436: Creating Conditions For Your Best Work with Steph Viccari

How can we optimize our time and environment to do our best work as developers? In today’s episode, we are joined by Stephanie Viccari, former co-host of The Bike Shed and Senior Developer at thoughtbot, to unpack the steps for creating work conditions that enhance productivity. In this conversation, we delve into her unique communication style and approach to optimizing productivity within a team. She explains why she decided to hang up her consulting hat and join the product team at Cisco Meraki, her new role there, and how her consulting skills benefit her new position. Tuning in, you’ll discover the key to empathetic communication, how to unblock yourself, tips to help you navigate different communication styles, and why you should advocate for your needs. Stephanie also shares strategies for effective communication and recommendations for managing ‘deep work’ when your time is limited. Gain valuable insights into how to uncover what makes your skillset unique, why it takes a team to manage complex software, benchmarking performance, keeping motivated during stressful times, and more. To learn how to create the conditions for your best work and unlock your full potential as a developer, don’t miss this episode with Stephanie Viccari!

Key Points From This Episode:

Catch up with Stephanie: what she’s been up to since leaving thoughtbot.
How she mastered optimizing workflows and enhancing productivity.
Similarities and differences between working as a consultant versus on a product team.
Ways Stephanie’s mindset shifted from individual thinking to team-oriented strategies.
Nuances of advocating for changes as a consultant versus within a product team.
What software developers need to achieve their best work.
The role of trust between managers and developers in effective problem-solving.
Tips and recommendations for identifying and delivering your best work.
Practical advice for doing your best work, even when you feel demotivated.
Why it's important not to steal from tomorrow's productivity.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Stephanie Viccari
• Stephanie Viccari on LinkedIn
• Stephanie Viccari on X
• Stephanie Viccari on GitHub
• Cisco Meraki
• thoughtbot
• Stephanie Viccari’s The Bike Shed’s Episodes
• ‘Generative AI is not going to build your engineering team for you’
• Joel Quenneville on LinkedIn