It is with part excitement and part nervousness that I announce the launch of my new podcast, Always an Engineer!
If you are a:
a. Platform or software engineer,
b. Leader of an engineering team,
c. “Recovering” engineer, like me, or
d. Someone who works with any of the above…
…this podcast is for you.
I’ll be sharing experiences and offering perspectives that will help you (I hope🤞🏼) make smarter decisions, work more efficiently as an individual or on a team, and, ultimately, become a better version of yourself—no matter where you are on your career path.
I started out as a software engineer. Today I am a CEO. My path was not smooth or straight, and it’s far from over. But as they say: Once an engineer, always an engineer. Along the way I have managed to learn a lot, through both success and failure. In a way, this podcast is based on what I wish my less experienced self knew 20, 10, or even two years ago—about being a software engineer, working with software engineers, and leading software engineering teams. I suspect it will be the unconventional wisdom learned “the hard way” that will be most useful to listeners. But it’s not just about passing on knowledge.
Are you having the right conversations? Are you asking the right questions? When your gut tells you something isn’t quite right, do you have the courage of conviction to speak up? Do you have the patience to hear and truly consider differing points of view? Throughout your career you are faced with all sorts of decisions—decisions that not only affect you personally but also impact stakeholders, from teammates to customers to family members. Will your decisions create distance or bring you closer?
In this podcast, I’m going to explore those pivotal moments, both big and small, as well as topics that I feel warrant closer examination from the engineer’s perspective. I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that software engineers bring unique value to any collaborative effort. We approach problems and decisions differently. We work differently. Acknowledging that engineering mindset, understanding those differences, and learning from each other’s trials and tribulations can go a long way toward gaining alignment and mutual understanding. That is my sincere hope. Listen to the 2-minute trailer for more on why I'm doing this podcast.
I’m trying to keep the episodes short—less than 15 minutes each—and focused on a tangible, relatable topic, with a new episode each week. I welcome your feedback and comments, as well as suggestions for future episode topics. Contemplating a career change? Pondering a technical decision? Wondering how to get more out of your team? Hoping to hear a guest’s opinion? I’m all ears. The first four episodes are available now. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
2. A simple framework to motivate and keep engineers
3. Why everyone gets software estimation wrong
4. Software engineers hate meetings for a reason
Be sure to follow/subscribe to Always an Engineer on your favorite podcast platform. If you don't see it on your platform of choice, let me know and we'll get it added.
