Podcasts about reuven lerner

Pandas is at a the core of virtually all data science done in Python, that is virtually all data science. Since it's beginning, Pandas has been based upon numpy. But changes are afoot to update those internals and you can now optionally use PyArrow. PyArrow comes with a ton of benefits including it's columnar format which makes answering analytical questions faster, support for a range of high performance file formats, inter-machine data streaming, faster file IO and more. Reuven Lerner is here to give us the low-down on the PyArrow revolution. Episode sponsors NordLayer Auth0 Talk Python Courses Links from the show Reuven: github.com/reuven Apache Arrow: github.com Parquet: parquet.apache.org Feather format: arrow.apache.org Python Workout Book: manning.com Pandas Workout Book: manning.com Pandas: pandas.pydata.org PyArrow CSV docs: arrow.apache.org Future string inference in Pandas: pandas.pydata.org Pandas NA/nullable dtypes: pandas.pydata.org Pandas `.iloc` indexing: pandas.pydata.org DuckDB: duckdb.org Pandas user guide: pandas.pydata.org Pandas GitHub issues: github.com Watch this episode on YouTube: youtube.com Episode transcripts: talkpython.fm --- Stay in touch with us --- Subscribe to Talk Python on YouTube: youtube.com Talk Python on Bluesky: @talkpython.fm at bsky.app Talk Python on Mastodon: talkpython Michael on Bluesky: @mkennedy.codes at bsky.app Michael on Mastodon: mkennedy

Reuven Lerner has been using Python for 30 years and teaching it for over 20. Join us as we talk about "How to sort anything with Python". This is sure to be a fun & interesting show as we learn more about Python with Reuven. 00:00 - Intro 03:00 - How to sort anything

If you want to get better at something, often times the path is pretty clear. If you get better at swimming, you go to the pool and practice your strokes and put in time doing the laps. If you want to get better at mountain biking, hit the trails and work on drills focusing on different aspects of riding. You can do the same for programming. Reuven Lerner is back on the podcast to talk about his book Pandas Workout. We dive into strategies for learning Pandas and Python as well as some of his workout exercises. Episode sponsors Sentry Error Monitoring, Code TALKPYTHON Scalable Path Talk Python Courses Links from the show Reuven Lerner on Twitter: @reuvenmlerner Pandas Workout Book: manning.com Bamboo Weekly: Solar eclipse: bambooweekly.com Bamboo Weekly: Avocado hand: bambooweekly.com Scaling data science across Python and R: talkpython.fm Watch this episode on YouTube: youtube.com Episode transcripts: talkpython.fm --- Stay in touch with us --- Subscribe to us on YouTube: youtube.com Follow Talk Python on Mastodon: talkpython Follow Michael on Mastodon: mkennedy

In-demand Python teacher Reuven Lerner joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about building a software training business in 2023.Reuven's links:- https://lerner.co.il, Reuven's main site- https://BetterDevelopersWeekly.com/, Reuven's Python + software engineering list- https://TrainerWeekly.com, Reuven's newsletter about training- And Reuven frequently posts to Twitter and LinkedIn if people want tofollow him there ----Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning.Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full.To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/callI hope to see you there!

Watch the live stream: Watch on YouTube About the show Sponsored by Complier Podcast from RedHat Michael #0: New livestream time - 11am PT on Tuesdays. Also, subscribe to the youtube channel and “hit the bell” to get notified of all the live streams. Brian #1: It's PyCon US 2023 CFP time Will be held in Salt Lake City, Salt Palace Convention Center Talks are Friday - Sunday, April 19-23 PyCon US 2023 launch announcement PyCon 2023 site features images taken from past PyCon artwork Call for proposals open until Dec 9, but please don't wait that long. Michael #2: Any.io AnyIO is an asynchronous networking and concurrency library that works on top of either asyncio or trio. It implements trio-like structured concurrency (SC) on top of asyncio. Cool interpretability between native threads and asyncio Using subprocesses: AnyIO allows you to run arbitrary executables in subprocesses, either as a one-shot call or by opening a process handle for you that gives you more control over the subprocess. Async file I/O: AnyIO provides asynchronous wrappers for blocking file operations. These wrappers run blocking operations in worker threads. Cool synchronization primitives too. Catch the Talk Python episode with Alex: talkpython.fm/385 Brian #3: How to propose a winning conference talk Reuven Lerner Some nice tips and advice Build a list of topics If you train, teach, mentor, lead, or coach already: what questions to people always ask you? what knowledge would help people to have? where do people seem to just “not get it”? If you don't train or teach, then maybe hit up Stack Overflow… From Brian: I think you can imagine yourself a year or two ago and think about stuff you know now you wish you knew then and could learn faster. Build an outline with times This part often seems scary, but Reuven's example is 10 bullets with (x min) notes. Write up a summary. One short, one longer. Indicate who will benefit, what they will come out knowing, and how it will help them. Propose to multiple conferences. Why not? Practice (from Brian: Even if you get rejected, you've gained. Turn it into a youTube video or blog post or both.) - Michael #4: Sanic release adds background workers via Felix In v22.9 (go cal-ver!), the main new feature is the worker process management - the main Sanic process handles a pool of workers. They are normally used for handling requests but you can also use them to handle background jobs and similar things. You could probably use it for a lot of the reasons people turn to something like Celery. The lead developer (Adam Hopkins) has written a blog post about this feature. MK: Sanic has been flying a bit under my radar. Maybe time to dive into it a bit more. Extras Brian: Create Presentation from Jupyter Notebook Cool walkthrough of how to use the built in slideshow features of Jupyter Notebooks. pytest 7.2.0 is out No longer depends on the py library. So if you do, you need to add it to your dependencies. nose officially deprecated, which includes setup() and teardown(). Really glad I dropped the “x unit” section on the 2nd edition of the pytest book. testpaths now supports shell-style wildcards Lots of other improvements. check out the change log Michael: Rich on pyscript (via Matt Kramer) Python 3.11 in 100 seconds video from Michael Joke: Deep questions & Relationship advice from geeks

Jason and a particularly floral Bojan chat with Reuven Lerner about teaching Python, and the worst bugs they've seen (and caused). Meanwhile, Annie tries to undo a unicorn magic glitch of her own.

Richard and professional Python teacher Reuven Lerner talk about how Python and Object Orientation.

Listen now and see what it's like to be a python trainer!

In this episode, Reuven Lerner and I discuss what it looks like to work as a trainer, how to get into training, and what kinds of training work are available to developers.Lerner.co.ilReuven Lerner on TwitterReuven Lerner on YouTube

Reuven Lerner is a full-time Python trainer, he teaches courses at companies in the United States, Europe, Israel, India, and China — as well as to people around the world, via his online courses. Reuven created one of the first 100 Web sites in the world just after graduating from MIT's computer science department. He opened Lerner Consulting in 1995, and has been offering training services since 1996. Reuven's most recent book is “Python Workout,” a collection of Python exercises with extensive explanations, published by Manning. He has a bachelor's degree in computer science and engineering from MIT, and a PhD in learning sciences from Northwestern University. ————————————————————————————— Connect with me here: ✉️ My weekly email newsletter: jousef.substack.com

2020 will be one for the history books, won't it? I've put together a great group to look back on 2020 - from the Python perspective. Join me along with Cecil Phillip, Ines Montani, Jay Miller, Paul Everitt, Reuven Lerner, Matt Harrison, and Brian Okken for a light-hearted and fun look back on the major Python events of 2020. Links from the show Video version of this episode: youtube.com Guests Cecil Phillip: @cecilphillip Ines Montani: @_inesmontani Jay Miller: @kjaymiller Paul Everitt: @paulweveritt Reuven Lerner: @reuvenmlerner Matt Harrison: @__mharrison__ Brian Okken: @brianokken Sponsors Talk Python Training

2020 will be one for the history books, won't it? I've put together a great group to look back on 2020 - from the Python perspective. Join Brian and Michael along with Cecil Phillip, Ines Montani, Jay Miller, Paul Everitt, Reuven Lerner, and Matt Harrison for a light-hearted and fun look back on the major Python events of 2020. Video version of this episode: Watch on YouTube Guests Cecil Phillip Ines Montani Jay Miller Paul Everitt Reuven Lerner Matt Harrison

Have you started to use generators in Python? Are you unsure why you would even use one over a regular function? How do you use the special "send" method and the "yield from" syntax? This week on the show, we have Reuven Lerner to talk about his PyCon Africa 2020 talk titled "Generators, coroutines, and nanoservices."

