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Developer Tea exists to help driven developers connect to their ultimate purpose and excel at their work so that they can positively impact the people they influence. With over 13 million downloads to date, Developer Tea is a short podcast hosted by Jonathan Cutrell (@jcutrell), co-founder of Spec and Director of Engineering at PBS. We hope you'll take the topics from this podcast and continue the conversation, either online or in person with your peers. Twitter: @developertea :: Email: deve ...
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Developer Tea
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The Pitfall of Control and Antidote of Trust
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Your intuition says that control is the ladder you climb to improve your career. But most great leaders tend to do one thing: the opposite of increasing control. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com. 📮 Join the Discord If you want to be a pa…
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Developer Tea
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Working Balance - Confronting Reality with Optimism
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In today's episode we explore the duality between confronting difficult realities while maintaining optimism. Specifically, we discuss a critical question: what does it mean to be optimistic? 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com. 📮 Join the …
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Developer Tea
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What Defines a Senior Developer? - Choosing the Right Granularity Level
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The traits that define a senior engineer are not catalogued perfectly in one spot. But, nevertheless, we'll try to cover some of the most important traits and habits of a senior engineer. In today's episode, we'll add more detail to the commonly recommended skill of "work breakdown." Sometimes this extremely valuable skill is the opposite of what y…
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Developer Tea
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What Defines a Senior Developer? - Difficult Does Not Equate To Valuable
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The traits that define a senior engineer are not catalogued perfectly in one spot. But, nevertheless, we'll try to cover some of the most important traits and habits of a senior engineer. In this episode, we'll discuss the fact that difficulty does not equate to value, and hazard a guess as to why we can easily confuse this, especially as we begin …
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What Defines a Senior Developer? - Systematically Communicating Value
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The traits that define a senior engineer are not catalogued perfectly in one spot. But, nevertheless, we'll try to cover some of the most important traits and habits of a senior engineer. In this episode, we'll discuss the importance of systematically communicating value to various audiences. Feel free to incorporate these into your skill matrices,…
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What Defines a Senior Developer? - Dynamic vs Static Understanding of Situations
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The traits that define a senior engineer are not catalogued perfectly in one spot. But, nevertheless, we'll try to cover some of the most important traits and habits of a senior engineer. Feel free to incorporate these into your skill matrices, reviews, or job descriptions - I'd love to hear about it if you do! 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this …
We play the short game so we get the chance to play the long game. Early in our careers, we imagine the best way to play is always focus on the long game. But in reality, we need both. Be aware of leaning too far the opposite direction, and accidentally abandoning the long game entirely. ## 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: [Split](https://sp…
We can become accustomed to the rate at which we experience change, and imagine that that rate will continue to increase linearly. Eventually, change will level off. We accumulate fewer skills later in our careers, our network of connections might seem to top out, or our salary bumps slow down. If we know that change tends to follow a logarithmic s…
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Protecting Flow State - Setting Your Session Feedback And Goal
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At the beginning of any work session, practice, performance, or any other activity you want to achieve flow during, you can give yourself the best shot at getting into flow by controlling a few simple variables. We talk about two of them in today's episode: Session Feedback and Session Goal. ## 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: [Split](https:…
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Protecting Flow State - Plan Now, Pause Later
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10:27
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Protecting your flow state may help you have more "peak experiences" - whether in your career or in your personal life. This is your opportunity to make the biggest strides and highest achievements. In this episode we start a conversation about what it takes to protect your flow state. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me …
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Golden Advice - Always Leave Margin For Extra
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Sometimes I hear advice that is worth its weight in gold. In today's episode I share one piece of advice that is almost universally applicable across life and career efforts. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com. 📮 Join the Discord If you wa…
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Developer Tea
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Your Purpose is A Projection of Your Complex Identity
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If your identity is complex, your purpose is by extension complex. In this episode, we talk about purpose as an expression, rather than a regulator, of your identity. ## 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: [Split](https://split.io/DeveloperTea) This podcast is powered by Split. The Feature Management & Experimentation Platform that reimagines s…
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Developer Tea
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Demystifying Purpose by Focusing On Your Purpose For Today
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You don't need to overthink purpose. Focus on clarity, and finding your underlying motivation. That clarity can be short-lived; purpose is a dynamic and powerful force, but only if you hold it lightly. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com. 📮…
What you are afraid of in your career may be the thing that propels you. It's all about framing, and removing the negative and positive language. Instead, think about how you can best position yourself and that behavior to be valuable instead of a detractor. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that y…
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Management Model of Ability and Will Applied to Self
