logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2025
34 m

Episode 458: Infinite tech debt hack and...

JAMISON DANCE AND DAVE SMITH
About this episode

In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions:

  1. Nearly every time certain developers on the team want to address technical debt, they end up just adding more technical debt. Of course, after one round of addressing technical debt, the developers in question believe that yet another round of redesigning and refactoring is in order. This stresses me out for many reasons, as you can imagine, and has led to my productivity dropping to an abysmal rate. I spend a large chunk my time resolving merge conflicts and re-orienting myself in an ever-changing codebase. Do you have any suggestions for me?

  2. Hi!

    I’m a software engineer at a big tech company, and I’m starting to feel siloed in my IC role. I’m getting my work done, but I’m often lost when it comes to the bigger picture. I can’t keep up with what our internal customer teams are doing, what they need, or even what my own team’s priorities are. I’m feeling siloed, and it’s starting to worry me. I know that just being a good IC isn’t enough to advance my career here. To get promoted, I need to understand the impact of my work, be aligned with the team and customer goals, and show that I can contribute to the overall success of the company. But how can I do it? How do I stay informed about customer needs and team priorities and position myself for career growth without getting completely overwhelmed?

    Thank you for your precious advice!

Up next
Yesterday
Episode 475: Am I too loyal to my big tech job and politely preserving time
In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: Hi! I’m currently working for a big tech company and I’ve just accepted an internal transfer to another team. At the same time, an external company reached out, offering me a job for a role I’m interested in and twice my c ... Show More
33m 26s
Aug 18
Episode 474: I hate the idea of firing a low performer and cheaper context switching
In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: Hi Dave & Jamison, Long time listener, first time google-form filler outer! I work in a hybrid role as a lead developer and manager of a small team (less than 5). I’m new to management and most of ny experience so far has ... Show More
38m 4s
Aug 11
Episode 473: Mental health support and overcoming FOMO of taking a break from work
In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: Hi Jamison and Dave! I am not a developer, but my question is hopefully transferable. I sit in between lawyers and developers. I advise on technology that can be applied to legal processes and I support our teams in using ... Show More
35m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Improve Your Chances In Your Engineering Job Search Using the Scientific Method with Brian Pulliam
I'm joined today by Brian Pulliam. I've personally engaged Brian as a career coach. In this discussion we'll talk a bit about coaching, and about how you can set yourself up to become a much better candidate in your job search as an engineering leader.Introduction to Career Coach ... Show More
1h 27m
Aug 2024
Improve Your Chances In Your Engineering Job Search Using the Scientific Method with Brian Pulliam
I'm joined today by Brian Pulliam. I've personally engaged Brian as a career coach. In this discussion we'll talk a bit about coaching, and about how you can set yourself up to become a much better candidate in your job search as an engineering leader.Values Exercise Live:Jonatha ... Show More
1h 26m
Mar 2025
625: Melody Wilding - Effectively Managing Up, Designing Your 1:1s, Getting Paid What You're Worth, Creating The 1 Pagers, & Earning The Triple Win
Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Notes: “I sensed something was terribly wrong when I dialed into the conference line at 8:00 a.m. and heard an unfamiliar voice. “Hi, Mel ody, I’m Janine. I’m with an external HR firm. Unfort ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 2024
276: Adaptive Management Styles: A Case Study with Beth May
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills You may have heard that it’s important to manage people differently, but when it comes to leading people through change, it’s more than simply managing them di ... Show More
51m 23s
Jun 2017
#24 Daniel Marbach on failure, remoteness and mentoring
In this episode I talk with Daniel Marbach, software engineer, architect, evangelist, family man, father, public speaker and so much more. We touched on how his first failure shaped his career and made him much stronger. We discussed the remote-ness of his current company and how ... Show More
37m 53s
Feb 2025
Quick Fixes: How to level up, job craft, and manage colleagues you can’t stand
In this Quick Fixes episode, Anne and Frances work to solve three different callers’ tricky work problems in under 20 minutes. One listener searches for the best way to level up his small business, the next plans to approach their manager about a dramatic role change, and a final ... Show More
18m 39s
Sep 2024
How to get what you need at work
This week, Anne and Frances are back in the hot seat to help a listener tackle a common workplace problem: having less influence than we think we deserve. But how can you get more people to listen to your ideas? And figure out what’s getting in the way? Their advice offers valuab ... Show More
29m 10s
Sep 2024
The Hire You Can’t Afford to Get Wrong w/ Galen Low
There’s a role in your agency that has a bigger impact on your bottom line than you realize.  Project Managers are often thought to “just” deliver client projects on time, on scope and on budget. But if you aren’t thinking bigger than that “just” mentality, you could be missing t ... Show More
59m 35s
Aug 2024
How to make yourself more human in an automated world (from How to Be a Better Human)
Kevin Roose is a tech journalist who writes about the intersection of tech, business, and culture. In today’s episode from How to Be a Better Human, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective, he talks about the shift of technology’s role in our lives and how we can set up bound ... Show More
34m 23s
Mar 2025
Ep. 343: A Minimal Protocol for Taking Control of Your LIfe
One of the most commonly recurring themes on this show is the conflict between too much versus not enough productivity. In this episode, Cal attempts to find new clarity in this debate by identifying a minimal viable productivity system – that is, what are the bare minimum compon ... Show More
1h 30m