Table of Contents
Why this book is unlike any book you've ever read
SECTION 1: CAREER
Getting started with a "BANG!": Don't do what everyone else does
Thinking about the future: What are your goals?
People skills: You need them more than you think
Hacking the interview
Employment options: Enumerate your choices
What kind of software developer are you?
Not all companies are equal
Climbing the corporate ladder
Being a professional
Freedom: How to quit your job
Freelancing: Going out on your own
Creating your first product
Do you want to start a startup?
Working remotely survival strategies
Fake it till you make it
Resumes are BORING—Let's fix that
Don't get religious about technology
SECTION 2: MARKETING YOURSELF
Marketing basics for code monkeys
Building a brand that gets you noticed
Creating a wildly successful blog
Your primary goal: Add value to others
#UsingSocialNetworks
Speaking, presenting, and training: Speak geek
Writing books and articles that attract a following
Don't be afraid to look like an idiot
SECTION 3: LEARNING
Learning how to learn: How to teach yourself
My 10-step process
Steps 1-6: Do these once
Steps 7-10: Repeat these
Looking for mentors: Finding your Yoda
Taking on an apprentice: Being Yoda
Teaching: Learn you want? Teach you must.
Do you need a degree or can you "wing it?"
Finding gaps in your knowledge
SECTION 4: PRODUCTIVITY
It all starts with focus
My personal productivity plan
Pomodoro Technique
My quota system: How I get way more done than I should
Holding yourself accountable
Multitasking dos and don'ts
Burnout: I've got the cure!
How you're wasting your time
The importance of having a routine
Developing habits: Brushing your code
Breaking things down: How to eat an elephant
The value of hard work and why you keep avoiding it
Any action is better than no action
SECTION 5: FINANCIAL
What are you going to do with your paycheck?
How to negotiate your salary
Options: Where all the fun is
Bits and bytes of real estate investing
Do you really understand your retirement plan?
The danger of debt: SSDs are expensive
Bonus: How I retired at 33
SECTION 6: FITNESS
Why you need to hack your health
Setting your fitness criteria
Thermodynamics, calories, and you
Motivation: Getting your butt out of the chair
How to gain muscle: Nerds can have bulging biceps
How to get hash-table abs
Starting RunningProgram.exe
Standing desks and other hacks
Tech gear for fitness: Geeking out
SECTION 7: SPIRIT
How the mind influences the body
Having the right mental attitude: Rebooting
Building a positive self-image: Programming your brain
Love and relationships: Computers can't hold your hand
My personal success book list
Facing failure head-on
Parting words