Episode 199 | James Sturtevant - Masterminding Engagment

Guest: James Sturtevant @aspenwilder James Sturtevant talks with Dave Rael about a unique career path, working with troubled kids, and the power of mastermind groups to help one another achieve James (@aspenwilder) works for Microsoft where he partners developers to explore the latest technologies. Prior to Microsoft, he worked in the web development space for 10+ years working with startups and enterprises to improve the way they do business through technology. Recently he has been taking an interest in combining mobile development with backend services as a way to deliver unique experiences. When he isn’t practicing his software craft James can be found running through the woods, climbing mountains, or hiking with his daughters. Chapters: 1:44 - Dave introduces the show and James Sturtevant5:05 - James's job at Microsoft6:54 - The experience of James and Dave meeting in the speaker room at an event8:08 - The things that "light James up"10:00 - James's background in Computer Engineering (not Computer Science)12:57 - How James got started in software16:44 - The appeal of mobile and James's experiences with it, including a story of great humanitarian impact19:43 - James's story of failure - challenged with unemployment, depression, and limited options23:34 - James's success story - progressing from inability to find a job in software to learning core competencies and valuable skills to working for Microsoft; getting involved in the community25:55 - How James got into blogging, speaking at conferences and user groups, and organizing user groups; including the utility of a mastermind group in James's story and in making progress generally29:52 - James's introduction to the mastermind concept and the benefits32:59 - Effective Mastermind groups (see Resources for Floyd Hilton's blog post on the subject)35:43 - James's book recommendation36:51 - How James stays current with what he needs to know37:55 - The things that have James most excited39:46 - James's causes of pain and suffering41:00 - James's family41:45 - The things about which James likes to geek out43:34 - James's top 3 tips for delivering more value46:57 - Keeping up with James Resources: James's Blog Rob Conery on Developer On Fire The Imposter's Handbook - Rob Conery Microsoft Acquisition of Xamarin Urban Refuge - Student Project at Boston University to Aid Refugees Microsoft Description of the Xamarin Solution for Urban Refuge Links and Slides from Dave's Lightning Talk on Getting Involved to Which James Referred John Sonmez's Free Blogging Email Course John Sonmez's Blogging Course Comanion Workbook Punch Fear In The Face Book - Dave Rael Floyd Hilton on the Mastermind Concept and Benefits Floyd Hilton on Lynda.com Michael Hyatt Amazon Echo Donovan Brown on Developer On Fire focus@will Music to Code By - Carl Franklin James's book recommendation: Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction, Second Edition - Steve McConnell Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship - Robert C. Martin James's top 3 tips for delivering more value: Listen - Really listen Ask questions - use "Can you tell me a little bit more about that?" Do one thing at a time