Customer Reviews

Making it Big in Software: Get the Job. Work the Org. Become Great.

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Countless books exist in the market about the software field, covering development techniques, engineering management, to marketing. However, I've yet to find one that gives a systematic overview of career development in the software business, and this is exactly what Sam's new book offers. In large organizations, individuals are often confined to the scope of their positions and this book can fill in the gap between what you do and what software business is all about.

For starters, Sam gives a very good overview of different positions and how each fits into the business structure (e.g. functional testing vs development vs marketing vs CTO vs CEO). He comments on the importance of time management (it's how much you spend on the important yet non-urgent tasks that matters). Later in the book, he writes about how to become great, and then visionary, laying out a "path" for those who are ambitious.

To complement Sam's own experience, he also included 17 interviews with very well known people from the industry. Sam carefully handpicked 17 stars coming from different backgrounds: those with or without graduate degrees, those working for established companies or smaller shops (even Richard Stallman!). Throughout these interviews, the reader can find the key message that is played again, again, and again: there are many different paths to make it big, and it's all about loving and enjoying what you do.

For those in need of inspiring advice and real-life stories, Making it Big in Software is a great read for these economic times. The gist of the book's message is "follow your passion," but Sam Lightstone's mini-essays at the beginning of each chapter remind readers of some business skills which will aid such a pursuit. This would be a great gift to anyone majoring in computer science or information systems... it's always helpful to hear from veteran's in the same field.

This book was captivating from the preface. I knew it would be a good read after the first chapter. This book is a must read for software professionals, students, and managers in the software industry.

The book gave some very interesting quotes from the industries most successful people. Chapter 2 has the "reality checks" section and it is something I can definitely relate with. The Lotus community is an interesting group where "compatibility" and "new" must coexist peacefully - so in short somethings get widely accepted while others fade away.

"Great innovations, brilliant new technology, and breakthrough ideas are truly great only if people use them and find them valuable."

If you are in school or nearing your degree completion Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 are absolute must reads. The chapter on resumes is critical to anyone applying or changing jobs and the following chapter (Chapter 5) is even more critical with the tips for the interview process. Great stuff!

By the time I got to Chapter 15 I realized this book was more than just "making it big in software". This book is a guide for making it big in any company!

The ending chapters are what I consider the areas where I have been personally focusing my career on for the past 5 years - Patents, Publishing, Presenting, etc. I do believe in the myself that I can in fact master any technology or new idea and I think that is important for longevity in this field. I started my blog to make my writing style better and in my own opinion at least I feel it has gotten a little better over the years.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who has a job!

When I saw all the five star reviews I thought this book must be really good. When I saw all the people interviewed in the book I thought this book had to be great. Well, after reading I have to say that I was wrong.

The book is full of advice but most of it should be quite obvious to the average reader. Things like don't be evil, respect your coworkers, create a plan, consider changing jobs after few years, etc. All are common sense things that can be already found in tons of different books. Apart from that, I found the interviews quite disappointing. I enjoyed the first couple of interviews. Just enough to realize that all the interviews were sharing a good bunch of questions. Seriously, if you have the chance of interviewing such high profile people, why would you want to ask everyone their opinion about graduates or how they keep themselves up to date with technology? Come on! What would you expect them to answer? So, this book offers interviews with great people but the interviews themselves are repetitive and without any interesting content at all.

Don't get me wrong. The book probably has some value, but to just to recent graduates or just to all those people obsessed with grow in the corporate ladder.

I didn't have great expectations for this book. Since I'm approaching retirement at the end of a mostly academic life, it's a bit late to think about making a professional career in software. But it was cheap enough to consider and expensive enough to bring me up to the "free shipping" point, so I got it anyway.

And it far exceeded my expectations! The chapters cover topics that are relevant to jobs in many areas (dealing with people, leadership, growth, advancement, time management, zen (!), ...). Although similar material is presented in many other books, Lightstone's versions are interesting, original, and spiced with personal anecdotes. Not only will his book will help me to answer students' career advice questions, but I can also tell them to get it.

There is more. The book contains 17 interviews with people who have made signficant contributions to the industry in one way or another. Many of the names are well-known (Wozniak, Stroustrup, Stallman, Torvalds, ...), others less so. But they all have something interesting to say. Every interviewee answers the same questions. This is both good and bad: bad in that the answers occasionally seem a little forced, good in that we get to compare different points of view on specific topics. It's very tempting to peek ahead: what is Wozniak's pet peeve?

If you are starting a career in software, this book will be useful. If you are in mid-career, you will probably pick up a few tips. If, like me, you are near the end, it's fun to compare experiences: been there, done that! Recommended.

"Making it Big in Software" is a career book that manages to apply to people at many levels. It is good for students, new hires, mid level software professionals and those interested in starting their own company. The author says it is also for those with decades of experience. Probably does but I can't relate to that yet. The book is a mixture of advice, realism about the software world and interviews.

