More Than Meets the Eye

With a few years’ of industry experience, Drew was able to take that into his Co.Lab team and develop more into a leadership role. Something that was unforeseen on his end.

“Before I joined, my expectation was that I’d be in a team that would just hand me things and I’ll go forward to develop them. This is the design, this is the idea, let’s build this. But the program actually pushed me to be in a role where I was the one giving more direction and encouragement to the team.”

Leadership isn’t something Drew had at the top of his mind in his current career stage. Of course, it’s where he strives to be in the future but he wants to solidify his foundations as a software developer first before moving to the next step. Drew considers himself in the learning phase where there is still so much to learn in tech.

“I had a great experience with my designer and product manager. And whenever they came to a point where they weren’t confident in the solution or idea, I was able to intervene and provide more guidance.

My leadership skills, especially in software development, are not honed in. But Co.Lab’s given me the opportunity to flex some of those muscles, where my industry experience can bring something to the table. I don’t think I’m a leader yet—there is still a lot to learn, there’s still a long way to go in knowing how to lead people. But that’s what Co.Lab’s allowed me to dip my foot in: really help facilitate conversations with people and move ideas forward when the team is unsure of themselves.”

That feeling when you unexpectedly find a five-dollar bill between the couch covers? I imagine it’s a similar feeling to when Drew’s confidence in being a future leader was boosted. It’s not just something sitting at the back of his mind anymore, he’s now more aware.

“Co.Lab accelerated me in having the confidence where I can be at some point in my career. It prepared me to become the technology leader I hope to be in the future.”

Experiment, Make Mistakes, Learn!

Guess what – Drew’s back in COLAB5! This time, on top of building a brand new product again, he’s also aiming to create a great product-development experience for his team.

Being both an alumni and active participant, we ask Drew what kind of observations he’s made in both cohorts and any advice he’d like to offer to incoming Co.Laborators. He reminds us that we learn by doing and we learn most from our mistakes and failures!

“For folks still early on in their careers, there’s a sense of imposter syndrome. There’s a sense of not being confident in the ideas they’re coming forward with. But Co.Lab is a great place to make mistakes! A lot of people just want to do really well and have a perfect experience. But this is a great place to say, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing so let’s figure this out together’.”

And for the software developers out there? Here are some words of wisdom:

“Resist the urge to start building immediately. I often go by this quote: ‘measure twice, cut once’. Take the time to really understand the problem. Really think about the problem space, take the time to design it, and once you’re very happy with the skeleton outline, only then to start to build it.

And don’t be afraid to question the product and the feasibility and push back on these particular things. Sometimes developers feel like they don’t have a say in these matters but that shouldn’t be the case. There can be immense pressure from the program timeline and your team to start building immediately. It sounds like counterintuitive advice; but if you have this thing mapped out well, the developing will go much smoother, with fewer roadblocks and uncertainties.”

Take it from a seasoned Co.Laborator himself! It's tried-and-true advice, as Drew and his COLAB2 team successfully built a product within the tight timeline and high pressure. Curious to know what Drew’s team built? Check out their pitch on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlcgARSnQKM

And in COLAB5 with a different designer, a different PM, and a different problem space, we’re super intrigued to know just what he’s helping to cook up this time 👀. So stay tuned!

In the meanwhile, if you’re enjoying these personal stories about developers in the tech space, check out our YBIT – Developer booklet, where we tell five unique stories of developers who came from non-traditional tech backgrounds.

And for all developers in the space who want to build a product of their own from the ground up - this is your chance to sign up for our upcoming cohort! Unleash your creativity and coding prowess 🚀🚀🚀

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