Artificial Intelligence
Anyone Can Program
Anyone with a child under the age of 19 knows that "anyone can cook." Thanks to Ratatouille and the folks at Pixar, a whole generation of
TOPIC
Career Advice (2)
Education
The Open Source Apprenticeship Model
The software industry is facing a workforce shortage of unprecedented proportions.
Business
In It To Win It: What Working In Politics Taught Me About Being a Developer
When I worked on political campaigns, I valued measurable results above all else. Every day, I counted how many voters we persuaded, how much money...
Education
Getting Started in the Tech Community
Everyone wants to change the world, but in order to do so, you have to put on pants. I found a loophole. That loophole is web development.
Career Advice
Our Interns Love Us Almost as Much as We Love Them
Metal Toad's Internship Program has grown leaps and bounds since I arrived last year. I could not be prouder of all of our interns, but our latest...
Apple/iOS
How I learned to stop worrying and love the code
In 1989 I sat down at an Apple II E to write my first bit of code in BASIC.
Artificial Intelligence
2015 Q1 Challenge
As mentioned in the Projects At Work podcast with Dave Prior, we talked abo
Artificial Intelligence
Why Portland will be the Next Tech Hub
The demand for software continues to rise. I've written before on the current workforce gap and how that gap will be filled through vocational...
Career Advice
How to thrive as a Junior Developer
I’ve been a junior developer at Metal Toad for about a year now. In that time, I’ve learned and grown more than I would have thought possible...and,...
Education
The Challenge to Innovation
Recently inspired by Peter Thiel's excellent book Zero to One, I've been reflecting on the software industry as the preeminent place where we can...
Agile
Process Frameworks That Weather Growth
With my presentation at this October's Digital PM Summit just a few weeks away, here is post number eight in my series that started after I first pr
Agile
10 Months as a Junior Developer
I am now within a couple days of having survived as a Junior Developer at Metal Toad for 10 whole months.
Agile
Team Communication Styles and Dynamics
This post goes a bit deeper into a framework for looking at team communication styles and dynamics based on the styles of doer, thinker, challenger,...
Career Advice
Stack Overflow Careers 2.0
I hesitate to review Stack Overflow Careers 2.0, but I'm so excited I just can't hide it. I imagine that this is what the early adopters of LinkedIn...
Education
The Best Way to Learn Programming for Beginners
What's the best way to learn programming for beginners? What makes the difference between the people who knock things out of the park vs those who...
Artificial Intelligence
Git: Always Be Committing (ABC)
For a junior in the working world, that word takes on a whole new meaning if you are looking at it from the perspective of professional growth. Being...
Artificial Intelligence
Knowing Enough Programming to be Dangerous is Not a Good Thing.
First, let me start be saying I believe that everyone should learn how to program, the same way everyone should learn to read and write. In today's...
Education
Programmers: To be considered a professional, you need to act like one.
Being a programmer is a profession. It is a high-skill job that demands a large initial investment of time as well dedication to continuing education...
Artificial Intelligence
Web Agencies Need Code Review
Web design and development agencies are lacking in code review practices, and our collective clients are suffering as a result.
Business
How to Convince Your Boss to Let You Work From Home
So you want to work from home? Well, you have to convince me first. Ok. Maybe not me exactly, but I am a business owner and for years I successfully...
Education
How to Become a Web Developer
So you want to become a web developer? Smart move. The web is a growth industry and I don't know of any university curriculum that adequately...
Artificial Intelligence
Project Management Chronicles: Be the Expo
Imagine this scenario at your favorite popular and busy eatery:
Education
How To Find A Web Development Job After (Or Before) Graduation
Five years ago I decided to make a 180 degree career turn and become a web devloper.