Software Developer

Impostering a successful software engineering career

Conrad Lotz, , Leave a comment

I don’t know you but what I know for a fact is you are good enough! Remember that!

I was walking down a hallway at my university back in 2000, between classes when I ran into a classmate going the opposite direction. Mustering courage, I asked him how he was finding the course so far. He immediately replied it had been great, especially the lesson on “multidimensional arrays” that day. He then proceeded to explain the concept in detail.

As I walked away, I thought, “What am I doing here? I don’t belong. That guy is way smarter than me. I was in the same class but can’t recall or explain it like that.” It wasn’t my exact thought process, but something similar clouded my mind.

This type of self-doubting thinking followed me for years – the constant questioning of abilities, the inner voices whispering you’re not good enough, that everyone else is better and smarter. Does this sound familiar? Read on to find out how the story unfolded.

Imposter syndrome refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. Despite external evidence of competence, those experiencing this phenomenon remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve their achieved success. Imposter syndrome can affect anyone, regardless of social status, work background, skill level, or degree of expertise.

Dr. Pauline Rose Clance is a pioneer in researching and shedding light on the imposter phenomenon. Along with Dr. Suzanne Imes, she co-authored the 1978 study that coined the term “imposter phenomenon” to describe the internal experience of feeling like an intellectual fraud.

Feeling Like an Imposter Will Follow You for a While

I’m not an expert, but I can speak from experience. Feeling like an imposter is likely to follow you for quite a while. Where these thoughts originate, I cannot say for certain. For me, it may have been from childhood, or I was simply born with a tendency towards it. As a child, it hits your confidence and often results in playing it safe, avoiding risks of being wrong.

It can prevent one from being a critical thinker and challenging decisions, because you believe those in higher positions or with more experience must be better than you.

I was hired as a junior software engineer in 2003, but my initial tenure was nothing extraordinary. My boss was a brilliant former chemical engineer who had transitioned into software. Working with him was personally intimidating, though he had done nothing to cause this.

As he would explain work, my focus would shift to perceived inadequacies instead of the task at hand, asking questions. My mind would wander, convincing myself I’m not good enough and will never understand this. I lost valuable time early in my career by not focusing on improving or questioning what I wanted. I just accepted the status quo, feeling that I’m not good enough.

Towards the end of my time at that company, I was given the opportunity to lead and manage a project. Being a small company, I believe it was because there was no one else, so I was the obvious choice – though my imposter feelings may have led me to undervalue the decision. I did well on the project and received good feedback from the client.

During my performance review, one of our directors praised me for delivering the project on time. He was pleasantly surprised, if I recall, which surprised me! What was not welcome, however, was him telling me, “You are not good with the programming.”

That really stuck with me for a while. It hurt because I had been a programmer for 5 years and 6 months – or was supposed to be.

My Thoughts Became a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

What I feared I was, I eventually became.

I had to come to terms with that feedback, and it was spot on – I was not good at programming. Yet something changed in me that day. I wanted to prove them wrong. That’s when I decided to leave and pursue a job at a large enterprise to truly learn my craft.

I landed a job in retail IT working on critical services running on 15,000 front tills! There was no turning back for someone not great at programming; I decided to take on the challenge. At that point, feelings of inadequacy didn’t matter – it was sink or swim. I swam. It was mind over matter, time to ignore the imposter. I prevailed.

The code I wrote was probably not the best, but it worked and ran fine. That was an important boost of self-belief I gained.

Actions Speak Louder Than Thoughts

It was an important event. I was in a situation where my actions overshadowed my thoughts, not the other way around which had been the case for years. Think about it – your actions are stronger than your thoughts when you realize that, you should not listen to them.

Circling back, your thoughts aren’t going to disappear anytime soon. They can remain with you for the rest of your life. But you can learn what to listen to and often ignore them. This is very important.

You cannot prevent the bird from sitting on your shoulder, but you can prevent it from making a nest.

You cannot prevent the thoughts, but you can prevent them from manifesting in your life. You need to have a strategy to counter these thoughts.

