Speaker, Twitch affiliate, @devspaceconf organizer. I do strange things with C# and F#. I'm like the Digital Lorax. I speak for the binary trees. He/Him
Huntsville, AL
Joined August 2010
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- Following454
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Chris Gardner retweeted
13 things that don’t bother me as your manager 🙅♀️
1. Leaving a meeting that isn’t useful to you.
If you’re not needed and you’re not getting anything from it, take the time back. There are plenty of other meetings, I promise 📆
Chris Gardner retweeted
Next event is October 10th!
Come join us in your costume for a fun afternoon with local creators and community members
RSVP here: meetups.twitch.tv/events/det…
Chris Gardner retweeted
my grief over dolly and tim curry is absolutely parasocial but you can't understate the impact that both of those people had for queer people, for women, for people who have always had "weird" interests and big personalities, they were icons for anyone strange
Chris Gardner retweeted
In personal news, I’m on the job market again.
If you need DevRel leadership or just a solid Dev Advocate with over 15 years of experience, hit me up - pj at devrelate dot io
I’m also available for contract gigs
Chris Gardner retweeted
Happy Birthday to everyone who just used the defaults in online sign-up forms. .
Chris Gardner retweeted
Dear @WhiteHouse, I Know this is a kind shot, but My name is Rodney Smith Jr. I live in Huntsville, AL. I’m currently traveling to all 50 states mowing lawns for veterans, active duty service members, Gold Star families & widows. I’m also sharing their stories . This is my way of honoring them.
As founder of a nonprofit with 6,000+ kids mowing FREE lawns for the elderly, disabled, single parents & veterans nationwide, I’d be honored to bring my USA Flag Mower to mow at the Arlington National Cemetery where veterans rest.
I’m currently in the New England area heading down the East Coast before Florida, then Alaska. Thank you for your consideration.
— Rodney
Chris Gardner retweeted
The Call for Speakers is now OPEN for CodeStock 2026
— a 2-day nonprofit conference built to Educate, Inspire, and Connect the tech community.
We’re looking for talks across the spectrum of technology and professional growth.
👉 Submit your CFP today: sessionize.com/codestock-202…
Chris Gardner retweeted
It's official. Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama will be the new permanent home of U.S. Space Command.
📌 Watch the announcement live: bit.ly/2F32bA9
Chris Gardner retweeted
Junior PM: My stakeholders won't listen to customer feedback.
Senior PM: What do you tell them?
Junior PM: That users are struggling with onboarding.
Senior PM: What do they say?
Junior PM: "That's just noise" or "edge cases."
Senior PM: How do you respond?
Junior PM: I show them more examples.
Senior PM: Does that work?
Junior PM: No. They say I'm overthinking it.
Senior PM: What language are you speaking?
Junior PM: English?
Senior PM: No. Customer language.
Junior PM: What do you mean?
Senior PM: You're speaking in user problems. They think in business problems.
Junior PM: Aren't they the same?
Senior PM: Not to executives.
Junior PM: I don't understand.
Senior PM: Watch this. You say "users struggle with onboarding."
Junior PM: Right.
Senior PM: They hear "some people have complaints."
Junior PM: But it's more than that.
Senior PM: Is it? According to your words?
Junior PM: I mean, it affects retention...
Senior PM: Did you say that?
Junior PM: No.
Senior PM: What did you say?
Junior PM: "Users struggle with onboarding."
Senior PM: Which part mentions business impact?
Junior PM: ...None of it.
Senior PM: There's your problem.
Junior PM: But shouldn't they care about user experience?
Senior PM: They care about business results.
Junior PM: That seems heartless.
Senior PM: It's focus.
Junior PM: How so?
Senior PM: Their job is company performance. Your job is translating user needs into company performance.
Junior PM: I thought my job was advocating for users.
Senior PM: It is. In language executives understand.
Junior PM: Which is?
Senior PM: Numbers and dollars.
Junior PM: Give me an example.
Senior PM: Instead of "users struggle with onboarding"...
Junior PM: What would you say?
Senior PM: "Poor onboarding costs us $2M annually."
Junior PM: But I don't have that number.
Senior PM: Then get it.
Junior PM: How?
Senior PM: What happens when onboarding fails?
Junior PM: Users churn.
Senior PM: And?
Junior PM: We lose revenue.
Senior PM: How much?
Junior PM: Average deal is $100 per month...
Senior PM: Keep going.
Junior PM: If 25% drop in week one, and we get 1000 new users monthly...
Senior PM: What's the impact?
Junior PM: We lose 250 users, so $25,000 monthly.
Senior PM: Annually?
Junior PM: $300,000.
Senior PM: Now you're speaking executive.
Junior PM: But that still seems small to them.
Senior PM: What else does poor onboarding cause?
Junior PM: Support tickets.
Senior PM: How many?
Junior PM: 40% of our tickets are onboarding-related.
Senior PM: What does that cost?
Junior PM: Each ticket costs maybe $15 to resolve...
Senior PM: How many tickets monthly?
Junior PM: About 2000.
Senior PM: So onboarding tickets cost?
Junior PM: $12,000 monthly. $144,000 annually.
Senior PM: What else?
Junior PM: Engineering time fixing onboarding issues?
Senior PM: How much?
Junior PM: Maybe 20% of one engineer's time.
Senior PM: What's that worth?
Junior PM: $40,000 annually.
Senior PM: Total cost?
Junior PM: Almost $500,000 per year.
Senior PM: Now try your pitch again.