Many people have been working from home now that are not used to working from home. Or at least are working from home more than they ever did before. That's definitely true for me. Even though I've been working from home since March, I wanted some tips from people who have been doing it longer. Julian Sequeira, of PyBites fame, has been working from home for about a year. Reuven Lerner, an amazing Python trainer, has been working from home for much longer. We originally had a big list of WFH topics. But we had so much fun with the tips and tricks part, that that's pretty much the whole episode. But there's lots of great tips and tricks, so I'm glad we focused on that. Special Guests: Julian Sequeira and Reuven Lerner.

Today’s co-host is Reuven Lerner. Reuven teaches Python and data science to companies around the world and has been self-employed since 1995. In addition to his corporate training business, he also offers numerous online courses, as well as a free weekly newsletter read by 16,000 Python developers.

"It’s always trying to concentrate on what have people told me…what have they gotten from the course, what are they trying to achieve” Reuven is a full-time Python trainer. In a given year, he teaches courses at companies in the United States, Europe, Israel, India, and China — as well as to people around the world, via his online courses.Reuven created one of the first 100 Web sites in the world just after graduating from MIT’s computer science department. He opened Lerner Consulting in 1995, and has been offering training services since 1996. Reuven’s monthly column appeared in Linux Journal from 1996 until the magazine’s demise in 2019. He was also a panelist on the Freelancers Show podcast from 2015-2019, when the panel collectively resigned. (They are currently discussing a new, independent podcast on the same topic.) Reuven is also the CTO of Rent Like a Champion, an event-based home-rental company based in Chicago, Illinois.Reuven’s most recent book is “Python Workout,” a collection of Python exercises with extensive explanations, published by Manning.Reuven’s free, weekly “Better developers” newsletter, about Python and software engineering, is read by more than 15,000 developers around the globe. His “Trainer weekly” newsletter is similarly popular among people who give corporate training. We discuss:PythonRegular expressionsVideo coursesFree Courses /Pricing processLaunch marketing processDrip messaging timelineMemberships CopywritingGiving freebiesWant to connect with Reuven Lerner Website: https://lerner.co.il/Twitter: https://twitter.com/reuvenmlerner--Want a simple step-by-step process to plan and execute your launch?Download "Your 90 Day Launch Plan Essentials""The 90 Launch Plan Essentials is really fantastic! I will be using this again and again! The launch process can often seem really hectic and crazy, but Ken breaks it down into simple and easy manageable steps with goals and deadlines so you can get your desired results. I highly recommend Ken and his program!" - Nick Bonitatibus If you enjoy this episode and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram Stories and tag me @kenwestgaard. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to receive notifications of new episodes.Haven’t left a review yet? All you have to do is go to https://kenwestgaard.com/podcast, and thanks for your support of this show!Support the show (http://paypal.me/kenwestgaard)

In this episode you can hear Andrei and Reuven Lerner talk about how emulating good leader can jump start your leadership career, why standard communication channels are important for professionals and how A players hire A players and B players hire C players You can read the show notes on https://techieleadership.com/show17

Sponsored by DigitalOcean: pythonbytes.fm/digitalocean - $100 credit for new users to build something awesome. Michael #1: Ubuntu 20.04 is out! Next LTS support version since 26th April 2018 (18.04). Comes with Python 3.8 included! Already upgraded all our servers, super smooth. Kernel has been updated to the 5.4 based Linux kernel, with additional support for Wireguard VPN, AUFS5, and improved support for IBM, Intel, Raspberry Pi and AMD hardware. Features the latest version of the GNOME desktop environment. Brings support for installing an Ubuntu desktop system on top of ZFS. 20.04 already an option on DigitalOcean ;) Brian #2: Working with warnings in Python (Or: When is an exception not an exception?) Reuven Lerner Exceptions, the class hierarchy of exceptions, and warnings. “… most of the time, warnings are aimed at developers rather than users. Warnings in Python are sort of like the “service needed” light on a car; the user might know that something is wrong, but only a qualified repairperson will know what to do. Developers should avoid showing warnings to end users.” Python’s warning system …: It treats the warnings as a separate type of output, so that we cannot confuse it with either exceptions or the program’s printed text, It lets us indicate what kind of warning we’re sending the user, It lets the user indicate what should happen with different types of warnings, with some causing fatal errors, others displaying their messages on the screen, and still others being ignored, It lets programmers develop their own, new kinds of warnings. Reuven goes on to show how to use warnings in your code. using them creating custom warnings filtering Michael #3: Safer file writer pip installable, see the article and the repo too. Consider this code: with open(filename, 'w') as fp: json.dump(data, fp) It’s using with, so it’s good right? Well the file itself may be overwritten and maybe corrupted With safer, you write almost identical code: with safer.open(filename, 'w') as fp: json.dump(data, fp) Now if json.dump() throws an exception, the original file is unchanged, so your important data file lives to see another day. The actual 28 lines of code is pretty interesting: https://github.com/rec/safer/blob/v1.0.0/safer.py#L70-L97 Brian #4: codespell codespell : Fix common misspellings in text files. It's designed primarily for checking misspelled words in source code, but it can be used with other files as well. I got a cool pull request against the cards project to add a pre-commit hook to run codespell. (Thanks Christian Clauss) codespell caught a documentation spelling error in cards, where I had spelled “arguments” as “arguements”. Oops. Spelling errors are annoying and embarrassing in code and comments, and distracting. Also hard to deal with using traditional spell checkers. So super glad this is a thing. Michael #5: Austin profiler via Anthony Shaw Python frame stack sampler for CPython Profiles CPU and Memory! Why Austin? Written in pure C Austin is written in pure C code. There are no dependencies on third-party libraries. Just a sampler - fast: Austin is just a frame stack sampler. It looks into a running Python application at regular intervals of time and dumps whatever frame stack it finds. Simple output, powerful tools Austin uses the collapsed stack format of FlameGraph that is easy to parse. You can then go and build your own tool to analyse Austin's output. You could even make a player that replays the application execution in slow motion, so that you can see what has happened in temporal order. Small size Austin compiles to a single binary executable of just a bunch of KB. Easy to maintain Occasionally, the Python C API changes and Austin will need to be adjusted to new releases. However, given that Austin, like CPython, is written in C, implementing the new changes is rather straight-forward. Creates nice flame graphs The Austin TUI is nice! Web Austin is yet another example of how to use Austin to make a profiling tool. It makes use of d3-flame-graph to display a live flame graph in the web browser that refreshes every 3 seconds with newly collected samples. Austin output format can be converted easily into the Speedscope JSON format. You can find a sample utility along with the TUI and Austin Web. Brian #6: Numbers in Python Moshe Zadka A great article on integers, floats, fractions, & decimals Integers They turn into floats very easily, (4/3)*3 → 4.0, int → float Floats don’t behave like the floating point numbers in theory don’t obey mathematical properties subtraction and addition are not inverses 0.1 + 0.2 - 0.2 - 0.1 != 0.0 addition is not associative My added comment: Don’t compare floats with ==, use pytest.approx or other approximation techniques. Fractions Kinda cool that they are there but be very careful about your input Algorithms on fractions can explode in time and to some extent memory. Generally better to use floats Decimals Good for financial transactions. Weird dependence on a global state variable, the context precision. Safer to use a local context to set the precision locally >>> with localcontext() as ctx: ... ctx.prec = 10 ... Decimal(1) / Decimal(7) ... Decimal('0.1428571429') See also fractions in std lib decimals in std lib What Every Computer Scientist Should Know About Floating-Point Arithmetic Extras: Brian: python 3.9.0a6, now with the new PEG parser for CPython Michael: Keep subscribing over at youtube: pythonbytes.fm/youtube Joke: Unix is user friendly. It's just very particular about who its friends are. (via PyJoke) If you put 1000 monkeys at 1000 computers eventually one will write a Python program. The rest will write PERL. (via @JamesAbel)

