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Showing posts from March, 2018

Adjust the message to the audience

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A couple of weeks ago had my first public speaking chance. Two 12 minute sessions TED style, in front of an audience between 20-70 years old and non technical. Each sitting had 100 people. The session was about crypto/virtual currencies, real money and everything between them. 12 minutes, non technical, make the message count. Go! TL;DR It was a success and K.I.S.S Version 1 The first version, presented to the other lecturers of the evening for feedback, was rejected by the second slide. The words Bitcoin Mining were present in the slide. Shot down in flames? Yes. Discouraged? No. Slightly depressed. Yes. Version 2 Imagine... A world without bank accounts. Yes this is more or less how it started. as a story... with the song Imagine  playing in my head. I took my super technical slide deck and turn it into a story. How did I do it? Well I was given a tip. Tell a story.  Disclaimer: The "tips" here work for me. They are part of my experience. I suggest searc

Binding yourself to high level design by details - irrevocably

Little over half a year ago I was present in an unprecedented blunder by a team leader. I saw how the fervor to succeed  made for a design mishap and how the same fervor made for a Mr. Know It All team leader. TL;DR detailed designs are for devs, not VPs or CTOs How to not design like a galley master and not be shackled like a rowing slave When one is asked to make the design document of a new development, one must be very very careful how flows are put on paper. These documents are binding and every word or terminology in them can and will haunt one for a long time. In order to try to minimize a possible mess here are some rules of thumb, gathered from my own experience Detailed documents glide up like migrating birds High level design documents may and will end up to the higher ranks of the corporate hierarchy. Be vague when describing functional parts. Do not put highly detailed implementation details in a high level design, otherwise once the details are stated and a VP of a