Follow Up... WAY Up!

   Everybody has had the experience: "D'oh!  I forgot to follow up on that, and now the opportunity is gone!"  Whether the opportunity is for a job, a client, a lover, or whatever, you need to get back to them.  And yet, being merely human, we forget.

  This is one of those areas where being an absolute geek can really help.  No, it won't help you figure out what to say to them, but it can help you remember to do it at all.  How?

   The basic concept is very much like a "tickler file".  (I'll wait while you go look at that article, if you're not familiar with them already.)  The geeky twist I add, is that I don't file an actual physical document, just a reference in a spreadsheet.

   Yes, a spreadsheet.  They're not just for suits and green-eyeshades.  They're a great way to organize any kind of information that you just need to record a few brief pieces of information about, and may need to sort in various ways.

   Let's look at a small simulated excerpt from my client-hunting spreadsheet, which originally started as a job-hunting spreadsheet.  (The company names have of course been changed.  The dates are in YYYY-MM-DD format, aka ISO 8601, so that even if they're not in a "real" spreadsheet program, but rather a plain text file, they'll still sort in the right order.)

Company	Status	Last Contact	Followup On
Fubar Heavy Industries Inc.	CALL THEM ASAP	2012-10-04	2012-10-08
Conceptual Concepts Ltd.	waiting for NDA	2012-10-03	2012-10-10
Widgets R Us	I emailed them	2012-09-28	2012-10-12

   So tomorrow morning, I should call Fubar Heavy Industries, as we arranged on Friday.  Suppose the result of that call is, "we'll give you a decision within two weeks".  Then the 10-08 becomes 10-22... and I sort the sheet on the "Followup On" column again.

   Next up would be Conceptual Concepts Ltd.  I'm waiting for them to send me an NDA.  They said on last Thursday afternoon that they would do it, but as of Sunday I haven't seen it yet.  If they still haven't sent me the NDA by this Thursday, I'll send a reminder... and add another week to the "Followup On" column, and sort again.

   After that would be Widgets R Us.  I emailed them the week before last, in response to an ad on a job board that said they were looking for contractors.  If they don't get back to me within two weeks, I will send a note... and add another two, or maybe three weeks to their followup date.  If that one comes and goes with no response, I'll probably just delete their row.  If they then contact me later, I've still got the other information.

   Other information?  Not in the spreadsheet?  Where am I keeping track of that?  I have another column (not shown) for brief notes, but there's a lot more information than can fit there.

   You're going to get an extra-special bonus on how I keep my stuff organized!  If you are a potential client/employer and call me, I'll probably ask you to wait a moment as I pull up your file.  Yes, I keep a file, or possibly several files, on each potential, current, or past client.  Many have been surprised (pleasantly, I hope!) that I'm so organized.

   In my work directory is a directory with (at least) a text file for each one, such as ~/work/clients/WidgetsRUs.txt.  This contains copies of all correspondence, notes, etc.  If I need to store additional files, such as NDAs, I create a directory for that, such as ~/work/clients/WidgetsRUs_files.  In there I store files like ~/work/clients/WidgetsRUs_files/Aronson-NDA-Signed.pdf.

   As yet another bonus tip for you: note how the filename contains my own name... for the client's convenience.  My own convenience in organizing, is served by the directory structure.

   So now, as always, it's your turn.  How do you keep track of stuff you need to do all the time?  Do you use a to-do list application, something more specialized, reminders on your calendar, a text file, or what?  What problems or unexpected benefits have you encountered?

Freelancing Podcasts

   I can't believe I haven't posted on this before.  Sometimes we humans can't see the forest for the trees.

   Some of us find it difficult to excel in an office setting.  No, I don't just mean the fact that we're indoors, at a desk, staring at a computer.  That may be factors for some people.  More commonly, though, it's that you're slaving away for someone else's goals, to make someone else a profit, fit in with their "corporate culture", fulfill their long-term vision... not yours.

   But they plod along, maybe even climbing the proverbial ladder fairly well... because they don't dare to strike out on their own.  To stretch a metaphor (after all, that's what a meta is phor, badum-pum!), they don't dare try to hit a home run on their own, for fear they'll strike out.

   Do you have some kind of long-term vision?  Make it a reality.  Just Do It.  Get started.  Be an entrepreneur.  Or if you just yearn to breathe free, and maybe come up with some long-term visions, be a freelancer.

