Technical Skill Development

For my first 16 years in tech sales, I averaged 240K/year. In my last 4 years, I averaged 720K/year. I did this by using an approach I call Yo-yo selling: 🪀 It’s how you win large, complex enterprise deals by building credibility with senior executives at the beginning of a sales cycle. This will save you months of spending time with mid or lower level Directors on a deal cycle, only to have your deal stall because it's not a priority for Executives. Here’s the concept: You start at the top, get senior level sponsorship for a deep discovery, drop down into the business, then bounce back up with a report of findings. This is the process I've used for nearly every 7-figure deal I've ever closed. Step 0: Research before outreach Before asking for time, I do deep strategic research. Earnings calls. Investor decks. Press releases. Executive interviews. I also spend time talking to their team to see if the problem that I solve exists in their company. Using that research, I build a Point of View that connects their top business goals to real execution gaps. This earns executive time. Today, AI tools like ChatGPT make this easier than ever. What used to take hours now takes minutes. If you skip this step, you lose your edge. Step 1: Prospect to the top and gain their sponsorship to engage Lead with your POV. The key is to teach them something new about their business which they aren't already aware of, and show them how it's putting their highest level goals at risk. If they lean in, offer up a deep discovery with your team and their team. Lock in a date to come back for a readout. Have them assign a project manager to help you coordinate Step 2: Drop down Once you have executive sponsorship, meet with their team. The key is to have the Exec sponsor send out a note to their team explaining what it's for. This will keep the assessment moving forward. Study workflows. Capture friction. Collect quotes. Do not pitch. Just listen. Step 3: Bounce back up Bring it all together in an executive summary. Show how their vision connects directly to what’s broken below. Present a focused business case. Build a custom demo. Create a roadmap and implementation plan. That’s where deals close. Real example from my career At Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, we were told “no” on a point solution. Instead of walking away, I stepped back and asked what the company really needed. After deep research, I re-engaged the COO with a transformation POV centered on the experience of 50,000+ agents. The result was one of the largest new logo deals in Salesforce history. But Yo-yo selling alone isn’t enough. Because it's hard to execute and takes patience. Top performers also master their mindset, habits, and discipline. That’s why I put together a free masterclass for sellers who want to break into the top 1 percent. 👉 Watch the free training here: https://lnkd.in/eWD8mTqH If you’re serious about enterprise sales, this will change how you sell.

The biggest misconception I see about change management is that it’s only about people. Yes, people matter. But focusing only on mindset, buy-in, and communication misses the point. Because in most organisations, it’s not people holding change back. It’s the environment they’re working in. - The systems haven’t changed. - The tools still slow things down. - The incentives reward the old behaviours. - And the ‘unwritten rules’ still tell people to play it safe. That’s why the real job of a change manager isn’t just to support people through change. It’s also to design for it. That means: - Looking at the system, not just the individual - Removing friction that makes new behaviours harder - Using evidence to guide decisions - Shifting from “how do we get people to change?” to “what’s stopping them?” The best change managers understand this. They don’t just manage the rollout, they shape the conditions. They show up as system thinkers, problem solvers, and enablers of progress. Because lasting change doesn’t happen by chance. It happens by design. 📌 If you’re tired of being undervalued and overlooked as a change manager and, you've done the qualifications and need something to take you to the next level, get in touch. I run programmes for both individuals and teams. It's time to stop doubting yourself. Book your space now: https://lnkd.in/eQj9MBTV ------ ♻️ Repost to share with your network 💡 Signup for my newsletter and get insights like this straight to your inbox: https://lnkd.in/eESS94TS

