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Staying passionate about your craft

Jeroen Mols
April 27, 2023
180

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
    STAYING PASSIONATE
    ABOUT YOUR CRAFT

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  2. @MOLSJEROEN

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  3. @MOLSJEROEN
    WHO AM I?

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  4. PART 1


    HOW DID I GET HERE?


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  5. @MOLSJEROEN
    Hardware or Software?


    • Philips Innovation Lab


    • Prototypes around streaming Audio


    • Android, iOS, trainings, press, interns, …
    PHASES OF MY CAREER
    Learn to work
    2011

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  6. @MOLSJEROEN
    Of course Jeroen can do that!


    • iCapps


    • Android consultancy


    • Android, Xamarin, architecture
    PHASES OF MY CAREER
    Learn to work Specializing
    2011 2013

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  7. @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

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  8. @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

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  9. @MOLSJEROEN
    PHASES OF MY CAREER
    Learn to work Specializing Remote
    2011 2013 2016 2019
    Team lead

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  10. @MOLSJEROEN
    PHASES OF MY CAREER
    Learn to work Specializing Remote
    2011 2013 2016 2019
    Team lead

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  11. @MOLSJEROEN
    PHASES OF MY CAREER
    Learn to work Specializing Remote
    2011 2013 2016 2019
    Team lead

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  12. @MOLSJEROEN
    PHASES OF MY CAREER
    Learn to work Specializing Remote
    2011 2013 2016 2019
    Team lead

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  13. @MOLSJEROEN
    PHASES OF MY CAREER
    Learn to work Specializing Remote
    2011 2013 2016 2019
    Team lead

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  14. PART 2


    DEFINING MOMENTS


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  15. @MOLSJEROEN
    2012 - Not a real app developer


    DEFINING MOMENTS
    Learn to work Specializing Remote
    2011 2013 2016 2019
    Team lead

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  16. @MOLSJEROEN

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  17. @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

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  18. SHIPPING IS A THRILL
    CODE <> TEST <> DEPLOY <> MONITOR

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  19. @MOLSJEROEN

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  20. @MOLSJEROEN
    2012 - Not a real app developer


    2013 - Bad performance review


    DEFINING MOMENTS
    Learn to work Specializing Remote
    2011 2013 2016 2019
    Team lead

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  21. @MOLSJEROEN
      ✉    🗪 
    BY ANDY ZIEGLER
    < INSPIRING LEGO IMAGE >

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  22. @MOLSJEROEN
    COMMUNICATION

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  23. @MOLSJEROEN
    COMMUNICATION
     

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  24. @MOLSJEROEN
    GETTING A BAD PERFORMANCE REVIEW
    👎 Felt under appreciated


    👎 Left company


    👍 Shaped my career


    Learnings:


    • Creating impact != Working long hours
    Use of my time

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  25. FOCUS ON IMPACT
    WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU?

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  26. @MOLSJEROEN
    BY DIGINIK13
    < INSPIRING LEGO IMAGE >

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  27. @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

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  28. @MOLSJEROEN
    MY FIRST SUCCESSFUL REJECTION

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  29. @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

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  30. CREATE YOUR OPPORTUNITIES
    EVEN SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE STARTED SMALL

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  31. @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

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  32. @MOLSJEROEN

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  33. @MOLSJEROEN

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  34. @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

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  35. ASSUME GOOD INTENTIONS
    BE KIND, GIVE COMPLEMENTS, SPARK JOY

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  36. @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

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  37. @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

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  38. @MOLSJEROEN
    => It is not about skill!

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  39. @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

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  40. @MOLSJEROEN
    BUILDING A SOCIAL FOLLOWING

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  41. @MOLSJEROEN
    BUILDING A SOCIAL FOLLOWING


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  42. @MOLSJEROEN
    BUILDING A SOCIAL FOLLOWING



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  43. @MOLSJEROEN
    TWITTER FOLLOWERS

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  44. @MOLSJEROEN
    BLOG PAGE VIEWS

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  45. @MOLSJEROEN
    APPROXIMATE TIME INVESTMENT
    Blogging


    Tweeting


    Speaking
    • 70 posts


    • 5h/post


    • 4310 tweets


    • 2min/tweet


    • 14 unique talks


    • 40h/talk

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  46. @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
    🤯

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  47. @MOLSJEROEN
    BUILDING A SOCIAL FOLLOWING
    👎 Time investment


    👎 Free labor


    👍 Community building


    👍 Loved shipping something


    Learnings:


    • Consistency is key


    • Niche subjects
    Use of my time

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  48. @MOLSJEROEN
    PHASES OF MY CAREER

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  49. DON’T NEED TO BLOG/SPEAK
    DOESN’T DEFINE YOUR CRAFT

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  50. @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

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  51. @MOLSJEROEN

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  52. @MOLSJEROEN
    < INSPIRING LEGO IMAGE >

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  53. @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

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  54. @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

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  55. MAY NOT WANT THAT PROMO
    HOW TO MAXIMIZE WORK RETURNS?

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  56. @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

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  57. @MOLSJEROEN
    BY KYLE HARDISTY
    < INSPIRING LEGO IMAGE >

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  58. @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

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  59. @MOLSJEROEN
    GETTING FIRED
    Situation


    • Unemployed


    • 2 months severance
    Philips Hue 3 weeks off Over
    💥

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  60. @MOLSJEROEN
    ❤ COMMUNITY
    👁 84.223


     3913


    ♥ 270


     243


    🗩 21

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  61. @MOLSJEROEN
    BUILDING A SOCIAL FOLLOWING
    👎 Time investment


    👎 Free labor


    👍 Community building


    Learnings:


    • Consistency is key


    • Niche subjects
    Use of my time

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  62. @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

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  63. @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

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  64. @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

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  65. DARE TO TAKE RISK
    WORST CASE IS BETTER THAN YOU THINK

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  66. @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

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  67. @MOLSJEROEN
    BY FORCE MOVIES PRODUCTIONS
    < INSPIRING LEGO IMAGE >

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  68. @MOLSJEROEN

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  69. @MOLSJEROEN
    BY NUR_H
    < INSPIRING LEGO IMAGE >

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  70. @MOLSJEROEN

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  71. @MOLSJEROEN
    BY KEVIN POULTON
    < INSPIRING LEGO IMAGE >

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  72. LEARNING IS FUN
    EXPERIMENT, BE CURIOUS AND EXPLORE

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  73. PART 3


    WERE DO I GO FROM HERE?


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  74. BY JULIEN MERCIER
    < INSPIRING LEGO IMAGE >

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  75. WRAP UP

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  76. @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

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  77. @MOLSJEROEN
    HTTPS://JEROENMOLS.COM/BLOG

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  78. @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

    Font awesome


    • https://fontawesome.com/

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  79.  MOLSJEROEN

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