Tldr; My first keynote was a massive technical disaster. Four laptops and 3 projector breakdowns later, it was complete. However, using principles I learned from “Resonate” by Nancy Duarte I made it through…and I think people even enjoyed …
Be a Podcast Guest
Like many aspiring outliers I’ve been multithreading my life by listening to Software & Technology Podcasts while doing mundane tasks like commuting or doing housework. Some of these podcasts will frequently have guest interviews. Becoming a guest on these podcasts …
Are You Solving Real Problems?
Sodoku, crosswords, video games, board games, and sports. These are all invented problems. The world doesn’t wake up each morning hoping that someone will solve a crossword. And although I enjoy football, I have to admit the world isn’t meaningfully …
Reality Check: Counseling for Developer Hero Worshippers
I used to believe that outliers were people who performed superhero feats that I could never hope to match and one glance at my Twitter feed was all I required as absolute proof. Let me show you what I mean.…
Stop Passive Learning. Start Active Learning!
Everyone who knows me knows it!
I love learning because I am curious and passionate about my work.
I am writing to you because I want to share a lesson I learnt.
I’ve always been a huge fan of RSS …
Declaring Digital Bankruptcy
I’ve spent the last five days declaring digital bankruptcy. Here was the situation:
- 65 draft emails
- 120 unread emails
- Desktops buried in icons on three separate machines
- Ten unfinished blog posts
- Over a dozen projects “in process”
I had a …
Making the Most of Pluralsight
Hello again, this is Kevin O’Shaughnessy from ZombieCodeKill.
I have been using Pluralsight since 2012. Looking back now more than three years on, I think it has probably been the second best set of IT resources I’ve had in …
How To Land 60,000 Readers with Your Next Blog Post
A few months ago I sat down to write a quick email. It was in response to a co-worker who asked for some tips on how to break into software development. After writing a few paragraphs I realized I could …
Passive Consumption And The Ever-tempting Screen
Right now I’m sitting on a 7.5 hour British Airways flight from London to Chicago. Its a 747 with TV screens throughout and a long list of free movies to choose from. One point is striking: when given this long …
Start Speaking!
Becoming an outlier developer is an ongoing process that involves learning from others and sharing what you learn. There’s no better way to engage with your local developer community and share your knowledge and passion than to speak at a …