The Strategy

When your thoughts make you feel bad or sad, you know those aren’t constructive. That is not the real you. That is the imposter – they’re negative and destructive. That’s the trigger, and at that point, you need to affirm this is not you, it’s the imposter in you.

  • Affirm to yourself that these are not your true thoughts, but the imposter in you speaking. For example, if you want to engineer and code a complex system end-to-end, but your thoughts are stopping you:
  • Understand that consistent action and results will build your confidence over time
    • The negative self-talk won’t disappear, but will become less effective
    • Accumulate positive experiences to negate and overcome negative thoughts
  • Remember – you may not be as good as others yet, but you aren’t them
    • Focus on improving by doing and completing tasks
    • Getting it done is good enough – it doesn’t have to be perfect
  • Create your own superpower by being disciplined and taking action, despite your thoughts. Make a conscious decision to do the opposite of what your inner voice is saying. Take action and start building the system, no matter what. Don’t delay – carve out the time and just do it
  • Force yourself to speak up in meeting. Practice having an opinion.

24 Years Later After That Hallway Conversation

Today, over two decades into software engineering, that person I ran into in the hallway changed job directions last I checked, not to be disrespectful. At that time, I thought he was the best and would be much better than I could ever be. Turns out my mind played tricks on me back then.

I wrote science fiction, which we often do as humans.

Today, my thoughts are still there, but when they pop up, I reinforce that I will completely crush the next task or project. Those are my thoughts now. I am a success at impostering. I will win, and today, I usually do.

Conclusion

The battle against imposter feelings and negative self-talk is one that may never fully go away. However, it is a battle that can be won through conscious effort and disciplined action. The key is to recognize those pessimistic thoughts for what they are – imposters that do not define your true abilities.

When the voices of doubt arise, implement the strategy: affirm your worth, take action in defiance of those negative thoughts, and pile up accomplishments. Each small victory will strengthen your self-belief. The negative thoughts will still emerge, but you’ll grow more resilient in overpowering them through persistent effort.

Ultimately, success is not defined by an absence of doubt, but by refusing to surrender to it. Approach each challenge as an opportunity to silence the imposter within. With relentless perseverance and a focus on continual growth, you can imposter your way to a truly successful engineering career that defies even your own initial expectations of yourself.

The path will not be easy, but the pride of proven competence and earned confidence is well worth the struggle. You belong here – now go and claim the career you’ve glimpsed as possible when you’ve quietly admired others. The imposter’s reign ends today.

Impostering a successful software engineering career

Unlocking Your Superpower: The Power of Discipline in Software Engineering

Conrad LotzLeave a comment

It is very hard to focus in the present day. Everyone and every other thing tries to compete for our constant attention. Think about your mobile phone. The notifications are convenient, yet endless if you allow it. How many apps do you have on your phone?

My mobile is a big distraction but also very productive for work and admin. But I cannot blame the mobile, nor can I because I allow it to be.

I grew up in a town where we had good weather, mountains, and loads of open space and sports fields. I was outside for most of my day. This was perfect for my ADHD. I had loads of energy, and that is why it was hard for me to focus on reading, etc. Television is also perfect for ADHD. I did not read a lot, to my disappointment now that I’m older. I got good at sports but not at academics.

Besides being hyperactive, I lacked discipline. If it was because of my hyper energy or if I was not taught properly how to calm my mind and focus on my reading, I cannot say. Definitely no one’s fault. I was good at sports, and my parents supported it and gave me every opportunity to get at what I was naturally inclined to.

It took me a long time to become disciplined. It has changed everything! It started only 2 years ago. I’m turning 43.

THE D-WORD

Discipline in its purest form is very hard to achieve. Doing the same thing consistently over a long period is hard to do, especially if there are no clear path or even reward for those actions. We are all human, and I’m sure you are well aware of what you’re not doing consistently enough.

