This week marked 7 years since getting my first dev job at 28 🎉

Looking back, years 2-3 were the hardest because I wasn't quite a beginner anymore but lost on how to improve.

🧵 Here are some lessons I learned that helped: Don't let imposter syndrome cause you to underestimate how much you can help others. I've learned more from mentoring than being mentored in many cases.

Help someone a few steps behind you -- it will solidify your learning while making a tangible impact on someone's life.

How to Say No to Requests without Feeling Like a Jerk 🚫

1. Be sincere (no flattery/bs).
2. Be direct.
3. Be kind.
4. If you can, point them in a helpful direction (article, Discord server). Don't refer a person w/o asking!

Let's unpack this in a thread.🧵 Let's say someone messaged you wanting to "pick your brain" about a technical problem. You are slammed at work and this has nothing to do with your priorities. Here's something you could say:

📰 A thread of helpful newsletters outside of tech you might not know about it

With #DevRel living at the nexus of marketing, product, & engineering, I find it helpful to learn from a variety of sources. Here are some of my fave indie newsletters, would love to hear yours! I've talked about Trends.vc by @DruRly before, but it's exceptionally valuable. Each week Dru sends out a thorough report on a new topic like DeFi, digital products, paid communities. The paid version includes access to a wonderful community, too.

Crossed a big milestone recently: 1000 subscribers to Developer Microskills 🎉

A few people have asked me about my process for writing & marketing the newsletter & how I repurpose issues into blog articles. Here's a thread full of images and resources to help! I rely on Newsletter OS in @NotionHQ by @JanelSGM to track everything. First I create a new issue in the Newsletter Issues db. I use properties to keep track of issue status (more on this later). I don't put notes or outlines here but do add links I may want to use.

⌨️ A thread of useful keyboard shortcuts I've learned lately out of necessity - feel free to add yours!

Slack, Gmail, and Twitter have been the biggest game-changers.

(Mac listed but there are Windows equivalents) 😺 Slack

cmd + t = jump somewhere (most useful)
cmd + . = toggle right pane
cmd + shift + d = toggle sidebar
cmd + [ = back in history
cmd + ] = forward in history
cmd + shift + y = set status

slack.com/help/articles/…

Moving from dev to #DevRel is tough - there's no doubt about it! 😬

Even though it's a very fun job, the day-to-day is totally different than the usual sprints & tickets you're used to.

Here is a thread 🧵 on some strategies I've learned to ease the transition: 1️⃣ Embrace the fact that #DevRel is a new set of skills you can learn.

The big shock moving to dev rel is the dizzying # of required skills: content, marketing, speaking, community-building, & more.

Don't resist it: you're a newbie again & it will take time. That's okay!

😫 If you're feeling discouraged or like you're not making any progress, it might mean you're not scoping your projects correctly.

Whether it's #DevRel, side projects, or learning a new coding skill, knowing how to properly scope a project can feel like a superpower. 🧵 1️⃣ Ask yourself: "What's the smallest deliverable I can make that pushes me further towards my goal or dream?"

This could be a short blog post, a 30 second screencast, a small command line app, or part of a new app feature. It needs to be easy to know if it's finished or not.

We've all been here:

1. Get amazing idea
2. Buy sweet new domain
3. Tweet about awesome new project
4. `git init`
5. Um...uh...do some planning?
6. You know what, I'm really busy right now.
8. (Secretly abandons dreams)

Here's a framework to help you finish what you start 🧵 💡 First, sort your ideas:

1. Drop it: Seemed like a good idea at the time, but isn't.
2. Defer it: Maybe a good idea, but no time/resources right now. Archive for now.
3. Do it: Good idea that has the potential for $$/impact/career growth.

Not all ideas need to be executed!