Junior PM: "Poor onboarding costs us $500K annually. Quick fix takes 2 sprints, saves $300K in retention alone."
Senior PM: Better?
Junior PM: Way better.
Senior PM: Why?
Junior PM: It's in their language.
Senior PM: What language is that?
Junior PM: Business impact.
Senior PM: Exactly.
Junior PM: But calculating these numbers takes time.
Senior PM: How much time?
Junior PM: Maybe two hours.
Senior PM: How much time do you spend in rejected meetings?
Junior PM: ...More than two hours.
Senior PM: So invest once, save repeatedly.
Junior PM: This seems like a template.
Senior PM: It is.
Junior PM: What's the template?
Senior PM: Business impact. Root cause. Resource cost. Fix complexity. Expected ROI.
Junior PM: Every customer insight conversation?
Senior PM: Every conversation where you need executive action.
Junior PM: But what if I don't have perfect numbers?
Senior PM: Conservative estimates beat no estimates.
Junior PM: They won't question my assumptions?
Senior PM: They'll respect that you thought in business terms.
Junior PM: Even if the numbers are rough?
Senior PM: Rough numbers show business thinking. No numbers show user thinking.
Junior PM: And they want business thinking.
Senior PM: They need business thinking.
Junior PM: What's the difference?
Senior PM: Their job depends on business results.
Junior PM: So I make their job easier.
Senior PM: You make their decisions easier.
Junior PM: By translating user pain into business language.
Senior PM: By doing their thinking for them.
Junior PM: That seems manipulative.
Senior PM: Is helping someone make better decisions manipulative?
Junior PM: No.
Senior PM: Then you're providing a service.
Junior PM: I'm bridging two worlds.
Senior PM: User world and business world.
Junior PM: And that's valuable.
Senior PM: That's your core skill as a PM.
Junior PM: Translation.
Senior PM: Strategic translation.
Junior PM: What makes it strategic?
Senior PM: You connect user needs to company goals.
Junior PM: Instead of just reporting problems.
Senior PM: Instead of expecting them to connect the dots.
Junior PM: But I thought executives should understand users.
Senior PM: They should. But they don't have time to.
Junior PM: So I do it for them.
Senior PM: You make user insights actionable.
Junior PM: By quantifying business impact.
Senior PM: By speaking their language fluently.
Junior PM: This changes how I prepare for every meeting.
Senior PM: It changes how you think about your role.
Junior PM: How so?
Senior PM: You're not just a user advocate.
Junior PM: What am I?
Senior PM: A business translator.
Junior PM: And translation requires knowing both languages.
Senior PM: Fluently.
Junior PM: User language and business language.
Senior PM: Most PMs only know one.
Junior PM: Which one?
Senior PM: Usually user language.
Junior PM: And they wonder why executives don't listen.
Senior PM: Now you know why.
Junior PM: They're speaking the wrong language.
Senior PM: For their audience.
Junior PM: I need to become bilingual.
Senior PM: You need to become a translator.
Junior PM: Same framework works for feature requests too?
Senior PM: Same framework works for any stakeholder conversation.
Junior PM: Because it's about alignment.
Senior PM: It's about making their job easier.
Junior PM: By thinking in their terms.
Senior PM: While solving for user needs.
Junior PM: That's the skill.
Senior PM: That's the difference between a PM and a product advocate.
Junior PM: PMs solve business problems.
Senior PM: Using user insights.
Junior PM: In business language.
Senior PM: Now you're thinking like a senior PM.
Chris Gardner retweeted
🚨 Looking for a Senior Developer Advocate to help you build a world-class DevRel program?
I’m available for contract work and fractional DevRel leadership.
✅ I’ve built global communities around Frontend, Cloud, and DevOps technologies, from the ground up
✅ I create strategic, authentic content that actually resonates with developers
✅ I speak at conferences, run hackathons, ship docs and blog posts, and help product and marketing teams speak dev
✅ I’m a strong writer, a comfortable speaker, and can produce video content end-to-end
✅ I track and report meaningful DevRel impact not just vanity metrics
If you’re a startup that:
•Needs to launch a new product and generate early traction
•Wants an engineer who knows how to build community without faking it
•Could use help building docs, strategy, and scalable content
•Needs someone who knows how to connect DevRel to business outcomes
Let’s talk.
DMs are open.
Remote only.
Chris Gardner retweeted
We’re bringing Pebble back → rePebble.com
Chris Gardner retweeted
Hey all, who in my network has 30 minutes to an hour to talk to a friend of mine who works in app dev about secure coding as a career field? He wants to potentially transition to that and I’d love some more specific expertise than I can provide!
Hit me up if you have time!!
Chris Gardner retweeted
Most teams of software engineers have 1 savant.
They just want to build. They have crazy ideas. They have lightning fast execution. And they don't like rules.
Your job as a manager is to protect your savant from management at all costs, steer them and let them fly.
1/3
Chris Gardner retweeted
So, Amazon wants everyone to return to the office. Does that mean they also want us to return to the mall and supporting small local businesses?
Chris Gardner retweeted
alright so ive been sitting on this idea for a bit now and i was going to 'wait until im back from paternity' but now that im in the middle of the grind i want to start this thing ASAP
❗️❗️i am starting a dads in tech group❗️❗️
Chris Gardner retweeted
Reminder of the new consumer tech product rules in 2024:
* If you release a bad product, MKBHD will review it honestly, and tell people that it is bad.
* And if you refuse to let MKBHD review your product? Then everyone will know that you are ashamed of your own product.
