Perspectives in Tech: Recent Episodes
Periodic discussions on the topics you suggest: careers in tech, forward-looking technologies, and lots more.
YouTube Channel, where you can find me in the future.
Transcript Welcome back to perspectives and tech. My name is Josh Duffney, and this is the final episode of perspectives and tech.
After a year of wishy washy, publishing and podcasting, I’ve decided to call it quits and admit that I’m a terrible podcast host. I want to thank you all for listening and supporting the show. I want to thank Don for the opportunity. And I also want to give you aware a place where you can find me in the future.
So in the interim. I’ve started a YouTube channel. That’s where you can stay up to date with content that I create. It’s been a little bit more manageable for me than the scheduling and the work that goes into a podcast.
There’s a lot more work into doing a podcast right than I expected and juggling family work and writing a book on the side. It just never came up to the top of their priority list and I’ve failed to do a good enough job for you as a listener. And for that reason, I’m going to take a step back. We’re going to take down perspectives in tech.
This will be the last episode, but I wanted to put this episode out there as a thank you to you, the listener in supporting the show was your questions and engagement, uh, and comment. Along this journey, uh, regretful to say that it’s been a short journey just a year, and I’ve only published a handful of episodes. Some of them, I didn’t even, uh, get out into the public eye because of time constraints.
But, um, needless to say, or regardless, I am really grateful that all of you have listened and I hope to catch up with you on YouTube and other mediums, maybe at the PowerShell summit that’s coming up here. So with that.
Thank you for listening, this is Josh Duffney, and this is the last episode of Perspectives in Tech.
Show Notes:
- Automation + DevOps Summit 2021
- @GoateePFE
Host Notes:
- After a little break, I’m back to recording podcasts! Aiming for a bi-weekly episode (fingers crossed)
Show notes
Recommended podcasts:
- Coaching for Leaders
- The look and sound of leadership
Blogs / Newsletters:
- Software Lead Weekly by Oren Ellenbogen
- Irrational Exuberance by Will Larson
Books:
- The Manager’s Path by Camille Fournier
- The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo
- An Elegant Puzzle by Will Larson
Setting goals is great, but what happens when you’ve accomplished most of them? In this episode Don and I are joined by a guest discussing switching career paths from the technical trenches to management. Listen to the episode to learn more.
Announcement: Change of ownership. Don is stepping back and Josh is taking over ownership as the main host of the show. Don will still appear as a guest every now and again.
Follow us on Twitter, @concentrateddon @joshduffney
In this episode, Josh and I are joined by Carlton Whitmore to discuss balancing time between work, career, and personal life. As it turns out time management is a lot like getting out of debt. Listen to the episode to learn more.
In this episode, Josh and I get a little introspective, and talk about our podcasting rigs. Whether you’re interested in starting a podcast, live streaming on Twitch, or just sounding better in Zoom or Teams, this is worth a listen.
Here’s a tough topic: we’re all aware of the ageism in tech, but what if you are an older person who needs to change jobs and upgrade your career? Josh and I try to offer some thoughts for our guest.
Let’s take a slight diversion for the holiday season and do a mashup of career and hobby! I’m joined by Thomas Henson (@henson_tm), and we’re talking about making the jump from being a tech writer to a fiction writer. And, if you’re looking at becoming a tech writer, there’s some useful bonus advice there, too!
Josh (@joshduffney) and I are joined by Taylor Journey, who wonders what technology should be next on his “focus list” to help move his career forward. Don’t forget, YOU control the contents of this show! Visit DonJones.com/podcast to suggest new topics for us to cover.
Changing tech stacks can be expensive, painful, and frustrating—especially when a re-architecture isn’t in the cards. So what do you do? How do you think about it? Join us for some fresh perspectives.
Is there really a difference between “coding,” “scripting,” and “programming?” My new co-host, @joshduffney, joins me to figure it out.
Christopher and I speak with @MrThomasRayner about career switches. Not a wholesale switch to lumber or something, but rather a tweak: maybe becoming a software dev, or something like that. We discuss the things you’ve got to keep in mind, and the important fact that absolutely no tech careers are immune to “constant change and reskilling” these days. Submit YOUR topic ideas at https://donjones.com/podcast; this November we’ll be switching the show format slightly to make it easier for YOUR topics to make it on the show.
I’m joined by Michael Bender (@MichaelBender) as we take a question from the audience: Is it better to be an IT generalist or a specialist? What if you’ve started specializing to your specific job? If you want to be more general, how do you do it? Don’t forget to submit your own topics so we can keep the show going: DonJones.com/podcast.
This episode, I’m joined by Doug Finke (@dfinke) to discuss book publishing options. We get pretty deep into the finances, the logistics, and the pros and cons of going it on your own or working with a traditional publisher. Don’t forget to suggest your topic for a future episode at DonJones.com/podcast.
Join me and @joshduffney as Josh tells me how he used “Be the Master” to slide into the driver’s seat of life, point his career in a healthy new direction, and decide what he wanted out of life.