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If you aren't doing something, you either can't or won't. In today's episode, we explore this very simple starting point for behavior change and habit development, and explore the boundaries of the model. 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Split This podcast is powered by Split. The Feature Management & Experimentation Platform that reimagines…
You aren't going to put your foot in your mouth, or reveal some devastating level of ineptitude. Asking questions, especially as a beginner, is much more likely to gain you favor than disdain. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com. 📮 Join the…
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Comparing Cost Curves and Second Order Thinking
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What does a feature cost? Your first answer will probably focus on the time to build, or the features needed... Maybe the amount of hiring necessary to deliver. But what about after that? The cost of our decisions is not limited to the short term - usually, a decision has a long term cost curve. Knowing what the cost curve is for any significant in…
There is a spectrum of buy-in for behavior change. In today's episode, I'll give you a thinking model for considering different types of buy-in along this spectrum, and when one might help you make better systems for behavior change in your organization. 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Split This podcast is powered by Split. The Feature Man…
What is your learning strategy? If you don't have one, you are implicitly saying that all learning is equal. Learning is an investment of time. Choose what you invest in carefully. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com. 📮 Join the Discord If …
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Celebrating 8 Years - Plus, What it Feels Like to Be Wrong
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Developer Tea has been around for 8 years. Thank you so much for your incredible support over these years! In today's episode we discuss how it feels to be wrong. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com. 📮 Join the Discord If you want to be a p…
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Using Strategy, Tactics, and Operations to Achieve Intentions
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13:47
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Most resolutions aren't as simple as saying something and then doing it. Instead, focus on breaking apart your resolution by looking at intent, strategy, tactics, and operations. 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Split This podcast is powered by Split. The Feature Management & Experimentation Platform that reimagines software delivery. By att…
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Developer Tea
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Resolve To Make Important Asks In The New Year
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Make a commitment to determine three requests that could change your life for the better, and the people you need to give those requests. Then, in the new year, make that a part of your resolutions. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com. 📮 Jo…
Complexity is an asset, but often it depreciates in value over time. Simplification strategies should evaluate what kind of value complexity is providing, and whether that could be replaced or if it doesn't provide sufficient exponential value versus the cost over time. 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Square Square has APIs for almost every…
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Your Biggest Opportunity is In Your Daily Influence
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Opportunity is in front of you every day. But, you may not recognize it at first, because you by default will likely imagine yourself to be an external observer. If you change that mental model, and view yourself as an active participant with the power to influence others, your perception of opportunity will follow. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed …
What will hold you back from achieving what you want to achieve in your future? How do you imagine your future, and what do you assume will keep you from going further? In today's episode, we'll do a visualization exercise to help understand the assumptions we make about our own problems and flaws, and why avoidance isn't helping us grow. 📮 Ask a Q…
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How Ordering Your Events in A Day Can Matter
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Practical application of psychology can help us understand how to order our days more consciously. In this episode, we talk about priming and regression to the mean, and how they could impact our work as engineers and managers. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it ov…
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Don't Fear AI Taking the Coding Jobs (Fixed Audio)
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AI will change your work... But it's time for us to find the path forward. 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Square Square has APIs for almost every aspect of running a business from employee management, to order creation and tracking, to inventory synchronization. Square’s APIs also integrate with software business owners already use like ta…
AI will change your work... But it's time for us to find the path forward. 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Square Square has APIs for almost every aspect of running a business from employee management, to order creation and tracking, to inventory synchronization. Square’s APIs also integrate with software business owners already use like ta…
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Developer Tea
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Focus On Activities With Asymmetrical Upside
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14:59
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Focus on things that provide asymmetrical upside. This is a personalized ROI evaluation. This is how you invest your time wisely. 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Split This podcast is powered by Split. The Feature Management & Experimentation Platform that reimagines software delivery. By attaching insightful data to feature flags, Split fr…
We imagine others are more interested in our mistakes or self-conscious areas than they are. We also imagine they pay little to no attention to us at most other times. Both of these are errors in judgment. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.co…
We adapt to our circumstances. This dampens our capacity for gratitude, as we become less aware of what we are experiencing the longer we have the same experiences. In today's episode, we use a version of an exercise from Julia Galef's excellent book, The Scout Mindset, to help us break out of our status quo thinking and recognize what is in front …
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You Know The Right Decision, Now Reduce The Friction
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You know how to determine what would be a good decision. You have the tools and the reasoning; if you find yourself still not making the right decision, you may be tempted to focus on the "left side" - increasing the energy, gumption, reasoning, or motivation. Instead, focus on the barriers - the friction. ## 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this ep…
