Initially, I had no idea how different and difficult software engineering was, compared to programming. I spent many years learning the hard way, how to: go from a programmer to a software engineer to an engineering manager. Not only is programming itself difficult, but doing it on a team and at a company, is an entirely different set of skills.
I struggled for many years learning how to produce consistently good output, in challenging environments, with low-levels of support. I had to learn how to: communicate effectively, work sustainably, get "unstuck" reliably, make engineering trade-offs, and self-manage. And, eventually, even how to lead and manage teams to do all of those things, while also meeting deadlines within a budget, and communicating technical subjects to non-technical superiors. It was way harder and more discouraging than I ever imagined.
There were many times where I felt so stuck or misunderstood or frustrated, that all I wanted to do was never look at the code again, but, eventually, I learned how to consistently get "unstuck" and even love software engineering in challenging environments. I would like, very much, to share what I have learned so you don't need to suffer through all the pain that I did, and can instead excel at what you do in a healthy, sustainable way.
Hi, I'm Thomas Hintz! I've been programming since 2001 and a "professional" software engineer since 2008. I've started my own successful software company and have worked for tiny startups, large corporations, and many companies in between. I've worked on small teams, large teams and managed remote teams from around the world. I've been through a startup acquisition and also survived multiple rounds of layoffs. I've been an individual contributor, tech lead, architect, and for the past five years, an engineering manager. I've published a book; started a software engineering podcast publishing over 100 episodes; and even created my own OS, compiler, and programming language as well as published and supported many open source projects. I have also dealt with intense mental health issues and learned non-violent communication. I use all of this experience to both empathize with others and also to help people navigate their own unique situations.
I work with software engineers, tech leads, staff engineers, architects, and CTOs to reach their goals in healthy, sustainable ways. We will meet remotely for 50 minutes, on a weekly basis, or whatever cadence works best for you.
I prefer to do coaching over courses because I want to tailor support to you and your specific needs, goals, and experiences. We will work together to come up with a format that suits you best. My goal is to both: provide support and also help you navigate and develop the skills you want to maintain, progress, and advance as you desire.
I can work directly with individuals or with employers. You may even want to discuss with HR or your manager about utilizing a professional development budget to use towards the coaching.
I can help support in these ways:
I really enjoy helping people and want this to be as affordable as possible while still making it sustainable for myself, so I offer coaching on a pay-what-you-can basis. If you can afford to pay the suggested price, or even better, if your employer can, then you will also be enabling me to offer coaching to those that can't afford the full suggested price. If you can't afford the full price though, that is totally OK! I have a limited number of slots I can offer at reduced rates but once accepted you will always receive the same level of support!
Please send me an email at coaching [at] thintz.com with "COACHING" in the subject line and let me know more about yourself and what you're looking for. Then we can schedule a 15 minute call to meet and see if there is a good fit. Looking forward to hearing from you!