I’m joined by SCCM instructor Greg Shields (@concentratdgreg) so I can eat a little crow and understand why and how SCCM is still a thing in today’s modern world.
My crew and I are joined by Jon Junell (@jonhikes) as we talk about the characteristics of toxic workplaces and healthy workplaces. It’s more than you might think – open your mind a bit before you listen, and see how other folks evaluate this complex and personal topic.
Join Josh Duffney (@joshduffney) and my crew for a talk on… digital minimalism? This from the guy with every iDevice there is? Yeah – a pretty mind-opening talk, and one I think you’ll enjoy. Show notes below the break.
URLs:
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Digital Declutter: Discovering the Power of Self-Reflection and Deep Thought
Detaching from Distraction
Atomic Habits — The Four Laws of Behavior Change Applied to Your Cell Phone
I’m joined by Greg Shields (@concentratdgreg) to discuss Active Directory migrations – which are still a thing, even in 2020!
I’m joined by Ryan Yates (@ryanyates1990) to talk about mental health. It’s a discussion based on a recent Microsoft Ignite session he did on this topic, and it’s pretty illuminating, as is his website, Mental Health Affects Someone Like Me.
And now for something completely different: this time, I get interviewed. Michael Levan (@TheNJDevOpsGuy) joins me and @PSHDonsBoss to ask questions about the current state of my career, how I got there, and more. We tangent nicely into what leadership means, and why some tech folks aren’t sure they want to get into management. We touch on how to start making a role for yourself, and lots more. It’s a great discussion, and it includes some perspectives on my career that you don’t usually hear (and some candid facts you probably have never heard).
This turned out to be a kind of freewheeling discussion between myself, our question-asker Patrick, and three guests. It circles around the idea of leading a team of technologists, and not only on how technology gets selected in an environment, but how those three lead their teams to the right learning to get the job done – and to support their teams’ overall careers. Audio is a bit messy in spots, but I hope you enjoy the listen.
Are you wondering if “Infrastructure from Code” is a good approach for your company? Surprisingly – yes! The benefits go far beyond mere automation. With that said, which toolset is best? How do you get started? How do you sell it to the business? All that and more answered in this episode.
Have you hit some great milestones in your career? Are you basically happy with your job – but wonder how to answer everyone who keeps asking “what’s next?” How do you manage your career – and do you need to keep “moving up?” We unpack it all in this episode.
If you’re a woman in technology – specifically, in this case, a database administrator – how do you steer your career? How do you overcome imposter syndrome? How do you build a network of colleagues to help grow and support your career? SQL Server/PowerShell MVP Chrissy LeMaire joins for this insightful discussion.
So… we’ve all been dealing with a crazy stock market, with craziness coming from the global SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. But… how can a virus affect a stock market? What IS a stock market? Why do they work they way they do? A Round Table discussion for those who might not know exactly what all this stuff is.
Tim Warner joins me in this discussion about where to focus your career, given the huge array of choices in front of you today. We arrive at a roughly three-step process for making that decision, and discuss some of the different lenses you might need to look through as you work through it for yourself.
Ever wonder what a modern “core curriculum” for sysadmins would look like? In this Round Table, we asked someone who knows, because she designs and teaches that core curriculum to young folks just entering the field.
A bonus pilot episode for you this week! This is a potential new format for the podcast, where we take a relaxed, freewheeling approach to a particular topic. This episode: ever wonder what OpEx and CapEx are, and why some companies prefer one over the other? Wonder what a P&L is and how it’s used? All that and more are on the table.
Would you coworkers describe you the same way you would? Is that description helping you as a person, and your career? “Emotional Intelligence” can seem like yet another Human Resources buzzword, but it’s really just a phrase for describing something that’s both powerful and simple – and something that can make your life and career more fulfilling and rewarding. Sarah’s book recommendation: Emotional Intelligence 2.0.
What’s it take to get an MVP Award? What kind of contributions matter the most, and where do you start? And… is getting the Award the right reason to start contributing to your community? What’s the Award worth, and what’s it mean? Commonly asked, fairly heavy questions… and I think I’ve pulled together a great set of folks to offer their perspectives. And here’s a related post if this topic interests you.
This episode, I’m joined by Ryan Sutton of Robert Half, one of the biggest tech staffing firms out there. We talk about job prospects in IT, the growing recognition of “soft skills,” and a ton more.
A fantastic chat with a job hunter who asks, “I believe I’ve got plenty of leadership skills – how do I communicate that to prospective employers?” But the entire conversation applies to any skill you’re trying to communicate, along with seriously sage advice for where to prioritize your time and investments as you seek a new job. And frankly, it applies just as much to promotions as it does to a job move.
Our first episode looks at Enterprise Architecture: what is it? Who is it for? How do you get into it?
(Acknowledging that the audio needs work – this is totally listen-able, but there’s a bit of a learning curve on these multi-person interviews!)