One could argue that I was disciplined in practicing and playing sports. And I was, but for the most part, there was always some reward built into it. We played matches, and winning was the reward. You improve your game and get to play on more advanced teams. You hit the ball better, you kick the ball further. There is consistent feedback built into the process. It is easy to misjudge this as discipline, where there are brain chemicals from feedback and activation of the reward system built-in.

Let’s take this a step further. At work, we have built-in motivations. You and I have a boss who has requirements and demands. You have colleagues and team members who are dependent on you, and most importantly, you receive a salary at the end of two weeks or the month. Most of us are team players and want to keep do our duties and not disappoint our colleagues, and we want to make sure we receive our money because we have bills to pay and stuff to buy or save for.

The motivation and rewards are built-in again. Though there are discipline involved it is not pure.

LET’S TEST YOUR DISCIPLINE

It won’t be a fair question to ask if you would have done the same at work without the money. What would be the point? For no money, I probably would have coached a sports team.

So let’s focus on the following example. You have a full-time job, and you are looking for your next career opportunity. Let’s say you have been a front-end engineer for most of your career, but you find yourself ready to tackle the back-end of software development, especially with data engineering becoming so popular due to the demand in machine learning and generative AI.

You find yourself at a job that has a legacy product, and it results in engineers being siloed, making it difficult to upskill in all disciplines and touch on all aspects of the system. Thus, your work cannot provide you with the opportunity to upskill. So now it is up to you. Assuming you have a stable job and people are generally nice, there is nothing pressing you besides your aspirations.

AT LEAST A 100 HOURS

So this becomes interesting. How would you approach this upskilling? Well, you have a computer, you have the internet, and more recently, you have ChatGPT or the impressive Claude 3. You have all the tools you need to accomplish the job.

Next is you! Yes, you are the only stumbling block in the way. I mean it respectfully but truthfully. For your next level, it is required to spend a considerable amount of time learning. That is what is required. I would say between 100-300 hours, depending on what you focus on.

Now, I’m sure you are asking why 100+ hours. A few years ago, I signed up for the distinguished CFA 1 exams, which are difficult exams financial portfolio management by design. After spending a lot of money to sign up and buy the materials, they recommend studying between 200-300 hours for this exam, 3 hours a day for six months. If you pass it, then you will have the fundamentals for the next 2 exams, but it also serves as training toward this role. I had to do it and they were spot on. It it about immersing yourself and spending the time. Learning this subject requires focus and discipline. Afterwards, I decide that a 100 hours for something is a good amount to get good at it.

Writing code takes a couple of hours a day. It takes about 20 minutes to get into the zone, as we would say, and then once you are immersed, the next 2-3 hours is where the learning happens. Imagine you had 2-3 hours on top of your day job, as well as the energy, then over the course of 100 days, you would definitely move toward becoming a data engineer. You won’t write or produce the best code, pipelines, or systems initially, but over time, you will improve. You have to spend more to gain more.

In an upcoming post, I will discuss where to find time. For the moment, we assume you have enough. Would you be able to spend 100 hours working on data engineering?

DO OR GO WATCH TV

What makes it difficult is that there is no pressure besides the goal you have set. You spend your time in the evening after a long day’s work. You have to work on problems or build systems that you won’t get compensated for or that do not meet any deadline. This system won’t serve anyone besides you! When it gets difficult, the brain can easily persuade you to go watch Netflix or play a game, which requires less cognitive power, more dopamine than what you have to spend to create neuroplasticity, in other words, to learn.

Learning is hard, and it requires discipline when doing it alone. No one can motivate you. It requires your own willpower and believe that when you have gone through this, you will reach your goal. Sometimes there is also delay in the reward. But I promise it eventually turn up and blows you away!

I STRUGGLE WITH DISCIPLINE AND HOW TO SOLVE IT

You are not alone. Many do, and that is probably why not all of us are wealthy or financially independent or maybe just happy and doing what we love. If you want this, then there are ways you can achieve this and grow the discipline.