What’s up everyone! This week’s guest is Reuven Lerner, full-time Python trainer, computer scientist, and author of Python Workout.  If you are doing courses because you have expertise and enjoy sharing it with other people, let that show.Reuven teaches developers and corporate engineers around the world to become fluent in Python. In his corporate training, he serves top tier tech companies like Apple, Cisco, IBM, and Intel, but he also offers Weekly Python Exercises, a set of 15-week courses to help learners become better Python developers. His online video courses consist of hands-on labs that empower his students to understand Python at a deeper level.  Tune in to hear Reuven’s Python journey, plus how he creates engaging online trainings, creates his evergreen newsletters, and drives traffic to his website. Let’s dig in! Episode Quotes"There's a bunch of different ways to drive website traffic, so it's important not to put all of your eggs in one basket.""Narrowing down the service offerings on my website has been more effective.""If you are doing courses because you have expertise and enjoy sharing it with other people, let that show.""Informality is no longer seen as a bad thing, so be yourself and keep experimenting." Listen to Learn01:28 - Rapid 5 Questions, Reuven's business journey  10:45 - Converting in-person to online training  14:40 - Tips for creating engaging online training18:24 - How to build an evergreen newsletter  22:26 - Ways to increase website traffic26:37 - Sales funnel and lead nurturing  29:25 - Importance of a customer-centric website34:47 - The power of online courses during COVID-19 crisis41:10 - Advice for online course creators42:22 - Exciting things coming up from Reuven Connect with ReuvenCheck out Reuven’s Weekly Python ExerciseRead Reuven’s book, Python WorkoutCheck out Reuven’s newsletter about the business, pedagogy, and logistics of training.Check out Reuven’s free courses, Ace Python Interviews and Python for Non-Programmers.Lerner.co.ilFollow Reuven on Twitter!   Looking for the Transcript?Episode 125

Reuven Lerner shares his journey for building a successful consulting business in a very narrow niche, including the advantages of serving a specific niche and how to scale by marketing to new types of clients and offering services in different ways.

An effective strategy for teaching and learning is to rely on well structured exercises and collaboration for practicing the material. In this episode long time Python trainer Reuven Lerner reflects on the lessons that he has learned in the 5 years since his first appearance on the show, how his teaching has evolved, and the ways that he has incorporated more hands-on experiences into his lessons. This was a great conversation about the benefits of being deliberate in your approach to ongoing education in the field of technology, as well as having some helpful references for ways to keep your own skills sharp.

Reuven took us on a rollercoaster, from his discovery of programming, his first classes and tryouts, to his life changing discovery on the Web while at MIT. He took us through his first jobs and taught us how he became a consultant. We discussed his experience as a broad T-Shaped consultant, and slowly converged toward his training business. We then focused on learning, teaching and the key skills required to strive in this business. We finally finished brushing over the history of Reuven's new book "Python Workout", how it came to be, and how it is going to influence his business in the future.Reuven is a full-time Python trainer. He teaches courses at companies in the US, Europe, Israel, India, China and of course, online. Among other activities, Reuven has been running Lerner Consulting since 1995. He is also the CTO of "Rent Like a Champion", an event-based home-rental company based in Chicago. And on the side, Reuven pushes his newsletter called “Better developers” to more than 10.000 readers every week. Last but not least, Reuven is currently doing the last edits of his book “Python Workout” which will be published by Manning early next year.Here are the links of the show:https://www.twitter.com/reuvenmlernerhttp://lerner.co.ilhttp://lerner.co.il/newsletterhttps://store.lerner.co.il/weekly-python-exercise-next-cohorthttp://modelingcommons.orgCreditsMusic Aye by Yung Kartz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.Your hostSoftware Developer‘s Journey is hosted and produced by Timothée (Tim) Bourguignon, a crazy frenchman living in Germany who dedicated his life to helping others learn & grow. More about him at timbourguignon.fr.Want to be next?Do you know anyone who should be on the podcast? Do you want to be next? Drop me a line: info@devjourney.info or via Twitter @timothep.Gift the podcast a ratingPlease do me and your fellow listeners a favor by spreading the good word about this podcast. And please leave a rating (excellent of course) on the major podcasting platforms, this is the best way to increase the visibility of the podcast:Apple PodcastsStitcherGoogle PlayPatreonFinally, if you want to help produce the podcast, support me on Patreon. Every cent you pledge will help pay the hosting bills!Thanks!Support the show (http://bit.ly/2yBfySB)

Reuven Lerner on building a software training business.

In this episode of The Freelancers Show, Reuven Lerner gives some insight into recessions, how they work and how you can prepare for them. He explains that an economy will rise and fall but is always growing. A recession is when instead of growing the economy decreases, there is less business activity, layoffs, etc…  Reuven explains why some people are talking about an upcoming recession. It is impossible to predict a recession but economists can use various events as signs of possible recessions. He explains how the long expansion, trade wars, and the inverted yield curve all point to an upcoming recession. Recession doesn’t always affect every sector, Reuven shares examples of recessions and the sectors they hit.  Reuven lists ways to prepare your business for a recession and share examples of how he has been doing this for his own business. First, make sure you cast a wide net for potential clients. Next, specialize in something specific and make sure the world knows your name and what you do. He stresses the importance of starting a mailing list.  Reuven warns against remaining in one vertical sector. He also warns to be careful about employing anyone full time and shares the pain he suffered during a recession trying to pay everyone’s salaries out of pocket. He advises moving from only working business to business to business to customer and gives tips on how to start that move. Finally in encourages everyone to keep up with economic news. Panelists Reuven Lerner Sponsors Sentry– use the code “devchat” for two months free on Sentry’s small plan Adventures in .NET My Ruby Story CacheFly Links https://www.facebook.com/freelancersshow/ Picks Reuven Lerner: Slate Money podcast Marketplace Double Twist Podcast Addict BlueMail  

In this episode of The Freelancers Show, Reuven Lerner gives some insight into recessions, how they work and how you can prepare for them. He explains that an economy will rise and fall but is always growing. A recession is when instead of growing the economy decreases, there is less business activity, layoffs, etc…  Reuven explains why some people are talking about an upcoming recession. It is impossible to predict a recession but economists can use various events as signs of possible recessions. He explains how the long expansion, trade wars, and the inverted yield curve all point to an upcoming recession. Recession doesn’t always affect every sector, Reuven shares examples of recessions and the sectors they hit.  Reuven lists ways to prepare your business for a recession and share examples of how he has been doing this for his own business. First, make sure you cast a wide net for potential clients. Next, specialize in something specific and make sure the world knows your name and what you do. He stresses the importance of starting a mailing list.  Reuven warns against remaining in one vertical sector. He also warns to be careful about employing anyone full time and shares the pain he suffered during a recession trying to pay everyone’s salaries out of pocket. He advises moving from only working business to business to business to customer and gives tips on how to start that move. Finally in encourages everyone to keep up with economic news. Panelists Reuven Lerner Sponsors Sentry– use the code “devchat” for two months free on Sentry’s small plan Adventures in .NET My Ruby Story CacheFly Links https://www.facebook.com/freelancersshow/ Picks Reuven Lerner: Slate Money podcast Marketplace Double Twist Podcast Addict BlueMail  

In this episode, Kelly and Sean speak to Reuven Lerner about how to teach adult learners and people switching to Python from other languages. Reuven is a corporate trainer of Python and Data Science. He helps developers around the world learn how to code in Python. As fellow teachers, we dive into the similarities and differences of teaching adults versus students. What works? What is new and interesting? Our guest, Reuven Lerner, is a full-time Python trainer. In a given year, he teaches courses at companies in the United States, Europe, Israel, and China — as well as to people around the world, via his online courses. Reuven created one of the first 100 Web sites in the world (https://tech.mit.edu) just after graduating from MIT’s computer science department. He opened Lerner Consulting in 1995, and has been offering training services since 1996. Reuven’s monthly column has appeared in Linux Journal (https://linuxjournal.com/) since 1996, and was a panelist on the Freelancers Show podcast from 2015 - 2019. He is also the CTO of Rent Like a Champion (https://rentlikeachampion.com/), an event-based home-rental company based in Chicago, Illinois. Reuven’s most recent book is “Python Workout (https://www.manning.com/books/python-workout),” a collection of Python exercises with extensive explanations, published by Manning. Reuven’s free, weekly “Better Developers (https://lerner.co.il/newsletter)” newsletter, about Python and software engineering, is read by more than 10,000 developers around the globe. His “Trainer weekly (https://lerner.co.il/trainer-weekly/)” newsletter is similarly popular among people who give corporate training. Reuven has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from MIT, and a PhD in learning sciences from Northwestern University. He lives in Modi’in, Israel with his wife and three children.

