Workist

workist

Photo by on Luke Peters Unsplash Imagine this scenario: After a grueling interview process, off-boarding from the previous position, and a bit of vacation, you're starting at a new company. It is super exciting! Getting to know your new team, a new product line, various functions within the company, onboarding sessions... And of course, the new codebase(s) you're going to be working on in the next couple of years. There's nothing more exciting for developers than exploring a new codebase and playing around with it. But before we can do that, we need to bootstrap our machine first 🤯. In some cases, it can be as simple as installing the runtime and IDE, but in most cases, we'll need to install many applications and perform numerous configurations before we can start working on the codebase. In my many years in the software industry, I've found myself doing these installations many times - when moving to a different place, or within the same company replacing my previous machine (don't ask me about these 😱). It’s a cumbersome and lengthy task. Reading through the guides and experiencing the dead time during the installations themselves, always feels like a waste of time. What do we want to achieve? I'm a strong believer that developers should have their first commitment to master on the first day of the job. Doing so facilitates a quick feeling of accomplishment that eases the tension and stress of starting the new position and gives confidence for the rest of the onboarding. Pushing through the workstation bootstrapping stage as quickly as possible is crucial, so the developer can pull the code, get to know it a bit, and push to master it the same day. On the other hand, developers like to know what is installed on their machines. Knowing an application is not just knowing the code, but understanding the eco-system, the runtime environment, the dependencies, and the configurations. The workstation bootstrapping allows developers to do so. Moving quickly through the installation process might be counter-productive to achieving such a goal and might extend the learning curve. There's also an additional concern: as the application and ecosystem change, so do the dependencies and applications being used to develop it. Revising the installation over time by the developers who use it should also be considered when coming up with a solution. To summarize, we have three goals: 1. Fast installation 2. Reduce the learning curve of the eco-system 3. Maintenance over time Over the years I've seen many attempts to solve the developer workstation installation. From guides to installation scripts to IT tools. Unfortunately non of these tools had the right balance to achieve the goals mentioned. For example: Pushing the problem to IT professionals usually creates a black box installation that does not allow them to understand which tools are installed. Furthermore, it’s hard to maintain over time, as the ones that are updating it are not developers but IT personnel. Such a virtual barrier can discourage updates of the installation tool making it obsolete over time Guides are great for learning, but maintaining them over time is cumbersome. And obviously, they are on the slower path as they are completely manual Proposed solution I would like to introduce the workstation installation script: https://github.com/ysa23/workstation It is a simple bash script that automates the deployment of a developer (or any) workstation - from zero to hero 💪 in less than an hour! Fast installation installs and configures everything that a developer needs to run the application. Doing so automatically takes about an hour, depending on the number of applications installed Learning curve the script itself is open to everyone and very straightforward. It allows everyone who wishes to browse through all the applications installed easily and understand all the automatic configurations applied. It is recommended to do so before or even during running the script. It can also be used as a reference when needed to understand some of the configurations highly Maintenance Since it is a script that is source controlled and available to everyone in the team, anyone can make a change, and suggest a pull request. Furthermore, if anyone wants to do a specific configuration they can easily either fork it or create a branch and add their customization. Their favorite theme to for example, or configuration of shortcuts they prefer to git commands zsh : This script is not meant to be used as is, although you can if you want to. It is meant to serve as an example to fork and make your own, with a bit of scaffolding for convenience. Please note My recommendation, and the way I applied it so far in the companies I worked with it, is to fork and make the adjustments that fit the team, with the relevant tooling and matching configurations. The script itself is meant for Mac machines but is said, it can be used as an inspiration for similar ones to Windows and Linux development machines. The repository is open-sourced with an MIT license, and we accept PRs and issues with open arms 😉 Hopefully, you can find it a good inspiration and make it useful for your use. Originally published here.