I spent 3+ hours in the last 2 weeks putting together this no-nonsense curriculum so you can break into AI as a software engineer in 2025. This post (plus flowchart) gives you the latest AI trends, core skills, and tool stack you’ll need. I want to see how you use this to level up. Save it, share it, and take action. ➦ 1. LLMs (Large Language Models) This is the core of almost every AI product right now. think ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini. To be valuable here, you need to: →Design great prompts (zero-shot, CoT, role-based) →Fine-tune models (LoRA, QLoRA, PEFT, this is how you adapt LLMs for your use case) →Understand embeddings for smarter search and context →Master function calling (hooking models up to tools/APIs in your stack) →Handle hallucinations (trust me, this is a must in prod) Tools: OpenAI GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini, Hugging Face Transformers, Cohere ➦ 2. RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) This is the backbone of every AI assistant/chatbot that needs to answer questions with real data (not just model memory). Key skills: -Chunking & indexing docs for vector DBs -Building smart search/retrieval pipelines -Injecting context on the fly (dynamic context) -Multi-source data retrieval (APIs, files, web scraping) -Prompt engineering for grounded, truthful responses Tools: FAISS, Pinecone, LangChain, Weaviate, ChromaDB, Haystack ➦ 3. Agentic AI & AI Agents Forget single bots. The future is teams of agents coordinating to get stuff done, think automated research, scheduling, or workflows. What to learn: -Agent design (planner/executor/researcher roles) -Long-term memory (episodic, context tracking) -Multi-agent communication & messaging -Feedback loops (self-improvement, error handling) -Tool orchestration (using APIs, CRMs, plugins) Tools: CrewAI, LangGraph, AgentOps, FlowiseAI, Superagent, ReAct Framework ➦ 4. AI Engineer You need to be able to ship, not just prototype. Get good at: -Designing & orchestrating AI workflows (combine LLMs + tools + memory) -Deploying models and managing versions -Securing API access & gateway management -CI/CD for AI (test, deploy, monitor) -Cost and latency optimization in prod -Responsible AI (privacy, explainability, fairness) Tools: Docker, FastAPI, Hugging Face Hub, Vercel, LangSmith, OpenAI API, Cloudflare Workers, GitHub Copilot ➦ 5. ML Engineer Old-school but essential. AI teams always need: -Data cleaning & feature engineering -Classical ML (XGBoost, SVM, Trees) -Deep learning (TensorFlow, PyTorch) -Model evaluation & cross-validation -Hyperparameter optimization -MLOps (tracking, deployment, experiment logging) -Scaling on cloud Tools: scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, MLflow, Vertex AI, Apache Airflow, DVC, Kubeflow

Software engineering is an ever-evolving field, and staying on top of the fundamentals is just as important as mastering the latest trends. This knowledge map is designed to highlight the core areas every software engineer should be familiar with to build scalable, secure, and efficient systems.  Key Focus Areas:   - Distributed Systems & Databases: From ACID principles to NoSQL, the backbone of modern applications.   - Programming Paradigms: Understand imperative, functional, and object-oriented approaches.   - Security: Dive into OAuth, OpenID, SAML, and the OWASP Top 10 for secure development.   - Software Architecture: Master REST APIs, Microservices, and Event-driven architectures.   - Testing & Tools: Refine your processes with tools like Git, JIRA, and automated testing frameworks.   - Algorithms & Data Structures: The building blocks of solving complex problems.  This isn’t just a checklist; it’s a practical guide to navigate the vast landscape of software engineering. Whether you're an aspiring developer or a seasoned professional, this map serves as a reminder of the foundational pillars that support innovative solutions.  Have I overlooked anything? Please share your thoughts—your insights are priceless to me.

SEO plan 2025 A – Audit Your Website: Begin with a comprehensive SEO audit. Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to identify broken links, duplicate content, and technical errors. B – Build Backlinks: Quality backlinks remain crucial. Focus on guest posting, digital PR, and creating link-worthy content. C – Core Web Vitals: Optimize for Google’s Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS) to enhance user experience and improve rankings. D – Data-Driven Decisions: Use Google Analytics and Search Console to track performance and guide your SEO strategies. E – E-A-T Compliance: Establish Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness in your niche, especially for YMYL (Your Money Your Life) websites. F – Fresh Content: Regularly update or add new content. Google rewards websites that stay current and relevant. G – Google Business Profile: For local SEO, optimize and maintain an accurate Google Business Profile listing. H – Headings Optimization: Use H1, H2, H3 tags properly to structure content for both users and search engines. I – Internal Linking: Build a logical internal link structure to guide users and distribute link equity. J – JavaScript SEO: Ensure content rendered via JavaScript is crawlable and indexable by search engines. K – Keyword Research: Use modern tools like Semrush or Ubersuggest to identify long-tail and intent-driven keywords. L – Link Structure: Maintain clean and SEO-friendly URLs with proper slugs and no unnecessary parameters. M – Mobile Optimization: Ensure your website is mobile-responsive, as mobile-first indexing is now the standard. N – Niche Authority: Focus on creating depth in your content to become an authority in your niche. O – On-Page SEO: Optimize titles, meta descriptions, images (alt tags), and content around target keywords. P – Page Speed: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix slow-loading pages. Q – Quality Content: Always prioritize content that provides real value to users over keyword-stuffed articles. R – Responsive Design: Adapt your site design for all screen sizes and devices. S – Schema Markup: Implement structured data to enhance search listings with rich snippets. T – Technical SEO: Fix crawl errors, sitemaps, robots.txt, canonical tags, and other backend elements. U – User Experience (UX): A seamless UX improves dwell time, reduces bounce rate, and supports SEO. V – Voice Search Optimization: Target conversational queries and FAQs for better visibility in voice results. W – Web Security (HTTPS): Secure your site with SSL – it's a ranking factor and builds trust. X – XML Sitemap: Keep your XML sitemap updated and submit it to Google Search Console. Y – YouTube SEO: If you use videos, optimize titles, descriptions, and tags for better visibility on YouTube and Google. Z – Zero-Click Searches: Optimize for featured snippets, People Also Ask, and knowledge panels. #seoexpert #seo #topratedseoexpert #seotips #expartagency

