The 1:1

Andy Siefkes–Co-founder of Connective and Get Busy Liv’n–joins us for this episode of The 1:1 Podcast. We discuss the importance of living an authentic, balanced life in an industry where it can be challenging to do so.

0:00 - Intro

2:24 - Work-life balance and the Get Busy Livn brand

4:34 - How Get Busy Livn started

7:15 - What happens on a Get Busy Livn trip

9:20 - Different personality types / being true to yourself

15:53 - Advice for workaholics on how to Get Busy Livn

21:21 - Strategies to confront pressure 

26:42 - The importance of hope and friendship

32:13 - What's next for Get Busy Livn

39:01 - Final thoughts

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Andrey Kudievskiy–CEO of Distillery–joins us for this episode of The 1:1 Podcast.

We discuss the real world impact of AI, advice for software engineers still struggling to land a role in this challenging job market, and some predictions about the future.

Takeaways:

* At Distillery, integrating AI tools is making developers between 40% and 60% more productive but is not replacing their jobs. They have seen even bigger gains in generating test data (approximately 2-3x).

* Today’s challenging job market for software engineers is mostly due to pandemic overhiring, not AI.

* For engineers struggling to find a new role in the current job market, you may have skills outside the job description which can help you stand out. For example, at Distillery developers who can communicate in multiple languages may get more opportunities given the company’s multinational clients.

0:00 - Intro

3:27 - Onshore vs offshore vs nearshore

7:05 - Distillery's journey into AI

12:14 - Overcoming growing pains

16:52 - Generative AI hype vs. help

21:10 - Making the business case for AI

23:12 - Advice to engineers feeling stuck in this job market

26:51 - In-demand skills and upskilling

30:32 - Dealing with legacy systems

34:58 - Training sales to speak intelligently about AI

37:37 - Looking ahead 2-3 years

44:34 - Closing thoughts

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Casandra Minichiello–Agile Coaching Senior Advisor for Cigna–joins us for this episode of The 1:1 Podcast.

We talk about the emotional roots of the Agile Manifesto, how Agile has been misapplied, and what it looks like when Agile coaching is done right. We also reminisce about the joy of using a physical Kanban board.

0:00 - Intro

2:50 - Where Agility started for Casandra (reminiscing about 2005 WebMD)

11:37 - Agile is NOT a project management methodology

14:13 - PMI / Scrum Alliance merger

15:48 - How upper management can support Agile teams

20:38 - The joys of a physical Kanban board 

24:44 - Some Agile history / terminology 

33:14 - Evolving Agile to work better in hybrid and remote environments

43:15 - Signs a company isn’t really Agile

45:47 - Doing Agile vs. being Agile

52:32 - Why Casandra prefers Kanban over Scrum 

56:48 - Agile pet peeves

1:03:27 - One small change a leader can make to foster more agility

1:08:32 - Final thoughts

Takeaways:

* Agile is NOT dead, contrary to what you might have read on LinkedIn. But it is evolving to adapt to a software industry which has undergone many changes since the Agile Manifesto was written in 2001.

* Agile is NOT a project management framework, which makes the Scrum Alliance merger with PMI confusing and frustrating

* Kanban is the best Agile methodology for most people (sorry Scrum)

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Natascha Thomas–Regional Director, Operations Leadership with Sparq–joins us for this episode of The 1:1 Podcast.

She shares her unconventional career journey, transitioning from life sciences to the gaming industry and eventually into consulting, where she now leads developers and multiple PMOs.

Takeaways:

* Follow your passion, but stay adaptable. Each of Natascha’s career transitions were driven by curiosity and a willingness to embrace new challenges.

* Stay curious and continuously upskill, whether through formal education, side projects, or hands-on experience.

* Career risks can pay off if they align with your skills, interests, and market trends.

0:00 - Intro

1:10 - Natascha’s career journey from life sciences to gaming

5:45 - Becoming a producer

8:45 - Moving into consulting and leadership

13:00 - Eye-openers when moving to a new industry

13:53 - Speaking to experience when changing industries

15:21 - Handling engineers making video games vs. engineers in consulting

17:04 - Dealing with difficult people

18:28 - Do you ever miss the gaming industry?

19:44 - Finding passion in your current position

22:57 - Is there anything you wish you’d done differently?

25:45 - Leading a PMO

28:30 - Key skills to lead a PMO

30:14 - Applying skills from life sciences in her current career

33:16 - Channeling anxiety into risk management

34:17 - What’s next?