Installing a Developer Workstation from Scratch

In this article, I want to talk about the Linux operating system, and specifically about how to assemble a workstation from a minimal image and fully configure it for various purposes. Choosing a distribution kit: I first saw this method when installing Arch Linux, when the entire installation is done by entering commands into the terminal. This gives the maximum installation flexibility, but I'm more used to using Ubuntu at work. Earlier I collected various Linux images, since almost all the necessary programs were preinstalled and configured in them, and most importantly the graphical interface, but in the end, most of the programs had to be removed, which makes me do double the amount of work. In this article, I will use Ubuntu as an example, since I have tried this method more than a dozen times and I remember most of the commands, package names, and so on. Briefly about the approach. For this approach, I will use a minimal Ubuntu image or Ubuntu Mini. This is Ubuntu version 20.04, which is not the latest, but I think it will not be difficult to upgrade to the latest one already on the installed system if necessary. Although in the comments on Reddit, you can find that you need to use Ubuntu Server to install the minimum version, but I have not tried this option yet, since I use the old and proven one. I really like the fact that the image is less than 100 MB and uses the TUI installer. If you are installing Linux for the first time, I recommend using the following guide on a virtual machine, and in general, it is a good practice to test the functionality of new operating systems. Let's move on to the installation. During the installation, I will only cover the main points, since when installing on a virtual machine you do not have to think too much about long-term use. Start screen. We choose install. We choose the language of the system. I recommend choosing English, later this can be changed if necessary. We choose No. Configure the keyboard manually. Select in the following windows English (US), English (US). We set a name for the computer. It should be noted that not all special characters are available. Here we select the desired mirror for your or the nearest country for fast download. In the next window set proxy if needed. Enter your full name and username on the next screen. Now let's move on to the partitioning of the disk. For a virtual machine, you can use the entire disk, if you want, you can partition it in your own way. I will be using the entire disk. This is how the entire disk markup looks. Then we are waiting for the installation of the base system. On this screen, I recommend disabling automatic updates. List of available and configured packages. Part 1. You can choose nothing here. List of available packages. Part 2. As you can see, graphical environments are already available here. Spoiler alert: we will install manually the one that is not on the list. Install GRUB bootloader by clicking Yes. Installation completed. You can remove the image from the virtual machine. First login. Be sure to export your virtual machine, this will allow you to roll back to a state where you have a clean system. Now let's install an initial set of tools that can be useful for loading various scripts or repositories with programs: sudo apt install git curl wget htop -y Xorg and Xserver. Xorg is an X Window System server that allows the user to organize a graphical working environment for themselves. The X.org project is created and maintained as a free and open-source implementation of the X11 system. And it is also an X11-based desktop framework. Xorg provides the interface between your hardware and the graphics software you want to run. In addition, Xorg is network-aware, which allows you to run a program on one system and look at another. Installing X-Server (Xorg) sudo apt install xorg --no-install-recommends -y Choosing a Graphical Environment There are a huge number of different graphical environments. There are 2 main types: Window managers and Tiling managers. The tiling manager is different in that it tries to occupy the maximum available screen area, and the floating mode (more familiar windows, you need to turn it on for each window). Moreover, by default, the tiling manager supports many desktops at once, which simplifies the work and allows you to switch between desktops instead of windows, in turn, on which there may be more than one window. Also, a significant advantage is the lightness of the tiling over the window manager. The main window manager options are: KDE, XFCE, LXQT, GNOME (default Ubuntu Desktop Environment), Budgie, Deepin. Tiling managers include i3, awesome, xmonad, Qtile, dwm. I always look for interesting variations on where you can find very nice themes for the design and usually dotfiles (prepared settings). Reddit For now, I'll choose the i3 as an example. Installing i3 and the Terminator Terminal Emulator: sudo apt install i3 terminator -y Before finishing, you need to install Display Manager. This is a graphical screen that appears at the end of the boot process instead of the standard command line prompt. The screen manager is a screen for entering a username and password to log in to the system. There are many screen managers, as well as desktop environments. Almost all display managers can be customized by changing their style and behavior. I will focus on the sddm I am used to. But there is a huge selection: console and graphical. A good example of the former is Ly, graphical examples: sddm, lightdm, xdm, gdm. Selecting the login window sudo apt install sddm -y Additional View Improvement Programs: is a desktop add-on that allows you to dynamically display various system metrics. It has a very fine configuration and various themes. Conky is a console utility for viewing images, can also be used as an image installer on the desktop. Feh is a lightweight compositing manager for the X graphics server based on xcompmgr-dana that allows you to add different animations and transparency to different windows. Compton How it looks after the actions are taken: You can see that i3 uses only 240 MB RAM. Command to Set Desktop Wallpaper: feh --bg-fil wallpaper.png This guide shows that with minimal knowledge, you can collect various combinations of the Linux operating system environment according to your preferences, as well as customize and decorate them in various ways.

How to Install and Configure Linux for a Workstation with an i3 Desktop

I spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer every day. When I get to the office, I often have to sit in front of the computer due to the nature of work. When I got home, I sat down in front of the computer as soon as I finished my family chores. So the computer is an essential part of me. As I am an IT enthusiast, I have to use the internet. Google is my best friend. Currently, I am still studying, so I have no income from this field. But I think it’s an investment in education for a living. I have to set invest time. I need to invest in the necessary IT equipment. So I want to say that my computer desk is my workspace. It’s a desk in a simple setting. There is a small table under the chapel in the living room of an ordinary apartment. On the table, there is a that I always use. Then the laptop will have a pair of attached. When I’m down, I listen to blues music. Normally I used to listen to pop music. Lenovo Core i5 Laptop SONY headphones The next essential thing is a smartphone. I use because of my crazy brand. I can access the internet through hotspots from this phone. Before I use Xperia Z, I used Xperia X8. Now it is a backup mobile phone. It was bought three years ago, but it is still good to use. There is only one thing that I don’t like about using the internet because of the small size of the phone. SONY Xperia Z Then there is . No matter how many tech gadgets, it is satisfying to be able to write down what comes to mind immediately in a book. apps such as Notes are not very enjoyable to use. a notebook and a pen Mindmap Another must-have thing is . A cup of coffee, but It’s sometimes a kettle. This cup is a memory for me. It is a couple of cups that my wife bought as a souvenir when we were dating. a cup of coffee At this time, my workspace is just a small table, a laptop, two handsets, a notebook, a pen, and a cup of coffee, but it buries my dreams in it. I spend most of the night sitting at this table and will create dreams. I will shape it into warm and happy family life. Also published . here

My Workstation Must Haves

This Slack discussion by austin, Rianke Krugel, Limarc, Linh and Arthur occurred in hackernoon's official #slogging-beta channel, and has been edited for readability. What does your workstation setup look like? austin Nov 16, 2020, 9:03 PM i was using a macbook pro exclusively for about a year, but ended up back on a dual booting linux/windows desktop recently. i have: austin Nov 16, 2020, 9:03 PM austin Nov 16, 2020, 9:03 PM austin Nov 16, 2020, 9:08 PM I want to dance in the disco that is your PC. Lots of pretty lights! Rianke Krugel Nov 17, 2020, 5:48 AM Wow. You can start streaming austin So i tried to built a vr-ready PC for $500 USD and I was successful, so my specs are nowhere near yours: Limarc Nov 19, 2020, 2:56 AM Luckily though this build is good for vr and GREAT for my daily work haha 24 gb of ram is more than enough for content writing, editing, listening to youtube and editing videos. Limarc Nov 19, 2020, 2:57 AM just a big window and lots of light  and my laptop. I need air and space and things to look pretty haha. Linh Nov 19, 2020, 7:54 PM Limarc nice! i sort of tried to "future proof" my rig and...went a little overboard 😅 but hey, i won't have to get another computer for at least 5 years. Linh fair enough! i think programmers are naturally predisposed to dark conditions 😂 austin Nov 19, 2020, 7:58 PM Yeah, I remember times when Austin has some old box... Arthur Nov 23, 2020, 6:27 PM

What does your workstation setup look like?

