Backwards Compatible- Lessons from a Quarter Century in Software
summary
Practical, specific takeaways: first five minutes often decide interview progress; push companies to make interview questions public so nonnative speakers and planners perform better; keep a dated brag doc focused on impact (not activity) for reviews and layoffs; negotiate total compensation and seek multiple offers; avoid unpaid “glue work” unless it maps to promotion criteria; treat one‑on‑ones as sacred; document performance contemporaneously to survive reviews and workforce cuts.
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chapters (19)
- 0:00Intro
- 4:18My career
- 6:43First 5 minutes
- 9:39Focus on impact
- 10:57Private interview questions
- 13:38Public interview questions
- 16:46First job offer
- 20:59Work doesnt speak for itself
- 27:46One on Ones
- 30:21Who to Cut
- 32:05People Value You
- 33:57Build Relationships
- 37:03Glue Work
- 40:37Becoming a Manager
- 42:23Teams are a box of chocolates
- 49:08You are now a manager
- 51:55Documentation
- 56:14Telling People No
- 58:31Being Unrepresented
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