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Author: Nhu Vinh Hoang
October - 2016
The Guide to
Excellence for
Software Engineer

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Why this presentation?
• The road to professional improvement is never-ending
• But what does it mean “to excel” as an engineer?
• This is my personal vision of an excellent engineer
• But may be it will help some of you to grow
• Focused to Software Engineers, but valid in any job!
• Because it deals mainly with attitudes and character, not specific areas of
expertise
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HELLO!
I am Nhu Vinh Hoang
I am here because I love to give
presentations
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About me4

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Defining Excellence: Common misconceptions
• Commitment ≠ Hard work
• Commitment is about doing whatever it takes to reach our goals; it may
require hard work or not
• Hard work at the wrong time or on the wrong topic is pure waste!
• Solving Problems ≠ Fulfilling Tasks
• Did your task serve a purpose? If not, why did you do it?
• Discipline ≠ Lack of critical spirit
• You know your work best; share that knowledge!
• But once a decision has been taken, follow it through
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Defining Excellence: Common misconceptions
• Proactive communication ≠ Sending emails
• Communication = Providing necessary information when it is needed, irrespective of it having
been requested
• Information ≠ Data
• Data: “ The sun will come out on the East tomorrow”
• Information: “ The sun will NOT come out on the East tomorrow”
• Providing information is telling me something that I DO NOT know already!
• Give it to me, don’t make me dig for the information in the pile of raw data!
• Showing initiative ≠ Lack of critical spirit
• Initiative = Proposing unrequested actions after careful analysis, that will help solve a problem for
you or for your teammates
• Initiative often involves some thinking outside the box
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Defining Excellence: Common misconceptions
• Resourcefulness ≠ Not asking for help
• Resourcefulness = Being able to find the right information to solve a problem
• But never endanger a critical milestone by not asking for help on time
• Asking for advice/help ≠ Not looking for a solution yourself
• You need to look for ways to solve problem on your own, always
• This requires analysis, understanding and creativity
• But never endanger a critical milestone by not asking for help on time
• Pride ≠ Haughtiness
• Professional pride is a powerful motivator to excel
• Haughtiness is when you put your personal pride above the success of the project
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Defining Excellence: Common misconceptions
• Efficiency ≠ Effectiveness ≠ Hard work
• Hard work: Putting hours in solving a problem (successfully or not)
• Effectiveness: Actually solving the problem
• Efficiency: Solving the problem with the minimum possible resources
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The key to success: EFFICIENCY

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Efficieny, efficiency, efficiency !!!
Efficiency =
Analysis +
Technical know-how + Automation + Planning + Procedures
+ Communication + Commitment + Thoroughness
Methodology = Technical know-how + Automation + Planning +
Procedures
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Success for the engineer, success for the company
• Analysis gives you the key information about the problem
• If you don’t analyze, how do you know that you’re solving the right problem
in the right way?
• NEVER start fixing the problem until you’ve understood !!!
• Methodology gives you the tools and the mechanisms to solve the
problem
• The rest is just work !
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The key to efficieny: Analysis and Methodology!

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Methodology begins with knowledge
• Technical know-how requires UNDERSTANDING
• Know the cause behind the symptom and the cure behind the medicine
• Learn the fundamentals!
• And the apply critical thinking!
• How to obtain technical know-how?
• Self-study
• Training
• Practice
• And by asking lots of questions!
• Bottom line: Don’t follow recipes blindly; learn to cook!
An Engineer knows stuff
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Methodology is for the many
• Automation = UNDERSTANDING
• By you, and by other people!
• Never do anything manually if you can avoid it
• Look for general solutions, not to solve particular cases
• Script. Parameterize. Everything. Always
• But: The perfect is the enemy of the good!
• Remember the 80 – 20 rule!
Making it easy: Automation
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Life beyond us
• Facilitating your teammates’ work!
• Use resources sparingly!
• Send reports in a timely manner
• Report issues in a timely manner
• Assign/delegate tasks in a timely manner
• Never send data, send information
• Respect standard design procedures
• Proactively ask for help
• Proactively offer to help/do additional tasks
• Bottom line: It’s all about respect and generosity!
What is teamwork all about?
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The road ahead
• Know yourself!
• Your strengths: Exploit them!
• Your weaknesses: Improve them, while replying on those that know better!
• And if you want to excel… Follow my Tao of Engineering! 
Bottom line: You do good, but you can do much better!
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THANKS!
Any questions?
You can contact me at:
nhuvinh.hoang@gmail.com