Mentoring

Mentoring 101

Reading List

Let's Meet!

Coaching

Mentoring 101 ^ top

I regularly mentor Software Developers, Engineers, Architects and Executives at every stage of their career. I aim for wholistic growth of the entire person, rather than focusing solely on technological and career growth.

Individuals I have mentored have gone on to work for companies of all sizes from startup ventures to Fortune 100 companies.

Start with yourself. What aspiration can you pursue which rises above all others in importance and priority? This focus, this North Star, must drive every other decision you make.

Learn to think for yourself. This requires significant, nearly comprehensive brain rewiring. Do not let anyone hand your opinions to you.

Take responsibility. Be accountable. Make promises you can keep, then deliver on your promises. Aim to make your employer’s or client’s life better. Show them the value you can provide. Help others around you to achieve the same once you have demonstrated how to do it yourself.

Read. Read some more. Keep reading. Don’t merely read about technology. At minimum, read about history, art, literature, philosophy, economics, psychology, and leadership. Apply what you learn to yourself first, then in how you interact with others.

Set the pace. Lead in the way you present yourself and prepare yourself. Professional clothing, appearance and communication skills demonstrate how seriously you take yourself and others. Ensure consistency across all the sites where you have a public, visible presence, and in all your professional interactions with others.

Make a plan. Visualize what you want to achieve. Then break it down into attainable, smaller steps that, when put together, get you on the right path. These steps must align toward your highest aspiration. Ultimately you end up with many plans—daily plans, weekly plans, monthly, quarterly, yearly and multi-year plans that all connect and interrelate. You can and should adjust as necessary to keep you on the path. These plans require flexibility but must continually aim you toward your North Star.

Keep aiming higher. Evaluate your North Star regularly and continue to raise the bar.

Reading List ^ top

Required Reading

Thinking in Systems by Donella H. Meadows
Righting Software by Juval Löwy
Lean Software Systems Engineering for Developers by Doug Durham, Chad Michel
A Philosophy of Software Design by John Ousterhout
Exploring Requirements: Quality Before Design by Donald Gause and Gerald Weinberg
Software Fundamentals by Collected Papers by David L. Parnas

Additional Reading

Balancing Coupling in Software Design by Vlad Khononov
Code Health Guardian by Artie Shevchenko
48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
The Goal by Eli Goldratt
Incerto by Nassim Taleb
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Simple Architectures for Complex Enterprises by Roger Sessions
The Art of Immutable Architecture by Michael L. Perry

Let's Meet! ^ top

I have regular time slots available for introductory phone calls, or even lunch if you’re local. Contact me!

If you’d like to meet for informal mentoring every 2-3 months for 30 minutes, I have a limited number of slots available. If you’re interested in formal coaching on a more frequent basis, continue on to the next section.

Coaching ^ top

I have a limited number of slots available for formal coaching on a semi-monthly or monthly basis. Contact me me if you’re interested.

The current rate per 50 minute session is $150 USD. No, I don’t accept bitcoin. 😀

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