Quincy Alastair Cooke

✨ “Success is never owned. It is only rented, and the rent is due every day.” – Rory Vaden This quote really stuck with me. It’s a powerful reminder that everything valuable in life and work requires daily effort: 💰 Financial security is never owned—it’s rented, and rent is due every day. 💪 Physical health is never owned—it’s rented, and rent is due every day. 🤝 Customer loyalty isn’t owned—it’s rented, and rent is due every day. ❤️ Relationships aren’t owned—they’re rented, and rent is due every day. Do you agree? #Motivation #Leadership #CustomerExperience #Family #Wellbeing #FinancialFreedom #SuccessMindset

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I hear a lot of stories about how people break into tech these days. My story is a little different. I'll set the scene. It's 2008. I'm studying print design in college at The College of Staten Island, City University of New York. A friend of mine said a professor of his was starting a no-fee bootcamp with 5 other students. (This was a couple of years before coding bootcamps were a thing. He was ahead of his time.) I met with the professor to discuss the details. He said something the effect of "Print is dead, come with me if you want to live...comfortably." Fast forward a few weeks later and we were working out of an art and tech center called Eyebeam in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York. A few months later, we became an agency and I officially swapped Pantone swatches for a keyboard. We made minimum wage while gaining experience building sites for clients. At the same time, I was completing an internship with Spike TV for college credit then got my first job at Marvel as a front-end developer in 2009. 16 years and an appetizer combo platter of companies later and I haven't left the field. I've gained more skills, worked for fortune 500 companies, agencies, and startups, managed teams, saved and earned companies hundreds of thousands of dollars by implementing WCAG standards, work flow procedures, streamlining processes for faster delivery times, and mentored new devs. I've been in tech a long time and have no immediate plans to leave. A few years ago, a study was conducted by Accenture and tech education organization, Girls Who Code. The report indicated half of young women who go into tech leave by age 35. (https://lnkd.in/dxHMm7HS) I love this field too much and have come too far in my career to become a statistic. I'm currently expanding my skill set to become full stack by taking courses, contributing to open source, and freelancing. I don't know if it's sheer stubbornness, grit, or passion for building and maintaining products that's keeping me in this field but whatever the reason, I know I can be invaluable to an organization. I've done it before countless times and I can do it again.

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ok so every resume builder sucks so i just coded it up in html. its simple and nice and way more malleable this way. resume builders suck nuts https://lnkd.in/eUYbGZZN

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Are colleges/universities failing Computer Science grads in 2024? The vast majority of CS grads end up working as software engineers. But many CS grads are unable to answer basic programming questions during an interview. (We talked about OOP last week). Why should CS grads have to invest in a bootcamp or additional hands-on training to land a job after a pricy college degree? We provide these hands-on skills at no cost at HTD Talent, but we can only help so many. Has this been your experience? What do you think is behind it? Let me know in the comments.

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🎸 My most favorite thing about using Typescript! ~ When you have a reusable component and it's a massively overwhelming codebase, while using those components, it is highly likely that you won't remember the required fields. ~ Maybe you provide the fields that instantly comes to your mind, but the component required some other props to be provided based on different scenarios. ~ Using Typescript with a pinch of ESLint, just solves this problem so beautifully. ~ This actually helps fasten up a progressive static frontend engineering phase. #typescript #ihatetypescript #illovetypescript #softwareengineering #frontend #frontendengineering

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This came up on my feed today and boy was I excited to see great minds like Taylor Otwell, Ryan Florence, Dax and Adam Elmore getting together and talk about Web Development, where we came from and where we are headed https://lnkd.in/dXhGrjeH Really awesome to hear about the motivations behind Laravel and Remix and finally find out what a Full Stack framework actually is. #webdev #javascript #laravel #remix #DX #react

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If you're #opentowork; the biggest challenge is getting your resume seen and for it to stand out. If you're free in 25 minutes; join Cody Marshall as he shares everything he's learned after looking at thousands of resumes: https://lnkd.in/gpnGNEac Bring your resume and questions! EDIT: Moved to Google Meet: https://lnkd.in/gpnGNEac

