Episode 361 | Jakob Heuser - Optimized for the Learner

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Jakob Heuser talks with Dave Rael about the human side of engineering, training focused on learners, formative experiences, and making an impact

Jakob Heuser (HEW-zer) has taken up the mantle of Evangelist for human-centered instruction to help businesses, start-ups and brands retain talent. His unique blend of engineering and instructional experience results in a different kind of training; it’s optimized for the LEARNER, not the instructor. This approach is a breath of fresh air in a world overcrowded with ebooks and generic leadership seminars. When surveyed by Gallup, 87% of millennials rate “professional or career growth and development opportunities” as the most important factor to them in a rewarding job. Yet in that same poll, less than 15 percent of all employees surveyed had received useful training or development opportunities in the last 30 days. Jakob is turning that knowledge into action, helping businesses invest in their team. No matter if it’s your employees or their leaders, his goal is to help you turn your talent into an advantage.

Chapters: 0:36 - Dave introduces the show and Jakob Heuser3:56 - Jakob on builders and problem solvers7:18 - The meaning of "optimizing training for the learner"10:45 - The accessibility of being able to train in a style focused on the learner, iterative, adaptive and in the appropriate context13:46 - How Jakob became interested in Instructional Design and the human side of software engineering15:09 - How Jakob got started in software16:36 - Jakob's failure story - bringing down Pinterest early in his employment there20:20 - Large organizations26:16 - Jakob's book recommendations27:43 - Origins of Jakob's interest in management and the human side of engineering30:55 - Learning about managing and developing people33:52 - Developing a relationship with a manager and fostering an environment welcome to constructive feedback38:15 - How Jakob stays current with what he needs to know40:57 - The "training" Jakob offers44:45 - Jakob's top 3 tips for delivering more value47:13 - Keeping up with Jakob

Resources: Jakob's Lead SV Page for Developer On Fire Listeners Instructional Design Doc Norton on Developer On Fire Gorilla Warfare - QBasic Situation - Behavior - Impact Arrange Act Assert Given When Then

Jakob's book recommendation: Designing Effective Instruction - Gary R. Morrison, Steven M. Ross, Howard K. Kalman, Jerrold E. Kemp Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager - Michael Lopp

Jakob's top 3 tips for delivering more value: Build good calendar habits - schedule time for doing important things Write more and better documentation about why and how you're doing things in code Test your assumptions early