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Using Observational Techniques to Find Your Personal Values
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Determining your values isn't just about fluff. This is what you personally care about. In this episode, we talk about two ways to use direct observation as a tool for determining your values, and why those values are not just buzzwords. ## 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: [Split](https://split.io/DeveloperTea) This podcast is powered by Spl…
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Developer Tea
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Avoid Defining Success Outside Your Locus of Control
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Focus on what you can control. Create incentives and language and internal narrative that produces the right actions within your locus of control. Avoid attaching your definition of success to things outside of your control. 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Square Square has APIs for almost every aspect of running a business from employee ma…
Don't buy in to the lie that you have to overwork to succeed. Not only is it not true, it's also dangerous - and the opposite is more accurate. ## 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: [developertea.com.](https://www.developertea.com/contact) ## 📮 Join the [D…
In today's episode, I provide a simple coaching tip on improved communication for software engineers. It's simple: always make precision explicit, and layer context. Start with precision, then create meaning on top. ## 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: [d…
We don't think about the unexpected as a category of possible outcomes. This leads us to assign overestimated probabilities to things that are front of mind, and discount the likelihood of things we don't expect. This may lead us to prepare for expected events without consideration for what we'll do in the face of the unexpected. 🙏 Today's Episode …
Look closer at the things that don't happen. Evaluate the options you never considered. When you are looking back, don't just judge based on actions and outcomes - look at the quality of decisions through the lens of information, and wonder: was there a better decision? Was there an option that was nearly as good, but this one was better? ## 🙏 Toda…
You can't wait for luck to strike, but you also won't always get what you deserve. Both of these are true - so, go make luck happen for you! ## 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: [developertea.com.](https://www.developertea.com/contact) ## 📮 Join the [Disc…
Habits aren't built on their own. They are the result of environments. Reduce friction and create a positive reinforcement loop, and the habits will follow. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com. 📮 Join the Discord If you want to be a part of…
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Design Your Low Stakes Environment As A Mirror of Your High Stakes Environment
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What happens in high-stakes environments? Is the learning you do in your low-stakes environment actually helping you when you have skin in the game? ## 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: [Split](https://split.io/DeveloperTea) This podcast is powered by Split. The Feature Management & Experimentation Platform that reimagines software delivery. …
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Better Goals - Deriving Values from Personal Investment and Risk Tolerance
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Having trouble setting goals? Take a look at a different angle with the guided exercise in today's episode. 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Square Square has APIs for almost every aspect of running a business from employee management, to order creation and tracking, to inventory synchronization. Square’s APIs also integrate with software bu…
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Better Goals - Finding Cohesion Between Your Long and Short Term Goals
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Our goals usually take two forms: what we want to accomplish, and who we want to be. When we can align these things, we find cohesion in our goals, giving us more clarity and purpose. 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Square Square has APIs for almost every aspect of running a business from employee management, to order creation and tracking,…
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Better Goals - Two Guidelines for Better Outcomes
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Two guidelines for better goal setting. First, goals don't stand alone. Second, ranges often beat arbitrary points. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com. 📮 Join the Discord If you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non…
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5 Powerful Questions To Design Your Time More Effectively
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Stop and think about how you are spending your time. Time is constantly moving, whether we stop to recognize it or not. How will you spend it? These five powerful questions will help you reconfigure your time today. 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Split This podcast is powered by Split. The Feature Management & Experimentation Platform that…
A short term mindset will focus on different things than a long term mindset. Neither is right or wrong, but what are you optimizing for? Once you answer this question, you can start to work towards finding a solution that balances both. 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Square Square has APIs for almost every aspect of running a business fro…
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Revolutionize Your Most Important Meetings with Powerful Questions
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Your best tool is your next question. 🙏 Today's Episode is Brought To you by: Square Square has APIs for almost every aspect of running a business from employee management, to order creation and tracking, to inventory synchronization. Square’s APIs also integrate with software business owners already use like tax and bookings. so business owners ca…
Diffuse thinking produces options and draws connections. Focused thinking narrows things down to a specific path. Use them both, and watch for when they collide. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com. 📮 Join the Discord If you want to be a pa…
Doing nothing seems like it would be easy... But it seems that action is often easier than doing nothing. Sometimes, perhaps often, action is the right choice. However, if there is no reason to believe one action over another would be better, or action over inaction for that matter - why are we taking action at all? If we think about our efforts as…
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Demystifying Decision-Making - Success is Not Just About Making Good Decisions
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You are not the sum of your decisions. Making better decisions often relies on having a long list of mistakes to learn from. 📮 Ask a Question If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com. 📮 Join the Discord If you want to be a part of a supportive community of engin…
