Resume

When managing development teams I practice “management by wandering around”. This should not be confused with Dave Packard’s famous “management by walking around”. The difference is subtle but wandering around to me denotes much less structure and thought being put into the process. Yes, there are times I walk over and talk to developers, there are other times, I wander around outside thinking about a problem. Management by wandering around allows me the freedom to let my mind work at its own pace.

When helping companies locate developers my practice is very simple yet difficult to duplicate. I only help companies locate employees in fields I know more than a little about. I usually limit myself to web technologies for developers and Linux for system operators. I do not have a set of questions that have to be properly answered, I do not employ trick questions and I won’t administer coding tests. I simply engage the candidate in a conversation about the technologies being used by the team. If the candidate can talk with me for 30 minutes about the technology and the answers are true and honest then I will most likely recommend them to the company that is looking.

What I do

I perform one of three essential services for companies that hire me:

Team Building and Management

I love developers and love working with them. I have found that since most developers actually want to develop software, the most effective way of managing them is to give them clear goals that they can understand and agree to; then get out of their way. I have been known to fetch coffee, lunch and even fill candy jars so that developers on my teams can stay focused on their task at hand. I am a strong proponent of telecommuting and if you work with me for more than an hour you already know this.

Developer location and hiring

I am not a recruiter. I only help companies that I believe in, and believe that they will treat developers right. If your company believes that working 50-60+ hours a week is “just part of being in software development” please don’t contact me because I won’t help you find developers. On the other hand, if you company recognizes the value of a good developer and understand the term “work/life balance” when you are looking for web developers, I can probably help you find the right person.

Community Outreach

I work with companies who want to reach out ot the PHP community. I am not a corporate shill. I will not attempt to sell your product to my friends. However, if you have a product that I honestly feel the PHP community will be interested in, I will help you get your product infront of them and help them understand why it is a good product for them.

References Provided Upon Request