Welcome to my PinkLetter. A short, weekly, technology-agnostic, and pink newsletter where we cultivate timeless skills in web development.
My Ramblings This Week
Several months ago, I quit my job and went freelance. It was a mistake.
The plan was simple: I take a couple of months off, then I start doing some freelancing for the short term, and build a business in the long term. I thought a shock in the system would jumpstart the process.
As developers, we have the privilege of being in demand: create a LinkedIn account, throw developer in the bio, and wait for recruiters to start knocking at your door. This is a problem: with such a demand, you can work for years without ever asking yourself what the hell it is that you are doing.
I know what I do: I'm a developer. I used to say it too, but it became crystal clear that being a developer has no value out there. Clients buy outcomes, not your job title.
So there I am struggling to find contract jobs, surrounded by programmers that charge a fraction of what I charge, and looking at my runaway shrinking. I have a deeper understanding now of what imposter syndrome means.
For sure, I suck at business. Hell, today my accountant wrote to me in an email I'm "an beginner entrepreneur." (Though, it was funny to read that "an.")
But you know what? I'm glad I made the mistake: true, I didn't set myself up for success, but I had to ponder hard questions in the last few months. And I'm a better person today because of it.
Please do me a favor. If you decide to quit your job, make sure you get some traction with your plan first. (Or get ready to play in hard mode.)
Elsewhere on the Web
Making room for mental wellbeing w/ Frank Bach by Tommy Geoco
We're gonna talk about how to make room for your mental wellbeing and dealing with things like imposter syndrome (especially at the senior level), conflict resolution, and staying mindful when everything is on fire.
Riccardo: It does me good to see accomplished people have imposter syndrome too.
Galaxy brain CSS tricks with Hotwire and Rails by Matt Swanson
In Hotwire applications, you need to lean more on the fundamentals of CSS and HTML. If you’re like me, you probably learned just enough CSS to get by, but never reach for it first. But that’s changed recently and I wanted to share patterns I’ve picked up recently that improve my Rails apps.
Riccardo: Good stuff even if Rails is not your drug of choice.
The BEST part of Agile Estimating. And how to get rid of it. by DevelopmentThatPays
Previously: I threw Estimates under the bus. Today: we’ll look at the part of Agile Estimating that YOU told me is the most valuable: What I like to call the “estimating conversation”. I’ll also introduce you to what I consider to be a BETTER conversation. And how to eliminate it.
Riccardo: Sometimes, it's a good idea to stop and reflect on why you are doing what you are doing.