In this episode of The Freelancers Show the panel share advice and experiences for publishing technical books. Each of the panelists has experience publishing books. Reuven Lerner published a book, Core Perl back in 2000, using a publisher and has self-published two more books in recent years. He is currently republishing one of his self-published books using a publisher.  Erik Dietrich has written three books, two of which were published through a friend and the third was self-published. Jeremy Green contributed to The Independent Consulting Manual and runs a SAS called Remarq, a tool for those who want to self-publish. Why write a book? The panel warns listeners that if your goal is to make money that most likely will not happen. They explain that authors who make real money from their books are rare and authors who make money off of technical books are even more rare. One reason to write a book is so that people will know your name and want to hire yours. Another reason is that writing a book will give you more credibility with clients.  Having published a book can really impress clients, Erik shares how his book has brought him leads. Reuven explains how it shows prospective clients how knowledgeable and reliable he is, this is one reason he is republishing his book through an actual publisher. By having a publishing company publish his book it verifies his expertise for prospective clients, or as Erik puts it a book is social proof of your expertise. By having a published book, Erik receives a lot fewer requests for references or other proof of knowledge.  The panel addresses the profits made by publishing a book. Reuven shares a little of his experience both with a publisher and without one when it came to making money. His first book Core Perl he went through a publisher and didn’t make more than the advance they gave him. Frustrated he decided to self-publish his next two books. Reuven admits he was a fool for turning down the publisher when they approached him about one of his books. Since working with that publisher, they have sold more than 4x as many copies as he had in four years. He may not make more money but his name will reach more people.  Jeremy explains one of the downsides of going through a publisher. When a publisher sells your book you don’t get any information on who buys your book. You can’t reach out to them. You can’t share other products with them. When self-publishing you get all that information and are able to do those things to drum up more business. The panel explains that there are three parts to self-publishing a book. First is the production of the book, writing it. Next, how and where to sell your book. The last thing to consider is marketing, how do you reach the people who will buy your book. The panel addresses each step and shares advice.  Jeremy explains how Remarq uses markdown in the production step of publishing the book. Reuven shares what he is currently using for his publishers and admits he would rather be using Remarq. In the past, Reuven has used so many different toolsets and each one was frustrating. The once piece of advice the panel has for production besides the tooling is to focus on the informational content first and design second. Selling the book, Reuven explains how he used nearly everything to try and sell his book the first time around. Selling your book on your own is a major time suck and headache. Reuven suggests doing as he did and going through a third party, they have it all figured out.  Lastly marketing, Erik advises building a funnel to your site using youtube or other media, if you are unwilling to use amazon to market your book as he does. Reuven explains how he advertises his books like courses and mentions his book everywhere he can. It is hard to compete with publishers when it comes to marketing, they have the numbers and the followers.  Writing for a specific audience will make marketing easier. If you know who you are writing for then you will know how to market to them before your book is even done. Jeremy suggests using people from your target audience to read and review your book as you right, not only will this help you focus your book but will also have people who will spread the word about your book.  Now that they cover self-publishing, Reuven shares what it is like working with a publisher. It starts with a development editor, someone who finds authors and books to publish. Then you sign a contract with or without the help of an agent. Only after you sign the contract do you get assigned to an actual editor and a technical reviewer. These will read everything you write and give you feedback. His work is also read by a group of reviewers who give back feedback, some of which is a little harsh but all of which helps the book be better. Reuven explains how all of this has been a positive experience and that his book is better for it. The last topic address in this episode is when you should you write a book. First, you must like to write, the panel advises those who hate writing not to write a book. Second, you must have something to write about. Publish something in a niche. You won’t make any headway writing a book about a well-known language and a well-known topic. Next, you need to have a plan for your book. Ask yourself what you want to get from writing this book. Lastly, find your audience, write a book that will appeal to your client base, not your peers.  Panelists Jeremy Green Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Sponsors   Sentry– use the code “devchat” for two months free on Sentry’s small plan Adventures in Blockchain React Native Radio CacheFly Links Core Perl Python Workout Blurb AsciiDoc Gumroad https://twitter.com/jagthedrummer https://twitter.com/daedtech https://twitter.com/reuvenmlerner https://www.facebook.com/freelancersshow/ Picks Jeremy Green: Remarq.io The Independent Consulting Manual.  Erik Dietrich: Starting to Unit Test Developer Hegemony: The Future of Labor Reuven Lerner: The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age  

In this episode of The Freelancers Show the panel share advice and experiences for publishing technical books. Each of the panelists has experience publishing books. Reuven Lerner published a book, Core Perl back in 2000, using a publisher and has self-published two more books in recent years. He is currently republishing one of his self-published books using a publisher.  Erik Dietrich has written three books, two of which were published through a friend and the third was self-published. Jeremy Green contributed to The Independent Consulting Manual and runs a SAS called Remarq, a tool for those who want to self-publish. Why write a book? The panel warns listeners that if your goal is to make money that most likely will not happen. They explain that authors who make real money from their books are rare and authors who make money off of technical books are even more rare. One reason to write a book is so that people will know your name and want to hire yours. Another reason is that writing a book will give you more credibility with clients.  Having published a book can really impress clients, Erik shares how his book has brought him leads. Reuven explains how it shows prospective clients how knowledgeable and reliable he is, this is one reason he is republishing his book through an actual publisher. By having a publishing company publish his book it verifies his expertise for prospective clients, or as Erik puts it a book is social proof of your expertise. By having a published book, Erik receives a lot fewer requests for references or other proof of knowledge.  The panel addresses the profits made by publishing a book. Reuven shares a little of his experience both with a publisher and without one when it came to making money. His first book Core Perl he went through a publisher and didn’t make more than the advance they gave him. Frustrated he decided to self-publish his next two books. Reuven admits he was a fool for turning down the publisher when they approached him about one of his books. Since working with that publisher, they have sold more than 4x as many copies as he had in four years. He may not make more money but his name will reach more people.  Jeremy explains one of the downsides of going through a publisher. When a publisher sells your book you don’t get any information on who buys your book. You can’t reach out to them. You can’t share other products with them. When self-publishing you get all that information and are able to do those things to drum up more business. The panel explains that there are three parts to self-publishing a book. First is the production of the book, writing it. Next, how and where to sell your book. The last thing to consider is marketing, how do you reach the people who will buy your book. The panel addresses each step and shares advice.  Jeremy explains how Remarq uses markdown in the production step of publishing the book. Reuven shares what he is currently using for his publishers and admits he would rather be using Remarq. In the past, Reuven has used so many different toolsets and each one was frustrating. The once piece of advice the panel has for production besides the tooling is to focus on the informational content first and design second. Selling the book, Reuven explains how he used nearly everything to try and sell his book the first time around. Selling your book on your own is a major time suck and headache. Reuven suggests doing as he did and going through a third party, they have it all figured out.  Lastly marketing, Erik advises building a funnel to your site using youtube or other media, if you are unwilling to use amazon to market your book as he does. Reuven explains how he advertises his books like courses and mentions his book everywhere he can. It is hard to compete with publishers when it comes to marketing, they have the numbers and the followers.  Writing for a specific audience will make marketing easier. If you know who you are writing for then you will know how to market to them before your book is even done. Jeremy suggests using people from your target audience to read and review your book as you right, not only will this help you focus your book but will also have people who will spread the word about your book.  Now that they cover self-publishing, Reuven shares what it is like working with a publisher. It starts with a development editor, someone who finds authors and books to publish. Then you sign a contract with or without the help of an agent. Only after you sign the contract do you get assigned to an actual editor and a technical reviewer. These will read everything you write and give you feedback. His work is also read by a group of reviewers who give back feedback, some of which is a little harsh but all of which helps the book be better. Reuven explains how all of this has been a positive experience and that his book is better for it. The last topic address in this episode is when you should you write a book. First, you must like to write, the panel advises those who hate writing not to write a book. Second, you must have something to write about. Publish something in a niche. You won’t make any headway writing a book about a well-known language and a well-known topic. Next, you need to have a plan for your book. Ask yourself what you want to get from writing this book. Lastly, find your audience, write a book that will appeal to your client base, not your peers.  Panelists Jeremy Green Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Sponsors   Sentry– use the code “devchat” for two months free on Sentry’s small plan Adventures in Blockchain React Native Radio CacheFly Links Core Perl Python Workout Blurb AsciiDoc Gumroad https://twitter.com/jagthedrummer https://twitter.com/daedtech https://twitter.com/reuvenmlerner https://www.facebook.com/freelancersshow/ Picks Jeremy Green: Remarq.io The Independent Consulting Manual.  Erik Dietrich: Starting to Unit Test Developer Hegemony: The Future of Labor Reuven Lerner: The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age  

