Welcome to 10 Questions With, a blog series where we get to know members of the Xamarin community a little bit better.
1) What's the first thing you do when you start working in the morning?
My morning routine usually involves listening to podcasts, catching up on emails, catching up on slack conversations, and perusing tech blogs.
2) What superpower do you wish you had?
Teleportation! I love to travel, but I wish that I could just teleport to awesome places instead of sitting for hours on a plane.
3) What's one thing that you do when developing software that you know you shouldn't?
Haha, my wife would tell you that I should hang out with her instead. But my biggest problem is using poor posture. I love to lounge on the couch while cranking out code, but it always leaves me with a sore back. I guess Iām just getting old...
4) What makes you happy?
I love coding, traveling, spending time with friends, my beautiful wife Kim, and my awesome pup Kirby!
5) What first got you interested in software development?
My dad piqued my interest in computers at a young age. He taught me how to use the command line in Windows 3.1 in order to navigate the filesystem and launch games, and I fell in love with technology. I went on to study Computer Engineering at University of Florida (Go Gators!) and have since fallen in love with mobile and Xamarin!
6) Where in the world would you most like to live?
I'm humbled to currently live in the Bay Area, a tech mecca. But I think our next move will be to somewhere quieter, somewhere warmer and maybe even somewhere more exotic!
We recently got back from sailing the Adriatic Sea around the islands of Croatia and we just fell in love with it! The island of Vis, Croatia would certainly be an awesome place to live.
7) If you weren't in software, what would you be doing?
I actually began my career pursuing Computer Hardware. The Computer Engineering program at the University of Florida required you to specialize in either Computer Hardware or Computer Software, and I chose the former.
I loved (and still do!) soldering wires together, building circuit boards and designing microprocessors. However, when I graduated, I learned that jobs for Computer Hardware were few-and-far-between compared to software. And completing my undergraduate degree shortly after the stock market crash of 2008, didn't help job prospects either!
8) What's the most overrated software skill?
Experience.
I know what you're thinking, "Oh great, another millennial that thinks he knows everything", but hear me out!
Experience means nothing if it isn't coupled with the willingness and eagerness to learn new things.
The rapid pace of software development means that a programming paradigm, framework or language that you learned a few years ago may be (and probably is!) obsolete.
While experience is certainly important, it can no longer be used as a trump card (no pun intended) due to the rapid pace of change in our industry.
9) What music do you listen to while you're coding?
I typically listen to Podcasts while coding, but if I'm feeling lethargic I'll put on some music to pump me up! Right now my go-to artist is The White Panda.
10) What's your motto?
Never stop improving!
I can't stand being unproductive, and I view downtime as an opportunity to learn something new. If we're lounging on the couch watching TV, I'll pull out my computer and write some code, or check out the latest C# and Xamarin blogs.
Burnt-out from code? I'll catch up on my favorite YouTube channels (shoutout to SmarterEveryDay, Geography Now, Veritasium, CGP Grey and Numberphile!) and my favorite Podcasts (shout to Planet Money, 99% Invisible, Radiolab, and Coding Blocks!).
My wife hates this about me, because it means I can never lay on a beach and drink daiquiris, which just so happens to be her favorite thing in the world! Love you, Kim! (I don't know how she puts up with me š)
Bonus! What's next for you?
I love what I do! I am extremely fortunate that I work alongside amazing coworkers at a great company, and I basically get paid to write code and chat with fellow Xamarin developers from around the world. Amazing!
My 5-year plan, is to expand on what I'm doing now and enter the world of consulting. It's a little scary, because I've always had a steady paycheck provided by an employer, but think it'll be a lot of fun!
Bonus 2! Where can people find you?
The best place to reach me is Twitter: @BrandonXamarin
For some reason, I'm really bad about responding to emails but I love checking out tweets!
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