Photo by on Nastuh Abootalebi Unsplash While the image of will always be the nomads, a good portion prefer staying in one place day-in and day-out ( ). In those cases, there’s no better way to set your set oneself up to success than having a good remote work setup. flagship remote working exhibit A: me Strategy A generally good starting point in optimising your setup is to have a set of values you’d like to align with. In the office, workstation is designed to cater with the company’s goals. In your remote setting, you have much more freedom to choose which goals you prefer to pursue. To give you an example, here’s the values I’m optimising for: productivity minimal distractions minimal decision-making Since remote working is , is the first thing on the list. The other two just primarily supports this first thing. Having ensures huge blocks of time where interruptions are a minimum. This helps keep my general flow of thought continuous and focused. Finally, is to reserve brain power for the more important decisions. all about output productivity and quality of work minimal distractions minimal decision-making Setup With those in mind, let’s dig in to how you can get a sense of optimising your setup for your goals. The essentials Table — I have a 2.5'x4' white flat table with water-resistant plastic coating. If you don’t like to estimate the numbers, imagine a table fitting four people being used by one. Working with a lot of space helps clarify thinking in general and ensures there is enough opening for future upgrades. Water resistance means less cleaning which does heaps for minimising decision-making. Some questions to keep in mind: Is the height good enough? is it reachable when your chair adjusts? Is there enough room? Is it easy to clean? Chair —Choose a standard office chair with a headrest and back support. This allows your head to lie down when your lost in thought. As well as the capability to slide to wherever in the room. While those perks are amazing, the most important thing would most likely be the back support. Working hours on a standard plastic chair would be a sure fire way for you to gain back pains in the long run. If health is not a big issue for you, then think about it as a potential cause of distractions: nagging pains will definitely distract you. Some questions to keep in mind: Does it incline? Do you want it to incline? Does it’s height adjust? Does it have back support? Laptop — In a remote work setting, this is your bread and butter. Any laptop would definitely do as long as you are comfortable with it. In a general sense, try to invest on higher end laptops when you can because they have great returns on speed and productivity. The greatest delay should be the speed of your thought, not the speed of your laptop. Some questions to keep in mind: Is it fast? Is it fast? But is it fast? Headset — Working remotely means getting in contact with your clients a lot, so it would never hurt to invest in good headset. For general purposes, a wireless headset would go a long way for lessening distractions and improving your mobility. You can even roll around in your chair while wearing your headset, how cool is that? Some questions to keep in mind: How good is the sound of music? Are you a music person? Does the mic get sounds clearly? Does it cancel noises? The Peripherals Keyboard — I wasn’t a fan of ergonomic/mechanical keyboards until I started to feel wrist pains. When I did start to use them, I realised I can never go back. You might come to the same conclusion once you’ve given it a whirl. Less wrist pains means typing for hours on end (productivity, less distractions) as well as longevity for your hands. Some questions to keep in mind: Is it comfortable? Can you see yourself typing on it for hours? Does it have a learning curve? Is it reprogrammable? Monitor — Bigger real estate means more things you can put in at one time which also means a lot for your productivity . Having the monitor on eye level also helps for your posture and overall health. (or distraction, since bigger cat memes?) Some questions to keep in mind: Does it tilt and adjust to your head space? Does it have settings that allow for relaxed viewing? Does it have good colour? Mouse — If your not much of a gaming aficionado, you could do well with having a bluetooth mouse to lessen your wire clutter and increase your mobility. For general purposes, there’s nothing much to optimise in a mouse unless it does not work. Does it work? Does your hand rest well? Is it responsive? The Afterthoughts Room — the environment where you work can have great impact on your productivity. You might like complete silence to keep focus. You could also like to a good view for easier concentration. On other times, you could also be in a place with a lot of people to help dealing with the inevitable isolation in remote environments. In general, having a place that makes you feel at ease with is always a plus. Do you like quiet? Do you like to go for a walk? Do you like open spaces? Food — Going hungry can just easily be a distraction as, say, a loud noise. Having them within reach helps keep the continuity going. For lunch and dinner times, places within a 5-minute radius also helps with preserving your time for other more important things. How accessible is food from your setup? Is there a good lunch place you can go to on the regular? Do you even eat? Summary Unlike in an office setting, optimising your remote working setup always depends on you and the values you would like to pursue. Focus on the essentials, that help you live up to your values, first, then improve as you go along. Ace is developer for seven years and a remote software developer for the last two. If you’ve enjoyed the article, leave a clap, drop a comment or send a follow. Greatly appreciated!

