Median day planning means sizing your week around a typical day, not your best one. This post shows how to measure your own median in ten workdays, split work into a commit list and a stretch list, and keep a small buffer. Your plan then survives a normal week.
Interview Question of the Week #022: How to Get Started with Big Data?
When an interviewer asks how you would get started with big data, a list of tools is the weakest answer. This post gives a short model answer: start from SQL, learn the core ideas, run one engine on a laptop and build one small project end to end.
Deep Work Time: Book It Like a Server Maintenance Window
Deep work time disappears unless you book it. This post treats your own focus like a server maintenance window: a named block, a runbook, an emergency rule and a short review. Try two 90-minute windows this week.
Getting the Most From a Conference
Get the most from a conference by planning sessions, meeting people with useful questions, and turning notes into tested action.
Getting Your Employer to Pay for Training
Ask your employer to pay for training with a short proposal that ties the course to work, shows cost, and shares the result with the team.
Presentation Skills for Technical Speakers: Notes from SQL Bangalore
Presentation skills were the focus of my SQL Bangalore session in May 2014. These original photos and slides accompany practical advice for explaining technical ideas clearly.
Elevator Etiquette: Small Rules for a Very Small Room
Elevator etiquette comes down to a few small habits: let people off first, give others room, keep the talk light and stay calm when you miss a door. Here are the rules I follow on conference trips, in office towers and on the way to an interview.