   I was reminded of that, not only because I am freelancing these days (got paid for project #1 last month, and am now in the midst of #2, wrapping up #3, waiting for an SOW on #4), but because of some Recommended Resources on that topic.  There are a gazillion web sites out there on being a freelancer or entrepreneur, but not so many podcasts, so I wanted to share some I found recently:

   A while back, a few freelance Ruby developers came up with Ruby Freelancers, at http://rubyfreelancers.com/.  Very little of it is Ruby-centric, and a lot of it is not even specific to software development.  (E.g., "have a contract in place", "ask for a deposit", "you probably need to charge more", "hire an accountant and a virtual assistant", etc.)  The web site is mainly just a place to put information about the podcast, available via iTunes.

   I also recently discovered the much older Life of the Freelancer, at http://lifeofthefreelancer.com/.  (Some of you may now be thinking, "Didn't that shut down last year?"  Well yeah, it did, on April 4, 2011... but as of February 20, 2012, it's back!)  I haven't poked around the web site much (I'm mainly catching up on the podcasts), but it seems to be mostly transcripts and supplements for the podcast.  The host happens to be also a Ruby developer, as is the occasional guest, but the guests are in a wide variety of freelancing positions.  Occasionally the talk is specific to their line of work, but as with Ruby Freelancers, there are almost always a few nuggets of more general wisdom that any kind of freelancer, or even other kinds of entrepreneurs, can benefit from.

   (Just a caveat, don't quit your day-job until your side-job is doing well enough that it could easily grow into something big enough to support you.  Yes I know I didn't do it that way myself, but believe me, being super-busy while the side-job ramps up, sure beats having no income for several months!)

The Letter Phi

   This is the text of a speech I just gave, winning the Area level of the Toastmasters International Speech Competition, which culminates in the World Championship of Public Speaking.  Since that obligates me to go on to the Division level, I'd really like to get your feedback on this -- just remember that it has to fit in five to seven minutes.  :-)  And as usual, I encourage you to comment on the concepts as well.

===8<---cut here----

You may remember assorted Greek letters from school -- mainly from math and physics, or maybe the fraternities and sororities.  But don't worry, Madam Contestmaster, fellow Toastmasters, and honored guests, I'm not going to throw (much) math, physics, or Greek at you.  Let's start with one letter [hold up prop with a phi and "PHI" on it], pronounced either "fie" or "fee".

In math, it stands for the Golden Ratio -- but you don't need to know that, or even what that is.  The only thing you need to know, is that the name, usually rendered in English as P H I, is also an acronym for three things that have been helping me earn golden fees as a freelance web developer, and can help you in many areas of your life.

First, P stands for Perseverance.  I decided to go freelance in October.  Guess how much billable work I got in October?  Zilch.  November?  Nada.  December?  Bupkis.  I said I wouldn't throw Greek at you... but bupkis is Yiddish, meaning almost nothing.  As Toastmasters, we look on the bright side.  At least that was more than nothing, so it was an improvement -- and things have been improving since then.  Had I not stuck to it, I would have had... no freelancing career at all!

But what about you?  Same deal.  Obviously, if you don't pursue your dreams, you'll never catch them.  Often you'll be tempted to give up, to fall back on the tried and true... the comfortable.  But you have to get out of your comfort zone to make progress!  I had to get out from behind the computer, talk to potential clients, and try to convince them to give me a nice fat juicy contract.  For you, if your goal is to be a great public speaker like Cicero, or at least get over your fear of it, you have to get out of the comfortably seated audience, get up here and give speeches.  Whatever your goal is, you have to stick with it, despite the discomfort of leaving your comfort zone.

I'm telling you all this because . . . H stands for Helpfulness.  How does helping others help us?  Zig Ziglar often says, "you can get everything you want out of life, if you just help enough other people get what they want."  Whether you attribute this to supernatural forces, like the Hindu concept of karma, or simply your reputation, it works!

So how am I applying this as a freelance web developer?  Nearly every day, I read several online technical forums... not just to see what I can learn, which is for the next point, but to see if anyone has questions I can answer.  This shows me as not only knowledgeable, but also helpful -- exactly the kind of person you want to give a nice fat juicy contract!

But what about you?  The same concept applies here in Toastmasters, just like it does in the outside world.  We help everybody, all the time, anyway... but we're more likely to cheerfully volunteer to go the extra mile, for those who have done so themselves.  Sure we may do that for the rest too, but it will take a little more convincing.

And Toastmasters leads us to the last letter.  I stands... right here, no, I stands for Improvement.

Of course now I'm preaching to the proverbial choir!  If you didn't want to improve your communication or leadership skills, you wouldn't be here at Toastmasters!  You know how vital it is to sharpen these skills, and others.

