Tech Lead Journal

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#170 - Essential Communication Patterns for Developers and Technical Leaders - Jacqui Read

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 Bio Jacqui 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.

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#169 - User Experience Design: The Key to Creating a Sustainable Business Moat - Satyam Kantamneni

Tech Lead Journal

“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 Bio Satyam 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.

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#168 - Serverless as a Game Changer - Joseph Emison

Tech Lead Journal

“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 Bio Joe 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.

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#167 - Uncovering Blind Spots: How Great Leaders Unleash Great Performance - Marisa Murray

Tech Lead Journal

“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 Bio Marisa 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.