieke. This topic leads us to assessments and other ways to learn about individual traits. That is where his organization points customers to. They use assessments, and similar fact-finding tools, to help a team learn about the members and the leaders learn how best to use those traits. Every team is a combination of all of the individuals and their motivators, so the better we blend and utilize those, the...
Building A High-Performance Remote Team
November 29, 2022 11:00 - 18 minutes - 25.6 MBThe discussion with Sebastian Schieke continues as we look at building a high-performance remote team. Not surprisingly, there are similar concerns as with traditional work teams. The team must be able to work together, set common goals, and find fulfillment for the members. None of this is new in leadership or team-building. However, it seems to leave people stumped when it shifts to a remote team. Building a High-Performance Remote Team - Start With People A team is always going to be ...
Moving To Mobile Teams and Building Them - Sebastian Schieke
November 24, 2022 11:00 - 18 minutes - 24.9 MBWe start a discussion with Sebastian Schieke at the beginning and how he got into entrepreneurship and building mobile teams. He started as most of us in that generation did with office jobs and dressing for work. Over the last fifteen or so years, there was a change. He started to find that he had a better pool of potential workers when he looked further than his local town. Well before the pandemic forced many into remote work, he used it to build out his teams quickly and precisely. Mob...
Our Annual Thanksgiving Special
November 23, 2022 11:00It is time once again for our Thanksgiving special. Yes, that time of year when we pause and reflect a bit. The last few years have been a challenge, Nevertheless, we can all still find things to be thankful for. This exercise is not just to join in the spirit of the holiday; it is a way to maintain focus, recharge, and keep a positive attitude. Yes, this is a way to "keep hope alive." Why A Thanksgiving Special? We could easily skip over these specials and push content as we do throug...
Our Annual Thanksgiving Special
November 23, 2022 11:00 - 22 minutes - 30.8 MBIt is time once again for our Thanksgiving special. Yes, that time of year when we pause and reflect a bit. The last few years have been a challenge, Nevertheless, we can all still find things to be thankful for. This exercise is not just to join in the spirit of the holiday; it is a way to maintain focus, recharge, and keep a positive attitude. Yes, this is a way to "keep hope alive." Why A Thanksgiving Special? We could easily skip over these specials and push content as we do throug...
Spend Time Or Money - The Best Approach To Growing
November 22, 2022 11:00 - 17 minutes - 24.4 MBWe wrap up our discussion with Chris Myles with a continuation of the time or money conversation. There are many ways to grow and build your business. However, the best path to do so can come down to whether you have more time, money, or skill. That alone shows why there are so many ways to start and build a business and part of our wrap-up. With this final part of the interview, we do go a tad off the rails, but a little personal story-telling never hurts. Time Or Money While we review ...
Automating Your Processes
November 17, 2022 11:00 - 19 minutes - 27 MBIn this episode, we continue our discussion with Chris Myles and explore how to define and go about automating your processes. Along the way, we also look at motivation and finding ways to keep things interesting as you grow your business or career. The two topics go hand-in-hand as you will find your greatest happiness when you outsource the tasks you do not enjoy. Go ahead, and keep the fun things for your to-do lists. Automating Your Processes The first step in moving towards delegati...
Calculated Risk and Facing Doubts
November 15, 2022 11:00 - 21 minutes - 29.5 MBOur discussion with Chris Myles continues into the ideas of calculated risk and facing your doubts. We can all be blocked by worry. However, overcoming obstacles and getting out of your comfort zone is the path to success. No one finds success while sitting in a safe place. Calculated Risk There are many reasons to hesitate or even play it safe. Chris walks us through his concerns and those nervous times when he took a step or leap of faith. However, we can see where he took calculated r...
Side hustle Success Through Perseverance - Chris Myles Interview
November 10, 2022 11:00 - 20 minutes - 28.3 MBWe start a new discussion with Chris Myles, focusing on his specific set of skills to create side hustle success. He has tried a lot of approaches and found success along with a few paths to avoid. Those have led to the creation of many sites, including bloggerevolution.com. We explore those in this multi-episode discussion of all things Chris. Side Hustle Success While many people will sell you on the passive part of income and these types of sites, Chris keeps it real. He talks about th...
Run Towards Success Not Away From Challenges
November 08, 2022 11:00 - 18 minutes - 25 MBWe conclude our discussion with Gregory Offner with an admonition to run towards success or desires. Once you run away, you likely will keep running. This topic swings us back around to the idea of approach-avoidance. We generally avoid things we do not like more than more towards what we enjoy. While some may see that as a realist approach, it can be a form of self-fulfilling prophecy. One ends up running away so often they miss the things they enjoy. Run Towards Success We have many rea...