It is easy to have a good idea. These are plentiful, and I’m sure like me, you have a list somewhere on your PC with all the ideas. Then sometimes, we go as far as thinking about the success and if you achieve it, how life may change and all the nice stuff that comes with it. Now that we have thought about it, our brain got that hit of dopamine, but almost imagining the success before the hard work. At that point, the motivation diminishes, and often the fantasy becomes the false reality.

By this time, you see the gap, right? Between the start and achieving your goal, there lies a large gap! That gap is the process, the plan. More importantly, it is the focus points to prevent you from celebrating too fast and keep you focused on the current step in the present and not look too far into the future and get demotivated.

IT’S NOT A PLAN, IT IS A PROCESS

What is your strategy for achieving your goals? Specifically, how do you plan to progress daily? Focus on the variables within your grasp: the learning, the design, and the construction. The future is beyond your control, but your daily efforts are not. Undoubtedly, dedication increases the likelihood of opportunities arising, a fact substantiated by numerous real-world examples.

A process cements discipline. If you do something small daily towards your goal over a long period of time, it removes the thought process.

You cannot predict what will happen, but your actions shift the earth into action.

Marie Curie’s disciplined approach to her scientific research was characterized by an unwavering dedication, meticulous methodology, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge, even in the face of numerous obstacles. She received 2 Nobel Prizes for physics and chemistry. I doubt the Nobel Prize was her focus, but rather to help humanity. The Nobel Prize was the by-product.

THE PROCESS TO IMPROVE DISCIPLINE

I used to be someone who did not like routine. Now I depend on it. With that came discipline. It goes hand in hand. It becomes a process, and that process executed consistently will eventually bring you success.

Here are some guidelines on how to improve your discipline:

  • Set your goal(s). Be very specific. Don’t be realistic. Goals are dreams. It is the unknown.
  • Break it down into smaller steps. This is where you want to create daily tasks to make the process more manageable.
  • Create a routine. Now that you have established the tasks, you have to achieve those tasks daily. This is where you need to determine how much work you need to put in. You have some decisions to make. This is where it gets interesting. You can work after dinner in the evening, after you blow off some steam after a long day of work, or you can wake up early in the morning when it is quiet, and you have been rested. It is often better, and you feel like you have accomplished something first thing in the morning, and it also sets up your working day for success.
  • Set up your environment. Make sure your home space is comfortable and quiet. Invest in some good headsets. Learn how to listen to frequency music. Tons of these videos are available on YouTube. It is sounds without words and on a frequency that is conducive to learning and focus. Alternatively, you may like not to be at home and sit at a coffee shop or quiet space away from home. It also depends on the time of day. I particularly enjoy sitting at a particular Starbucks sipping coffee with my headset on. It is an extremely productive time for me. It is now up to you on how long you can sustain this. You will get challenged where the brain convinces you to do the easy thing like watching Netflix or endlessly scrolling on your phone. 21 days changes a habit, and 63 days create a new habit and routine. After 63 days, you would also have surpassed 100 hours. Learning and upskilling will become easier then.

CONCLUSION

Discipline is one word that holds so much power but is very elusive to us. Consistent execution over a long period of time – discipline will eventually move you towards your goal. The challenge is always getting to that point. It is so much easier said than done. You have to break old habits for new ones and operate with hope and goals with no motivation other than what you tell yourself.

It’s hard, but once you reach that goal, you will never look back, and your confidence in the world and especially yourself will astronomically be enhanced.

Try it, I dare you!

Unlocking Your Superpower: The Power of Discipline in Software Engineering

How to improve one-on-one conversations as a Dev Manager

Conrad Lotz, , , , Leave a comment

I love having a one-on-one sessions with my manager. This time I associate with productivity and growth not to sound selfish but for 30 minutes it is about me and my career. The feedback is immediate on what I’m doing well, and what I can improve. No use waiting for the year-end review to first learn what I could have done better! The improvement starts immediately.

But I have learned from my failures and past managers what I prefer not to do to myself and what I should do for others.

