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My Top Blog Posts from 2015

7 years ago
blogging
5 Comments

Here’s what you liked the most at Ozar.me, based on clicks:

  1. How to Use a GoPro as a Web Camera in Skype – I wrote a post about doing this with an HD video camera a few years back, and it was instantly one of my most popular posts. I make a hundreds of dollars per month in Amazon referral fees for this one.
  2. What It’s Like to Work for a Bad Contracting Company – Contractors often make great money, but the work isn’t always enjoyable. Here’s why.
  3. What Does It Mean to Buy Out Your Partners? – It’s not just a matter of saying, “Hey, how much money do you want?” I talk about the equity, intellectual property, and more.
  4. Questions You Should Ask Before You Take a Consulting Job – Will I be responsible for bringing in new clients? Can I veto my travel schedule? How much of a backlog do you have for my skills?
  5. No, the DBA role still isn’t going away – When you hear someone sell you that line, note what other products they’re selling. Like hey, training classes about a different career path. Go figure.
  6. My Standing Desk: NextDesk Terra Pro Review – I still loooove this thing.
  7. What’s the Difference Between Contractor, Consultant, and FTE? – When they work, what kinds of work they do, and what they really get paid for.
  8. Career Directions Self-Assessment Quiz – Ten questions to make you a little uncomfortable about what you’re doing.
  9. How to Start a Company – Start with a simple checklist of the plumbing you need to set up.
  10. How Do You Measure Your Career? – Like post #8, this one is all questions and no answers, although there were good comments.

I was going to build a list sorted by comments, but the top comment ones are up in that list anyway.

Here’s some of the ones I liked the most, even though you apparently didn’t, you heartless bastards:

  • Sentences to My Younger Selves – one sentence to each year of my past.
  • The Best Presentations are Based on Pain – although I should have changed the word “best” to “most actionable.” There’s a lot of entertainment or trivia presentations that are still really good.
  • Is Your Blog Cheers or McDonald’s? – understanding your blog’s strategy helps you decide what kinds of posts to write.
  • “Dress for the job you want” doesn’t mean “wear a tie” – I know a lot of miserable people in ties.
Ending the year in Tulum
Ending the year in Tulum

With 60 published blog posts in 2015, I’m proud of what I produced this year on my personal blog. (I had a bunch more over on the company blog.)

Here’s to another successful 2016: doing awesome things, and sharing what I learn with you. I love this journey.

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5 Comments. Leave new

  • Steve Hood
    December 29, 2015 9:07 am

    I enjoy what you put out there, even you do feel I’m a heartless bastard!

    Seriously, I think the blog posts here mean a lot more then than technical ones, and I wanted to say thank you for all that you do. It’s made a difference to me.

    Reply
    • Brent
      December 29, 2015 9:15 am

      Awww, thanks sir! The non-technical ones are the most fun to write, too.

      Reply
  • Steve Hood
    December 29, 2015 9:45 am

    In the spirit of “The Best Presentations are Based on Pain”, they’re the most useful, too. We can typically find multiple pieces of advice on how to resolve or learn technical details, but it’s difficult to get candid advice where our hearts really feel the pain.

    Is my career on the right path, am I marketing myself properly, and what can I do to better myself? Those are the types of questions that keep someone up at night more than “should I have used row or page level compression”.

    Especially since we know you aren’t profiting off of career advice, there’s a level of trust and comfort in your mentoring posts.

    Reply
  • Ross Ridout (@RossQuan23)
    December 31, 2015 4:24 am

    I really like the Sentences to My Younger Selves post, the one for 2013 gets me every time

    Reply
    • Brent
      December 31, 2015 7:19 am

      Ross – thanks. That one’s still so close in my rear view mirror that it’s tough for me to see with perspective. I think there will come a time when I tell that whole story, but it’ll probably be a couple more years.

      Reply

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Hi. I’m Brent.

That's me, Brent.

I live in Las Vegas, Nevada. I'm on an epic life quest to have fun and make a difference.

I co-founded Brent Ozar Unlimited to help make your SQL Server go faster. I also maintain sp_Blitz® and the open source First Responder Kit repo.

My current car collection includes a 1986 Ferrari 328 GTS, a 1964 Porsche 356, a 1971 VW Type 3 Squareback, and more.

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