I’d go as far as saying that you should not expect any traction until you have put out (published, shipped) at least three hundred great pieces of work.

It is this level of quantity that leads to:

Refinement and mastery of your skills;
Being faster, more efficient and better at flow;
A growing sense of momentum and energy;
Getting a better sense of what people WANT;
More ‘nodes’ through which to attract attention online and elsewhere;
More ideas and more ‘aha’ moments that lead to more electric, more emotional output;
Others believing in you because you believe in yourself, by showing up often or every day.

I’ve finally realized the glaring missing element from online art education: The studio.

Studio was the room where we all made things together. Studio was where we talked together.

Studio was where we worked all day, and chugged coffee all night. Studio was where we dragged ourselves back to in the early morning to present our projects and get feedback.

Studio was where we got stuff done. Studio was where we slacked off.

Studio was where we shared favorite books, playlists, blogs, and inspiration. Studio was where we laughed, learned, and grew together.

Let’s start with the ground rules. For every open job on your team, you need to spend one hour a day on recruiting-related activities. Cap that investment at 50% of your time. No open reqs? There’s still important and ongoing work you need to do on a regular basis that I’ll describe below.

Why Being A Modern Polymath Is The New Normal
Polymath Advantage 1: Combining two or more skills can make you world-class.
Polymath Advantage 2: Most creative breakthroughs come via making atypical combinations of skills.
Polymath Advantage 3: It’s easier and faster than ever to become competent in a new skill.
Polymath Advantage 4: It’s easier than ever to pioneer a new field, industry, or skill set.
Polymath Advantage 5: It Future-proofs Your Career
Polymath Advantage 6: It Sets You Up To Solve More Complex Problems
Polymath Advantage 7: Being a polymath helps you stand out and compete in the global economy.

Preparation
Although I’m interested in machine learning positions, the positions at the five companies are slightly different in the title and the interviewing process. Three are machine learning engineer (LinkedIn, Google, Facebook), one is data engineer (Salesforce), and one is software engineer in general (Airbnb). Therefore I needed to prepare for three different areas: coding, machine learning, and system design.

I mainly used Leetcode and Geeksforgeeks for practicing, but Hackerrank and Lintcode are also good places. I spent several weeks going over common data structures and algorithms, then focused on areas I wasn’t too familiar with, and finally did some frequently seen problems. Due to my time constraints I usually did two problems per day.

Ramit Sethi has called this the “Briefcase Technique,” saying that the best job applicants wait for a moment right after the pleasantries have ended and the basic information about the position has been explained. It is here, after they have answered just enough questions to establish comfort and trust, that they reveal how much research they have done prior to showing up, by explaining all the things they’ve learned about the business, how they intend to improve it and exactly why they’re the right person for the job. This move, done politely but confidently, immediately separates them from all the other potential hires.

I want to clarify my priorities
by defining my goals and the path to reach them.

The DIY Toolkit has been especially designed for development practitioners to invent, adopt or adapt ideas that can deliver better results.

Wedged between boomers and millennials, Gen X has been the quiet, get-things-done generation nobody paid much attention to. Now they’re getting pushed out of their jobs—and boy, is Boston gonna miss them. —By Kris Frieswick

1. What does success look like for this project?
2. How can failure be avoided with this project? What are you worried might go wrong?
3. What will happen to your business if nothing changes?
4. Where do you see your business a year from now? Three years from now? Ten years from now?
5. What is the single hardest thing in your business right now?

Here are some ways people ask questions the wrong way -- and how you can ask the right way:

1. Don't Lead the Witness
   "What do you think we should do about that order?"

2. Don't Stick to Either/Or Questions
   "There are defects throughout the whole order. What do you think we should do?"

3. Look for Clarification
   "That sounds really good. Let me make sure I don't miss anything, though. Can you walk me through it one more time?"

Talk as little as possible. You already know what you know.

The most productive engineers I’ve ever worked with aren’t the engineers who pull all-nighters or clock in 80 hour work weeks. Nor are they the engineers who can effortlessly craft an elegant five lines of x86 assembly to succinctly and efficiently solve a problem.

Focus on the problem – each and every time

• Breathe
• Focus on your body
• Try saying a mantra
• Acknowledge and label your feelings
• Take a break

Imagine my surprise when he called me into his office that day and admonished me for being too efficient. My zeal to do everything on my to-do list—along with my reserved, even shy nature—made me come across as abrupt and cold. I started every meeting by jumping right in and left with every action under control.

"You have to wallow in it," he said. "Take time to get to know people. Understand where they are coming from, what is important to them. Make sure they are with you."

“Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly."

Writing intrinsically champions and improves creativity, critical thinking, and clarity.

1. "If" -- improves performance when describing a hypothetical positive.
   "What would you say if you did know?"

2. "Could" -- boosts creativity when used instead of "should."

3. "Together" -- makes teams work harder and smarter

4. "Choose to" -- reframing from "have to" makes a big difference.

5. "And" -- the best way to state a contrary opinion.
   "Here's what I'm thinking."
   "My perspective is based on the following assumptions... "
   "I came to this conclusion because... "
   "I'd love to hear your reaction to what I just said."
   "Do you see any flaws in my reasoning?"
   "Do you see the situation differently?"

6. "Because" -- makes whatever you ask sound objective and rational.

7. "(Your name)" -- we prefer things connected to ourselves.

8. "Willing" -- can turn a "no" into a "yes."

7 Words to Avoid:
Need Must Can't Easy Just Only Fast

Creativity: A Systems Approach

First, an individual must master her craft in a given domain (art, science, mathematics). Then, this person must offer the creative work to a field of influencers in that domain who are trusted experts. Finally, the gatekeepers decide if the work is worth being accepted as authoritative into the domain.

1. "It's not fair."
2. "This is the way it's always been done."
3. "No problem."
4. "I think ... /This may be a silly idea ... /I'm going to ask a stupid question."
5. "This will only take a minute."
6. "I'll try."
7. "He's lazy/incompetent/a jerk."
   (There is no upside to making a disparaging remark about a colleague.)
8. "That's not in my job description."
9. "It's not my fault."
10. "I can't."
    (If you really can't do something because you truly lack the necessary skills, you need to offer an alternative solution.)
11. "I hate this job."

Big companies understand the importance of brands. Today, in the Age of the Individual, you have to be your own brand. Here’s what it takes to be the CEO of Me Inc.

Reflect on what you learn by writing

Apart from becoming a better writer, blogging can help you organise your thoughts.

Blogging encourages deep thinking.

When you begin to share what you know with others, your ability to communicate gets better.

Blogging helps your brain to stay active.

You will also be able to link ideas and pieces of information better.