Derek Powazek » TILTHW

Unsolicited Advice is a Valuable Clue

Derek Powazek — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 07:55:02 +0000

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.

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Unsolicited Advice is a Valuable Clue
By Derek Powazek

Save the Touchy-Feely for the Redwoods

Derek Powazek — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:38:13 +0000

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.

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Save the Touchy-Feely for the Redwoods
By Derek Powazek

Don’t Work for Assholes

Derek Powazek — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:52:12 +0000

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.

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Don’t Work for Assholes
By Derek Powazek

Someone’s Always Listening

Derek Powazek — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:02:05 +0000

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.

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Someone’s Always Listening
By Derek Powazek

Programmers are Tiny Gods

Derek Powazek — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:04:19 +0000

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.

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Programmers are Tiny Gods
By Derek Powazek

Ignore the Content

Derek Powazek — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:28:50 +0000

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.

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Ignore the Content
By Derek Powazek

What’s Your Suggestion?

Derek Powazek — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:00:59 +0000

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.

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What’s Your Suggestion?
By Derek Powazek

Never Piss Off the Sound Guy

Derek Powazek — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:42:02 +0000

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.

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Never Piss Off the Sound Guy
By Derek Powazek