Thriving Technologist Jayme Edwards

Ever seen management bring in a technology consultant, and suddenly they're open to ideas you've been telling them all along? When this first happened to me, I figured technology consultants were probably just better at selling snake oil.
But halfway into my career I became a software development technology consultant, and I learned they were masters of one thing I sucked at - communication. Here's the good news: you don't have to become a technology consultant to be a master of communication. It's simply a decision you make to focus on it.
In this episode, I share 9 ways you can communicate like a consultant, that will get people to stop and listen to what you have to say with more authority and urgency on your software projects. Whether you're a software engineer, in QA or DevOps, or a product or product manager - we all respond to persuasive and informed communication the same way.
I hope this helps you get unstuck in your career in technology, and achieve things you never thought were possible on your software development project!
Join my Patreon: 
https://thrivingtechnologist.com/patreon
TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: 
https://thrivingtechnologist.com/techroles
The Healthy Software Development career guide: 
https://thrivingtechnologist.com/guide
Learn about one-on-one coaching with Jayme:  
https://thrivingtechnologist.com/coaching
You can also watch this episode on YouTube. 
Chapter markers / timelinks:
(3:10) 9 Ways to Communicate Like a Consultant
(3:17) 1. Be Business-Focused
(5:11) 2. Presentation Skills
(8:20) 3. Adapt To Your Audiences
(12:25) 4. Frequent Feedback Loops
(15:26) 5. Negotiation Skills
(18:02) 6. Healthy Resistance to Rushing
(20:34) 7. Project Documentation
(23:38) 8. Client Relationship Management
(26:34) 9. Continuous Learning
(30:20) Episode Groove
Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com
Find me on X as @jaymeedwards
Find me on LinkedIn as jaymeedwards

Most programmers have considered self-employment at one time or another, but fear grips them when they think about how to even get started. When I began working for myself 7 years ago, I had no idea how to transition to being self-employed, but I knew I couldn't stand working for corporations any longer.
In this episode, I'll share the most common fears any programmer faces when they think about what it might be like to work for themselves. And for each of these fears, I'll offer some perspective on how I did it, and you can too.
With the uncertainty of the software industry today (and really any tech job), relying on corporations for employment over our entire career may not be wise in the long run. I hope this episode offers some hope that self-employment isn't impossible as a programmer. But there is no escaping that you'll need to face your fears head on - and overcome them!
Join my Patreon: 
https://thrivingtechnologist.com/patreon
TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: 
https://thrivingtechnologist.com/techroles
The Healthy Software Development career guide: 
https://thrivingtechnologist.com/guide
Learn about one-on-one coaching with Jayme:  
https://thrivingtechnologist.com/coaching
You can also watch this episode on YouTube. 
Chapter markers / timelinks:
(1:38) 1. 3 Reasons Programmers Fear Self-Employment 
(1:44) 1.1 Financial Uncertainty
(2:46) 1.2 Lack of Business Skills
(3:54) 1.3 Comfort With Current Tech Job
(5:46) 2. How To Overcome Self-Employment Fears
(5:54) 2.1 Financial Planning and Savings
(9:02) 2.2 Gradual Skill Development
(11:53) 2.3 Start Small and Build Confidence
Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com
Find me on X as @jaymeedwards
Find me on LinkedIn as jaymeedwards
 

It's finally sinking in. Your software project is FAKE agile. Is there anything you can really do about it?
The sad reality is that more companies have fake agile software development processes than those that are authentic. You can fight tooth and nail to try and change the system, or you can accept when there's nothing you can do.
Being a truly agile software company is not usually something any individual programmer or manager can change. It has to start from the top. If the company doesn't do agile budgeting and have a culture of adapting to feedback, they are a typical feature factory focused on output over outcomes.
In this episode, I offer some practical ways to let to of your frustration and do the best job you can given the circumstances. If you're the type of software engineer, manager, or any other tech job role that considers themselves a change agent - you may be challenged by this one.
But this episode isn't for everyone. It's for those of us who are experiencing mental health issues, burnout, and anger over our software project being fake agile. I hope it offers some relief.
Join my Patreon: 
https://thrivingtechnologist.com/patreon
TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: 
https://thrivingtechnologist.com/techroles
The Healthy Software Development career guide: 
https://thrivingtechnologist.com/guide
Learn about one-on-one coaching with Jayme:  
https://thrivingtechnologist.com/coaching
You can also watch this episode on YouTube. 
RELATED EPISODES
Spot a Fake Agile Team in Under 7 Minutes!
https://youtu.be/H6GdK-dChtY
An Agile Budget Keeps You From Being a Code Monkey
https://youtu.be/pG4wNLopMZA
Is Your "Agile" Backlog Really a Waterfall Project?
https://youtu.be/OosYzkP-pLk
Can User Stories Make Software Projects Late?
https://youtu.be/NavlPobhj7A
Are Programmers Really To Blame For Bad Estimates?
https://youtu.be/m5A1Wg8hYGo
Chapter markers / timelinks:
(0:00) Introduction
(1:30) How to Cope With FAKE Agile Development
(3:25) 1. Stop Forcing Change
(5:10) 2. Exercise
(7:25) 3. Become a Requirements Lawyer
(10:33) 4. Charge for Changes
(13:12) 5. Protect Your Reputation
(15:12) 6. Define Your Own Success
(21:54) Episode Groove
Visit me at thrivingtechnologist.com
Find me on X as @jaymeedwards
Find me on LinkedIn as jaymeedwards