The interviews are interspersed between chapters with selected quotes referenced in the text body. It was a bit disorienting when the quotes were "forward references" but that went away quickly. The author asks the same questions of each interviewee including how they track trends, manage their time, pet peeves and advice. It was fascinating to read what Marissa Mayer (Google) and James Gosling (java) had to say among others. There was a nice balance on the types of people interviewed from CEOs that started their own company to those who rose from the ranks.

I particularly liked the sections on how to define success (it's not just money), the importance of liking what you do and soft skills. Some of the advice was classic (4 quadrants of time management, hype cycle and general advice) and some was software focused (patents, publishing, public speaking). The examples were great. Larry, Curly and Moe were featured regularly in making examples tangible. It reminded me of giving users names in user stories.

What was most valuable:

for students - school vs job, landing a job

for those new to the workforce - time management, mentoring skills

for those experienced - leadership, career planning, routes to success

I enjoyed reading the book and have a whole list of discussion points from it. I highly recommend you buy your own copy!

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Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for writing this review on behalf of JavaRanch.

I've never seen a book as comprehensive and instantly useful as this one. The mashup of interviews with all-star contributors and Lightstone's own golden nuts and bolts advice makes for a not to be missed volume for anybody in the software trade, or even just interested in the field. Seriously, this is the book.

Do not judge this book by its cheesy title and even cheesiest subtitle:

"Get the Job. Work the Org. Become Great".

I fear that serious programmers, because of the book's cheesy title,

may feel that this book is just another Dilbertish title for corporate "ladder climbers".

Contrary, this book is full of great bits of wisdom and advices that are helpful to hear no matter in what position or stage of your professional career you are.

Author summarizes his advices and recommendations which are great on their own,

but book also features list of major contributors to computer science and IT who also provide

their advices:

Steve Wozniak, Inventor, Apple computer

John Schwarz, CEO, Business Objects

James Gosling, Inventor, Java programming language

Marissa Mayer, Google VP, Search Products and User Experience

Jon Bentley, Author, Programming Pearls

Marc Benioff, CEO and founder, [...]

Grady Booch, IBM Fellow and co-founder Rational Software

Bjarne Stroustrup, Inventor, C++ programming language

David Vaskevitch, Microsoft CTO

Linus Torvalds, Creator, Linux operating system kernel

Richard Stallman, Founder, Free software movement

Peter Norvig, Google's Director of Research

Mark Russinovich, Microsoft Fellow and Windows Architect

Tom Malloy, Adobe Chief Software Architect

Diane Greene, Co-founder and past CEO of VMware

Robert Kahn, Co-inventor, the Internet

Ray Tomlinson, Inventor, email

This is hardly a list of "pointy-haired" bosses.

This is a group of passionate, innovative people who have shaped and transformed our industry.

Each one of these individuals are asked similar questions:

How did you start in software?

What was your greatest accomplishment?

What are you pet peeves?

How do you stay current?

How do you achieve a work-life balance?

How do you keep your professional life from dominating everything?

What advice would you give to people just starting in this field?

and the more specific questions to each individual and their success story.

I found the answers and the advices invaluable, and just for those I recommend this book and give it a five star out of five.

For the end of the review I will provide a quote from the book. It is Linus Torwalds speaking about our profession. These words made me feel very good as I share these same views and sometimes catch myself thinking that I am an idealistic fool. After reading of Linus' views, I think I am perhaps not:

" ... I never saw this as a "profession"; it has always been a hobby to me--just one that happens to pay well. And I've been very lucky in that pretty much all the people I work with have been in that same situation (and that very much includes my non-open source work). That has made me appreciate my coworkers so much more, too. And I have this nagging suspicion that it's not a good profession to be in if you don't have that kind of passion about it. You wouldn't enjoy it as much, you wouldn't spend as much of your time (both paid and unpaid) doing it, and, as a result, you'd probably never be as good at it as the ones who do. So while I think it's a great profession, I also have this suspicion that it's one of those things where you really want to see it as more than just a job and a career." (pg.175)

and what I also found very helpful in shaping my thinking and direction of my R&D career:

"My personal pet peeve is how many people think the hard part is in the "big and hard problems" or in some fluffy but important-sounding thing like "innovation." In fact, all the real work is in getting the details right. It's that "1% inspiration, 99% perspiration" thing." (pg. 171)

Once I finish this blog entry about the book Making it Big in Software by Sam Lightstone, I plan to post part of it to amazon.com as my reader feedback for the book. I hope you post your comments on amazon once you've read the book... as feedback of this sort is what helps make a book sucessful!

This book, written by Sam Lightstone shines light on the differences between the skills acquired in university versus those needed to succeed in the business world. It also shares what recruiters look for in a candidate and what preferred skills will help you get your dream job. How can you differentiate yourself from the others who are similarly educated or similarly skilled, climb the ladder, become a technical leader and innovator, or even start your own successful software company? This book tells you how to accelerate your career and includes interviews with 17 of the industry's biggest stars including inventors, researchers, entrepreneurs and leading executives, to find out what they did to stand out in this industry. Even if you are modest about your goals of making it in the software industry, this book will give you an edge that will last your entire career.

