Categories - Jobs - Bruce’s Blog

Don’t Get Cut by Hanlon’s Razor

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Bruce Abernethy September 13, 2026 11 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Hanlon’s Razor tells us not to assume malice. Dreyfus, Dunning, and Kruger guide us towards what to assume instead.

The Seven Stages of Job Satisfaction

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Bruce Abernethy November 13, 2024 10 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

The mental stages job seekers go through over time, and the main factors that influence movement and decisions.

Laborer, Craftsman, and Artist

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Bruce Abernethy September 13, 2023 12 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Thirty years of software labor and craftsmanship - and why artistry has been the elusive one.

The critical value of the in-person “rock tumbler” for polishing products and people

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Bruce Abernethy August 15, 2023 2 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Remote, in-person, or hybrid - what the whiteboard and the napkin still do that cameras cannot.

Quit Bowling, and Start Digging Ditches – WCAGLS Day 1

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Bruce Abernethy August 11, 2011 5 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Two lines from Seth Godin and Steven Furtick that I am still thinking about days later.

Lessons Learned: Craftsmen and artists of all types have a lot in common

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Bruce Abernethy April 19, 2010 1 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Ten things I learned at a writers conference that apply just as well to building software.

Toastmasters for Techies

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Bruce Abernethy March 30, 2010 4 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

A new Toastmasters group in Grand Rapids, and the five things that got me in the door.

Continuous Learning Lessons from Leaf Blowing

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Bruce Abernethy November 13, 2009 1 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Teaching my daughter to run a leaf blower, and everything corporate training would have done instead.

How I Got Started in Software Development

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Bruce Abernethy June 6, 2008 5 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

First program at 11 on a Commodore PET, and the librarian who let me disappear for the afternoon.

PC ProSchools of Grand Rapids

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Bruce Abernethy January 2, 2008 2 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

A Microsoft training facility in Grand Rapids I had never heard of, and a tour I did not expect.

Passed a Microsoft test – last minute 2007 goal achieved!

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Bruce Abernethy December 27, 2007 1 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Passed 70-536 in the last week of the year, plus ten things on the exam that surprised me.

Bill Gates: The skills you need to succeed

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Bruce Abernethy December 14, 2007 less than 1 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Seven skills from Bill Gates that read a lot like the questions we use to interview new team members.

If you have to work in a cube …

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Bruce Abernethy August 28, 2007 less than 1 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

If I have to work in a cube, I want one like this - separate from the house and steps from fresh air.

Sharpen the Saw for Developers

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Bruce Abernethy August 22, 2007 1 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

Scott Hanselman’s ideas for keeping developers current - book libraries, brown bags, and Nerd Dinners.

Unskilled and Unaware of It

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Bruce Abernethy August 18, 2007 4 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

How knowing less about a skill or topic gives the impression that you know much more than you really do.

The Dreyfus Model of Skills Acquisition

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Bruce Abernethy August 18, 2007 9 minute read Grand Rapids, MI, USA

The skill levels people go through - from Advanced Beginner, to Competent, to Expert, and Master.