Quiet Quitting or Silent Striking : Gregory Offner Part 3
November 03, 2022 10:00 - 20 minutes - 28.9 MBWe continue our discussion with Gregory Offner and look into quiet quitting. This phenomenon can be fixed through motivation. Thus, investing in your staff can help them grow and help the organization avoid employee disengagement. The result of investing in your employees is engagement and that provides a win-win situation. They get more out of their job, and you get more productive employees. Quiet Quitting is Just Disengagement The term quiet quitting is fairly new. However, the sentime...
Root Goal Analysis - Gregory Offner Part 2
November 01, 2022 10:00 - 22 minutes - 31.6 MBThis episode of our Gregory Offner interview series looks at root goal analysis. He shares his story and how it can be used to create a pattern interrupt that helps others. We can all find ourselves in a rut and with an improper focus. The discussion here goes into how we should review our goals and set them to truly achieve our wants and desires. Root Goal Analysis - A Proper Focus Life is full of distractions. That includes things that can make us think we are progressing towards our ob...
Turn Around Tragedy To Find Your Why : Greg Offner Interview
October 27, 2022 10:00 - 17 minutes - 23.9 MBThis episode starts a master class in how to turn around tragedy as we talk with Greg Offner. His story is mesmerizing, and he does a pretty darn good job sharing it. Just kidding, Greg is an incredible guest and I think you will want to buckle in as we discuss a broad range of topics. Whether you are trying to find your happiness, build and retain a team, or learn a little about approach avoidance, it is all here. Turn Around Tragedy From One Who Has Most of us understand that life has ...
Turn Around Tragedy To Find Your Why : Greg Offer Interview
October 27, 2022 10:00This episode starts a master class in how to turn around tragedy as we talk with Greg Offner. His story is mesmerizing, and he does a pretty darn good job sharing it. Just kidding, Greg is an incredible guest and I think you will want to buckle in as we discuss a broad range of topics. Whether you are trying to find your happiness, build and retain a team, or learn a little about approach avoidance, it is all here. Turn Around Tragedy From One Who Has Most of us understand that life has ...
Turn Around Tragedy To Find Your Why : Greg Offer Interview
October 27, 2022 10:00This episode starts a master class in how to turn around tragedy as we talk with Greg Offner. His story is mesmerizing, and he does a pretty darn good job sharing it. Just kidding, Greg is an incredible guest and I think you will want to buckle in as we discuss a broad range of topics. Whether you are trying to find your happiness, build and retain a team, or learn a little about approach avoidance, it is all here. Turn Around Tragedy From One Who Has Most of us understand that life has ...
Turn Around Tragedy To Find Your Why : Greg Offer Interview
October 27, 2022 10:00 - 17 minutes - 23.9 MBThis episode starts a master class in how to turn around tragedy as we talk with Greg Offner. His story is mesmerizing, and he does a pretty darn good job sharing it. Just kidding, Greg is an incredible guest and I think you will want to buckle in as we discuss a broad range of topics. Whether you are trying to find your happiness, build and retain a team, or learn a little about approach avoidance, it is all here. Turn Around Tragedy From One Who Has Most of us understand that life has ...
Search Improvement Through Long tail Keywords - SEO Optimizers Interview
October 25, 2022 10:00 - 15 minutes - 21.7 MBWe wrap up our interview with Brandon Leibowitz of SEO Optimizers with insight into long tail keywords and how modern searches are made. This discussion provides some important considerations when you are thinking about search. That includes the idea that almost every search Google sees is new. The advance of voice recognition and mobile searches gives us almost infinite variations on search. What Are Long Tail Keywords? We skip over what a long tail search is and thus a definition of lon...
Backlinks and Playing Nice With Google - SEO Optimizers Interview
October 20, 2022 10:00 - 19 minutes - 26.5 MBPart two of our interview with Brandon Leibowitz of SEO Optimizers progresses into placement and backlinks. We look at how sites get ranked for search results and the general rules for SEO. This episode is one of those where it is good to take notes. Likewise, it can be very motivating to go back and address your approach to keywords, backlinks, and search in general. The Value of Backlinks Google has a complex approach to search, but in some ways, it is still simple. Their goal is to g...
An Interview With Brandon Leibowitz of SEO Optimizers
October 18, 2022 10:00 - 21 minutes - 29.1 MBWe move on in our Interviews 2.0 season to an interview with Brandon Leibowitz of SEO Optimizers. The name gives away his specialty, so it is sort of a spoiler alert. However, we have a great conversation about how to approach SEO, and I think you will have a notepad full of tips when we finish. An Introduction and Then We Get To Work In this episode, we start at the beginning. We get an introduction to Brandon and how he came to found the company. However, the conversation is not just ...