Setting up for Success: Remote Workstation

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As much as construction relies on heavy machinery and robotics, it needs human labor. This has been the status quo for decades — but that’s all about to change. Three-dimensional printing is drastically reshaping labor dynamics. How far will its reach extend? Construction’s Current Labor Dynamics Construction may be one of the most labor-intensive sectors in the world, but it isn’t getting much done. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, single-family residential construction productivity dropped by 0.8% from 2019 to 2023, even though hours worked were up by 0.9%. Highway, street and bridge construction fared even worse, with labor productivity down 3.6% despite hours worked increasing by 0.8% in the same period. While industrial and multifamily residential construction saw improvements, that’s still half the sector’s efficiency down. Construction is one of the most labor-intensive industries in the world. It employs 7% to 8.5% of the working population worldwide. Despite various technological advancements, it has remained entirely reliant on human labor — until now. Frankly, the industry is long overdue for change. That’s where 3D printing comes in. This tech operates mostly autonomously, only relying on humans for design, instruction and operation. If it becomes standard, it could permanently reshape labor dynamics. How 3D Printing Impacts Labor Dynamics There are four main ways 3D printing tech impacts labor dynamics in construction. Management Workforce management is essential. Placing workers in positions best suited to their skill set and experience helps support labor productivity and project efficiency. 3D printing will affect supervision and management, influencing what positions decision-makers consider compatible. Skill Sets Workers will need to upskill or reskill soon to compensate for technological advancements. According to the Word Economic Forum, around 44% of employees’ skills will become irrelevant by 2027. Technology literacy is one of the fastest-growing core skills. Responsibilities An industrial 3D printer can build a foundation, walls and roof with minimal human intervention. Specialized machines can also weld, prototype scale models of blueprints or create custom tools. With all of that work automated, workers will need to find something new to do. Workflows A 3D printer can work much faster than humans because it doesn’t need to take breaks or go home for the night. Its automation capabilities could accelerate projects' most time-consuming phases, permanently changing traditional workflows. Does 3D Printing Tech Outperform Workers? An industrial 3D printer can make building processes more efficient and accurate. Since human error makes up 80% of all defects in housing construction, companies could lower material consumption by up to 40% if they used this tech instead of relying on people alone. 3D printing tech could walk circles around people, outperforming people in speed, efficiency and precision. It effectively forces workers to adapt or get replaced, shifting traditional labor roles toward more technologically advanced positions. If companies don’t need to rely on employees as much, they save a ton of money. In construction, labor costs account for 30% to 50% of total expenses, so they stand to save that much. This could greatly impact what they charge or what materials they use. Incorporating 3D printing tech into construction is only the beginning. Firms invested about $50 billion in architecture, engineering and construction tech from 2020 to 2022 — up 85% from 2017 to 2019 — for a reason. Digitalization will soon become an industry-wide standard. The Implications of This Industry-Wide Change The broader implications for the industry’s shifting labor dynamics are worth discussing. 1. Safety 3D printing tech could make worksites safer. For one, it produces fewer defects, leading to safer buildings. During construction, it can go into hard-to-reach places to keep workers out of harm’s way. Also, it eliminates or takes over dangerous tasks like lifting and welding. 2. Sustainability Using one formula instead of various materials shrinks companies’ need to ship, reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Also, since using a 3D printer is cost-effective, leaders can afford to invest in sustainable building materials — which are 3% to 4% more expensive on average. 3. Training 3D printing tech likely won’t stay the same as time passes. To keep up with its inevitable technological evolutions — and the wave of integrations that’s likely to follow — ongoing employee training will be necessary. The Future of 3D Printing in Construction Workers may be wary of accepting a machine that could eventually replace them, so business leaders must help workers adapt to make implementation seamless. Raising awareness and conducting employee training programs is essential. As much as construction relies on heavy machinery and robotics, it needs human labor. This has been the status quo for decades — but that’s all about to change. Three-dimensional printing is drastically reshaping labor dynamics. How far will its reach extend? Construction’s Current Labor Dynamics Construction may be one of the most labor-intensive sectors in the world, but it isn’t getting much done. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, single-family residential construction productivity dropped by 0.8% from 2019 to 2023, even though hours worked were up by 0.9%. productivity dropped by 0.8% productivity dropped by 0.8% Highway, street and bridge construction fared even worse, with labor productivity down 3.6% despite hours worked increasing by 0.8% in the same period. While industrial and multifamily residential construction saw improvements, that’s still half the sector’s efficiency down. Construction is one of the most labor-intensive industries in the world. It employs 7% to 8.5% of the working population worldwide. Despite various technological advancements, it has remained entirely reliant on human labor — until now. 7% to 8.5% of the working population 7% to 8.5% of the working population Frankly, the industry is long overdue for change. That’s where 3D printing comes in. This tech operates mostly autonomously, only relying on humans for design, instruction and operation. If it becomes standard, it could permanently reshape labor dynamics. How 3D Printing Impacts Labor Dynamics There are four main ways 3D printing tech impacts labor dynamics in construction. Management Workforce management is essential. Placing workers in positions best suited to their skill set and experience helps support labor productivity and project efficiency. 3D printing will affect supervision and management, influencing what positions decision-makers consider compatible. helps support labor productivity helps support labor productivity Skill Sets Workers will need to upskill or reskill soon to compensate for technological advancements. According to the Word Economic Forum, around 44% of employees’ skills will become irrelevant by 2027. Technology literacy is one of the fastest-growing core skills. around 44% of employees’ skills around 44% of employees’ skills Responsibilities An industrial 3D printer can build a foundation, walls and roof with minimal human intervention. Specialized machines can also weld, prototype scale models of blueprints or create custom tools. With all of that work automated, workers will need to find something new to do. Workflows A 3D printer can work much faster than humans because it doesn’t need to take breaks or go home for the night. Its automation capabilities could accelerate projects' most time-consuming phases, permanently changing traditional workflows. Does 3D Printing Tech Outperform Workers? An industrial 3D printer can make building processes more efficient and accurate. Since human error makes up 80% of all defects in housing construction, companies could lower material consumption by up to 40% if they used this tech instead of relying on people alone. makes up 80% of all defects makes up 80% of all defects 3D printing tech could walk circles around people, outperforming people in speed, efficiency and precision. It effectively forces workers to adapt or get replaced, shifting traditional labor roles toward more technologically advanced positions. If companies don’t need to rely on employees as much, they save a ton of money. In construction, labor costs account for 30% to 50% of total expenses , so they stand to save that much. This could greatly impact what they charge or what materials they use. 30% to 50% of total expenses 30% to 50% of total expenses Incorporating 3D printing tech into construction is only the beginning. Firms invested about $50 billion in architecture, engineering and construction tech from 2020 to 2022 — up 85% from 2017 to 2019 — for a reason. Digitalization will soon become an industry-wide standard. invested about $50 billion invested about $50 billion The Implications of This Industry-Wide Change The broader implications for the industry’s shifting labor dynamics are worth discussing. 1. Safety 3D printing tech could make worksites safer. For one, it produces fewer defects, leading to safer buildings. During construction, it can go into hard-to-reach places to keep workers out of harm’s way. Also, it eliminates or takes over dangerous tasks like lifting and welding. 2. Sustainability Using one formula instead of various materials shrinks companies’ need to ship, reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Also, since using a 3D printer is cost-effective, leaders can afford to invest in sustainable building materials — which are 3% to 4% more expensive on average. 3. Training 3D printing tech likely won’t stay the same as time passes. To keep up with its inevitable technological evolutions — and the wave of integrations that’s likely to follow — ongoing employee training will be necessary. The Future of 3D Printing in Construction Workers may be wary of accepting a machine that could eventually replace them, so business leaders must help workers adapt to make implementation seamless. Raising awareness and conducting employee training programs is essential.