Training, done properly, is a specialized type of learning that companies can use as an investment in their personnel or as a box that gets ticked off each year as mandatory practice. What are some of the best practices for training? How can employees prepare to learn? Show Notes I think that good training and good learning go hand in hand Nowadays there's a whole host of different options for every technology. I think it's also healthy for an organization to say, "We're investing in you. We want you to learn these things even if there's no immediate payoff, even if it's not directly for like helping the company right now, we think that at some point in the next year you're going to be exposed to this. You'll need this, you'll want this." having these fundamentals really helps you sort of fly through the system and then use it for the purpose you want, which is getting your work done and not spending time on the nonsense. every company has to sort of decide on these trade-offs because during those days people won't be available as much as you want and you just have to sort of plan for that Links: Learn More About Reuven:Website: lerner.co.il Online Store: store.lerner.co.il YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/reuvenlerner  O’Reilly Software Architecture Conference – Berlin, Germany.  November 4-7, 2019. Use discount code MB20 to save 20% on Bronze, Silver, and Gold packages.

Episode Summary   In this week’s episode of The Freelancers Show, Reuven Lerner teaches about B2B and B2C business strategies, giving advice and examples from his own life. He begins by defining B2B or business to business, selling your services to businesses. This type of exchange usually happens behind scenes, Sysko being one example of a B2B company. B2B doesn’t necessarily mean businesses, it could be government agencies or non-profits.    Reuven defines B2C or business to consumer, selling a product or service to individuals. This type of business is seen all the time in advertisements and tv commercials, Coca Cola is the example he gives. The first thing to decide is what you want to sell and then to whom.    Next, Reuven explains why most freelancers go with B2B. It is an established and safer route, especially if you are offering something like web development or web design. Companies are always looking for that kind of help, using contractors and agencies. Reuven does Python training for companies, which is a B2B service.    Reuven goes on to talk about how to find B2B clients. There are two ways to do this outbound or outreach and inbound, which Reuven prefers. Outreach, he explains is reaching out to companies and offering them your services. Reuven gives some advice on this but explains that it is very difficult to get in and very easy to be brushed off. Inbound, meaning your clients find you. He explains that inbound is all about making yourself recognized as an authority, which can take years to build that kind of reputation.   Why works so hard for B2B business? The simple answer Reuven gives is money. He explains that if you do get in then you can become that company’s go-to person for years. An example he gives form his own life is a company that purchases trainings from him every year. Reuven gives the most common timelines from making contact to actually doing the job at 6 months to a year and advises listeners to plan ahead.    Reuven’s advice for getting in is to get in front of a head technical person. The way he does this is through speaking at conferences but webinars and blog posts will help with this. Webinars and blog posts could not only catch the eye of a head technical person but will also them you know what you are doing.    Next, Reuven prepares listeners by explaining what businesses will expect from you. B2B will be way more formal, including paperwork and contracts. He advises listeners that businesses will expect them to be incorporated and insured, treating them as a business.   Moving on to B2C, Reuven discusses the types of products developers might offer to consumers, e-books, online courses, training, and coaching. He explains that the main advantage of B2C over B2B is that there are a lot more people in the world than there are businesses. Rueven explains that the key to success with B2C is volume. He goes over ways of reaching people, videos, blog posts, and posts using Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube.    Reuven spends a lot of time discussing mailing lists. He shares the doubts he felt about mailing lists when he first heard of them but strongly suggests that everyone has one.  He explains the advantages of using mailing lists. Reuven shares free content with subscribers, getting his name out there, while also including advertisements for his products. Reuven shares some of the specific details of how his mailing list works.    YouTube is the next topic Reuven talks about. YouTubers can get thousands of followers, Reuven himself is currently working on building up his following. In his videos, he shares free python information all while advertising his products and building up his credibility.    One last tip for B2C, Reuven suggests you have multiple products. More product means more for people to buy. People can become very loyal and you could end up with groupies waiting for your next product.    Cross overs between B2C and B2B, Reuven explains is very unlikely. He shares instances where this has happened which were quite rare. He explains a way he is hoping to see more crossover through his mailing list. Considering that both B2B and B2C both take considerable amounts of time, Reuven suggests focusing on one.   When it comes down to it, Reuven, for the most part, suggests B2B. He explains that it is easier to get started in B2B. B2C is very risky because you start out as an unknown and untested resource. Reuven talks about the time that he tried this in the beginning and it did not go well. The only exception he makes is if you have a niche market that fills a hole, a product or course that people are desperate for.  Panelists Reuven Lerner Sponsors   Sentry– use the code “devchat” for two months free on Sentry’s small plan Adventures in DevOps Views on Vue CacheFly Links https://www.drip.com/ https://www.youtube.com/reuvenlerner http://lerner.co.il/newsletter https://www.facebook.com/freelancersshow/ Picks Reuven Lerner: Lab Rats: How Silicon Valley Made Work Miserable for the Rest of Us AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order

Episode Summary   In this week’s episode of The Freelancers Show, Reuven Lerner teaches about B2B and B2C business strategies, giving advice and examples from his own life. He begins by defining B2B or business to business, selling your services to businesses. This type of exchange usually happens behind scenes, Sysko being one example of a B2B company. B2B doesn’t necessarily mean businesses, it could be government agencies or non-profits.    Reuven defines B2C or business to consumer, selling a product or service to individuals. This type of business is seen all the time in advertisements and tv commercials, Coca Cola is the example he gives. The first thing to decide is what you want to sell and then to whom.    Next, Reuven explains why most freelancers go with B2B. It is an established and safer route, especially if you are offering something like web development or web design. Companies are always looking for that kind of help, using contractors and agencies. Reuven does Python training for companies, which is a B2B service.    Reuven goes on to talk about how to find B2B clients. There are two ways to do this outbound or outreach and inbound, which Reuven prefers. Outreach, he explains is reaching out to companies and offering them your services. Reuven gives some advice on this but explains that it is very difficult to get in and very easy to be brushed off. Inbound, meaning your clients find you. He explains that inbound is all about making yourself recognized as an authority, which can take years to build that kind of reputation.   Why works so hard for B2B business? The simple answer Reuven gives is money. He explains that if you do get in then you can become that company’s go-to person for years. An example he gives form his own life is a company that purchases trainings from him every year. Reuven gives the most common timelines from making contact to actually doing the job at 6 months to a year and advises listeners to plan ahead.    Reuven’s advice for getting in is to get in front of a head technical person. The way he does this is through speaking at conferences but webinars and blog posts will help with this. Webinars and blog posts could not only catch the eye of a head technical person but will also them you know what you are doing.    Next, Reuven prepares listeners by explaining what businesses will expect from you. B2B will be way more formal, including paperwork and contracts. He advises listeners that businesses will expect them to be incorporated and insured, treating them as a business.   Moving on to B2C, Reuven discusses the types of products developers might offer to consumers, e-books, online courses, training, and coaching. He explains that the main advantage of B2C over B2B is that there are a lot more people in the world than there are businesses. Rueven explains that the key to success with B2C is volume. He goes over ways of reaching people, videos, blog posts, and posts using Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube.    Reuven spends a lot of time discussing mailing lists. He shares the doubts he felt about mailing lists when he first heard of them but strongly suggests that everyone has one.  He explains the advantages of using mailing lists. Reuven shares free content with subscribers, getting his name out there, while also including advertisements for his products. Reuven shares some of the specific details of how his mailing list works.    YouTube is the next topic Reuven talks about. YouTubers can get thousands of followers, Reuven himself is currently working on building up his following. In his videos, he shares free python information all while advertising his products and building up his credibility.    One last tip for B2C, Reuven suggests you have multiple products. More product means more for people to buy. People can become very loyal and you could end up with groupies waiting for your next product.    Cross overs between B2C and B2B, Reuven explains is very unlikely. He shares instances where this has happened which were quite rare. He explains a way he is hoping to see more crossover through his mailing list. Considering that both B2B and B2C both take considerable amounts of time, Reuven suggests focusing on one.   When it comes down to it, Reuven, for the most part, suggests B2B. He explains that it is easier to get started in B2B. B2C is very risky because you start out as an unknown and untested resource. Reuven talks about the time that he tried this in the beginning and it did not go well. The only exception he makes is if you have a niche market that fills a hole, a product or course that people are desperate for.  Panelists Reuven Lerner Sponsors   Sentry– use the code “devchat” for two months free on Sentry’s small plan Adventures in DevOps Views on Vue CacheFly Links https://www.drip.com/ https://www.youtube.com/reuvenlerner http://lerner.co.il/newsletter https://www.facebook.com/freelancersshow/ Picks Reuven Lerner: Lab Rats: How Silicon Valley Made Work Miserable for the Rest of Us AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order

