If you're bothered by the problems in the tech industry, I am too. But while every day we seem to hear more and more negative news about it - we're actually paying attention to the wrong problems.

There are many things wrong with the software industry, but very few we can control. And one thing we can control, is how much we understand each other.

Programmers complain that managers set unrealistic deadlines. Managers complain that programmers are lazy. And these are just two examples of the many different tech job roles where misunderstanding each other causes us to feel frustrated and hopeless.

In this episode, I'm sharing my vision for how we can help each other get out of complaining about the tech industry - and DO something about it. While none of us is empowered to fix every problem out there, we can at least fix what's right in front of us.

This episode marks a new chapter for the channel. I'm renaming it to Thriving Technologist! Thriving because we don't just need to be healthy in tech - we need to thrive and succeed. Technologist because we need to help not just software developers thrive, but everyone in the tech industry.

Only when we have empathy for each other and stop seeing each other as enemies, can we stop the anger and begin building a better tech industry for us all to work in. So this is an official welcome to all the people who are not programmers over the years to join us in the effort to create a healthier, more sustainable workplace in tech for us all.

Join my Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/HealthySoftwareDeveloper

TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech:
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/techroles/

The Healthy Software Development career guide:
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/guide/

Learn about one-on-one coaching with Jayme:
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/coaching/

You can also watch this episode on YouTube.

Visit me at healthysoftwaredeveloper.com

Find me on X as @jaymeedwards

Find me on LinkedIn as jaymeedwards

Learning new technologies, frameworks, and processes as a programmer gives you a feeling of accomplishment. But unchecked, learning can become a dangerous addiction that damages your software development career.

In this episode, I share how software engineers can cap their earning potential if they fall into common traps when learning is the absolute wrong thing to do. If you want to have a long career in software and get the rewards, recognition, and success you deserve - knowing when to (and not to) learn is essential.

Join my Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/HealthySoftwareDeveloper

TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech:
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/techroles/

The Healthy Software Development career guide:
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/guide/

Learn about one-on-one coaching with Jayme:
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/coaching/

You can also watch this episode on YouTube.

Chapter markers / timelinks:

(1:22) 1. How Learning Addiction Harms Tech Careers
(1:28) 1.1 Procrastination
(3:03) 1.2 Sunk Costs
(3:57) 1.3 Declining Value
(5:41) 1.4 Social Avoidance
(7:15) 1.5 Work/Life Imbalance
(8:48) 2. How To Know When Learning is a Trap
(8:54) 2.1 Self-Delusion Your Project Requires It
(10:01) 2.2 Self-Delusion You Need It To Get a New Job
(11:20) 2.3 Influencer Hype and Vanity Metrics
(13:03) 2.4 Tech Industry Pushes Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
(15:10) 2.5 Current Challenge Looks Easier in New Tech

Visit me at healthysoftwaredeveloper.com

Find me on X as @jaymeedwards

Find me on LinkedIn as jaymeedwards

Have you ever seen another programmer who wasn't as skilled as you get promoted? Did you tell yourself management was making a mistake?

Earlier in my career I didn't realize I was doing some things that caused managers to lose confidence in me. I would spend all my time writing code and never think about how I came across to other people.

In this episode, I share some harsh truths I've learned about how being a software engineer can cause us to do things we think the company wants - that actually hurt our reputation in the long run.

Companies are actually paying you for confidence as a programmer. And this episode is full of practical strategies for making sure you don't fall into traps that stop you from getting recognized for the great code you write as a programmer - before your career is really getting started!

Join my Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/HealthySoftwareDeveloper

TechRolepedia, a wiki about the top 25 roles in tech:
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/techroles/

The Healthy Software Development career guide:
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/guide/

Learn about one-on-one coaching with Jayme:
https://healthysoftwaredeveloper.com/coaching/

You can also watch this episode on YouTube.

Chapter markers / timelinks:

(1:19) 1. What Companies Really Want From Programmers
(2:12) 2. How To Build Employer Confidence as a Programmer
(2:22) 2.1 Minimize Communicating Problems and Doubt
(5:42) 2.2 Repeat Management's Desires
(7:46) 2.3 Anonymize Blame on Dependencies
(10:57) 2.4 Reduce Your Throughput
(14:52) 2.5 Elevate Your Coworkers
(17:05) 2.6 Over-communicate Status
(20:11) 2.7 Highlight Discovered Shortcuts
(22:20) 2.8 Document Verbal Decisions
(26:58) Episode Groove

Visit me at healthysoftwaredeveloper.com

Find me on X as @jaymeedwards

Find me on LinkedIn as jaymeedwards