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Staying passionate about your craft

Jeroen Mols
April 27, 2023
240

Staying passionate about your craft

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhcC6BJ5W1A

Like projects, careers aren't static and they definitely have their ups and downs. And while work isn't the most important thing in life, it does take up a sizeable amount of our time. So how can you remain excited to go to work every morning?

In this talk, Jeroen will reflect back at his decade long software development career. We'll have a laugh at all the poor choices he made, see how luck tends to shape the most pivotal moments and even have an open conversation about the absolute lows.

From leading a 14+ people team, to becoming a GDE, starting his own business, doing remote work being 9(!) timezones ahead and having three lovely children... It makes for an interesting story, but not a silver bullet to a happy career. Hopefully though, Jeroen's experiences and failures may help you make better choices.

Jeroen Mols

April 27, 2023
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Transcript

  1. @MOLSJEROEN Hardware or Software? • Philips Innovation Lab • Prototypes

    around streaming Audio • Android, iOS, trainings, press, interns, … PHASES OF MY CAREER Learn to work 2011
  2. @MOLSJEROEN Of course Jeroen can do that! • iCapps •

    Android consultancy • Android, Xamarin, architecture PHASES OF MY CAREER Learn to work Specializing 2011 2013
  3. @MOLSJEROEN So Jeroen, what do we do now? • Philips

    Hue • Android team lead • Android, architecture, strategy,… PHASES OF MY CAREER Learn to work Specializing Team lead Remote 2011 2013 2016
  4. @MOLSJEROEN Where do I go now? • Plaid • Software

    engineer • Android, iOS, React (native), Ruby, Go, Docker, Python, Bash… PHASES OF MY CAREER Learn to work Specializing Team lead Remote 2011 2013 2016 2019
  5. @MOLSJEROEN 2012 - Not a real app developer DEFINING MOMENTS

    Learn to work Specializing Remote 2011 2013 2016 2019 Team lead
  6. @MOLSJEROEN BUILDING MY OWN APP 👎 Product success 👎 Impact

    on personal life 👍 Learning 👍 Fun! Learnings: • Shipping things feels great • Pick smaller projects • Portfolio is very valuable Use of my time
  7. @MOLSJEROEN 2012 - Not a real app developer 2013 -

    Bad performance review DEFINING MOMENTS Learn to work Specializing Remote 2011 2013 2016 2019 Team lead
  8. @MOLSJEROEN   ✉    🗪  BY

    ANDY ZIEGLER < INSPIRING LEGO IMAGE >
  9. @MOLSJEROEN GETTING A BAD PERFORMANCE REVIEW 👎 Felt under appreciated

    👎 Left company 👍 Shaped my career Learnings: • Creating impact != Working long hours Use of my time
  10. @MOLSJEROEN 2012 - Not a real app developer 2013 -

    Bad performance review 2014 - All my talks are getting rejected DEFINING MOMENTS Learn to work Specializing Remote 2011 2013 2016 2019 Team lead
  11. @MOLSJEROEN TRYING MY LUCK AT BARCAMP 👎 Small crowd 👍

    Spoke at a real conference 👍 Out of comfort zone Learnings: • “How to do X” as a talk/blog subject • Talk/write about experience Use of my time
  12. @MOLSJEROEN 2012 - Not a real app developer 2013 -

    Bad performance review 2014 - All my talks are getting rejected 2015 - Being a father DEFINING MOMENTS Learn to work Specializing Remote 2011 2013 2016 2019 Team lead
  13. @MOLSJEROEN STARTING A FAMILY 👎 No more me time 👎

    Giving up control 👍 Kids are awesome 👍 Being a father Learnings: • Better perspective • Work smarter not harder Use of my time
  14. @MOLSJEROEN 2012 - Not a real app developer 2013 -

    Bad performance review 2014 - All my talks are getting rejected 2015 - Being a father 2017 - Becoming a GDE DEFINING MOMENTS Learn to work Specializing Remote 2011 2013 2016 2019 Team lead
  15. @MOLSJEROEN 2012 - Not a real app developer 2013 -

    Bad performance review 2014 - All my talks are getting rejected 2015 - Being a father 2017 - Becoming a GDE DEFINING MOMENTS Learn to work Specializing Remote 2011 2013 2016 2019 Team lead
  16. @MOLSJEROEN 2012 - Not a real app developer 2013 -

    Bad performance review 2014 - All my talks are getting rejected 2015 - Being a father 2017 - Becoming a GDE → Building a social following DEFINING MOMENTS Learn to work Specializing Remote 2011 2013 2016 2019 Team lead
  17. @MOLSJEROEN APPROXIMATE TIME INVESTMENT Blogging Tweeting Speaking • 70 posts