Sponsors Sentry– use the code “devchat” for two months free on Sentry’s small plan CacheFly Panel Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Summary Erik and Rueven define indefinite engagements, warning against staff augmentation type of consulting and contracting gigs. They explain how this is not a good business strategy. Thinking of yourself as a business is the first step to breaking out of these types of engagements. Erik and Reuven give more advice for breaking away including having savings before breaking away, identifying what your best at, market testing and weaning your current client. The benefits and drawbacks of working shorter and more high powered gigs are considered. The episode ends with a discussion of the importance of maintaining good relationships and a good reputation.  Links https://www.facebook.com/freelancersshow/ Picks Erik Dietrich: https://TubeBuddy.com/ http://HitSubscribe.com/ Reuven Lerner: https://YouTube.com/reuvenlerner Long, daily walks -- try it!

Sponsors Sentry– use the code “devchat” for two months free on Sentry’s small plan CacheFly Panel Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Summary Erik and Rueven define indefinite engagements, warning against staff augmentation type of consulting and contracting gigs. They explain how this is not a good business strategy. Thinking of yourself as a business is the first step to breaking out of these types of engagements. Erik and Reuven give more advice for breaking away including having savings before breaking away, identifying what your best at, market testing and weaning your current client. The benefits and drawbacks of working shorter and more high powered gigs are considered. The episode ends with a discussion of the importance of maintaining good relationships and a good reputation.  Links https://www.facebook.com/freelancersshow/ Picks Erik Dietrich: https://TubeBuddy.com/ http://HitSubscribe.com/ Reuven Lerner: https://YouTube.com/reuvenlerner Long, daily walks -- try it!

Sponsors Sentry– use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan Paymo |Opt for monthly & get 30% discount on paid plans for 6 months CacheFly Panel Eric Dietrich Reuven Lerner Summary The panel shares experiences and advice for managing finances as a small business owner. They discuss the differences in personal finance as a salaried employee and consultant. The panel explains unexpected expenses when becoming a freelancer such as health insurance, taxes and gives advice on how to handle them. The importance of savings and retirement are considered. The panel advises keeping personal funds and business funds separate and consider what you can expense to your business for tax right offs.  Picks Eric Dietrich: Expensify.com streamable.com Reuven Lerner: The Tick - Season 2 https://store.lerner.co.il/pandas

Sponsors Sentry– use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan Paymo |Opt for monthly & get 30% discount on paid plans for 6 months CacheFly Panel Eric Dietrich Reuven Lerner Summary The panel shares experiences and advice for managing finances as a small business owner. They discuss the differences in personal finance as a salaried employee and consultant. The panel explains unexpected expenses when becoming a freelancer such as health insurance, taxes and gives advice on how to handle them. The importance of savings and retirement are considered. The panel advises keeping personal funds and business funds separate and consider what you can expense to your business for tax right offs.  Picks Eric Dietrich: Expensify.com streamable.com Reuven Lerner: The Tick - Season 2 https://store.lerner.co.il/pandas

Sponsors Sentry– use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan Paymo | Opt for monthly & get 30% discount on paid plans for 6 months CacheFly Panel Eric Dietrich Reuven Lerner Summary The panel discusses different billing models and their experiences with each. They start by sharing their current billing model, upfront payment. Net +30 and Net +60 are discussed; the panel advises freelancers to get used to waiting for payment. The upsides and downsides of hourly billing, fixed rates, value pricing, and retainers are considered. The panel explains how to choose a billing model, how to evolve to other models and how to raise your rates. Picks Eric Dietrich: Million Dollar Consulting https://www.hitsubscribe.com/apply-to-be-an-author/ Reuven Lerner: Alexander Hamilton

Sponsors Sentry– use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan Paymo | Opt for monthly & get 30% discount on paid plans for 6 months CacheFly Panel Eric Dietrich Reuven Lerner Summary The panel discusses different billing models and their experiences with each. They start by sharing their current billing model, upfront payment. Net +30 and Net +60 are discussed; the panel advises freelancers to get used to waiting for payment. The upsides and downsides of hourly billing, fixed rates, value pricing, and retainers are considered. The panel explains how to choose a billing model, how to evolve to other models and how to raise your rates. Picks Eric Dietrich: Million Dollar Consulting https://www.hitsubscribe.com/apply-to-be-an-author/ Reuven Lerner: Alexander Hamilton

Sponsors Sentry– use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan Paymo | Opt for monthly & get 30% discount on paid plans for 6 months Try GanttPRO FREE for 14 days | Software Development project template Use coupon code “devchat” to get $50 for using GanttPRO CacheFly Panel Eric Dietrich Jeremy Green Reuven Lerner Summary The panel discusses working across borders, sharing examples and advice. They discuss the best ways to receive payment. Currency exchange rates are considered. The panel discusses paying taxes and the different types of taxes in different countries. They share how they communicate with clients and how they manage contracts. They advise getting the correct work visas and professional insurance. Links https://stripe.com/ Picks Jeremy Green: Chernobyl Miniseries on HBO Eric Dietrich: transferwise.com zoom.us Reuven Lerner: A Fine Mess: A Global Quest for a Simpler, Fairer, and More Efficient Tax System https://www.azlo.com/

Sponsors Sentry– use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan Paymo | Opt for monthly & get 30% discount on paid plans for 6 months Try GanttPRO FREE for 14 days | Software Development project template Use coupon code “devchat” to get $50 for using GanttPRO CacheFly Panel Eric Dietrich Jeremy Green Reuven Lerner Summary The panel discusses working across borders, sharing examples and advice. They discuss the best ways to receive payment. Currency exchange rates are considered. The panel discusses paying taxes and the different types of taxes in different countries. They share how they communicate with clients and how they manage contracts. They advise getting the correct work visas and professional insurance. Links https://stripe.com/ Picks Jeremy Green: Chernobyl Miniseries on HBO Eric Dietrich: transferwise.com zoom.us Reuven Lerner: A Fine Mess: A Global Quest for a Simpler, Fairer, and More Efficient Tax System https://www.azlo.com/

Sponsors Sentry– use the code “devchat” for two months free on Sentry small plan Paymo| Opt for monthly & get 30% discount on paid plans for 6 months Try GanttPRO FREE for 14 days| Software Development project template Use coupon code “devchat” to get $50 for using GanttPRO CacheFly Panel Jeremy Green Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Episode Summary The panel discusses the advantages of having a booth at a conference. Having a booth at a conference is a great way to learn about how conference advertising and finance works. It is also a great way to network and collect leads. Reuven talks about his experience at getting a booth at Pycon 2019. He shares tips on what to give out at the booths such as flyers and t-shirts and how many to order and in what sizes. He talks about the best way to work out the logistics for the materials for the booth and tips on attracting visitors to the booth. One takeaway Reuven had for his next booth was to have more Medium sized t-shirts made! Listen to the show to learn about more tips on getting a booth at a conference and the best spot to place your booth at the conference job fair. Picks Jeremy Green: Interactive Composition by V.J. Manzo and by Will Kuhn Chernobyl Miniseries on HBO Erik Dietrich: RetroGames Website Putting Your Phone on Airplane Mode Overnight Reuven Lerner: Logitech R800 Wireless Laser Presentation Remote