On Linkedin I often see my connections post frequent motivational posts regarding leadership. I know some of these people who post because I worked with them. Therefore, I have some insight into their circumstances and how their superiors acted during their time at the company.

This is just my personal opinion and I have no data to back this. However, often I see these posts are about “leader vs manager” and cannot help but think this is aimed at their previous manager because of a disappointment for not growing or valuing them which ultimately became the reason for their departure.

The point I’m trying to make is your actions as a manager can affect a person negatively for a very long time. Someone is not having fun because of your ignorance and actions. THAT IS POWER!

Easy steps to effective conversations

I have rock-solid steps to improve one-on-one conversations with your engineers almost immediately. It is specific to online meetings because it is where the worst of our habits presents itself. In the face-to-face meeting, listen, engage, and be respectful. Success will depend if you are open to it as a manager and not necessarily depend on the employee. These are easy to do and all it requires is a shift in focus.

Switch on your camera

Let the person on the other side be assured they have your full attention. It is important to carry across a message with the correct body language. Tough conversations for example must have body language to show that this is not emotionless but comes from a deeply concerned and caring nature.

Do not multitask

In one-on-one multitasking is a big no-no. It is easy to spot when someone is reading while in a meeting. It takes away the focus from the conversation and affects the memory which is essential for a decision to be made on behalf of this person’s career growth. Relax your shoulders or cross your fingers in front of you. These conversations can provide us with valuable insight and clues that may be useful in other discussions, creating new opportunities for the engineer. This conversation takes 30 minutes. Being respectful to them cultivates respect for you as their manager.

Keep notes

Simple but effective. If you recall past conversations there is nothing more indicative that my manager is listening to me. On the flip side, managers can use it to hold the engineer accountable and honest.

The above steps are simple yet highly effective.

The manager’s part in the conversation

Typically, when I hire a new engineer I ask them what they want to work towards. It typically is seniority, architecture, analysis, or leadership. There are many people in an organization they can partner with to learn from. We need to help facilitate these connections and create opportunities for our people.

During every other one-on-one, we revisit their progress toward their goals. It is a good opportunity to identify gaps. For example, maybe they are too code-focused and need to learn, as a future software architect how the entire system functions. The manager can intercept this early on and advise the engineer on how to improve their approach.

As I previously mentioned, imagine you as the engineer only receives feedback at their end-of-year review! I kid you not, this happens! I have experienced this at three of my previous jobs. It is a long time to wait to get feedback. What if I’ve done something wrong and only feel the “punishment” (feedback or reward) end of the year?

The need for negative feedback originates from an event and therefore must be dealt with immediately. Immediate feedback kick-starts the remedial process and allows for course correction to take place for the engineer. It preserves the person’s confidence in the long run.

But as managers, we often miss these opportunities.

As a manager and someone who is concerned with another’s growth and advancement, this presents a fantastic opportunity to transform failure into success. Taking a keen interest in your engineer’s career and staying up to date with their activities enables immediate course correction if it is required.

This must be the conversation almost every one-on-one with the person. There should be no surprises at the end of the year review.

We as managers do not always have access to budget or promotions and even if we do there is always such a balancing act and it is impossible to give to everyone. Therefore, taking a keen interest in someone’s career and growing them is in your control and is the best we can do for our people. It may just keep them a little bit longer at the company because they are being valued and we take interest in them.

It doesn’t always have to be money and title

I cannot overstate it enough the influence the manager has over their engineers. I’m sure you have seen many posts on LinkedIn saying; “People leave managers, not companies”. I say this is true over and over. Managers are also in the spotlight when engineers leave companies due to the type of work they perform. The manager can help by finding a new role or moving the engineer onto a new project or team.

Conclusion

If you find managing people easy you are doing something wrong. If you are managing people just for the title, stop doing it and pivot your approach. Your responsibility is to grow your people into a better version of themselves. When they eventually leave the company and many do you can feel proud that they are leaving better than what they started. In the end, they are leaving because of their managers because you helped them become a better version of themself.

How to improve one-on-one conversations as a Dev Manager