The Critical Channel criticalchannel.io

The Problem: A dropout, a CS graduate, and an MBA walk into a bar...


While this sounds like a setup for a supremely cringe joke, it gives us three different perspectives on a big question: are Computer Science degrees important for success in the tech industry? What about degrees in general? Can not having one - or having the wrong flavour of degree - limit your opportunities?

The Problem: There are no silver bullets, but there is a cheat code.


Today, let's talk about career progression, from the perspective of three engineering managers. What it means to advance when there are different tracks to explore, what it takes to get that next level, and what managers (i.e we) look for when recommending you for a promotion.
Links:
On the Proper Care and Feeding of MonkeysEpisode 16: It's a Spreadsheet, Bro — Our episode on authorityEpisode 7: Nothing Engineer — Our episode on job titles.Progression: Define and measure career growth for your teamUrban Sports Club's public career ladderJulia Evans | Get your work recognized: write a brag documentA Work Log Template for Software Engineers

The Problem: The pain of receiving a letter (in German).


We often feel stressed, or hear others saying they feel stressed. But what is stress, really? And how could it ever possibly be a good thing?


This episode we give some tips on dealing with stress, look at what factors may cause it, and talk about how to recognise it in your direct reports and help them deal with it too.
Links:
43 Folders Series: Inbox Zero | 43 FoldersGetting Things Done® - David Allen's GTD® MethodologyDrive | Daniel H. PinkThe Pomodoro Technique — Why It Works & How To Do ItFrontiers | What is intrinsic motivation? A typology of computational approachesProject management triangle - Wikipedia

The Problem: Forever wading through the thick, viscous soup of power differentials.


Every company claims to want a strong feedback culture. But what does that even mean? What's so desirable about it, and what are you missing that's preventing you from getting there?
Links:
Radical CandorThe Culture MapDifficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most97 Things Every Engineering Manager Should Know: Collective Wisdom from the Experts

The Problem: What is this product thing, anyway?


Some battles are old as time itself. Godzilla vs. Kong. Man vs. Food. Tabs vs. Spaces.


And Product vs. Tech, it seems as well. But why do we so often find a rift there? Surely we're working towards the same goals. Surely we must be able to collaborate and get along.


This ep, we explore some of the reasons tension can occur between these two disciplines - and why, actually, that's okay!
Links:
Inspired: How to create tech products customers love, by Marty CaganProduct shouldn't be left to product managersUbiquitous Language

The Problem: Your security is our highest priority. Well, one of them. After our next funding round, the next seven sprints' worth of features, the company summer party, and restocking the vending machine.


You refresh the app for the hundredth time, but your bank balance still reads 0€. It has to be a bug, you think, reaching for your apartment keys, which... are no longer in your pocket. In fact, looking closer, the lock on the apartment appears to have changed since this morning. Odd.


A horn startles you, and you turn to see a car that looks suspiciously like your own passing by. MacBooks emblazoned with your company's logo are piled high in the back seat, almost obscuring the view. You catch a glimpse of the driver, and gasp in recognition. And... is that your wife in the passenger seat? Oh dear.


He'd seemed such a nice young man, too. Stepping into the elevator with a large bag and a disarming grin - how could you ever be suspicious of a smile like that? Sure, the false nose and poorly matching facial hair were a bit strange, but you do get all sorts in startups these days; it's best not to discriminate.


If only you'd hashed your passwords.
Links:
Okta Hack - BBC NewsA Deep Dive into the Real Security Threats From the Twitch LeakGorillas LeakArtix Linux Migration Guide — To install the artix-keyring package, you need to temporarily lower pacman's security levels for the installation in your /etc/pacman.conf.Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster - O-Ring Concerns - WikipediaKevin Mitnick - WikipediaCatch Me If You Can - IMDbGitHub SecurityCould your printer be a security risk?"I don't care about cookies" browser extensionNeverSSL — This website is for when you try to open Facebook, Google, Amazon, etc on a wifi network, and nothing happens.Oxide.computer - Hardware for Running Infrastructure at Scale