Sponsors Sentry– use the code “devchat” for two months free on Sentry small plan Paymo| Opt for monthly & get 30% discount on paid plans for 6 months Try GanttPRO FREE for 14 days| Software Development project template Use coupon code “devchat” to get $50 for using GanttPRO CacheFly Panel Jeremy Green Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Episode Summary The panel discusses the advantages of having a booth at a conference. Having a booth at a conference is a great way to learn about how conference advertising and finance works. It is also a great way to network and collect leads. Reuven talks about his experience at getting a booth at Pycon 2019. He shares tips on what to give out at the booths such as flyers and t-shirts and how many to order and in what sizes. He talks about the best way to work out the logistics for the materials for the booth and tips on attracting visitors to the booth. One takeaway Reuven had for his next booth was to have more Medium sized t-shirts made! Listen to the show to learn about more tips on getting a booth at a conference and the best spot to place your booth at the conference job fair. Picks Jeremy Green: Interactive Composition by V.J. Manzo and by Will Kuhn Chernobyl Miniseries on HBO Erik Dietrich: RetroGames Website Putting Your Phone on Airplane Mode Overnight Reuven Lerner: Logitech R800 Wireless Laser Presentation Remote

GUEST BIO: My guest on today’s show is a full-time Python trainer.  In a given year, he teaches courses at companies in the United States, Europe, Israel, and China as well as to people around the world through his online courses.   He is a regular panelist on the Freelancers Show podcast, CTO of Rent Like a Champion and a published author, his most recent book being “Python Workout”.   He is also credited with having created one of the world’s first 100 websites just after graduating from MIT.   EPISODE DESCRIPTION: Reuven is an MIT graduate who started his IT career working as an engineer for Hewlett-Packard. But, he soon realized that web development was his passion. So, he became one of the first web application engineers Time Inc ever hired. From there, he went on to set up and lead a training company, take his PhD and found his consultancy firm. He is viewed as a Python expert, and is well-known for being instrumental in setting up the first newspaper on the World Wide Web. As well as providing face to face training, Reuven has created several online programming courses. Reuven is also a prolific IT writer and speaker. His latest book “Python Workout” is selling well and his online newsletter “Better developers” already has more than 12,000 subscribers. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (1.10) – Could you tell us maybe a little bit about rent like a champion? I know it's not directly related to IT. But, it'd be good to know a little bit about it. Reuven explains that a while back he realized that college alumni were returning to their college town a few times a year to watch games. But, they struggled to find accommodation. Usually, this was because the towns were too small to sustain a hotel. So, he set up Rent Like a Champion, to fill that gap. The service he provides links homeowners and small businesses up with people who want to stay for a night or two to enjoy the odd game. It has been a great success. (2.37) –Phil asks Reuven to tell the audience more about the weekly IT newsletter he produces. Still Better Developers, has been running for about 2/3 years. Every Monday, subscribers are sent a new set of tips and programming practices. As the name suggests the magazine is set up to help developers to continually learn and improve the way they work. The newsletter covers Python in a lot of detail. But, things like how to grow your developer career and get the most out of working as a freelancer, are also covered. At the time of recording the podcast, that newsletter had 12,000 subscribers. (3.45) – Can you please share a unique career tip with the I.T. career audience? Reuven’s advice is to focus on one thing. Something he did not do at the start of his career. His advice is to find that one thing that interests you and get a job doing it. Once you do that you can become a big fish in a small pond and will not spread yourself too thin. From there you can grow and learn new things. (4.57) – How long would you typically focus on one project? Reuven explains that it varies. You could do it for a few years, and then move on. Or, you could become a super expert and specialize in something like database optimization for 30 to 40 years. Reuven prefers to switch every 3 or 4 years. He started his career in web development but has also worked in general development, training and consulting. Every couple of years he asks himself what makes him happiest and focuses on learning more about and working in that area. He believes in the evolution approach to career growth rather than the revolution approach that so many people take. Initially, Reuven focused on Python, switched to Ruby and a few other languages. But, now that Python is so ridiculously popular again, he has switched his focus back to Python. (6.36) – Can you tell us about your worst career moment? And what you learned from that experience. A long time ago, Reuven received a call from someone who had a problem with his Linux server. His network administrator had disappeared on him. So, Reuven agreed to help him. He finished up his day then pulled an all-nighter to sort this guy’s servers out. It was tough, but Reuven felt great when he finally got it all working again. The problem was that when he tried to bill the guy he got ignored. He persevered until eventually; the guy came back to him. Unfortunately, it was in the form of a fax telling Reuven he was not going to be paid. Worse than that, the guy said he was going to sue him for ruining his servers. At that point, Reuven realized that he had been conned. That negative experience taught Reuven to always check a customer out before agreeing to work for them. (9.12) – What was your best career moment? Reuven worked at MIT as an undergraduate. At the time, he was the editor in chief of the student newspaper. One of his fellow students came to him and told him about the work Tim Berners-Lee was doing on something new called the Worldwide Web. The moment Reuven saw it he was intrigued and wanted to get involved. So, he and a bunch of other students set to work learning HTML and creating a website. When they were done they emailed Tim Berners-Lee and he added their site to his list of 100 websites. This meant that their newspaper was the first one to go live on the World Wide Web. Naturally, there were lots of teething problems. Nobody had done it before, so there was no manual. But, it felt great to be part of creating the basic infrastructure that millions use today. (11.25) – Can you tell us what excites you about the future of the IT industry and careers? Reuven loves the way working in IT ticks all of the boxes. You get paid well, do exciting things and are forced to learn and grow. He is very excited by the rate at which the industry is growing. Anything is possible. Machine learning, in particular, is drastically changing the way we work. The future for those working in the industry has never been brighter. IT is becoming more accessible every day, opening up the chance for everyone to get involved. (12.44) Are there any particular directions or technologies that interest you, or areas you believe we will be going? Complex languages like Python are perfect for the technology environment we are working in, at the moment. Computers are cheap, but, people are not. With Python, there is no steep learning curve. You no longer have to struggle to learn C++. Instead, you can use Ruby, Python or JavaScript to get to where you need to be much faster. This change is making the whole IT field much more accessible. You can very quickly get a well-paid and secure job. People are desperate to hire someone that can help them to analyze their data effectively. (14.20) – What drew you to a career in IT?  Even as a kid Reuven loved computers. He enjoyed exploring and seeing what he could do.  It was the fact he could have fun and still get paid that initially drew him to a career in IT. (15.22) – What is the best career advice you have ever received? At one point Reuven switched from providing training on his own to finding work through a training company. They were very good at marketing him, but, his wife advised him to leave them and switch back to working independently. He was not sure about doing that, but, he decided to give it a go. It turned out to be very good advice. From that point on, everything about his career improved. (16.14) - Conversely, what is the worst career advice you've ever received? A lawyer he knew once told Reuven to always say yes to his customers, regardless of what they ask for. For years, Reuven followed that advised. He learned new languages and platforms to deliver what the customer had asked for. Working like that forced him to learn new skills, which was a good thing. But there was a problem, a big one. With these new languages, he was barely scratching the surface. He was learning enough to get a specific job done, but, not much else. In the end, Reuven realized this was a bad way of working. He then re-focused and switched back to becoming an expert in one area. Reuven did not want to be a jack of all trades, master of none. (17.16) – If you were to begin your IT career again, right now, what would you do? Reuven said that, at the early stage of his career, he would work mainly for startups. This forces you to learn. Provided you switch firms every 3 to 5 years, you stay fresh and engaged in what you are doing. It also builds up your ability to handle change and unpredictability well. (18.21) – What career objectives are you currently focusing on? Even though Reuven’s training booked up for the next 6 to 9 months he is still looking to expand that side of his business. He is moving into the US and Europe to do that. Reuven also has several online courses, which is currently learning to market better. Right now, he is in the process of getting everything translated into Chinese, so he can start selling his courses there. (19.50) – What is the number one non-technical skill that has helped you the most in your IT career? Reuven feels that his communication skills are the ones that he has used most to move his career forward. Over the years, he has learned to communicate well in all mediums. He writes, speaks publically, makes videos and stands up in the classroom to teach. Every time, he does any one of those things he is using and honing his communication skills.  He is so grateful to his college professors who forced all of their students to learn the skill of writing. They were right when they said, “what you do isn't worth anything if you can't communicate effectively with other people.” A lot of other students resisted being taught how to write well, Reuven knuckled down and did as he was asked. Those skills have stood him in good stead. Reuven also talks about how learning to touch type has helped him.     (20.48) - What do you do to keep your own IT career energized? Reuven finds keeping up with new stuff helps to keep him interested and energized. But, it is his students that provide the biggest push. Occasionally, one of them will ask him a question he does not know the answer to. It forces him to keep learning and to see things from a fresh perspective. (21.48) - What do you do in your spare time away from technology? Reuven’s family is, by far, the most important thing in his life. He has also enjoyed learning Chinese. After four and a half years, it feels fantastic to be able to jabber away in a different language. Although he jokes that his Chinese grammar, accent, and vocabulary are terrible. Reuven also loves to cook and travel. He is an avid reader too and enjoys crossword puzzles.  (22.49) – Phil asks Reuven to share a final piece of career advice with the audience. People in the IT industry have an amazing opportunity. You can choose your own path, do something you enjoy and get well paid for it. So, you need to take advantage of it. Also, don’t stand still, stay engaged and take the opportunity to learn more. BEST MOMENTS: (4.50) REUVEN – "Become a big fish in a small pond, rather than spreading yourself too thin." (5.30) REUVEN – "Every few years, I ask, what part of what I'm doing is making me happiest and has the greatest potential for the future" (12.20) REUVEN – "IT careers have never been brighter and never more accessible, than right now." (20.48) REUVEN – "What you do isn't worth anything if you can't communicate effectively with other people." (21.21) REUVEN – "A good question is one where the student does not know the answer. An excellent question is one where the teacher does not know the answer. " CONTACT REUVEN: Twitter: https://twitter.com/reuvenmlerner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reuven/ Website: https://lerner.co.il/