How 3D Printing Is Reshaping Labor Dynamics in the Construction Industry

HackerNoon: What is your company in 2–5 words? Amy Spurling: Personalized employee lifestyle benefits platform. Why is now the time for your company to exist? Traditional one-size-fits-all benefits are failing today's diverse workforce. Companies are struggling to support employees across different life stages, cultures, and needs. Meanwhile, employees are rightfully demanding more personalization and flexibility in their benefits. Compt solves this by enabling companies to offer truly inclusive lifestyle and workstyle benefits that fit everyone, everywhere. What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to solve this problem? Our team is about as diverse as you can get. We're cross-generational and diverse racially, in gender, in country of origin, and in geographical location lines. This is our superpower and makes us the perfect team to solve the challenge of personalized lifestyle benefits. Many on the team have HR and Finance backgrounds - both of which are necessary to solve the challenges that come with a tax-compliant and budget-efficient (i.e., finance-approved) program that also has industry-setting employee engagement (HR approved). We have so many ways of approaching and reviewing problems and solutions that we can truly come up with the best solution for everyone. It has helped us run more efficiently while supporting companies with people across the globe. If you weren’t building your startup, what would you be doing? I'd likely be teaching entrepreneurship. There are so many start up norms that I believe need to be debunked and not further spread - hustle culture, ignoring the power of a diverse team, thinking venture funding is the only path, etc. I believe that more people seeing alternatives will build a better ecosystem. These classes exist in top universities and in tech hub cities, but I think they should also be available in junior colleges and smaller regional schools. You never know where the next amazing idea will come from! At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your metrics? I measure my personal success not by a metric but by checking in with myself to ensure I'm doing things every day that support (what I believe) is a more inclusive world. On a company level, success metrics are around our reach. We believe that every employee should have full access to the benefits they are eligible for, so the more people we reach, the more inclusive we can make work environments for employees. In a few sentences, what do you offer to whom? We offer companies a platform to provide personalized lifestyle benefits that their employees actually want and use. Our solution helps HR teams deliver inclusive benefits while giving finance teams the compliance and budget control they need. Compt is for any company that wants to move beyond the outdated cafeteria-style benefits model to something that works for their entire workforce. What’s most exciting about your traction to date? We're seeing incredible engagement and participation rates. Over 93% of employees are actively using their benefits through our platform. This proves what we've always believed: when you give people benefits that actually fit their lives, they use them. We're also proud that our customer base spans from fast-growing startups to enterprise-size, global companies across various industries, showing Compt works at any scale. Where do you think your growth will be next year? We're seeing strong demand from mid-market companies who want to compete with larger organizations for talent but need a more efficient way to deliver comprehensive benefits. There is also a lot of interest in family benefits (beyond the narrow scope of fertility) and professional development stipends, for which we're expanding our platform features. Compt also continues to grow internationally as more companies realize the need for culturally aware benefits programs for their global teams. What’s your biggest threat? Our biggest challenge isn't competition but inertia. Many companies are stuck in the 'this is how we've always done it' benefits mindset -- and some always will be. But as younger generations enter the workforce and demand more personalized experiences (and older generations take note and join the movement), this resistance to change becomes increasingly expensive in terms of talent attraction and retention. HackerNoon : What is your company in 2–5 words? HackerNoon Amy Spurling : Personalized employee lifestyle benefits platform. Amy Spurling Amy Spurling Why is now the time for your company to exist? Traditional one-size-fits-all benefits are failing today's diverse workforce. Companies are struggling to support employees across different life stages, cultures, and needs. Meanwhile, employees are rightfully demanding more personalization and flexibility in their benefits. Compt solves this by enabling companies to offer truly inclusive lifestyle and workstyle benefits that fit everyone, everywhere. Compt What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to solve this problem? Our team is about as diverse as you can get. We're cross-generational and diverse racially, in gender, in country of origin, and in geographical location lines. This is our superpower and makes us the perfect team to solve the challenge of personalized lifestyle benefits. Many on the team have HR and Finance backgrounds - both of which are necessary to solve the challenges that come with a tax-compliant and budget-efficient (i.e., finance-approved) program that also has industry-setting employee engagement (HR approved). We have so many ways of approaching and reviewing problems and solutions that we can truly come up with the best solution for everyone. It has helped us run more efficiently while supporting companies with people across the globe. If you weren’t building your startup, what would you be doing? I'd likely be teaching entrepreneurship. There are so many start up norms that I believe need to be debunked and not further spread - hustle culture, ignoring the power of a diverse team, thinking venture funding is the only path, etc. I believe that more people seeing alternatives will build a better ecosystem. These classes exist in top universities and in tech hub cities, but I think they should also be available in junior colleges and smaller regional schools. You never know where the next amazing idea will come from! At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your metrics? I measure my personal success not by a metric but by checking in with myself to ensure I'm doing things every day that support (what I believe) is a more inclusive world. On a company level, success metrics are around our reach. We believe that every employee should have full access to the benefits they are eligible for, so the more people we reach, the more inclusive we can make work environments for employees. In a few sentences, what do you offer to whom? We offer companies a platform to provide personalized lifestyle benefits that their employees actually want and use. Our solution helps HR teams deliver inclusive benefits while giving finance teams the compliance and budget control they need. Compt is for any company that wants to move beyond the outdated cafeteria-style benefits model to something that works for their entire workforce. What’s most exciting about your traction to date? We're seeing incredible engagement and participation rates. Over 93% of employees are actively using their benefits through our platform. This proves what we've always believed: when you give people benefits that actually fit their lives, they use them. We're also proud that our customer base spans from fast-growing startups to enterprise-size, global companies across various industries, showing Compt works at any scale. Where do you think your growth will be next year? We're seeing strong demand from mid-market companies who want to compete with larger organizations for talent but need a more efficient way to deliver comprehensive benefits. There is also a lot of interest in family benefits (beyond the narrow scope of fertility) and professional development stipends, for which we're expanding our platform features. Compt also continues to grow internationally as more companies realize the need for culturally aware benefits programs for their global teams. What’s your biggest threat? Our biggest challenge isn't competition but inertia. Many companies are stuck in the 'this is how we've always done it' benefits mindset -- and some always will be. But as younger generations enter the workforce and demand more personalized experiences (and older generations take note and join the movement), this resistance to change becomes increasingly expensive in terms of talent attraction and retention.

