/Jordan Cutler

5 Frameworks To Master Communication And Influence As An Engineer tl;dr: Wes and Jordan discuss the following frameworks: (1) Reduce cognitive load using phrases like “For example”, “Action Items”, “Action Needed”, “Next Steps,” etc... (2) MP-CB: Main point, context below. (3) Anticipate the objection. (4) CEDAF for delegating tasks. (5) QBQ: Question behind the question. 

featured in #566


5 Frameworks To Master Communication And Influence As An Engineer tl;dr: Wes and Jordan discuss the following frameworks: (1) Reduce cognitive load using phrases like “For example”, “Action Items”, “Action Needed”, “Next Steps,” etc... (2) MP-CB: Main point, context below. (3) Anticipate the objection. (4) CEDAF for delegating tasks. (5) QBQ: Question behind the question. 

featured in #565


How To Say "No" And Win Back Your Time As A Software Engineer tl;dr: Jordan discusses the four practical approaches to saying No, along with practical examples and phrases to use: (1) The Direct Approach. (2) The Redirect Approach. (3) Change Their Perspective Approach. (4) Stonewall Approach. 

featured in #541


How I Plan My Week As A Senior Engineer In Big Tech tl;dr: Today, I’ll share the system that has allowed me to: (1) Finish nearly everything I set out to achieve each day. (2) Plan the most important work to accomplish my goals. (3) Have a record of what I accomplished to reflect, update my manager, and add to a brag doc. 

featured in #530


How I Plan My Week As A Senior Engineer In Big Tech tl;dr: Today, I’ll share the system that has allowed me to: (1) Finish nearly everything I set out to achieve each day. (2) Plan the most important work to accomplish my goals. (3) Have a record of what I accomplished to reflect, update my manager, and add to a brag doc. 

featured in #529


Communicate Like A Senior: Use Clear Deltas tl;dr: Communicate using quantified before and after states and see the benefits in performance reviews, influence, and clear expectations. Jordan shares explicit examples of how to put this into practice.

featured in #514


How I Setup My Terminal For Max Productivity tl;dr: Jordan discusses his terminal setup and shares daily commands across the following categories: (1) Terminal app, shell, and plugin manager. (2) Theming. (3) Best terminal plugins. (4) Aliases and history config. (5) Command line utilities to install. 

featured in #506


5 Lessons I Learned The Hard Way From 6 Years As A Software Engineer tl;dr: (1) Bring solutions, not problems. Focus on showing how you are there to support the team that needs the help. (2) Clean code isn’t the end goal. Collaborating effectively with your team is more important. (3) Team outcomes are greater than individual outcomes. What you spend your time on should be directly correlated with what will bring impact for the team. (4) Adapt to your manager. Understand how to adapt to your manager’s style and goals to see the best collective outcomes. (5) Influence isn’t about wording. Focus on building relationships with a foundation of trust. 

featured in #494


Guide To Leading Meetings For Software Engineers tl;dr: (1) Before the meeting: Figure out the outcome you want to achieve by the end of the meeting. Invite people based on that outcome. Send a message or tag in the channel about the meeting invite and the purpose. Add a meeting description so everyone knows what it’s about. Start the meeting description with, “The goal of this meeting is…” (2) During the meeting: Start the meeting off by reiterating the expected outcome and goal. Respectfully keep the meeting on track pointing to the goal. Make sure everyone feels heard throughout the discussion. (3) After the meeting: Document all important points. Post a summary of the points and action items along with dates and responsible individuals.

featured in #492


Demystifying Project Estimation tl;dr: “Estimating a project or the latest feature you aim to deliver holds incredible value, not only for the business your team serves but also for you and your team. In fact, estimations bring clarity and alignment, which are crucial for delivering quickly and with minimal stress.” The article covers the purposes and challenges of estimation, and gives practical examples and tips. 

featured in #481