Sponsors: Sentryuse the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan .TECH – tech/Freelancer and use the coupon code “FREELANCER.TECH” and get a 1 year .TECH Domain at $9.99 and 5 Year Domain at $49.99. Hurry! Try GanttPRO FREE for 14 days| Software Development project template Use coupon code “devchat” to get $50 for using GanttPRO CacheFly Panel: Jeremy Green Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Jonathan Stark Episode Summary: In this episode of the Freelancers' Show, the panel talks about advantages of using a CRM software in their freelance business. They share their own experiences of how their business improved when they started using it and why they needed one in the first place. Picks: Jeremy Green: Sanebox Erik Dietrich: The Hiring Post Giftly Jonathan Stark: The Trusted Advisor Interview with Charles Green, author of the Trust Advisors Reuven Lerner: The Trusted Advisor Disrupted Amazing sandwich suggestion: peanut butter + pickles + hot sauce  

Sponsors: Sentryuse the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan .TECH – tech/Freelancer and use the coupon code “FREELANCER.TECH” and get a 1 year .TECH Domain at $9.99 and 5 Year Domain at $49.99. Hurry! Try GanttPRO FREE for 14 days| Software Development project template Use coupon code “devchat” to get $50 for using GanttPRO CacheFly Panel: Jeremy Green Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Jonathan Stark Episode Summary: In this episode of the Freelancers' Show, the panel talks about advantages of using a CRM software in their freelance business. They share their own experiences of how their business improved when they started using it and why they needed one in the first place. Picks: Jeremy Green: Sanebox Erik Dietrich: The Hiring Post Giftly Jonathan Stark: The Trusted Advisor Interview with Charles Green, author of the Trust Advisors Reuven Lerner: The Trusted Advisor Disrupted Amazing sandwich suggestion: peanut butter + pickles + hot sauce  

Sponsors ​Sentry use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan .TECH – Go.tech/Elixir and use the coupon code “ELIXIR.TECH” and get a 1 year .TECH Domain at $9.99 and 5 Year Domain at $49.99. Hurry! Try GanttPRO FREE for 14 days | Software Development project template Use coupon code “devchat” to get $50 for using GanttPRO CacheFly   Panel Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Jeremy Green Summary The panel starts by discussing why career development as a freelancer is important and what skills to work on for career development. They share mistakes and use examples from their own businesses. The panel gives career tips for those just starting out as well as freelancers who are advanced. Networking and masterminds are considered; the panel advises developers on how to choose a mastermind to join. The episode ends with a discussion on improving technical skills. Picks Reuven Lerner: http://store.lerner.co.il/numpy https://www.pipedrive.com Erik Dietrich: http://HitSubscribe.com/ Jeremy Green: http://PersonalMBA.com/

Sponsors ​Sentry use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan .TECH – Go.tech/Elixir and use the coupon code “ELIXIR.TECH” and get a 1 year .TECH Domain at $9.99 and 5 Year Domain at $49.99. Hurry! Try GanttPRO FREE for 14 days | Software Development project template Use coupon code “devchat” to get $50 for using GanttPRO CacheFly   Panel Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Jeremy Green Summary The panel starts by discussing why career development as a freelancer is important and what skills to work on for career development. They share mistakes and use examples from their own businesses. The panel gives career tips for those just starting out as well as freelancers who are advanced. Networking and masterminds are considered; the panel advises developers on how to choose a mastermind to join. The episode ends with a discussion on improving technical skills. Picks Reuven Lerner: http://store.lerner.co.il/numpy https://www.pipedrive.com Erik Dietrich: http://HitSubscribe.com/ Jeremy Green: http://PersonalMBA.com/

Sponsors Sentry use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan .TECH – Go.tech/Elixir and use the coupon code “ELIXIR.TECH” and get a 1 year .TECH Domain at $9.99 and 5 Year Domain at $49.99. Hurry! CacheFly Panel Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Summary The panel discusses various “things not to do” that they have seen others do. First, they advise not sticking with a single client in a pseudo employment situation. The panel also warns against biting off more than you can chew. Erik brings up not relying on global freelancing platforms like upwork.com, while Rueven cautions against saying yes to all business. The panel considers overworking and hourly rates. They also debate when to get a virtual assistant and communication tools. The panel ends with consideration on what technologies to use and warns against chasing new and shiny technologies. The episode ends with an invitation to the listeners to share their own “things not to do”. Links www.upwork.com Picks Erik Dietrich https://gramblr.com/uploader/#home https://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/view-clipboard-history-on-windows-10/ https://think-boundless.com/the-failed-promise-of-freelance-consulting-talent-platforms/ Reuven Lerner http://LinuxJournal.com/ https://us.pycon.org/2019/

Sponsors Sentry use the code “devchat” for 2 months free on Sentry small plan .TECH – Go.tech/Elixir and use the coupon code “ELIXIR.TECH” and get a 1 year .TECH Domain at $9.99 and 5 Year Domain at $49.99. Hurry! CacheFly Panel Erik Dietrich Reuven Lerner Summary The panel discusses various “things not to do” that they have seen others do. First, they advise not sticking with a single client in a pseudo employment situation. The panel also warns against biting off more than you can chew. Erik brings up not relying on global freelancing platforms like upwork.com, while Rueven cautions against saying yes to all business. The panel considers overworking and hourly rates. They also debate when to get a virtual assistant and communication tools. The panel ends with consideration on what technologies to use and warns against chasing new and shiny technologies. The episode ends with an invitation to the listeners to share their own “things not to do”. Links www.upwork.com Picks Erik Dietrich https://gramblr.com/uploader/#home https://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/view-clipboard-history-on-windows-10/ https://think-boundless.com/the-failed-promise-of-freelance-consulting-talent-platforms/ Reuven Lerner http://LinuxJournal.com/ https://us.pycon.org/2019/

Episode 2 - Reuven Lerner