    • 5h/post • 4310 tweets • 2min/tweet • 14 unique talks • 40h/talk
  18. @MOLSJEROEN APPROXIMATE TIME INVESTMENT Blogging Tweeting Speaking • 70 posts

    • 5h/post => 350 hours • 4310 tweets • 2min/tweet => 145 hours • 14 unique talks • 40h/talk => 560 hours => 132 working days 🤯
  19. @MOLSJEROEN BUILDING A SOCIAL FOLLOWING 👎 Time investment 👎 Free

    labor 👍 Community building 👍 Loved shipping something Learnings: • Consistency is key • Niche subjects Use of my time
  20. @MOLSJEROEN 2012 - Not a real app developer 2013 -

    Bad performance review 2014 - All my talks are getting rejected 2015 - Being a father 2017 - Building a social following 2018 - The promo that wasn’t DEFINING MOMENTS Learn to work Specializing Remote 2011 2013 2016 2019 Team lead
  21. @MOLSJEROEN LESSONS LEARNED • Acknowledge the bad • Focus on

    your happiness • Be transparent • Lead by example • Team building • Leverage the power of the team • Have faith
  22. @MOLSJEROEN BEING A TEAM LEAD 👎 High personal cost 👎

    Great people left 👎 Very little coding 👍 Grew tremendous as a person 👍 Eventually good results Learnings: • Radically transparency • Not happy when not coding Use of my time
  23. @MOLSJEROEN 2012 - Not a real app developer 2013 -

    Bad performance review 2014 - All my talks are getting rejected 2015 - Being a father 2017 - Building a social following 2018 - The promo that wasn’t 2019 - Getting fi red DEFINING MOMENT Learn to work Specializing Remote 2011 2013 2016 2019 Team lead
  24. @MOLSJEROEN GOING FULLY REMOTE Situation • Invoice using my own

    business • Full remote • Same timezone • 14h fl ight to nearest of fi ce • Paid in Euros Philips Hue 3 weeks off Over
  25. @MOLSJEROEN BUILDING A SOCIAL FOLLOWING 👎 Time investment 👎 Free

    labor 👍 Community building Learnings: • Consistency is key • Niche subjects Use of my time
  26. @MOLSJEROEN FREELANCING Situation • Invoice using my own business •

    Full remote • Same timezone → 1 hour difference • 14h fl ight to nearest of fi ce → 2 hour train • Paid in Euros → Paid in British Pounds Philips Hue Wise Over
  27. @MOLSJEROEN STABILITY Situation • Invoice using my own business •

    Full remote • 1 hour difference → 9 hours difference • 2 hour train → 11 hour fl ight • Paid in British Pounds → Paid in US dollars Philips Hue Wise Plaid
  28. @MOLSJEROEN GETTING FIRED 👎 No stable income 👎 High stress

    levels 👍 Landed a job with Plaid Learnings: • The Android community is amazing • Sometimes setbacks end up being blessings Use of my time
  29. @MOLSJEROEN 2012 - Not a real app developer 2013 -

    Bad performance review 2014 - All my talks are getting rejected 2015 - Being a father 2017 - Building a social following 2018 - The promo that wasn’t 2019 - Getting fi red 2022 - Stuck in Android DEFINING MOMENT Learn to work Specializing Remote 2011 2013 2016 2019 Team lead
  30. @MOLSJEROEN WRAP UP • Shipping is a thrill • Focus

    on impact • Create your opportunities • Assume good intentions • Don’t need to blog/speak • May not want that promo • Dare to take risk • Learning is fun
  31. @MOLSJEROEN IMAGE CREDITS • Welcome image by Júlia Vazquez 


    https://www. fl ickr.com/photos/juldavs/51921868550/ • 'R' is for Rachel and Ross by Andy Ziegler 
 https://www. fl ickr.com/photos/andyziegler/52696702889/ • Katherine the programmer by DigiNik13 
 https://www. fl ickr.com/photos/ fl ipimages/51196606295/ • Alone by Kyle Hardisty 
 https://www. fl ickr.com/photos/cautionbricks/38539319785 • The Fisherman of Hong Kong by Force Movies Productions 
 https://www. fl ickr.com/photos/147647726@N06/26874372498 • Anxiety SOOC by nur_h 
 https://www. fl ickr.com/photos/nhussein/5643276817 • Water skiing... by Kevin Poulton 
 https://www. fl ickr.com/photos/kevinpoulton/50342337656 • Classic space team by Julien Mercier 
 https://www. fl ickr.com/photos/julien-mercier/25607729457 
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