If you're bothered by the problems in the tech industry, I am too. But while every day we seem to hear more and more negative news about it - we're actually paying attention to the wrong problems.
There are many things wrong with the software industry, but very few we can control. And one thing we can control, is how much we understand each other.
Programmers complain that managers set unrealistic deadlines. Managers complain that programmers are lazy. And these are just two examples of the many different tech job roles where misunderstanding each other causes us to feel frustrated and hopeless.
In this episode, I'm sharing my vision for how we can help each other get out of complaining about the tech industry - and DO something about it. While none of us is empowered to fix every problem out there, we can at least fix what's right in front of us.
This episode marks a new chapter for the channel. I'm renaming it to Thriving Technologist! Thriving because we don't just need to be healthy in tech - we need to thrive and succeed. Technologist because we need to help not just software developers thrive, but everyone in the tech industry.
Only when we have empathy for each other and stop seeing each other as enemies, can we stop the anger and begin building a better tech industry for us all to work in. So this is an official welcome to all the people who are not programmers over the years to join us in the effort to create a healthier, more sustainable workplace in tech for us all.
Join my Patreon: 
https://www.patreon.com/HealthySoftwareDeveloper 
TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: 
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/techroles/
The Healthy Software Development career guide: 
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/guide/
Learn about one-on-one coaching with Jayme:  
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/coaching/
You can also watch this episode on YouTube. 
Visit me at healthysoftwaredeveloper.com
Find me on X as @jaymeedwards
Find me on LinkedIn as jaymeedwards

Learning new technologies, frameworks, and processes as a programmer gives you a feeling of accomplishment. But unchecked, learning can become a dangerous addiction that damages your software development career.
In this episode, I share how software engineers can cap their earning potential if they fall into common traps when learning is the absolute wrong thing to do. If you want to have a long career in software and get the rewards, recognition, and success you deserve - knowing when to (and not to) learn is essential.
Join my Patreon: 
https://www.patreon.com/HealthySoftwareDeveloper 
TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: 
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/techroles/
The Healthy Software Development career guide: 
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/guide/
Learn about one-on-one coaching with Jayme:  
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/coaching/
You can also watch this episode on YouTube. 
Chapter markers / timelinks:
(1:22) 1. How Learning Addiction Harms Tech Careers
(1:28) 1.1 Procrastination
(3:03) 1.2 Sunk Costs
(3:57) 1.3 Declining Value
(5:41) 1.4 Social Avoidance
(7:15) 1.5 Work/Life Imbalance
(8:48) 2. How To Know When Learning is a Trap
(8:54) 2.1 Self-Delusion Your Project Requires It
(10:01) 2.2 Self-Delusion You Need It To Get a New Job
(11:20) 2.3 Influencer Hype and Vanity Metrics
(13:03) 2.4 Tech Industry Pushes Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
(15:10) 2.5 Current Challenge Looks Easier in New Tech
Visit me at healthysoftwaredeveloper.com
Find me on X as @jaymeedwards
Find me on LinkedIn as jaymeedwards

Have you ever seen another programmer who wasn't as skilled as you get promoted? Did you tell yourself management was making a mistake?
Earlier in my career I didn't realize I was doing some things that caused managers to lose confidence in me. I would spend all my time writing code and never think about how I came across to other people.
In this episode, I share some harsh truths I've learned about how being a software engineer can cause us to do things we think the company wants - that actually hurt our reputation in the long run.
Companies are actually paying you for confidence as a programmer. And this episode is full of practical strategies for making sure you don't fall into traps that stop you from getting recognized for the great code you write as a programmer - before your career is really getting started!
Join my Patreon: 
https://www.patreon.com/HealthySoftwareDeveloper 
TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech: 
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/techroles/
The Healthy Software Development career guide: 
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/guide/
Learn about one-on-one coaching with Jayme:  
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/coaching/
You can also watch this episode on YouTube. 
Chapter markers / timelinks:
(1:19) 1. What Companies Really Want From Programmers
(2:12) 2. How To Build Employer Confidence as a Programmer
(2:22) 2.1 Minimize Communicating Problems and Doubt
(5:42) 2.2 Repeat Management's Desires
(7:46) 2.3 Anonymize Blame on Dependencies
(10:57) 2.4 Reduce Your Throughput
(14:52) 2.5 Elevate Your Coworkers
(17:05) 2.6 Over-communicate Status
(20:11) 2.7 Highlight Discovered Shortcuts
(22:20) 2.8 Document Verbal Decisions
(26:58) Episode Groove
Visit me at healthysoftwaredeveloper.com
Find me on X as @jaymeedwards
Find me on LinkedIn as jaymeedwards