Product Fit - Open Source and Otherwise
October 13, 2022 10:00 - 21 minutes - 28.9 MBWe wrap up our interview with Irina Poddubnaia with a focus on finding the right product fit. That goes for your customers and your own needs. There are many options available, and it is valuable for us to be able to navigate the field to find the best fit. Irina starts with a discussion about her customers and then deftly shifts into providing insight into how she has selected her solutions in a bootstrap/low-budget environment. Ways To Assess Product Fit We once again return to core qu...
Building A Team - The TrackMage Approach
October 11, 2022 10:00 - 20 minutes - 28.4 MBPart three of our interview with Irina Poddubnaia focuses on building her team. She had plenty of experience but still had things to learn. The good news is that she had people she had worked with in the past that helped her over the hump of finding resources. She loves her team and provides a great episode of singing their praises. Look To Experience For Building A Team We all have mixed experiences with each team we work on. At least, I hope we do. That equates to some good people and ...
The Benefits of SAAS Products - TrackMage Decisions
October 06, 2022 10:00 - 20 minutes - 28.9 MBWe continue our interview with Irina Poddubnaia of TrackMage to discuss the benefits of SAAS solutions, why they chose them, and how to distinguish your solution from the pack. This delves into many practical challenges for building traditional software. Then, we switch gears to focus on how a similar solution can differ in critical areas. Delivery Over Packaging The bottom line of benefits of SAAS solutions is that you can focus on delivering features over platform configuration headach...
An Interview with Irina Poddubnaia of TrackMage
October 04, 2022 10:00 - 21 minutes - 29.1 MBThe new season kicks off with an interview with Irina Poddubnaia of TrackMage. This season will once again explore how others have found success and the lessons learned along the way. The topics for this interview include SAAS benefits, building your team, and providing the best experience for your customers. Track Mage Site: https://trackmage.com/ Scratch Your Itch Irina spent her early professional years as a project manager and learning how to build software. She spun these experien...
Lessons Learned - A Better Life
September 08, 2022 10:00 - 20 minutes - 28.4 MBThere is an amusing irony to the idea that more mistakes can lead to a better life. While the trip can be a challenge, the end is enjoyable. We see this in many "overnight success" stories if we fail to look at the journey. It is not the same as the end justifying the means. However, learning from mistakes is a way to make the most of the price paid for them. We cannot roll back time, but we can avoid repeating it. Better Developer And Better Life The stories shared in this season d...
Incremental Improvement and Progress - Do It Now
September 06, 2022 10:00 - 17 minutes - 23.8 MBWe often talk about momentum and incremental improvement as substantial steps towards progress. However, we have to take action to benefit from those. Thus, we have another facet of failing to take a step. Not only do we not make any progress, but we also find ourselves in the same situation weeks, months, or years later. On the other hand, a little activity can put us in a far better position for the future. Incremental Improvement Leads To Significant Progress There are many exampl...
Save Your Work - Avoid Simple Mistakes
September 01, 2022 10:00 - 17 minutes - 24.2 MBSometimes the obvious escapes us. The suggestion to save your work often and habitually is one of those apparent recommendations. It is a newer phenomenon as we have to worry about data loss through various means. Likewise, we have a virtual workplace, and the idea of our work not being done until it is committed is new. The latest generations may not see it that way, but "us old folks" do. There was no need to "save your work" on a typewriter or a written journal. When you performed a...
You Have To Risk To Succeed - The Shot Not Taken
August 30, 2022 10:00 - 16 minutes - 22.4 MBThere is a great truth among those that have been successful. One must take a risk to succeed. The safe road is too popular. Thus, most people take it, and you will travel a path of high traffic. The nature of success in a noticeable way is that you are among a minority of the population. For example, we can all tie our shoes, and most take a common path. That is why no one talks about their success in tying shoes. I guess it is important to note I am talking about Success as a signif...
Multiple Contact Options - Make The Most Of Them
August 25, 2022 10:00 - 18 minutes - 25.4 MBWe often feel like we can not get away from work and those that want our time. However, multiple contact options can easily be overlooked. That can cause delays and information loss. The ease of communication in the modern world should not convince us to overlook the need for contingencies and other channels. Any time we rely on one path, it can be blocked and stop progress. That goes for our available communication channels as well as any physical path. We All Have Multiple Contact O...