"When you give people benefits that actually fit their lives, they use them" says Compt CEO/Founder

„Wenn man den Menschen Vorteile bietet, die wirklich zu ihrem Leben passen, nutzen sie diese“, sagt Compt CEO/Gründer

«Όταν δίνεις στους ανθρώπους προνόμια που ταιριάζουν πραγματικά στη ζωή τους, τα χρησιμοποιούν». λέει ο Διευθύνων Σύμβουλος/Ιδρυτής της Compt

"Cuando se les da a las personas beneficios que realmente se adaptan a sus vidas, los usan", dice el CEO y fundador de Compt.

"Ketika Anda memberi orang manfaat yang benar-benar sesuai dengan kehidupan mereka, mereka akan menggunakannya." kata CEO/Pendiri Compt

"Quando offri alle persone dei benefit che si adattano realmente alle loro vite, li usano", afferma il CEO/fondatore di Compt

「人々の生活に実際に合った福利厚生を提供すれば、人々はそれを利用する」とコンプトのCEO兼創設者は言う。

"Runakunaman chiqap kawsayninkuman hina yanapakuykunata quptiykiqa, chaykunatam servichikunku". nin Compt CEO/Fundador

„Când le oferi oamenilor beneficii care se potrivesc cu adevărat vieții lor, ei le folosesc.” spune CEO/Fondator Compt

"Keď ľuďom poskytnete výhody, ktoré skutočne zodpovedajú ich životu, využijú ich." hovorí CEO/zakladateľ Compt

"நீங்கள் மக்களுக்கு அவர்களின் வாழ்க்கைக்கு பொருந்தக்கூடிய நன்மைகளை வழங்கும்போது, அவர்கள் அவற்றைப் பயன்படுத்துகிறார்கள்." Compt CEO/நிறுவனர் கூறுகிறார்

"Kapag binigyan mo ang mga tao ng mga benepisyo na aktuwal na akma sa kanilang buhay, ginagamit nila ang mga ito." sabi ni Compt CEO/Founder

"Khi bạn cung cấp cho mọi người những lợi ích thực sự phù hợp với cuộc sống của họ, họ sẽ sử dụng chúng", CEO/Nhà sáng lập Compt cho biết.

