Some of the things I've learned in more than 20 years in the tech industry.

You need to hear these.

Listen to more people who don't look like you, don't speak your language, and don't come from the same place you do.

We aren't doing this near enough.

Small habits compound.

No small improvement is too small.

Just aim for something new every day, and you'll be surprised at the end.

Take responsibility.

It doesn't really matter how you feel, I'm sure you could have done better.

Always keep the big picture in mind and never lose the forest for the trees.

Be the person that pulls everyone out of the rabbit holes.

Focus on the final goal, and don't worry too much about how you get there.

Great results will get you farther than processes, but good processes can help you achieve good results.

Be generous with your knowledge.

It's funny how everything you share finds a way to reward you back.

Who you are is more important than who you were.

We all make mistakes. Move on from them and focus on what's coming.

There are no stupid questions.

Ask away!

(There are, however, stupid people with fragile egos that get bothered when others ask. Ignore them.)

Change is the only thing you can always count on. (And death, and taxes, of course.)

Embrace change.

Better is not always best.

People fantasize about perfection, but perfectionism rarely wins.

Shipping more often will give you better odds than gilding the lily.

Learn to say no.

(I can't say this loud enough!)

Be gracious, professional, nice, but say it more.

Make a habit out of learning.

What you know today will be outdated tomorrow.

Make a plan to keep up and follow it... or you'll get behind.

Focus on one thing at a time.

Multi-tasking murders productivity.

(And turn your phone off!)

Job-hoping may be great for your bank account, but it does nothing to improve the impact you make in the world.

(And it looks horrible in your resume.)

Ideas are worth shit. Execution is worth everything.

Don't be the "idea person". Be the one that takes them and runs with them.

Good communication is a fundamental asset.

You can never invest too much in improving it.

(It doesn't matter how technically good you are if you can't properly communicate with others.)

The lack of diversity in the tech industry is real.

Inequality is real.

Stupid, entitled pricks that deny this are also real. Fuck them.

Always make sure you are solving the right problem.

It seems trivial, but you'll be surprised how much money is spent everyday walking in the wrong direction.

The best code is the one nobody wrote.

The best tool is the one you already have.

The best solution is usually the simplest one (and the one that solves the problem today.)

Nobody cares about the tools you know, the books you read, or the videos you watched.

Nobody cares about what your Twitter followers think.

People only care about the problems you can solve for them.

Assertiveness is the single most important skill you can build.

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