10 Must-know best practices for optimizing API endpoints: Optimizing API endpoints is critical for achieving optimal performance in robust, scalable, and user-friendly applications. By following best practices, we can significantly enhance performance, strengthen security, and improve user and developer experience of APIs. Let's look at 10 core best practices for optimizing API endpoints: 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: 🔹 Optimize SQL queries Ensure your queries are performant. Use query execution plans to identify bottlenecks. Optimize and implement caching for frequent queries to minimize database load. 🔹 Cache Store frequently requested data at the client, server, or CDN level using caching headers or tools like Redis. This reduces response time and lightens backend load. Be mindful of stale data and implement cache invalidation strategies. 🔹 Payload optimization Compress large responses with Gzip, remove unnecessary fields from payloads, and use efficient formats like JSON for faster data transmission. Keep payloads lightweight, but don’t compromise on essential details for the client. 🔹 Pagination Break large datasets into smaller chunks with tools like limit and offset parameters. This improves performance and avoids crashing clients with oversized responses. Combine with cursors for better consistency in real-time data. 🔹 Asynchronous processing For time-intensive operations like file uploads or report generation, use background jobs with tools like RabbitMQ or Celery to keep APIs responsive. Return task IDs so clients can check the operation's status. 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: 🔹 Rate limiting and throttling Set limits on requests per user or client to prevent abuse, avoid server overload, and ensure consistent performance during traffic spikes. Customize thresholds based on endpoint sensitivity. 🔹 Input validation and sanitization Validate and sanitize all user inputs to protect against injection attacks (e.g., SQL injection, XSS) and ensure data integrity. 🔹 Monitoring and logging Track API metrics like response times, error rates, and usage patterns using tools like Datadog or New Relic. Comprehensive logs simplify debugging and help predict scaling needs. Regularly review logs to identify trends or anomalies. This is also important to identify performance bottlenecks. 🔹 Authentication and authorization Implement robust mechanisms like OAuth2, API keys, or JWT to ensure secure access and restrict resource usage to authorized users. 🔹 Encrypting data in transit Use HTTPS to secure data exchanges between clients and servers, ensuring sensitive information remains protected from interception. 💬 What’s your favorite API optimization tip? 💭 ~~ P.S. If you like this post, then you'll love our newsletter. Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/giQj3Z44

