Elliot Plant's User Manual

I'm great at thinking outside the box and coming up with solutions that aren't immediately obvious. I love making demos, drawing pictures, and telling stories.

I like to build more than I like to plan, but I'm working on a better balance.

It depends on what we're talking about. If we don't also need to look at a screen, I love the telephone (or in person) so we can walk and talk. If we need a screen, let's screen share. If we can afford to be async, I love screen recordings like Loom.

Most people assume I like sales/management/business because I'm an outgoing person. In reality, I enjoy writing software much more. I'm always happy to talk with other people and work with teammates, but I have the most fun when I'm writing code.

An office, a deadline, concrete examples, and direct access to someone (possibly myself) who knows what the end result should look like.

When I procrastinate or focus on small things instead of the big picture, that usually means I'm nervous about the overall goal. If I'm not as empathetic and I don't hear people's ideas out fully, that usually means I don't feel heard. 

I think success is when I've built something that helps people around me. The more people I help, the more successful I am. I often use feedback as a measure of success, and critical feedback often means people care enough about the product to want more out of it.

I can't tolerate projects where the perfect result needs to be built on the first try. If there's no room to get feedback from users or stakeholders with MVPs, then I don't want to be a part of the project. I like building the smallest amount possible to get the next valuable piece of feedback.

My mission is to spend thoughtful and focused time with my family and friends, work with my hands, and help the people around me.

I love a good high-five, I'm rarely intimidated, and I spend way too much time hand-crafting memes.

"He who controls the spice controls the universe"
- Frank Herbert