This will be my last entry on the topic for a while. For context, I introduced the idea that folks don’t care about security; they care about outcomes in this post, and then I began exploring ways we, as IT practitioners, can shift the focus to the results and, therefore, contextualize the actions needed as something other than “security for the sake of security.” In this post, I’m continuing with that line of discussion. What can we DO to make our environments more secure, and how can we get our colleagues to understand and want to do it? Focus on Actual Risks and Realistic Outcomes (or: Don’t let “perfect” be the enemy of “good”) When doing your homework to build those aforementioned risk profiles, you need to be open to the possibility that whatever you’re trying to fix doesn’t represent a material risk or isn’t as big of a deal as you initially thought. On the other hand, sometimes the risk really *IS* that bad, yet the company seems unwilling to discuss it. There are two things to keep in mind: Remember that “accept” is one of the options for risk management. The trick is getting someone to sign off on that acceptance formally. Implicit acceptance is the worst kind of risk acceptance and is usually a sign of a communication breakdown. If the best you can get is a verbal “It’ll be fine; you worry too much!” then you might have a much more considerable risk on your hands:
Second, consider that the organization didn’t really hear (or internalize) what you’ve been saying. They’re refusing to listen now because they haven’t been part of the journey up to this point. Your next step isn’t to throw your hands up but rather to retrace your steps and discover where the disconnect happened. I won’t lie; this is where the politics and interpersonal element can be its most frustrating – it’s incredibly difficult to go back and reiterate everything you’ve already said, to go through the act of what feels like smoothing ruffled feathers and soothing fragile egos. But like ANY relationship, communication (and its lack) always sits at the point between moving forward and getting caught endlessly in the past. That doesn’t mean you have to be everyone’s punching bag. But just as I suggested at the beginning of this section, you need to be open to the reality that an issue you perceive to be a risk might not be that big of a deal; so to do you need to be open to the possibility that your first attempt to communicate didn’t work that well, and you need to admit that to everyone and try again. “We’re from the government, and we’re here to help.” As I hinted at earlier, NIST is aware of this issue and is attempting to bridge the gap between organizational/leadership goals and objectives and the value that infosec can provide. One of the primary outputs of this effort is the “Integrating Cybersecurity and Enterprise Risk Management” document. One of the authors, Bob Gardner, calls it “making the connection from the adversary to the wiring closet to the board room.” This document (along with other content in the 8286 series) underscores NIST’s understanding that what businesses want from cybersecurity is a contribution to risk management in terms of mitigation, avoidance, transfer, etc. The NIST series extends (and aligns with) an earlier plan, OMB Circular A-123, which directs Federal agencies to develop a formal “risk profile” (sound familiar?) and use it to combat cybersecurity threats. But the assistance and insight doesn’t end there. Sometimes, the answer to “what are we supposed to do about this” is hidden within the very security policies and frameworks companies are bound to comply with. Whether you’re talking about HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOX, GDPR, or any one of the many other acts, provisions, or guidelines; there are usually goals and achievable objectives described. In this regard, Samuel Svarc points out: “These schemes don’t mandate specific technical steps (e.g., Advanced AV, password manager, etc.) but rather broad categories of requirements (“company will create reasonable password policies,” “company will take reasonable measures to secure computers from common threats,” etc.) that are open to interpretation… ” and yet provide a reasonably clear path forward. Furthermore, Svarc says, “…if a company can show that they conducted a real risk assessment which was then substantially followed, they will be treated differently than a company that didn’t. A company that has a current firewall, Advanced AV on workstations, ZTNA for remote workers, Bitlocker on all laptops, password managers, and FIDO keys with 2FA, normal logging monitored by competent SOC, is in a totally different place security-wise than a company that has laptops running around unencrypted, or without 2FA turned on (to mention two low hanging security steps).” Security by any other name A long-running discussion I’ve had with Kymberlee Price revolves around the definition of security and why we are (or should be) concerned about it at an organizational level. Security continues to be presented as a technology in its own right when, in fact, it’s truly about improving quality. “Quality code,” Price states with the authority of someone who’s spent over 25 years working in the security space, “is reliable. Quality code is secure.” She’s championed for a while, and it’s gaining traction in the industry at large. Tell a developer their code has a security issue, and you will not likely get more than a passing glance. After all, “shift left” was recognized as corporate double-speak for “one programmer does the work of two people for the same pay,” shortly after Larry Smith coined the term in 2001. Using it to mean developers should test their own code for security only increases the resistance. However, tell a developer their code has a quality issue, and you’ll have their full attention. “Security is actually quality by a different name” is more than a marketing spin; it’s a message meant for more than the coding crowd. If a business’ processes, policies, or products have overlooked or under-emphasized security, it’s highly likely that other aspects got short shrift as well. And that speaks to low quality. Conversely, if security has been fully considered, it’s far more likely the other aspects have also been reviewed and confirmed – if for no other reason than the fact that the job of security teams is to ensure those elements have been reviewed in the first place. What I’m getting at is that security is one of the fundamental aspects of any business, tightly bound to everything from design to delivery. Pretending otherwise and treating security as some completely separate discipline that’s divorced from poor outcomes in success, velocity, and even profitability is how we ended up in the current situation in the first place. Summary It’s difficult, if not impossible, to argue that backups aren’t important for the simple reason that the value they provide (i.e., the ability to restore data) is intuitively obvious to every level of the business, from executives on down. Security has failed to enjoy organizational support simply because the methods of creating a secure environment are much more complex, the types of threats are much more varied, and the surety of the outcomes is much less assured. In my opinion, this is due to the fact that the focus of so much of the infosec narrative has been on the technology and its delivery. This is equivalent to the backup operators making their case by describing the differences in DAT tapes vs. optical vs cloud or the benefits of full backups vs. incremental vs differential. Again, nobody cares about that stuff. Instead, infosec practitioners should shift their narrative to emphasize the business benefits of quality, resilience, and increased value. Put succinctly: Nobody cares about security, but they sure as hell care about increasing revenue, reducing cost, and removing risk. Your job is to champion the truth that, in order to have those things (revenue, etc), the business needs to invest in security across the organization. This will be my last entry on the topic for a while. For context, I introduced the idea that folks don’t care about security; they care about outcomes in this post , and then I began exploring ways we, as IT practitioners, can shift the focus to the results and, therefore, contextualize the actions needed as something other than “security for the sake of security.” In this post, I’m continuing with that line of discussion. What can we DO to make our environments more secure, and how can we get our colleagues to understand and want to do it? in this post then