Frontend engineering != HTML, CSS, and Javascript. That’s just for beginners. I’ve spent 10+ years as a front-end engineer (from junior to senior and then team lead engineer) The real expertise comes when you increase depth into topics, this is where the frontend gets real:  1. Playing with Binary Data - ArrayBuffer   - TypedArray (Uint8Array, Int16Array, Float32Array)   - DataView   - Blobs   - Base64 Encoding/Decoding   - Binary Parsing   2. Network - Web Sockets   - Streams (ReadableStream, WritableStream)   - WebRTC   - HTTP/2   - QUIC   - Fetch API   - Axios   - CORS   - Server-Sent Events (SSE)   - Long Polling   3. Media - Media Stream API   - Media Recorder API   - Screen Capture API   - AudioContext/Web Audio API   - Picture-in-Picture   - Subtitles and Tracks   - HTMLMediaElement   - Video and Audio Enhancements   4. DOM - DOM API   - Shadow DOM   - Intersection Observer   - Mutation Observer   - Resize Observer   - Custom Elements   - Event Delegation   - Form Validation   - Web Components   5. Data Storage - Cookies   - Session Storage   - Local Storage   - IndexedDB   - Cache API   - Service Workers   - File Reader API   - Clipboard API   6. Performance - Web Workers   - Service Workers   - Web Vitals   - Lazy Loading   - RequestAnimationFrame   - Memory Management   - Async and Defer   - Bundle Analysis   7. Graphics - Canvas API   - WebGL   - SVG Manipulation   - CSS Animations   - Web Animations API   - Image Sprites   - Dynamic Image Rendering   8. Security - Content Security Policy (CSP)   - CORS   - XSS Prevention   - Trusted Types   - Mime Sniffing   - Input Sanitization   - Permissions API   9. Build - Treeshaking   - Code Splitting   - Hot Module Replacement   - Transpilers (Babel)   - Polyfills   - Webpack Configuration   - Vite/Rollup   10. Asset - Prefetch, Preload, Preconnect   - Gzip Compression   - Brotli Compression   - Dynamic Image Loading   - Lossy and Lossless Compression   - Pixel Density Optimization   - Responsive Images

🌐 Network Protocols: A Fundamental Basis in Cybersecurity 🌐 When I started in cybersecurity, I saw network protocols as just a mandatory step for certifications. But I quickly realized that they are the key to understanding how the digital world works… and how to protect it. 🗝️ Every attack, every data flow, every vulnerability goes through a protocol. Here are a few concrete examples with their associated ports and why they matter: ➡️ HTTP (80) / HTTPS (443): Web access. HTTPS provides security, but a misconfigured SSL/TLS setup can expose you to "man-in-the-middle" attacks. ➡️ FTP (20/21): Used for file transfers but vulnerable without encryption. SFTP is a better alternative. ➡️ TCP / UDP: TCP (reliability) and UDP (speed) are everywhere. Attacks like SYN Floods or DDoS exploit their mechanisms. ➡️ IP: Everything starts with an IP address. Analyzing IP logs helps detect scans, spoofing, or intrusion attempts. ➡️ SMTP (25) / IMAP (143/993): Email protocols. Poor configurations (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) can turn your domain into a phishing source. ➡️ SSH (22): Essential for administration but a target for brute force attacks. Secure configurations (SSH keys, non-standard ports) are crucial. 🎯 Understanding these protocols means mastering network security: analyzing logs, detecting attacks, and properly configuring your systems. And since they're often required for certifications, it’s a win-win! 🚀

📶 Evolution of Mobile Network Architecture: 2G ➡️ 3G ➡️ 4G ➡️ 5G Telecom has come a long way! 🚀 From basic voice calls in 2G to ultra-fast, AI-driven networks in 5G, mobile architecture has undergone a massive transformation. Let’s break it down! ⬇️ 🔹 2G Architecture (GSM/CDMA) ✅ Enabled voice calls & SMS ✅ Introduced circuit-switched data (CSD) ✅ BSC, MSC, HLR, VLR formed the backbone of mobile networks 🔹 3G Architecture (UMTS/CDMA2000) ✅ Introduced high-speed mobile data & internet ✅ Packet-switched core via SGSN/GGSN ✅ Enabled video calls & multimedia messaging 🔹 4G Architecture (LTE – Evolved Packet System) ✅ Shifted to all-IP network (no circuit-switched core) ✅ Faster speeds via OFDM & MIMO ✅ Core components: eNodeB, EPC (MME, SGW, PGW) ✅ Enabled VoLTE, HD video streaming, & IoT connectivity 🔹 5G Architecture (5G NR & 5G Core) ✅ Cloud-native, AI-driven, ultra-low latency networks ✅ Separation of control & user plane (CUPS) for efficiency ✅ Key components: AMF, SMF, UPF, gNB, UDC ✅ Supports massive IoT, autonomous driving, AR/VR & private 5G 📌 The Future? 5G is just the beginning! 6G research is already in progress, aiming for terahertz frequencies, AI-native networks, and quantum-secured communications. 🚀 #5G #4G #3G #Telecom #WirelessTechnology #NetworkEvolution #TelecomArchitecture #DigitalTransformation