Networking matters (again)

A few months ago I blogged about how networking matters - this post could be named "Networking matters, again".

My previous post on this topic was about how much a good network could do to land a good job - but I started to realize I only taught half the story. Sure, my network was a great help to land my job - but it's as useful or even more once I start working.

The one-man product team

My current position could be summarized as a "one-man product team" - in short, I'm doing the whole process from collecting requirements to maintaining the software (and everything in between - mockups, design, development, deployment, etc - this will get its post in the future).

While I love the freedom and the challenge, it's also a lonely job - especially on the tech side. I got a good amount of experience, but it does not replace a second opinion or a second pair of eyes.

Enter the 50 colleagues

The thing is - I'm not alone. Through several missions, jobs, meetings or others trainings I've probably been in contact with 50 (maybe 100, I don't count) other developers of various specialties and skills level. Through LinkedIn, Twitter, various slack accounts and other channels, I'm still able to reach them.

This is something I still do, if not daily at least weekly, generally to "fast track" my entry on a new topics. Programming is wonderful in terms of resources available (documentation, blog posts, tutorials, etc) - but nothing replaces a 30 minutes exchange with someone who already went through the same problem.

That's where that you'll get the "I would not do that if I were you", "This is the way it is in the doc, but the reality is not the same" or "Be careful of that specific area it's much more complex than it looks" or even "There is another option there you may want to consider".

Looking back to the last period I did that for:

• Where to go for multi-platform mobile development in 2022 (thanks Martin)
• Knowing options about Odoo custom development (thanks Sébastien)
• Get feedback on Wallonia subsidies rules (thanks David)

What you are getting

This means that hiring me is not just hiring me - you are also hiring my network. I may be the only developer in your company, but I have access to a lot of other developers.

This is pretty much part of my offer as a "one-man product team".

Opinions? Let me know on LinkedIn!