A wayfinding approach to UX design
People can get lost in applications the same way they get lost in physical environments. We can apply wayfinding principles to help our users navigate the applications we design
CJ Cenizal
Product-focused software engineering leader
Latest posts
Steering interviews back on course
An interview offers a brief window in which to get the signal you need to form a hiring recommendation. But what if the candidate misunderstands a question or doesn't quite answer it the way you had hoped? Here's how I nudge an off-course interview to get it back on track
Riding out emotional waves
When I feel angry or anxious, I think less clearly and any decision I make is likely to be a poor one. Here's how I try to spot an oncoming emotional wave and avoid capsizing
What I learned from speaking at LeadDev
This week I gave a talk titled "Scale up: How to grow your team without growing headcount" to about 450 folks at the LeadDev conference in San Francisco. The talk was ten minutes long, but I spent roughly 75 hours iterating over it and rehearsing it. Here's what I learned
Scale up: How to grow your team without growing headcount
I'm very excited to share that I'm speaking at LeadDev San Francisco on October 26
Be critical or be corrupted
I recently rewatched "The Wire". The show's central theme is about counter-productive metrics and their corrupting influence on institutions. I've noticed hints of this pattern in software engineering, too
When is it time to find a new job?
Six questions to ask yourself to determine whether it's time to take the next step in your career
Effective project management
Project management gets a bad rap among engineers. Here's how I've refined my approach toward project management to serve the engineers who are executing the project
Should parental leave affect rewards?
If someone takes parental leave, should that have an impact on the size of their next raise or the timing of their next promotion? Short answer: no
The transmogrifying power of reflection
Ever hit a rough patch at work? Reflection helps me turn negative potential into positive experiences. Here are some ways I use writing to help me reflect
Make a plan and do your best
When I became an Engineering Manager, my to-do list ballooned with tasks, and everything seemed to be the top priority. I didn't have time for reflection or growth – I was just trying not to sink
Seven tactics for resolving technical disagreements
I like to work with individuals who demonstrate maturity, and the ability to navigate disagreements and resolve them productively signifies maturity to me. Here are some tactics that I like to use to resolve technical disagreements
Monkey read, monkey write
Having trouble getting into the habit of writing? Not sure how to approach a topic you'd like to write about? When this happens to me, I find that my reading habits hold the key
Fixing the live coding exercise
Stressed-out candidates make for terrible interviews. But there are ways you can create psychological safety for candidates, so they can show you their best selves during a live coding exercise
Level self-assessments
You can't get to where you're going if you don't know where you are! Read on to learn how to use level self-assessments to figure out if you're ready for promotion, and what this information is good for