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The start of this post is going to be slightly embarrassing but here goes... It's important to the story to tell you I hate bugs. On Friday, I opened the blinds in my office to find a huge moth. Roughly the size of a U.S. silver dollar. (To me, it was a kaiju, ok?!) I went to grab my Swiffer stick to poke it just so it would land in a better place for me to catch and release. The moth was poked, flew a little too close to my liking and I sprinted in the opposite direction, twisting my right foot and pulling a muscle in the process. I iced and elevated my foot for the rest of the day and one thought crossed my mind: "Things are going great." While we're on the topic of health; physical, mental, or otherwise, 2 weeks ago, I had a panel style interview that I was absolutely ready for... until I wasn't. I started catastrophizing, thinking I'm not going to get this job, I'll never get any job, and I'm going to be interviewing and sending out resumes forever. And, to be honest, I started to cry. I started to catastrophize and fill with even more anxiety. I thought "Should I cancel or reschedule? Should I just collect myself and go through with the interview? What would they think of me if I cancelled last minute?" I'm also highly aware that if I start to sense that things aren't going well during an interview, I have a tendency to dissociate so that was a concern. I usually have performance anxiety before, during, and after interviews but this was another level. I got it together, splashed some water on my face, and still not feeling like 'I got this,' decided to keep my interview. I joined the call, my interviewers arrived and my only thoughts were "Don't dissociate, Don't dissociate." I had no idea how I did it but as soon as the small talk was over, I started knocking the questions out of the park. I had an answer for everything. At the end of the interview, one of the interviewers said "I don't know if you know this about yourself, but you're an excellent interviewer." (Part of me wanted to stare right at the camera, long pause, and stoically say ... 'I know'. Then say "That's right. I Solo'd you." But alas, I did no such thing.) Apparently, I have the ability to summon what I'd like to call 'interview health', whenever I need it. I'm fully admitting that I stole this concept from a Patton Oswalt comedy bit on the concept of 'stage health.' You can be sick as a dog before getting on that stage but through sheer force of will and enough adrenaline pumping through your veins, you can get through whatever it is you have to do. In his case, a 10 minute set. In my case, an hour long panel interview. I kinda like knowing I have this in my back pocket. #StageHealth #LetMeBeYourPersonalityHire #AdrenalineRush

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Commits. I commented on a post today that got me thinking. What metrics are used to judge someones work? The languages I know? The projects I've been in? The code I've written? This is my commit history. Does this make me a good dev? I think its irrelavant. Sure, it shows I make lots of small commits and often, but thats about it. I remember being told once that this is massively important, but, is it really? Let's chat. Dm me, I'm open to work. #javascript #react #typescript #nextjs #node #express #python #java

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Well after the disaster that was losing the draft I've beek working on for my book because of something stupid I did, let me explain how I lost a month and a half of work. Buckle up, lots of stupid in this post. First off, I went over to once.com and got Writebook. It's a great tool for what I'm trying to do, and as a customer of Hey and Campfire too, I trust 37signals to make software useful to me. #NotSponsored 😂 Next, I got it running in a VM on one of my compute nodes, and a load balancer configured because of how I was deploying it (a bit non-standard, their installer is a breeze though) up in front of it managing certificates and everything. I started writing, and eventually, dedicating a couple hours every week, made some progress I was proud of. The VM host I ran it on, however, was misconfigured. The dataset it lived on wasn't backed up, and also was not under management (meaning, it wasn't registered as belonging to anyone in my infrastructure). So when I wrote a script to clean up some unused datasets in my VM storage, I obliterated the storage for that VM through automation. Yay! Automation! I moved Writebook over to another host under management, and installed it again. Sadly, I checked my backups, and the old VM host never got backed up, because of it being misconfigured, so never got onto my archive data pool. What does that leave me with? Well, the image below. It's a screenshot I took of the introduction I sent to my dad. All I've got left. So remember folks, don't be stupid like me, backup your important work.

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If you're searching for new church presentation software, there are a few key features you should keep in mind. First, it should be user-friendly, allowing anyone to create and run presentations without a steep learning curve. Real-time editing is a must, as last-minute changes are inevitable and need to be handled smoothly. Support for multi-screen displays can make a huge difference in how you engage your congregation. Imagine showing different content on separate screens, like your sermon points on one screen and a supporting image on another. Integration with YouTube is essential too, making it easy to add and trim YouTube videos directly into your presentations. And, of course, affordability is key, especially for churches with limited budgets. Risen Media covers all these bases and more. Our web-based platform is specifically designed for churches, making it easy and affordable to create stunning presentations. You can run everything from your mobile phone or even a remote control, ensuring your services are smooth and professional. Check out https://risenmedia.io/lirb to see how we can make your worship services truly shine. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions! #ChurchTech #WorshipTech #SmallChurchSolutions #PresentationSoftware #RisenMedia #ChurchPresentationSoftware #ChurchMedia #SundayMornings #ChurchSoftware #WorshipMedia #Worship #WorshipSoftware #WorshipLeader #Pastor #Pastors