But how does it help me as a freelance web developer?  If I hadn't been keeping my skills not only sharp, but current, I wouldn't even have web development skills in the first place!  There may not be all that much salt in my pepper, but I came out of school long before the Web was even invented.  Even after that, most of my work was not on the Web; I had to learn web skills on my own time, expense, and initiative.  Because of doing that, instead of being obsolete, I now have a viable path to not only continue my career, but become more independent as well.

These are just some examples of how I've been earning my "phi" (fee).  What about you?  What are your dreams, and your skills?  How much help do you need?  No matter your answer, I guarantee that [hold up prop with these words on it] perseverance, helpfulness, and improvement, will help you succeed.

===8<---cut here----

Note: The Cicero bit was an impromptu addition because the prior speaker was talking about Cicero.  I probably won't include that in further versions.

Stop SOPA and PIPA!

   This post is black in protest of SOPA and PIPA, the House and Senate bills that will strangle freedom and innovation on the Internet, while doing next to nothing about "piracy", the alleged reason for the bills.  Take action!

* Go sign Google's petition against them, at https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/, and any others you can find.

* Contact your Senator and Representatives. If you don't know who they are, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page, enter your zip code, and follow the links.

* Spread the word, on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, and any other services you use.

* Put a message like this on your web site and blog.

   Do it now!

-Dave

FOCUS!

   As I mentioned last time, I'm now mainly chasing Ruby on Rails (RoR) work.

   (Don't worry, I'm not going to get too geeky on this blog.  If you want geekitude, though, see my coding blog, Attack of the Codosaurus, at http://www.codosaur.us/.  Here on Dare2XL, I'll throw out the names of some technologies, but won't expect you to know what they mean, other than what I'll explain.  Bear with me.)

   I've come to the decision that, while I'll do pretty much anything on a contract, I'll only actively hunt those in RoR, and a "permanent" position must be using RoR, or something equivalently modern, or have a very good reason to be using something older.

   "But Dave," many of you are wondering, "you've got decades of C experience, some C++, and so on, much more than you've got in Ruby at all, never mind Rails!  Why eliminate options like that?!"

   You say "eliminate options", I say "focus".  To-may-to, to-mah-to.  It may look counterproductive, and in the short term perhaps it is.  But it's absolutely vital long-term, and if you've been reading this blog long, you know I always try to think long-term.

   Sure I could chase C work, and probably land some.  But then my career would be right back at Square One, or maybe Two (C++).  Meanwhile, most of the industry (and its job market) is already at Square Three (Java/.NET) and moving onward.  I've at least got a toehold in Square Four (Ruby/Scala/etc.).  I am not giving that up without very good reason... such as maybe going to Square Five (mobile).  The time and energy I might spend on chasing C/C++ jobs, could be better spent on chasing RoR jobs, or at the very least leveling-up my RoR-fu.

   So now, dear readers, as usual, it's your turn.  How have you decided to eliminate options, focus, cut your losses, break the bonds that drag you down, whatever you want to call it, sacrificing short-term opportunities for long-term progress?

Making BIDs (Blessings in Disguise)

   As some of you already know, I am no longer with Rosetta Stone.  Long story short, I've been "let go".  Tragedy, you might think?  Comedy, in some ways, perhaps.  But I'm hoping to making it a turning point of my history.  How?  By making it a BID -- a Blessing In Disguise.

   Those of you who have seen my code blog, codosaur.us, know I like the Ruby programming language.  (I'll try not to make the rest of you get eye-glazed from geeky details.)  But I just spent the past almost-year working in ActionScript.  Getting let go, frees me up to pursue Ruby, before it starts requiring five years of prior experience like most Java jobs.  You could say I missed the Java boat, and don't want to miss, if you'll pardon the expression, the Ruby yacht.  :-)

   It's not just me, either.  When you were a child, your mama probably read you many stories in which events that looked bad, turned out to be good, and sometimes vice-versa.  But unlike in this book, or this blog post, sometimes it takes an active effort to make it so.  That's where the daring, subject of this blog, comes into it.

   How so, you may ask?  Well, I have a lot more experience in some other programming languages -- literally decades in C.  So, it would probably be a lot easier for me to find work there, right?  Yes, for now... but let's look a few years down the road.  Suppose Ruby takes off like Java took off (and I think it will).  Then I'd be locked out of another language, going obsoleter and obsoleter.  A little more daring now, by pushing harder to land Ruby work now than I did for landing Java work while Java was getting hot, rather than falling back on C, can set me up for a much better career later.

   As usual, it's now your turn!  What disasters have you turned into blessings?  What disasters do you think you could have turned into blessings, had you dared?

