Developer Purpose: Recent Episodes
Bennett Garner
I help software developers build meaningful careers with purpose.
Unlike others - who recommend chasing big salaries, jobs at elite companies (FAANG), or grinding interview prep - I mentor developers toward fulfilling, balanced software careers.
My goal is to help you work on software that makes the world a better place.
This week on the podcast, I share my experience and insights on starting a consulting business.
Covered in this episode:
- How to find your niche
- Horizontal vs vertical specializations
- Product, service, or productized service
- How to acquire your first clients
- Scoping projects
- Pricing services based on value
Starting a consulting business is really hard! It won’t solve all your problems to work for yourself — in fact you’ll probably have more problems.
But it can also be really cool, if you can build a business that works for you.
I discuss the dilemma of whether or not to refactor code that may not have the best design.
There are always trade-offs involved in leaving messy code versus investing time in making it better designed. It’s not straightforward whether you should undertake a refactor.
Understanding the scope of the refactor is also critical. Your changes can have a big impact on future developers and the overall system. In the video, I provide a set of questions to ask oneself before undertaking a refactor and emphasize the need for collaboration with the team.
Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that refactors drive value and benefit both developers and end users.
Software developers hold a lot in their brains.
When you’re building a feature or investigating a bug, you go deep. You gain an intimate understanding about how a certain part of the code works.
The problem: most developers suck at remembering those details.
Personal knowledge management (PKM) is a collection of methods to collect, organize, and search information. Taking rich, linked notes makes you a superhero as a coder.
I’m not a big believer in long-term goals or life plans. It’s impossible to know what your future self will want, exactly.
But one thing is for sure: you won’t be coding full-time forever.
While it’s possible to work full-time into later life, developer careers tend to be short. So, what are your options? How can you prepare now so that you have a solid foundation for that future day?
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Article: https://medium.com/developer-purpose/how-to-plan-your-exit-from-software-development-f3b028f9808b
Daily email list: https://www.developerpurpose.com