Posts about TILTHW
In this series, I’m recounting stories of work and life in order to learn from my mistakes. I call them Things I Learned the Hard Way.
Unsolicited Advice is a Valuable Clue
When people give you advice, they’re communicating something in between the lines. They’re telling you what their problems are. And their problems could be a preview of yours.
Save the Touchy-Feely for the Redwoods
I was the new guy at the company, I’d just met Allison, and here I was laying my feelings out for her. She probably thought I was nuts. And for good reason. I hadn’t earned the right to ask her to care how I felt.
Don’t Work for Assholes
I didn’t like him, but what did I know? Maybe this is just how the freelance web design business worked. I took the gig. It was, of course, a nightmare.
Someone’s Always Listening
I was working for a tech company that will go unnamed a few years ago, and I had a bad day. A really bad day. So that night, I went out to a favorite restaurant with a couple of friends and got a bottle of wine.
Programmers are Tiny Gods
Programmers are the Gods of their tiny worlds. They create something out of nothing. In their command-line universe, they say when it’s sunny and when it rains. And the tiny universe complies.
Ignore the Content
Sometimes, when dealing with an interpersonal conflict, logically addressing the complaints is that last thing that will help. Instead, try to address the emotion behind it.
What’s Your Suggestion?
Critique sessions are rarely about suggesting solutions. In fact, to suggest alternatives would be insulting. It’d be like someone telling Picasso to make all those brush strokes blend in more.
Never Piss Off the Sound Guy
My friend Jed was the Sound Guy. We had two mics and four speakers, and it was his job to make sure everyone sounded good. With acoustic guitars and cheap equipment, it was no easy task.