Ris Adams

Two years ago​

Two years ago today my son was born, We had known early on that it would be traumatic--He was diagnosed with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia and had a low survival chance. Over 50% of all diaphragmatic hernias are fatal.

Good communication allows many life situations to run smoothly. However, there are certain relationships that deserve extra attention, such as the relationship you have with your boss. You and your boss have drastically different roles, and when each of you fulfills these roles with a hard working and understanding attitude, you'll both feel fulfilled.

Find Out What YOU Want to Know​

Job interviews provide an important opportunity to discover if you and your new employer will be a good match before you leap into a new position.

Not only are they interviewing you, but also you're interviewing them! Will you be happy in their employ? Think about what information matters to you and find tactful ways to ask your interviewer what you need to know.

Staring at your monitor at 9 AM (or earlier), already counting down to 5 PM? (or later) Feeling like you're just another cog in someone else's machine?

Here's the thing: work doesn't have to be something you endure. You've got a few good options — and the best one might be closer than you think.

Work stress in tech isn't just about tight deadlines or difficult stakeholders. It's about context switching between fifteen different priorities, debugging production issues at 2 AM, and trying to maintain code quality while everyone wants everything "yesterday."

Here's the thing: stress is often a symptom of deeper systemic issues. You've got a few good options for addressing both the immediate pressure and the root causes.

Workplace gossip is like technical debt — it accumulates slowly, seems harmless at first, then suddenly becomes a massive problem that affects everything from team velocity to code quality. The difference is that gossip spreads faster than a memory leak and can be just as destructive to your work environment.

In tech teams, information flows matter. When that flow gets corrupted with speculation, rumors, and interpersonal drama, it creates noise that drowns out legitimate communication. Let's debug this problem systematically.

Change in tech happens fast. New frameworks, shifting priorities, team restructures, platform migrations — if you're not adapting quickly, you're falling behind. The question isn't whether change will happen; it's whether you'll be ready when it does.

I've seen developers react to change in two ways: they either resist until they're forced to adapt (usually painfully), or they develop systems for navigating change smoothly. The second group consistently has better careers, less stress, and more interesting opportunities.

Getting rejected during a job search sucks. There's no sugar-coating it. But treating rejection like a debugging session instead of a personal failure changes everything about how you approach your job search.

In software development, we don't take bugs personally. A failed test doesn't mean we're bad developers — it means something in the system needs fixing. The same logic applies to job rejections: they're data points that help you optimize your approach, not judgments on your worth as a professional.

Every tech team has them: the developer who never documents their code, the PM who changes requirements daily, the manager who schedules meetings during your deep work hours. Difficult colleagues aren't just personality conflicts — they're system failures that affect team performance and your professional satisfaction.

The good news is that most "people problems" are actually process problems in disguise. When you approach difficult relationships like debugging a complex system, you can often find workable solutions that protect your productivity and sanity.

You want to build that SaaS idea, launch a tech consultancy, or transition into machine learning. Meanwhile, you're debugging legacy code and sitting through status meetings. The gap between where you are and where you want to be feels overwhelming.

But here's the thing: most successful career pivots and side projects happen gradually, not through dramatic "burn the ships" moments. The developers I know who've built successful businesses, switched domains, or created passive income streams did it systematically while maintaining their day jobs.

You don't need to quit your job to start building the career you actually want.

Respect in tech isn't about hierarchy or titles — it's about competence, reliability, and professional judgment. The developers who command genuine respect aren't necessarily the loudest in meetings or the ones with the most GitHub stars. They're the people others trust to make good decisions, deliver quality work, and handle difficult situations professionally.

Building professional respect is like building reliable software: it requires consistent behavior, clear communication, and delivering what you promise. The good news is that it's entirely within your control.

Getting a job offer feels good, even when it's not the perfect role. After weeks of interviews and rejections, there's validation in being chosen. But saying yes to the wrong opportunity can set your career back more than staying in your current role or continuing your search.

The decision isn't just about whether the job is "good enough" — it's about whether it moves you toward your career goals or away from them. Some offers are stepping stones; others are dead ends. The key is knowing the difference.

Most job postings in tech read like shopping lists written by someone who's never actually done the job. "5+ years React, 3+ years Node.js, experience with microservices, knowledge of Kubernetes, familiarity with machine learning, startup experience preferred." It's the technical equivalent of asking for a unicorn.

The reality is that job requirements are negotiable, especially in software development. Companies often get zero applicants who meet every single criterion, and the candidates who do check every box might not be the best fit for the actual work that needs to be done.

Understanding when and how to apply for roles where you're "underqualified" is a critical career skill. The key is strategic positioning rather than hoping they'll overlook your gaps.

Leaving a job well is just as important as performing well while you're there. In tech, your professional reputation travels fast — the industry is smaller than it seems, and people move between companies frequently. The developer who burns bridges today might find themselves interviewing with a former colleague tomorrow.

A graceful exit protects your professional relationships, preserves future opportunities, and demonstrates the same professionalism you bring to your code. It's also an opportunity to solidify your reputation as someone who handles transitions professionally.

The goal isn't just to avoid making enemies. It's to leave in a way that makes people want to work with you again.

Your resume is a strategic document, not a career biography. In tech, where hiring managers scan hundreds of resumes for each position, yours needs to communicate value quickly and clearly. The best technical resumes don't just list what you've done — they demonstrate the impact you've made and the problems you've solved.

Think of your resume as an API specification for your professional capabilities. Every line should serve a purpose, every section should be optimized for the reader's needs, and the overall structure should make it easy for hiring managers to find exactly what they're looking for.

Starting a new job is like deploying to a new environment — you need to understand the architecture, learn the existing systems, and integrate smoothly without breaking anything. Your first 90 days set the trajectory for your entire tenure, so approach them strategically.

Success in a new role isn't just about proving your technical skills. It's about understanding the system you're joining: the people, processes, culture, and unwritten rules that determine how work actually gets done. Master these elements, and you'll not only survive your probationary period — you'll position yourself for rapid advancement.