By Fernando Ponte
Lead Consultant at Stellar
Recently some blog posts caught my attention.
The first one is from a Software Engineer based in St Maarten that I came across on Twitter.
Jose Browne’s “On Coding and Ego” (https://josebrowne.com/on-coding-ego-and-attention/) is a good reading exercise on how our minds may trick us, and block from new learnings. This is just one of the takeaways I got from his post. Well worth a read.
The second one is from Cassie Kozyrkov, Chief Decision Scientist at Google. This article (https://towardsdatascience.com/which-flavor-of-data-professional-are-you-5e01375584ce) breaks down AI/ML roles and jobs and correctly points out that is impossible for one person to do it all alone.
So, the common thread from those two, maybe, unrelated readings for me is that teamwork is essential. You and your workmates should work together and communicate well. Do not isolate yourself because your ego does not allow you to ask for help, that you will feel weak. If you are senior and you have the feeling that you should know everything, just do not. If you feel that you are alone in a project or feel abandoned, ask for help from your teammates or even from the wider team. You may be surprised by the response. If nothing helps, well then maybe it is time to move on and look for a fresher pasture.
Regarding knowledge, continue learning new technologies but always keep an eye on how useful it will be, and how it will help you solve a problem for a customer or for your company. Do not fall into the hype of a technology that everyone is using just for the sake of using it unless you are evaluating it, or you really believe in it.
Review your knowledge. Review and research new advances in tools, methodologies, and frameworks. Ask if that upgrade will help solve a business problem. If you are upgrading something, also ask whether the decision to modify it is a sound one; perhaps a better decision would be to replace and decommission it?
In summary, question with purpose and be positive. Keep your eye on the business benefits, rather than just the technologies. Find your role in the team, be an eternal student, and help your peers.
