14 Lessons Learned from 14 Years in Software Development

In my 14-year journey at Cerner I have moved from new college graduate, to software engineer, to leader of development team, to leader of leaders. How I work and think has changed a ton over this time. I get bored easily, so I am constantly trying new techniques to improve. Some changes have stuck, others are long forgotten. The most impactful change I made was starting to regularly listen to books 3 years ago. Since then, I have listened to 40 books focused mainly on productivity, leadership, culture, communication, and habits.

I have distilled my 749 hours of listening to books and 14 years in software development down to 14 lessons/habits I wish I had known sooner. While I cannot go back in time and convince the old Nick to get out of bed earlier, stop interrupting people and to keep his inbox at 0, I do hope I can encourage a small change that will make you happier, less stressed and more productive.

Audience : These lessons and habits will be applicable to all roles and experience levels. Something for everyone.