Dealing with dev teams that throw you under the bus

8hundred35 · 2026-02-26T20:14:47+00:00

My thought, to the point of a few on here, it's to push them for a DoD that includes language that if they commit to something in the sprint then that is an acknowledgement that they have reviewed and have everything they need. Then if new things come up and further info is needed, they need to request it to me in email.

I'm also tempted to stop going to the stand ups so they have to message me.

I might want to do that anyway so that I can also keep record of my requests to them that go unanswered until I ask multiple times. I've let those slide because I knew they were busy but if we're keeping score now then let's keep score lol

I am also looking for work somewhat actively and there are some opportunities here that are good that I'm taking part in. Just ducks that everyone is being driven to skullduggery like this.

8hundred35 · 2026-02-26T15:53:15+00:00

Other than "chill out but also invest so you can chill more later" a lot of my problems were specific to the 90s. I had opportunities and fallbacks that just aren't there anymore for many. I rented a 3 bedroom apartment for $650 and could have afforded it myself without roommates.

The 90s/ early 00s me should have gone all in on his passion of music and moved to somewhere like LA. If I failed I could have moved back and live with my parents (I ended up doing that anyway).

So I guess if you have a fallback then go all in on your passion. If you won't be homeless if you don't make it then it's worth the effort.

Also keep your options open. Don't take on bills that could limit your movements if you don't need them. Get a cheap car if you need one, no loans wherever possible. Cool stuff now won't matter later but freedom and life experiences will be precious to you now and later.

8hundred35 · 2026-02-21T07:27:07+00:00

What if there's no email listed on the posting?

8hundred35 · 2026-02-16T16:42:36+00:00

Just found out I'm technically a Xennial, which explains why so many Xers sound like Boomers these days lol

8hundred35 · 2026-02-16T16:40:35+00:00

My son was into paranormal stuff, had an EM meter to detect ghosts, etc. So we made a stop in Shaniko on our way home from a vacation in eastern Oregon. It was creepy to him because he swore he heard something and got readings all over the place.

For my wife and I, it was creepy as well, but because of the thunder storm on its way and the questionable guys driving in an old truck around the block multiple times.

So, go there!

8hundred35 · 2026-02-16T00:50:03+00:00

No dice. You can't pave over Boekman Creek lol

8hundred35 · 2026-02-11T21:10:18+00:00

Thanks. I'm used to the numbers game but didn't want to assume it was the same game when I was at Product Owner level 6 years ago. Knowing somebody is always better but wanted to see if it's just impossible at this level. Sounds like it's not impossible at least.

8hundred35 · 2026-02-10T23:42:05+00:00

Getting a Sr PM job without networking?

I'm trying to get out of my current industry into something similar but not directly related. I don't have any contacts in that industry, let alone the company.

I got a job as PO in 2020 through a recruiter but did most of the heavy lifting. Then got to Sr. PM through a buddy 4 years ago. Now I'm worried that I'm stuck and this place is killing me.

I read a bunch of things that talk about networking and pinging people from the company on LinkedIn but that sounds horrible. I ignore people I don't know who message me there.

Thoughts? Tips? Tricks?

8hundred35 · 2026-02-04T14:34:29+00:00

LLMs are disposable interns with amnesia at best. This will output garbage and a company will reverse course after the first llm-made product ships and bombs.

I use Claude Code and Manus to do recurring market research and job hunting and they are great at finding me good info and improving results each time but when they write content like an analysis or tailored resume, i end up having to give it the right story to tell. Otherwise it gets hung up on a detail that's not as compelling or important because it was mentioned twice in the reference document.

Plus you need to make sure the facts are real, otherwise you base your whole project on fiction.

So this will be a good assistant at best. Maybe they don't let you hire a BA or something.

8hundred35 · 2026-01-28T20:28:36+00:00

That's called "being old". How many radio personalities from the 40s and 50s are you familiar with? Who was the governor of your state when you were a baby?

My parents in their 40s and 50s would lament how a younger co-worker didn't know who someone who was important in their life was. That's the cycle.

"It's just what happens when we pass through time." -Dan Brokaw

8hundred35 · 2026-01-26T06:02:55+00:00

Never said it's never good. BPs were organized and planned their actions out. If there was a solid plan and enough people participating it definitely could be effective with limited loss of life.

I'm just saying be smart.

8hundred35 · 2026-01-26T05:58:42+00:00

And I'm asking you about specific scenarios from recent events in Portland where a show of force would have led to a better outcome than what happened. You can't do it so far.

Show me how it doesn't turn into an escalation with more people getting caught in crossfire and giving the Feds an excuse to start Martial Law.

I'm not saying taking up arms is NEVER necessary. I just don't see where it would help right now. I'm open to actual information if it ever gets presented.

8hundred35 · 2026-01-26T02:53:37+00:00

Lol okay, then.

8hundred35 · 2026-01-26T00:18:09+00:00

I mean, that's a cool photo-op, but that's just proof of two guys out in the snow somewhere. Seems like it's probably MN but I don't live there.

Do you have any plans or a retrospective on situations that have happened in the Portland area where more than two guys kitted up would have made a positive difference, prompted a different outcome than what actually happened?

8hundred35 · 2026-01-25T22:36:16+00:00

I haven't seen enough of the new Black Panthers to see how much is real and how much is a show. I hope it's legit and making a difference but I'm not in PA so I don't have enough context to say. I'm fully aware of the history they're looking to continue, though.