I began exploring ways Focus on Actual Risks and Realistic Outcomes (or: Don’t let “perfect” be the enemy of “good”) (or: Don’t let “perfect” be the enemy of “good”) When doing your homework to build those aforementioned risk profiles, you need to be open to the possibility that whatever you’re trying to fix doesn’t represent a material risk or isn’t as big of a deal as you initially thought. On the other hand, sometimes the risk really *IS* that bad, yet the company seems unwilling to discuss it. There are two things to keep in mind: Remember that “accept” is one of the options for risk management. The trick is getting someone to sign off on that acceptance formally. Implicit acceptance is the worst kind of risk acceptance and is usually a sign of a communication breakdown. If the best you can get is a verbal “It’ll be fine; you worry too much!” then you might have a much more considerable risk on your hands: Second, consider that the organization didn’t really hear (or internalize) what you’ve been saying. They’re refusing to listen now because they haven’t been part of the journey up to this point. Your next step isn’t to throw your hands up but rather to retrace your steps and discover where the disconnect happened. Remember that “accept” is one of the options for risk management. The trick is getting someone to sign off on that acceptance formally. Implicit acceptance is the worst kind of risk acceptance and is usually a sign of a communication breakdown. If the best you can get is a verbal “It’ll be fine; you worry too much!” then you might have a much more considerable risk on your hands: Second, consider that the organization didn’t really hear (or internalize) what you’ve been saying. They’re refusing to listen now because they haven’t been part of the journey up to this point. Your next step isn’t to throw your hands up but rather to retrace your steps and discover where the disconnect happened. I won’t lie; this is where the politics and interpersonal element can be its most frustrating – it’s incredibly difficult to go back and reiterate everything you’ve already said, to go through the act of what feels like smoothing ruffled feathers and soothing fragile egos. But like ANY relationship, communication (and its lack) always sits at the point between moving forward and getting caught endlessly in the past. That doesn’t mean you have to be everyone’s punching bag. But just as I suggested at the beginning of this section, you need to be open to the reality that an issue you perceive to be a risk might not be that big of a deal; so to do you need to be open to the possibility that your first attempt to communicate didn’t work that well, and you need to admit that to everyone and try again. “We’re from the government, and we’re here to help.” As I hinted at earlier, NIST is aware of this issue and is attempting to bridge the gap between organizational/leadership goals and objectives and the value that infosec can provide. One of the primary outputs of this effort is the “ Integrating Cybersecurity and Enterprise Risk Management ” document. Integrating Cybersecurity and Enterprise Risk Management One of the authors, Bob Gardner, calls it “making the connection from the adversary to the wiring closet to the board room.” This document (along with other content in the 8286 series ) underscores NIST’s understanding that what businesses want from cybersecurity is a contribution to risk management in terms of mitigation, avoidance, transfer, etc. other content in the 8286 series The NIST series extends (and aligns with) an earlier plan, OMB Circular A-123 , which directs Federal agencies to develop a formal “risk profile” (sound familiar?) and use it to combat cybersecurity threats. OMB Circular A-123 But the assistance and insight doesn’t end there. Sometimes, the answer to “what are we supposed to do about this” is hidden within the very security policies and frameworks companies are bound to comply with. Whether you’re talking about HIPAA , PCI-DSS , SOX , GDPR , or any one of the many other acts, provisions, or guidelines; there are usually goals and achievable objectives described. security policies and frameworks HIPAA PCI-DSS SOX GDPR In this regard, Samuel Svarc points out: “These schemes don’t mandate specific technical steps (e.g., Advanced AV, password manager, etc.) but rather broad categories of requirements (“company will create reasonable password policies,” “company will take reasonable measures to secure computers from common threats,” etc.) that are open to interpretation… ” and yet provide a reasonably clear path forward. Furthermore, Svarc says, “…if a company can show that they conducted a real risk assessment which was then substantially followed, they will be treated differently than a company that didn’t. A company that has a current firewall, Advanced AV on workstations, ZTNA for remote workers, Bitlocker on all laptops, password managers, and FIDO keys with 2FA, normal logging monitored by competent SOC, is in a totally different place security-wise than a company that has laptops running around unencrypted, or without 2FA turned on (to mention two low hanging security steps).” Security by any other name A long-running discussion I’ve had with Kymberlee Price revolves around the definition of security and why we are (or should be) concerned about it at an organizational level. Security continues to be presented as a technology in its own right when, in fact, it’s truly about improving quality. “Quality code,” Price states with the authority of someone who’s spent over 25 years working in the security space, “is reliable. Quality code is secure.” She’s championed for a while, and it’s gaining traction in the industry at large. Kymberlee Price gaining traction Tell a developer their code has a security issue, and you will not likely get more than a passing glance. After all, “shift left” was recognized as corporate double-speak for “one programmer does the work of two people for the same pay,” shortly after Larry Smith coined the term in 2001. Using it to mean developers should test their own code for security only increases the resistance. Larry Smith coined the term However, tell a developer their code has a quality issue, and you’ll have their full attention. “Security is actually quality by a different name” is more than a marketing spin; it’s a message meant for more than the coding crowd. If a business’ processes, policies, or products have overlooked or under-emphasized security, it’s highly likely that other aspects got short shrift as well. And that speaks to low quality. Conversely, if security has been fully considered, it’s far more likely the other aspects have also been reviewed and confirmed – if for no other reason than the fact that the job of security teams is to ensure those elements have been reviewed in the first place. What I’m getting at is that security is one of the fundamental aspects of any business, tightly bound to everything from design to delivery. Pretending otherwise and treating security as some completely separate discipline that’s divorced from poor outcomes in success, velocity, and even profitability is how we ended up in the current situation in the first place. Summary It’s difficult, if not impossible, to argue that backups aren’t important for the simple reason that the value they provide (i.e., the ability to restore data) is intuitively obvious to every level of the business, from executives on down. Security has failed to enjoy organizational support simply because the methods of creating a secure environment are much more complex, the types of threats are much more varied, and the surety of the outcomes is much less assured. In my opinion, this is due to the fact that the focus of so much of the infosec narrative has been on the technology and its delivery. This is equivalent to the backup operators making their case by describing the differences in DAT tapes vs. optical vs cloud or the benefits of full backups vs. incremental vs differential. Again, nobody cares about that stuff. Instead, infosec practitioners should shift their narrative to emphasize the business benefits of quality, resilience, and increased value. Put succinctly: Nobody cares about security, but they sure as hell care about increasing revenue, reducing cost, and removing risk. Your job is to champion the truth that, in order to have those things (revenue, etc), the business needs to invest in security across the organization.

ACTING (like we care about) Securityms: Focusing on Risks, Outcomes, and Business Value

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