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
   

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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!
   

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3. Confession Time:
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI
   @PaulaLKennedy
   

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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
   

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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
   

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8. “...my advice has no basis more reliable than
   my own meandering experience…
   I will dispense this advice now…”
   

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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
   

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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
    

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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
    

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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
    

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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
    

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14. CULTURE - human problems
    @PaulaLKennedy
    A A M S
    C
    ● be kind
    

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15. CULTURE - human problems
    @PaulaLKennedy
    A A M S
    C
    ● be kind
    ● have empathy
    

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16. CULTURE - human problems
    @PaulaLKennedy
    A A M S
    C
    ● be kind
    ● have empathy
    ● listen
    

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17. CULTURE - human problems
    @PaulaLKennedy
    A A M S
    C
    ● work-life balance
    

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18. CULTURE - human problems
    @PaulaLKennedy
    A A M S
    C
    ● work-life balance
    ● self-care
    

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19. “Do one thing every day that scares you”
    

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20. AUTOMATION
    ● Use tools to go
    faster
    ● Self-service
    ● Continuous
    deployment
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    A
    

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21. AUTOMATION - tools to go faster
    ● collaborate
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    A
    

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22. AUTOMATION - tools to go faster
    ● collaborate
    ● build your network
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    A
    

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23. AUTOMATION - tools to go faster
    ● collaborate
    ● build your network
    ● delegate
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    A
    

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24. AUTOMATION - self-service
    ● believe in
    yourself
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    A
    

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25. AUTOMATION - self-service
    ● believe in
    yourself
    ● have courage
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    A
    

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26. AUTOMATION - self-service
    ● believe in
    yourself
    ● have courage
    ● experiment
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    A
    

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27. AUTOMATION - continuous deployment
    ● set goals
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    A
    

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28. AUTOMATION - continuous deployment
    ● set goals
    ● work hard
    (but sustainably)
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    A
    

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29. “Floss”
    

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30. @PaulaLKennedy
    

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31. MEASUREMENT
    ● “If you can’t
    measure, you can’t
    improve”
    ● measure everything,
    measure often
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    M
    

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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
    

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33. MEASUREMENT - career metrics
    ● Pay equality
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    M
    

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34. MEASUREMENT - career metrics
    ● Pay equality
    ● Be flexible but
    challenge
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    M
    

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35. MEASUREMENT - career metrics
    ● Pay equality
    ● Be flexible but
    challenge
    ● Seek to understand
    the “big picture”
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    M
    

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36. MEASUREMENT - personal metrics
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    M
    ● # people helped
    

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37. MEASUREMENT - personal metrics
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    M
    ● # people helped
    ● # people thanked
    

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38. MEASUREMENT - personal metrics
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    M
    ● # people helped
    ● # people thanked
    ● # people given
    recognition
    

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39. “sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're
    behind...
    the race is long, and in the end, it's only with
    yourself”
    

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40. SHARING
    ● seek feedback
    ● share success
    stories
    ● continuous
    improvement
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    S
    

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41. SHARING - seek feedback
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    S
    

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42. SHARING - seek feedback
    ● ask
    ● listen
    ● learn
    ● change
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    S
    

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43. SHARING - success stories
    ● work delivered
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    S
    

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44. SHARING - success stories
    ● work delivered
    ● feedback from
    customers /
    colleagues
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    S
    

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45. SHARING - success stories
    ● work delivered
    ● feedback from
    customers /
    colleagues
    ● extra work /
    outside projects
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    S
    

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46. SHARING - continuous improvement
    ● do more...
    ● think about...
    ● do less / do
    differently...
    @PaulaLKennedy
    C A M S
    S
    

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47. “whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself
    too much or berate yourself either.
    your choices are half chance, so are everybody
    else's”
    

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48. Key Takeaways
    CULTURE
    @PaulaLKennedy
    AUTOMATION MEASUREMENT SHARING
    A M S
    C
    

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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
    

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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
    

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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
    

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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
    

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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!”
    

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54. THANK YOU
    @PaulaLKennedy
    

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