Buzz Off, FizzBuzz!: How We Interview at The Gnar

Generic engineering challenges like FizzBuzz are the worst. If you’re a developer, you may have groaned reading the last sentence, and we sympathize. If not, here’s the scoop:  The interview process in the world of software development isn’t quite like other industries. In addition to the standard “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” questions, most…

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Exploding Consulting Myths: Support

The job of a software consultant is exciting and dynamic. We enjoy being consultants because we welcome a new challenge, we embrace different perspectives, and we love continually working with the latest tech. And as we’ve demonstrated in previous installments, those benefits don’t have to come at the expense of a welcoming team and a…

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Exploding Consulting Myths: Work

Ask someone at The Gnar for their impression of a consulting job before and after they joined the team, and you will likely hear two different stories. At The Gnar we put a premium on our team and our culture. In order to do this, we actively resist many of the stereotypical characteristics of a…

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10 Signs Your Packaged Software is Sabotaging Your Business And 5 Questions to Ask

The “build vs. buy” question is one that is challenging for many organizations, especially those who do not consider themselves software development firms. Given the increasing reliance of all businesses on being “smarter” and more efficient than its competitors, pretty much all companies today need to consider that there may be times where “building” something…

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11 Leadership Practices That Could Sink Your Software Project

Software development projects can be foiled by management practices that seem sound in theory but rarely pay off when developing code. These seemingly sound practices make general business sense, but we should avoid “going all in on them” when developing software products or catastrophe may ensue. The author presents 11 management beliefs / truisms /…

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Does Your Code Smell?

“In computer programming, a code smell is any characteristic in the code that potentially indicates a deeper problem … Code smells are usually not bugs; they are not technically incorrect and do not prevent the program from functioning. Instead, they indicate weaknesses in design that may slow down development or increase the risk of bugs…

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25 Communication Skills Every Tech Manager Needs

Of all the skills you need to be successful as a tech manager, effective communication is perhaps the most important–and often the hardest to improve. This is because communication is actually a diverse, complex set of skills that build upon one another. Explore the wide range of skills needed and expand your abilities: from writing…

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Effective Communication Skills in Software Engineering

Clear, concise communication is fundamental to the success of software engineering teams as well as individual developers’ careers.  Although clear communication may not be immediately recognized as a top priority by coders, being able to communicate effectively with other coders, technical and business management, users, and other stakeholders is a key ingredient for team and…

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Public Speaking for Software Developers

Take this virtual public speaking masterclass for developers to build your public speaking abilities. This series of videos teaches developers both why being an effective public speaker is important for technology focused engineers, as well as how to do it. Watch them here.

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