Stay Healthy Or Pay The Price
August 23, 2022 10:00 - 16 minutes - 22.7 MBWe provide many ways to become a better developer. One of the best ways to do hits over the long run is to stay healthy. Big things like cancer and chronic disease can disrupt your career. However, smaller things like the flu or seasonal cold can also knock you out for days or weeks. That unplanned "time off" can cause a sizeable setback. Likewise, it can derail time-critical plans and cause missed opportunities. Stay Healthy As A Good Investment There is a cost to doing healthy thi...
Take The High Road - Avoid Shady Partners
August 18, 2022 10:00 - 21 minutes - 29 MBIn this episode, we share a story that shows us to take the high road. It is a road less traveled but one worth the effort. While shortcuts and quick fixes are often mistakes, shadowy paths can also be far more costly than expected. There is far more at stake than a single goal. Our reputation and its impact on our future must also be considered. Take The High Road - A Worthy Plan The error of this episode comes from a partner who (unwittingly) shifted his hard work to me. While it ...
Project Completion - Cross The Finish Line
August 16, 2022 10:00 - 19 minutes - 26.8 MBProject completion is the focus of this episode. We discuss how to start and implement a solution but ignore finishing. That changes in this story. We look at how "moving the goal line" can be expensive and self-defeating. On the contrary, we are often far better off declaring victory and putting a stake in the ground. That gives us a solid foundation to build on. When we do not, we often find ourselves on shifting sand. That causes delays, overruns, and unneeded frustration. Projec...
Timely Billing - Avoid Headaches and Loss
August 11, 2022 10:00 - 17 minutes - 24.7 MBWe dive into the exciting world of accounting in this episode. Timely billing is the focus, and a worst-case scenario teaches the lesson. While the mistake is not directly mine in this story, I was a first-hand witness and deeply involved. That experience cemented my habit of providing regular status and gave me limits for billing flexibility. These steps have helped me avoid much loss and frustration over the years. Timely Billing - And Payment Terms Billing is not the only thing we...
Status Reporting - The Simple Solution For Avoiding Big Problems
August 09, 2022 10:00 - 16 minutes - 23.4 MBFew things cause excitement like the phrase, "status reporting." Yes, I know you are already quivering from anticipation, but that is our topic. This episode looks at how much confusion could have been avoided (and some loss) through better use of this communication form. Accordingly, this is an excellent lesson to learn early in your career. Status Reporting - Staying on the Same Page The best reason for regular communication in a project is to ensure everyone stays on the same page....
Smart Scheduling - Including Buffer So It Can Flex
August 04, 2022 10:00 - 21 minutes - 29.2 MBOur approach to becoming a better developer requires planning. Likewise, we need smart scheduling to hit our targets. That is the focus of this episode. I look back at a time when I overloaded my schedule and ended up stressing out. That led to more harm than good in many ways. Thus, we need to look at building in ways to allow our schedule to be flexible and adjust to life events. Smart Scheduling 101 - Add "Wiggle Room" A rigid structure is more likely to break when it is shown re...
Making Good The Enemy of Better
August 02, 2022 10:00 - 16 minutes - 22.9 MBThere are many mistakes we make related to pushing too far or not pushing enough. The latter is where we make good the enemy of better. More precisely, good enough becomes our goal instead of getting better. That approach can be comfortable. However, it can also limit our growth professionally and personally. This episode shares a story where I limited myself regularly shooting for a goal that was good rather than better. While we can take the "win" and move on, there are more times we...
Proving Your Worth - Understand Expectations
July 28, 2022 10:00It is not at all uncommon to focus on proving your worth when you start a new job or enter a new environment. However, we expect more than others. We often make the mistake of thinking we are expected to know everything. That is not the case. In fact, we are rarely likely to know much in the early days of a new job. That is why many companies have training and orientation programs for new hires. While there is typically not the same formal process when we move to a new team, there are ...
Proving Your Worth - Understand Expectations
July 28, 2022 10:00 - 21 minutes - 28.9 MBIt is not at all uncommon to focus on proving your worth when you start a new job or enter a new environment. However, we expect more than others. We often make the mistake of thinking we are expected to know everything. That is not the case. In fact, we are rarely likely to know much in the early days of a new job. That is why many companies have training and orientation programs for new hires. While there is typically not the same formal process when we move to a new team, there are ...
Differences In Perception - A Stupid Bet
July 26, 2022 10:00 - 17 minutes - 24.5 MBThere are many fights and arguments that start from differences in perception. Whether it is the line-of-sight, angle, or bias, we have differing views. These can cause reasonable people to take starkly different positions on a subject. While those are honest differences, they are also essential to note. Sometimes an argument can be avoided by one of the parties looking at the issue from a different perspective. We must realize these differences exist and work with them rather than digg...