Being Geek
by Michael Lopp · first published 2010
81% recommend19% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Broad career advice for software engineers, from Rands' blog-style writing, covering how to get looked after beyond technical skill. Suits devs moving toward team lead or management, and new managers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
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Being Geek: http://www.amazon.com/Being-Geek-Software-Developers-Handboo... A review I wrote: http://terrordome.ca/reviews/being-geek
on “What recent books should I be reading?” ↗Being Geek by Michael Lopp (Rands) - because sometimes, being as awesome as you can at your core job doesn't mean you'll be taken care of in your career.
Being Geek by Michael Lopp Rands does a great job at giving a broad range of career advice for software engineers. I also recommend his blog: http://randsinrepose.com/
on “Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?” ↗I know it's commonly recommended here, but the other Rands' book, Being Geek: The Software Developer's Career Handbook, is top notch as well for devs and those living somewhere in-between experienced dev and team manager. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0596155409/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_mr...
on “Ask HN: Resources for transitioning from development to management?” ↗In that section, would like to add recommendations for: - "Being Geek: The Software Developer's Career Handbook" https://www.amazon.com/Being-Geek-Software-Developers-Handbo... - "Team Geek: A Software Developer's Guide to Working Well with Others" http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920018025.do…
on “Ask HN: Which non-programming books are a beneficial read for programmers?” ↗I read Being Geek on a plane the week it came out. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'd recommend it to anyone else who loves the blog. Seriously, if this article doesn't motivate you to spend $10 on the Kindle version then…
on “Rands in Repose: How to Run a 1:1” ↗…corporation" I've found this post from Rands on the "Culture Chart" to be helpful: http://www.randsinrepose.com/archives/2008/10/12/the_culture... The linked post is recycled as a chapter in his book Being Geek which I also find fabulously useful.
on “When Smart People are Bad Employees” ↗+1 for "Being Geek" - great read. Anyone read either "Mind Hacks" or "Performance Mind Hacks?" Wondering if they're interesting/useful.
on “O'Reilly "Geek Culture" ebooks 50 percent off” ↗No one has mentioned this book yet? It's what I expected this article to be like. Being Geek: The Software Developer's Career Handbook http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PUHbK9h-44
on “A Rough Guide to Social Skills for Awkward Smart People” ↗+1 for Being Geek. It's essentially a well-laid out rehash of Rands' blog posts over the years but I've found it good reading, even with the enormous amount of typos. I'm in the same situation as the OP, so the strategic…
on “Ask HN: Books for soon to be Software Engineers” ↗And also his second book "Being Geek". It's a career guide for technical people.
on “Bored People Quit” ↗For anyone who hasn't read Rands, he's got a bunch of these and they're largely pretty fantastic. Managing Humans / Being Geek are also great books if you like this type of writing. I've shared them with lots of new managers/engineers and they've always been well received.
on “Why some of the best developers keep quitting” ↗I've also had them read "Being Geek" and "Managing Humans" (as those books are what made it finally click for me). Turns out the blog linked in the first post was written by the same person.
on “Ask HN: Strategies for working with engineers that are too smart?” ↗I'd recommend reading "Being Geek" by rands. Its great. http://beinggeek.com/
on “Ask HN: I just got my first team lead. What should I do?” ↗…Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins. I am also reading The Brothers Karamazov on my Kindle. I kept seeing so many references to it in other things I was reading and I took that as a sign. Also just started reading Being Geek by Michael Lopp (of the "Rands in Repose" blog). O'Reilly had the ebook on sale the other day and I couldn't pass it up!
on “Ask HN: What are you reading right now?” ↗