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I’ve had people complain about how they don’t want me to be their code reviewer (not everyone, just a small select few). There are and always will be people that go well out of their way to avoid me being the one to review their code. And to some extent, I get it. My autism makes me the kind of person that is: 1. A perfectionist 2. Very direct 3. A stickler for the rules 4. Extremely detail-oriented 5. Takes my job so seriously that I will pick through your code with a fine-tooth comb no matter how many lines there are or what your seniority level is. The number of comments I typically leave on any given review might appear “brutal.” Keep in mind, I use the term “brutal” very loosely here. My reviews can be direct but are never harsh or demeaning or belittling. More often than not, I’ll drop a comment about something that I genuinely liked or something new I learned. And my goal is never to “correct” but to get the person thinking or to start a conversation about what could be done differently. And yet, I wish more people would review my code as “brutally” as I do theirs. Tear 👏🏻 me 👏🏻 apart. I WANT you to nitpick about every 👏🏻 single 👏🏻 flaw. Let’s talk through different design patterns and all the better ways to do things. Could I have named this method or class something better? Call 👏🏻 me 👏🏻 out. You think something could use better error handling? Don’t let it slide. Tell 👏🏻 me 👏🏻 like 👏🏻 it 👏🏻 is. Idk about you, but I came here to make the absolute best product possible. And no matter how long I’ve been doing it for or how good I am at it, I’m still a human and make mistakes. I can’t do this alone.🤷🏼 #WeCreateBetterTogether #CodeReview #SoftwareEngineering

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Pro Tip: If you don't understand something, just look it up on YouTube and binge watch videos on the topic. I do this pretty regularly, starting with the shortest videos on the topic (in hopes the content will be weighed in quality over quantity). Almost never fails 🙂

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Imposter Syndrome? Just Keep Building. The gremlin on my shoulder. Ugh, imposter syndrome. That voice telling me I'm a fraud, about to be exposed as a phony developer? We all know it well. 👿 For years, I let that voice hold me back. It fueled the all-nighters fueled by anxiety, the constant self-doubt that paralyzed progress. But here's the truth I'm learning: Silencing that voice completely might be a losing battle.   Instead, I'm trying to 🤗coexist with it. Here's what's helping: Focus on the Journey It's not about magically becoming a "perfect" developer. It's the daily grind, the constant learning, the small wins that add up. Habit Over Hustle Instead of frantic coding sessions fueled by panic, I aim for consistent, focused work. Like breathing, it becomes a natural part of the day. Celebrate Every Step:  Finished a bug fix? Shipped a new feature? High five yourself! Those moments, big or small, are proof you're on the right track. How do you manage your inner imposter? Share your tips and battles. #impostersyndrome #developerlife #codingcommunity #mentalhealth Photo by Alvin Lenin on Unsplash

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Another side project: https://lnkd.in/gcqPiKPr Have you ever wonder how hard it is to display 200+ events per day in a way that makes any sense? Turns out is pretty hard

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🖥️ **The Wild World of Developer Interviews: When Tricky Meets Funny** 😅💻 I walked into my recent interview thinking I’d be asked the usual—JavaScript, a little React, maybe an algorithm or two. But nope. What I got was a series of tricky, mind-bending questions that left me questioning reality (and my sanity)! 😂 Here’s how it went: **Interviewer**: *“Alright, if a function was running perfectly fine for weeks and suddenly throws errors after lunch, what’s your first move?”* **Me**: “...Check if someone updated it while hangry?” 😆 Then came the mind-benders: **Interviewer**: *“Imagine you’re in a room with a computer that can only run one line of code at a time, and you can’t see the output. How would you find the bug?”* **Me**: “Take a break and come back with fresh eyes?” (Note: wasn’t the answer they wanted…😂) Next, the one I definitely didn’t see coming: **Interviewer**: *“You find yourself looking at a massive CSS file with 3,000 lines of custom styling, but you only need to change the color scheme. How do you handle this?”* **Me**: “Politely suggest a redesign…and pray for Tailwind CSS in the next sprint.” 😂 And then, the one that tripped me up: **Interviewer**: *“Say you’re working in a large team project and discover a teammate’s unoptimized code slowing down the app. What do you do?”* **Me**: “Maybe…refactor quietly?” (Lesson here: teamwork matters!) But finally, the most legendary: **Interviewer**: *“If you could remove one language from the world forever, which would it be and why?”* **Me**: *Without hesitation* “JavaScript…when it’s 3 AM and nothing’s working!” 😂 --- **Takeaways for All Job-Seeking Devs** 📌: I learned that interviews are more than technical tests—they’re full of *perspective*, *problem-solving*, and how we handle the unexpected. Here’s what I’m taking forward: 1. **Embrace the tough questions**: They’re often designed to see how you think under pressure. 2. **Expect the unexpected**: Sometimes, it’s not about the code but about your adaptability. 3. **Communication is key**: Especially when it comes to teamwork scenarios. Those “soft” questions can be the real deal! 💬 Fellow devs, have you faced any mind-bending questions? Drop them below; let’s laugh and learn together! 😂👇 #TechInterview #DeveloperJourney #CodingLife #JobHunting #ProblemSolving #SoftSkills #KeepCoding

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