Practical Technology

Let's start with a question: How do you model learning that is accompanied by 'perceived failure'? As a parent, I'm constantly trying to ingrain my kids with a love of learning. In learning, we can show thankfulness for what we have, and it's a way we can grow in perseverance and patience. Knowing that children innately copy their parents in many things, including mannerisms, how are they copying my response to failure? Do they ever see me fail? Well, internet: here, see me fail... ( if the keyboard stuff bores you, the conclusion is right at the bottom ) This learning experience has been generously sponsored by... ...my thanks and gratitude! Sponsorship details This came into being when PCBWay offered to sponsor an entire PCB + PCBA order in exchange for me writing up a review of my experience on my blog. After all was said and done, they paid for $140USD of product/shipping, I paid $45CAD import duties. While I've usually gone to JLCPCB, when someone offers yo...

In the fall of 2022 my boss asked me to take on the lead/eng manager role for the platform/infrastructure team I was a part of.  I'd just joined as an engineer, but - why not?  After all, I have been studying management concepts and theory for some time now as my job-hobby, surely I was ready to practice what the theory said would work! Well, it has been a rewarding year, but a hard year. Rewarding, because my time in the role confirmed what I had strongly suspected - the socio is in fact more important to spend time on than the technical, that management is indeed all about redesigning systems.  The year was hard, because - by all accounts - I experienced many of the difficult and uncomfortable parts of management in a very short period of time. It's difficult to share the experiences while keeping a certain level of discretion, so bullet points will have to suffice. Persevering in storytelling/making information visible does indeed yield results. Applying Cynefin, I bel...