Everybody's Free (to Wear Sunscreen): Lessons Learned from 18 Years in Tech

Ever find yourself thinking about things you know now that you wish you’d known at the start of your career? Or maybe you’re at the start of your career and you’re looking for some tips and advice to help you on your journey? In this talk, Paula will reflect on her career of 18 years in the technology industry and will share past experiences as well as lessons learned. Though technology itself has changed and continues to evolve at a fast pace as described by Moore’s Law, there are many areas such as balancing work and home life, working in a team, dealing with conflict etc that remain consistently challenging. As Baz Luhrman’s song says, “my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now”.

Transcript

1. Everybody’s Free (to wear Sunscreen): Lessons Learned from 18 Years in Tech @PaulaLKennedy
2. “Assembled Attendees of the DevOpsDays Edinburgh conference of 2018: If I could offer you only one tip for the future, Sunscreen would be it.” Wear Sunscreen!
3. Confession Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI @PaulaLKennedy
6. “DevOps is about CAMS” https://blog.chef.io/2010/07/16/what-devops-means-to-me/ • CULTURE • AUTOMATION • MEASUREMENT • SHARING AUTOMATE SHARE MEASURE CULTURE @PaulaLKennedy
7. PRIVILEGE ALERT noun noun: privilege; plural noun: privileges 1. a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group @PaulaLKennedy
8. “...my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience… I will dispense this advice now…”
9. Paula Kennedy 2000: Graduated, BSc (Hons) Marketing Studies with French and German 2000 - 2002: Customer Support, IBM 2002 - 2011: Implementation Manager, Acturis 2011 - 2012: Software Consultant 2012 - 2015: Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer, Cloud Credo 2015 - present: EMEA Director, Pivotal Cloud Foundry Solutions @PaulaLKennedy
10. “DevOps is about CAMS” https://blog.chef.io/2010/07/16/what-devops-means-to-me/ • CULTURE • AUTOMATION • MEASUREMENT • SHARING AUTOMATE SHARE MEASURE CULTURE @PaulaLKennedy
11. “DevOps is about CAMS” https://blog.chef.io/2010/07/16/what-devops-means-to-me/ AUTOMATE SHARE MEASURE CULTURE • CULTURE • AUTOMATION • MEASUREMENT • SHARING @PaulaLKennedy
12. AUTOMATE MEASURE SHARE “DevOps is about CAMS” https://blog.chef.io/2010/07/16/what-devops-means-to-me/ CULTURE @PaulaLKennedy AUTOMATE MEASURE SHARE
13. CULTURE • “DevOps is a human problem” • openness, transparency, respect • learn to work differently A A M S @PaulaLKennedy C http://itrevolution.com/the-convergence-of-devops/ DEVELOPERS OPERATORS
14. CULTURE - human problems @PaulaLKennedy A A M S C • be kind
15. CULTURE - human problems @PaulaLKennedy A A M S C • be kind • have empathy
16. CULTURE - human problems @PaulaLKennedy A A M S C • be kind • have empathy • listen
17. CULTURE - human problems @PaulaLKennedy A A M S C • work-life balance
18. CULTURE - human problems @PaulaLKennedy A A M S C • work-life balance • self-care
19. “Do one thing every day that scares you”
20. AUTOMATION • Use tools to go faster • Self-service • Continuous deployment @PaulaLKennedy C A M S A
21. AUTOMATION - tools to go faster • collaborate @PaulaLKennedy C A M S A
22. AUTOMATION - tools to go faster • collaborate • build your network @PaulaLKennedy C A M S A
23. AUTOMATION - tools to go faster • collaborate • build your network • delegate @PaulaLKennedy C A M S A
24. AUTOMATION - self-service • believe in yourself @PaulaLKennedy C A M S A
25. AUTOMATION - self-service • believe in yourself • have courage @PaulaLKennedy C A M S A
26. AUTOMATION - self-service • believe in yourself • have courage • experiment @PaulaLKennedy C A M S A
27. AUTOMATION - continuous deployment • set goals @PaulaLKennedy C A M S A
28. AUTOMATION - continuous deployment • set goals • work hard (but sustainably) @PaulaLKennedy C A M S A
29. “Floss”
30. @PaulaLKennedy
31. MEASUREMENT • “If you can’t measure, you can’t improve” • measure everything, measure often @PaulaLKennedy C A M S M
32. MEASUREMENT - career metrics Steps removed from CEO? Mean time to promotion? Twitter following? Benefits? Job title? Salary? Team size? Conference talks given? @PaulaLKennedy C A M S M
33. MEASUREMENT - career metrics • Pay equality @PaulaLKennedy C A M S M
34. MEASUREMENT - career metrics • Pay equality • Be flexible but challenge @PaulaLKennedy C A M S M
35. MEASUREMENT - career metrics • Pay equality • Be flexible but challenge • Seek to understand the “big picture” @PaulaLKennedy C A M S M
36. MEASUREMENT - personal metrics @PaulaLKennedy C A M S M • # people helped
37. MEASUREMENT - personal metrics @PaulaLKennedy C A M S M • # people helped • # people thanked
38. MEASUREMENT - personal metrics @PaulaLKennedy C A M S M • # people helped • # people thanked • # people given recognition
39. “sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind... the race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself”
40. SHARING • seek feedback • share success stories • continuous improvement @PaulaLKennedy C A M S S
41. SHARING - seek feedback @PaulaLKennedy C A M S S
42. SHARING - seek feedback • ask • listen • learn • change @PaulaLKennedy C A M S S
43. SHARING - success stories • work delivered @PaulaLKennedy C A M S S
44. SHARING - success stories • work delivered • feedback from customers / colleagues @PaulaLKennedy C A M S S
45. SHARING - success stories • work delivered • feedback from customers / colleagues • extra work / outside projects @PaulaLKennedy C A M S S
46. SHARING - continuous improvement • do more... • think about... • do less / do differently... @PaulaLKennedy C A M S S
47. “whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either. your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's”
48. Key Takeaways CULTURE @PaulaLKennedy AUTOMATION MEASUREMENT SHARING A M S C
49. Key Takeaways CULTURE • “DevOps is a human problem” • Be kind • Have empathy • Be self-kind • Work-life balance @PaulaLKennedy A M S C AUTOMATION MEASUREMENT SHARING
50. Key Takeaways CULTURE • “DevOps is a human problem” • Be kind • Have empathy • Be self-kind • Work-life balance @PaulaLKennedy AUTOMATION • “Go faster” • Collaborate, network, delegate • Believe in yourself • Set goals A M S C SHARING MEASUREMENT
51. Key Takeaways CULTURE • “DevOps is a human problem” • Be kind • Have empathy • Be self-kind • Work-life balance @PaulaLKennedy AUTOMATION • “Go faster” • Collaborate, network, delegate • Believe in yourself • Set goals MEASUREMENT • “Measure everything” • Pay equality • Flexible but challenge • Big picture • # people helped / thanked A M S C SHARING
52. Key Takeaways CULTURE • “DevOps is a human problem” • Be kind • Have empathy • Be self-kind • Work-life balance @PaulaLKennedy AUTOMATION • “Go faster” • Collaborate, network, delegate • Believe in yourself • Set goals MEASUREMENT • “Measure everything” • Pay equality • Flexible but challenge • Big picture • # people helped / thanked SHARING • “Seek feedback” • Share success stories • Continuously improve A M S C
53. “Advice is a form of nostalgia. dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth. But trust me on the sunscreen!”
54. THANK YOU @PaulaLKennedy