Rev up your goal commitment with RPM

   This is a transcript of the speech I gave last night, winning second place in the Toastmasters International Speech Contest (for Area F3 in District 27):

   Each and every one of us, Mr. Contestmaster, fellow Toastmasters, honored guests, and yes even I myself, ought to be committed... to our goals.

   We've all heard time and time again, how important it is to have goals, write them down, make sure they're "SMART" goals, and track our progress.  BUT... raise your hand if you have had a goal where you Just Didn't Wanna do the work.  Yes, sometimes the work is tedious, and there’s something else you'd rather do.  So how *do* you light that "fire in your belly"?  Not the kind you get from too much corned beef and cabbage, but the kind that makes your heart *want* and your brain *remember* to make progress.  You can rrrrrev up your commitment, with RPM - not revolutions per minute, but three easy techniques we can all use.

   First, R stands for three things: Repetition, Repetition, and, can anyone guess, that’s right, Repetition!  This helps keep your goals in the front of your mind, so you don't miss an opportunity to make progress, or accidentally do something that hurts your goal.

   The easiest form is a simple reminder.  Just write your goal down, very briefly, such as Lose Ten Pounds.  Okay, maybe thirty.  Then put it somewhere you'll see it often.  For that one, maybe... the refrigerator door!

   To kick it up a notch, though, harness the power of positive thinking, with a daily affirmation.  The first step is to go to a mirror.  Generally I suggest you dress first, but for weight loss goals, maybe not!

   Look deeeep into your eyes, with a steely gaze, and affirm that you *will* accomplish your goal, such as... "I *WILL* win the state yodeling championship!"

   Next, for an extra punch, do this with me now.... *close* your eyes and *visualize* your moment of glory, up on the stage, as they hand you the coveted Golden Lederhosen!  And the crowd goes wild!  YAAAAH!

   Speaking of crowds, P stands for Publicity.  Enlist the help of your friends, relatives, and colleagues, by simply telling them what you're going to do.  You can even enlist total strangers, by tweeting or blogging about it, or putting an update on Facebook or LinkedIn.  They don't need to do anything more.  Better yet, *you* don't need to do anything more -- just remember that you told them, and your own ego will apply the pressure.  After all, you don't want to let down your adoring fans, do you?

   Raise your hand if you’ve ever told someone about a goal.  Now *leave* it up if you felt more committed to it afterward.  Those of you who didn’t raise your hands, maybe it’s time to start telling people your goals.  I’ll give you an example.  Hi Joe, how ya doin’?  Whatcha been up to?  Hey, that sounds like fun!  Oh, me?  I’ve been preparing to win the Area Speech Contest!

   But that doesn’t mean I have a goal of speaking for The M Word, which is Money, as in, put it where your mouth is.  Raise your hand if you really like to spend money.  Your *own* money!  Go ahead and do it.  Buy the equipment, rent the space, and take the training classes.  Then you won't want that money to go to waste!

 "Validating sunk costs", as economists call it, can be a very powerful force.  Just be careful, because sometimes it can be a fallacy, a logical error, tricking you into sticking with something that is *no longer* worth doing.  In the worst case, you have to recognize that, and cut your losses: sell the chainsaws and chisels, sublet the two-story walk-in freezer, and maybe you can train other people to carve prize-winning giant ice sculptures.  Who knows, you might even find you like teaching better than sculpting!  You may be out a little money in the end, but just chalk it up to a lesson learned.

   So, what lesson have you learned here today?  When you Just Don’t Wanna do the work, to make progress on your goals, you can rrrrev up your commitment, with R-P-M: Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, Publicity, and Money!

   Mr. Contestmaster....

   Final notes:

• The "corned beef and cabbage" reference was because the contest happened to be on St. Patrick's Day.
  
• The "Your *own* money!" bit was a total ad-lib, because I saw some people's hands were up.  Tip: if you're ever tempted to ad-lib, make SURE it's something you can say VERY quickly, and not branch off on time-consuming tangents!
  
• This was the first time I tried estimating the word count to fit in the time allowed.  (That's five to seven minutes.  I aimed for six, and ended while the five-minute green light had been on for what felt like almost a minute.  The six-minute yellow light had not yet come on.)  It turns out that my rough guesstimate of two words per second is just about spot-on, after including the pauses for laughs, pauses for effect, pauses for people to put their hands up, and the eternal-seeming pause while I tried to remember the fourth paragraph!
  
• But at least when I got back to my seat and checked over my script, it turned out I hadn't forgotten anything.  :-)