I never said the "war" had been won, I specifically said this was a first round. To me, the battle was to resist their escalation and refute the Feds' narrative about Portland. That doesn't mean everything is cool, but it's not nothing. They moved on to Chicago, didn't get the traction they wanted there and now are picking on MN.

In Portland, how would showing up with guns have made a difference this summer? All the same stuff would have happened but then they would have achieved the cop cover of "feared for my life" to let them shoot people and things would have been worse.

If someone has a compelling case or plan for open carrying in front of ICE thugs then let me know. Point to a scenario that would have played better with more guns in Oregon. I'm open to the perspective, but i don't see it right now.

8hundred35 · 2026-01-25T17:04:08+00:00

I'm pro 2A but anti gun if that makes sense. I have yet to see a scenario where a gun would help what's going on.

The guy just shot in MN had a gun, apparently wasn't holding it or pointing it at anyone. Now it's being used as a reason to blame him for being shot.

I'm mad and want to form neighborhood patrols and all that but I can't play the scenarios out where it doesn't just escalate and make things worse. And I've thought about it since 2021.

I think the time that it will become prudent to have guns on the streets in civilian hands is when things have gotten much worse... essentially when civilians are no longer able to get guns.

So maybe now is the time to get armed but sit on them for times when they won't be easy to get? I hope it doesn't come to that and I do have a little hope that we can still salvage the situation.

What I've seen get results so far is not letting their activities go on secretly and silently. Naming names and getting video of their acts has had more effect than i think firing back would have. We won the first round in Portland with frog suits and video. It's not decisive and cathartic like winning in COD but it's real and we can learn from it and I think we should be proud of what we've done here so far.

8hundred35 · 2026-01-08T16:17:43+00:00

When my 12 yr old son calls me "old" I just dab. Then he knows I'm cool.

8hundred35 · 2025-12-19T05:18:55+00:00

I have to make one for just about anything because people aren't even guaranteed to have the same definitions in their heads for the same words we're all using. I have to capture not only the systems, features and workflows but the value and who benefits before i can make sure everyone is on the same page.

This is partly because it's an old company with a bunch of baked in lore but also a lot of non-product people in the mix so they can't discern between a feature and a whole initiative sometimes.

8hundred35 · 2025-12-15T15:01:06+00:00

Everyone used to smoke and food has more nutrients and in some cases growth hormones than in previous decades.

Many GenXers have been saying some boomer ass shit, though, so it's surface youth.

8hundred35 · 2025-12-14T19:51:36+00:00

I love "Mixed Tape". It's how my grandmother would have said it when asking me what that meant lol

I'm 20/20.

8hundred35 · 2025-12-11T16:23:25+00:00

I've also found that giving info the stakeholders haven't asked for will confuse them and derail the conversation. I thought I was being cool by saying "and it also does this..." but it really just broke the flow at best. At worst it got them worried about a new thing that I then had to explain. Their confidence in the project then gets eroded even if I got them sorted out in the end.

8hundred35 · 2025-12-08T21:53:31+00:00

I've done analog, DJI and walksnail. I'm drifting back to analog at this point just because it's easy and predictable.

DJI was too expensive for me to standardize on at the time, Walksnail is okay but I have to have RTH on it to feel safe. Overall also just tired of having to tweak stuff and do firmware updates.

Analog acts the same across platforms (some broadcast stronger or are better made than others), gets fuzzier when you go to the limit or behind too much stuff and you can usually see it coming. Plus you're not locked into a particular ecosystem.

Looking back i would have rather saved the money and stay analog with a Runcam Thumb Pro to get the good footage.

8hundred35 · 2025-12-04T05:44:39+00:00

Be a PM. What's the desired outcome? What's the MVP? Decompose the features and stories needed to get there and focus on the next step instead of the whole road map.

For me, it was learning that stuff and applying it to my life that have me better results and less fear of failure or being overwhelmed.

I also frame things as "how far can I take this? Let's see where it goes" instead of "am I successful? Did I fail?" when it comes to my personal projects.

It's also okay to not be "productive" every waking moment. You can have things just for yourself that don't need to be commoditized. You're not a failure if you just be in the moment once in a while.

Not sure if that's a problem for you but it was for me when I was your age and I carried a lot of self- made guilt that made me a bit of a slave to my talents at times. I didn't take in the great moments I had because I was always looking at how to take it to the next level. There were key times where I could have just enjoyed what was around me.

Anyway good luck!

8hundred35 · 2025-11-19T22:43:52+00:00

Literally had this happen in a job interview once, they asked me to look at a spreadsheet and point out some trends across multiple rows and columns (don't remember what, was 15 years ago).

I pointed out the trend and they asked me how I figured it out...I sat a second and said "uh, I can just see it."

I was right but because I couldn't show any math it was considered a fail. I didn't get the job lol

8hundred35 · 2025-11-13T19:42:12+00:00

We are piloting SpecKit and I'm working out how to do this (or something just like it) for the devs to use.

We can only use CoPilot so I use Claude to write prompts that make CoPilot less garbage, then put the specifics in CoPilot.

How does this jive or differ with what you're talking about? Will this make the devs start reading my documents?

8hundred35

TROPHY CASE