36:28 - Final thoughts

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Alex Bruce–a Go-to-Market and Revenue Growth Leader and Advisor–joins us for the newest episode of The 1:1 Podcast.

We discuss the mindset and driving forces behind sellers, how engineers can make a difference in sales pursuits, and share strategies for effectively engaging with and empowering sales teams.

Takeaways:

* Engineers who engage in sales processes not only help the company win business but also increase their own visibility within the organization, which can lead to career advancement.

* When sales and engineering teams collaborate closely, it reduces the blame game and fosters a culture of shared responsibility.

* Software engineers who understand how their company’s products are positioned in the market are more valuable and better equipped to grow their careers.

0:00 - Intro

1:34 - Demystifying the sales process for engineers

7:40 - Curiosity and problem solving in sales

10:08 - Aligning sales and development teams

14:50 - Benefits of engineers participating in sales pursuits

19:28 - Breaking down misconceptions of salespeople

24:09 - Example of an engineer making an impact on sales (shout out to Jackson Stakeman)

32:53 - How to engage and support sales efforts

40:53 - Torturing a metaphor

44:28 - Alex’s career journey and final thoughts

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Erin Scott Adams–Senior User Interface Software Engineer–joins us for this episode of The 1:1 Podcast.

We talk about juggling grad school with a full time job, packaging professional experience, and AI tooling.

0:00 - Intro

1:57 - Balancing full time work with grad school

6:13 - Time management tricks

8:47 - What's next?

11:04 - Pursuing engineering management 

14:09 - Packaging transferrable skills

15:20 - Maintaining technical skills as an engineering manager

18:50 - Whack-a-mole!

20:17 - Deciding whether to take a non-technical role

23:02 - Keeping a brag sheet

23:54 - About Computer Human Interaction

28:55 - How does AI impact a Computer Human Interaction career?

30:53 - Bresdin and Rusty's takes on Generative AI

33:40 - ChatGPT productivity tips

35:36 - AI resource usage

37:47 - Favorite things from community involvement

46:22 - Networking tips

48:00 - Self-actualization advice

49:47 - Final thoughts

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Jackson Stakeman–Director of Solution Engineering at Sparq–joins us for this episode of The 1:1 Podcast.

We talk about what happens when you pass ‘peak developer,’ how to transition into solution engineering, and the fine art of giving customers what they actually need—not just what they ask for.

0:00 - Intro

1:12 - Passing "peak developer" (changes in our industry)

3:17 - Becoming a solution engineer

8:38 - The worst screenplay Jackson read as a script reader

10:42 - Entrepreneurial schemes (a.k.a. the vending machine story)

14:57 - From vending machines to solution engineering

21:58 - When giving customers what they want doesn't solve their problem

24:59 - Tough sales calls

29:16 - Where creative solutions come from

34:02 - Tricking our brains

42:14 - Final thoughts

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Michael Edvalson–former Vice President of Engineering at Loyal Health–joins us for this episode of The 1:1 Podcast.

We talk about ways engineers can influence change.

00:00 - Intro

02:02 - Managing up

28:14 - Showing that we care about outcomes

38:37 - Demonstrating competence and flexibility, not dogma

40:53 - Getting on board when it's time to get on board

48:35 - Advice for someone looking to influence

52:14 - Final thoughts

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Mike Armijo–a quality assurance specialist–joins us for this episode of The 1:1 Podcast.

We talk about mental health, the value of QA, trying new things, and paying it forward.

00:00 - Intro

00:53 - Becoming a QA tester

04:41 - Exploring other industries

13:18 - Mike’s experience on the job market

22:01 - Mental health

28:32 - Trying new things

40:26 - Paying it forward

44:24 - Final thoughts

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Jonathan Clanton–Talent Acquisition Lead at Xplor–joins us for this episode of The 1:1 Podcast.

We talk about misconceptions about recruiting, fake AI candidates, and getting your resume seen. For those of you watching on Youtube we managed to do our first-ever screenshare of this fake resume! 

https://x.com/JerryJHLee/status/1778484920593055763

00:00 - Intro

01:30 - Jonathan’s day-to-day

06:11 - Creating a more inclusive job post for diversity

08:00 - Examples of red flags that identify an environment as hypermasculine

10:46 - Neurodivergence and the interview process

14:18 - Misconceptions about recruiting

16:28 - Funky responses to candidate questions

21:56 - Fake candidates

38:04 - Looking for patterns in resumes

42:55 - Improving chances of getting your resume seen

49:26 - Final thoughts

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