Lesson to my Past Self: Take Care of Your Hardware
Beverage: Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha - Roaring Pineapple flavor
Lessons from Years of Experience as a Software Engineer and Engineering Manager #
I have been in the Tech Industry for over 29 years. I've worked as a Software Engineer, Engineering Manager and Director of Engineering. I've worked at small startups, large corporations, and everything in between, including my own small business. My oldest kids are now starting in as Software Engineers, so I'm writing not just to my past self, but to them and to anyone else who is starting out in the industry.
Why Take Care of Your Hardware if You're a Software Engineer? #
The simple answer is that your software runs on hardware. But I'm actually talking about two key pieces of hardware: your computer and your body. If you take care of both of those things, you'll be able to do your best work and enjoy your life more.
Take Care of Your Computer #
Get the Best Computer You Can #
The foundational thing here is to argue for the most powerful computer you can get from your employer. When I started my current job as a Senior Enineering Manager at Cvent, I negotiated for a non-butterfly Intel Macbook Pro with 32GB of RAM. That seems obsolete now in the world of Apple Silicon, but it was top of the line and most importantly it avoided the problematic butterfly keyboard. This is main tool that we use as software engineers, so get the best one you can.
Take Time to Set Up Your Computer To Your Liking #
Don't settle for the defaults. Spend time setting up your computer to your liking. This is a good investment of time. You'll be using this computer for a long time and you'll be more productive. If you're just starting out the industry, then pair program with senior engineers and see how they set up their computers. You'll learn a lot.
Keep It Clean and Charged #
A sign of a professional to me is someone who takes a bit of time each week to clean their tools, whether they're a software engineer, woodworker, or chef. People are probably doing this more after COVID, but I think you'll like your devices more if you clean them weekly witha microfiber cloth and some water. I prefer distilled water in a spray bottle, sprayed directly on anything that has water resistance and on the cloth if not.
Also, keep your devices charged. You don't to be the person Monday morning when they can't attend standup because their computer is dead. Also modern batteries are better if you keep them charged between 20% and 80%.
Take Care of Your Body #
Way more important than your computer though, is your body. You can always get a new computer, but you can't get a new body. When I was younger, I did some good things, but also a lot of things that I regret now. Here's some things I wish I had done more of when I was younger.
Get Enough Sleep #
I used to think that I needed to stuff my brain with as much as I could in any day before I slept, because there was just so much to take in. But I've learned that sleep is when your brain processes and consolidates what you've learned. It's also when your body repairs itself. So mindset has shifted from "I need to get as much done as possible before I sleep" to "I need to get enough sleep so that I can be as productive and in a good mood the next day." I've found that I need 7-8 hours of sleep to be at my best.
Better yet, track your sleep with a wearable like Fitbit, Oura Ring, or Apple Watch. I've been using a Fitbit for over 11 years and it's been really helpful to see how my sleep is affected by different things. It gives you a sleep score so it factors in additional things like how much REM sleep you're getting and your heart rate. 85-91 is a good score for me.
Get Enough Exercise #
I remember watching the movie Super Size Me and Morgan Spurlock talked about how the average person gets 5,000 steps a day. I was curious to see how I was doing and I was getting 3,000 steps a day. I was shocked so I started to slowly increase my step count. I now average 7,000 steps a day. Also I've been some calisthenics and weightlifting. I've found that I feel better and I'm more productive when I get enough exercise. Also I've read in the book Outlive by Dr Peter Attia that exercise is the best medicine for your body and brain.
Eat Well #
As a Filipino, I felt like it was my duty and my culture to eat a lot of meat and rice. Especially processed meat - it was so tasty! But I've learned that I feel better when I eat more vegetables and less meat. I've been doing Vegan Before 6pm for 4 months and I've found that I feel better and I've lost weight. You don't have to be vegan, but I think the main thing is to eat a lot more fiber and vegetables and fruits.
Take Breaks #
I tend to get in the zone, to get in a flow state, and I can work for hours without taking a break. But I've learned that I feel better and I'm more productive when I take breaks. I aim to to get up every hours for a few minutes. If I have time, I'll take a walk, but if not I'll just do 20 jumping jacks and it gets me pumped for the next hour. I also block out 30 minutes for lunch as a recurring calendar invite, because if not I can get so into my work that I forget to eat.
Stretch Your Hands and Wrists #
Our hands are our main interface between our two pieces of hardware: our body and our computer. One of the worst things I did was have bad posture, have bad ergonomics, and just brute force my way through code. That turned into serious tendinitis and I actually had to take a week off of work. I've had to ice my wrists. Ice is okay but really you should be stretching your hands and wrists. There's a lot of YouTube videos out there that show you how, but make sure you do it regularly.
Coffee is Actually Good for You #
Another terrible thing I did when I was younger was drink way too much soda. I used to drink Jolt cola when I was a teenager. In the 80s, they sold it in 3 liter bottles and it was known as the beverage of choice of programmers. Later on, when I worked at a startup called webMethods, one of the perks was free soda and I took full advantage of it by downing 5 cans of Mountain Dew per day. I cranked out a lot of code, but that's a lot of sugar with that caffeine! Since then I've tried going caffeine free and I'm just not as productive. Then I tried coffee, which I love, especially french press. Research studies in recent years have shown that it is actually healthy for you! It's full of antioxidants and it's been shown to reduce the risk of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Type 2 Diabetes. It's also been shown to improve mood and cognitive function. I've been drinking 2-3 cups a day and I've found that I feel better and I'm more productive. However, some studies say that the optimal amount is 3-5 cups a day, so I'm going to try to increase my intake.
Conclusion #
I hope that you take care of your hardware, both your computer and your body. I've found that I'm more productive and I enjoy my life more when I take care of both. I think if you take care of both, you'll have a long and successful career in the Tech Industry and you'll enjoy your life more too!