OK Human

The critics agree, Vertical Slice is nice! Join Patrick this episode as he talks to Chief Architect and speaker, Jimmy Bogard, about what Vertical Slice Architecture is and how to use it in practice. Jimmy describes his own journey to the slice-side from traditional layers, and advises on when and how to use this style (or when not to!). Him and Patrick dig deep into the testing side of things and discuss how vertical slice can move you towards better design—plus an all-around better time for developers!

SHOW LINKS

Blogs:

• How Vertical Slice Architecture fulfills Clean Architecture's broken promises (includes diagrams!)
• Testing done right with Vertical Slice Architecture

Events:

• WEBINAR - Refactor over Rewrite: How to save your existing application with Vertical Slice Architecture (Wed. Sept. 9, 1pm CST)

Github:

• Microsoft's ContosoUniversity on ASP.Net Core and Razor Pages refactored in Vertical Slice Architecture

In this episode, Patrick talks to Lola Mullen, our very own rockstar PM, who shares her perspectives from other realms of Software Delivery. She answers questions from you, our listeners, about the value of a good PM (vs. those rent-a-scrum-master types) and shares tips for communicating better with clients and team members. You'll hear such nuggets of wisdom as, "Be the crap umbrella," "Be honest, even when the truth sucks," and "Make the unknown unknown a known unknown." We also grilled her on how to manage some specific very specific difficult-personality types—relatable whether you're client-facing or not! Show LinksThe value of a project manager: A developer's perspective

In this episode, we discuss Microsoft's production release of the new front-end framework, Blazor, with a measuredly optimistic air. Patrick chats with Headspring's own EVP of Strategy & Operations, Glenn Burnside, about why the early-adopter crowd is excited about this new programming model, and how we can help others see it's NOT Silverlight. They talk about using (surprise!) empathy as a tool for addressing change-resistance, selling a new technology up the ladder, and letting go of developer identity-related hangups that get in the way of progress. Ready to be trail-Blazor? Want to learn more? Tune in, human friends!

Show Links [VIDEO] Getting started with Blazor: Build interactive web UIs in C# Why should your development team embrace Blazor?

In this episode, we talk to Ian Jennings, founder of the Developer Experience (DX) platform Haxor and a pioneer in this nascent space. What is DX? Another buzz term to fuss over? More like a no-brainer. Ian shares his thoughts on why DX makes sense—not just for makers of developer products, but for internal teams as well. We'll talk about what it is, how we measure it, and how it relates to things like User Experience, Customer Experience—even DevOps. As Ian points out, "Every developer experience is responsible for thousands of user experiences." 🤯 Whether you're a developer, product maker or IT leader, this may be well worth a listen! SHOW LINKS Haxor DX

Public API strategies: What Bezos didn't tell his team (On the "Bezos memo")

The New Kingmakers: How Developers Conquered the World" by Stephen O'Grady

In episode 2 of Ok Human, we build on our exploration of empathy by discussing its coveted cousin, EQ. What is EQ? Wait, do we mean IQ? Our Director of Engineering, Ryan Thomas, explains: EQ is a "measure" of your emotional intelligence, and it's an important thing for developers to...develop. In fact, some people argue that EQ is actually more important than IQ when it comes to being successful (...but we'll let you judge whether or not that's BS). As someone who's done a lot of personal development of his own, Ryan offers a ton of great tips for code-focused engineers who want to work on their ability to engage, listen, and build connections. How do you let go of your ego and practice active listening? How do you balance empathy and control? Can introverts have a high EQ too? Join Patrick and Ryan to discuss these scintillating topics and learn how Developer EQ can pay dividends for you and all those around you.

SHOW LINKS

• Practical Empathy: For Collaboration and Creativity in Your Work - Indi Young
• Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes are High - Kerry Patterson
• How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie (recommended with a grain of salt)

In this inaugural episode of OK Human, Patrick looks back at his experience trading software development for the trail for a stint, and how that got him thinking about today's topic: empathy. What is "developer empathy," and why does it matter? His colleague Yogi Aradhye offers lots of thoughts on the subject. As a Team Lead, he's mentored many-a-developer and gives us some tactics for cultivating emotional intelligence and not being a blocker. Empathy isn't all about feelings, it turns out—though those matters too. It's a tool to build more efficient and effective teams on the job and be a better human around the clock. Tweet us your thoughts on the topic: @headspring #OKHuman