I would say that the thing most surprising about Sam's book so far is the number of audiences that it appeals to.

1) Obviously this book would appeal to anyone in university about to embark on a full time job. As Sam mentions in his book, school is much different than a job as a software developer in a big company... and to be successful, you need to learn the differences and adjust your behaviour for maximum impact. I really wish that this book was available when I graduated! I was really new to a corporate environment since I came from a family that was into farming and construction. I have noticed throughout my career that collegues who had professional parents were able to work the system much better than I could. This book will help bridge that kind of gap.

2) Similar to those in university are those in the first couple of years on the job. Once you've figured out what you like and dislike about your job / career, you can use the advice in this book to make a real difference as to whether you are put on the fast track or not. The two things that stand out to me at this moment are: 1) become a domain expert; and 2) follow through on your inspirational ideas! These sound so easy to me...yet apparently they are rarely done!

3) People in their mid career can benefit from this book as they can figure out why they may have stalled, if they have, or how to rise a few steps higher, if they so choose. The advice in this book is suitable for any stage of your career.

4) Recruiters. Sam tells stories about when he was recruiting new employees and the types of people he favoured. Over time he realized that he wasn't looking for the right qualities. This goes hand in hand with the fact that school success and career success are quite different. You might be surprised by Sam's findings.

5) Good managers help their employees reach their full potential. Managers who read this book will become better mentors and coaches for their employees. A successful team reflects very well on the leader of the team!

I had the absolute pleasure to attend an hour long session by Sam Lightstone recently. Sam has taken a few topics in his book and created a 10 point agenda that provides a few highlights from his best selling book.

Let me share a few of the tips that Sam shared today... but if you get the opportunity to hear Sam yourself, take it! Sam is a very fun speaker to listen to. Also, you won't be disappointed with the book!

1) Dress for Success

What does a successful software developer wear? The same as a CEO? NO! CEOs are typically polished wearing fancy suits. Software developers? Running shoes, jeans, t-shirts... don't believe me? Find a photo of the Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and you'll see that they dress like ROCK STARS!

2) Pay

Senior Software Architects make much more money than junior employees. Check it out on [...]. But... what you don't see on sites like this is the other money superstars make. They often get large bonuses and stock options beyond their base salary.

3) Freedom

A superstar developer has much freedom in their job in terms of where they want to work and customers they want to visit.

4) Getting Ahead

There was lots of advice about getting a promotion and rising in your field, but the one thing that stood out for me is that you should become the expert in YOUR DOMAIN. Whatever that domain is... become an expert. It doesn't take long, but unfortunately it is rarely done. So, it would be fairly easy to stand above your peers if you just invested a bit of time each month to learn something new about your domain.

5) Pros and Cons of Climbing the Ladder

There are cons to anything you do in life... but the pros of climbing can be worth the cons, if that's what you want to do.

6) Inspiration

What is more important than inspiration? Would believe that it is following through on your plans? It is! And apparently following through is rare. Surprising!

7) Time Management

Did you know that goofing off can actually be important to your career? Really! Your brain needs a break from time to time, so give in. But make sure you don't abuse this advice!

8) Promotion

There are lots of considerations regarding getting promoted.. and the most important is to do something that makes you stand out from your peers. Publish, file patents, join groups, present about your topics, etc. Do what you like to do and what makes you feel appreciated.

9) Social Dynamics

One of the key messages here is DON'T GOSSIP! 9/10 times you gossip, it may not get around... but even 1 out of 10 times could be a career killer! I've worked with Sam for a number of years and let me tell you! He practices what he preaches.

Speaking of career killers, I'd be surprised if you've managed to avoid all the problems that are mentioned.... I know I have witnessed most of them in my career. The advice in this chapter is dead on... and in times when many jobs are disappearing, it might be a good idea to read this chapter to make sure that you are on the right side of a layoff.

10) Balance

I think software developers are notorious for NOT HAVING A LIFE! I must admit that working in the software business (and for IBM for that matter) can be all consuming and never ending... and maybe a bit addictive. Can a balance be achieved? I think it can and I'll let you read what Sam says about the subject.

This is the last paragraph that Sam wrote in this chapter:

"Careers do require hard work and enthusiasm, and those are attributes that encourage people to spend more time at the office. Finding your own balance is hard, but if you discover the Philosopher's Stone that helps you get it right, you'll have done the best possible service to your career and your life. No other tactic or vice will serve you better. With only one life to lead, it's definitely worth the effort".

Susan

PS... you can hear Sam speak. He's been invited as the guest speaker on the DB2 Night Show on May 28, 2010. There is a 200 person limit to this webinar, so register today to reserve your spot!

Having spent 30 years running some of the industry's larger software enterprises I was interested to see what some of my colleagues had to say. The book is very well organized, and it's loaded with ultra pragmatic advise from people who know what they are talking about. For those who lack the attention span to through four hundred pages, you don't have to, the structure gives you what you want and makes it easy to find and use. Kudos to this author, this work does the industry a real service.