Building a Thriving Atlassian Consulting Business: Part 3

[#1]

Do What You Love

I can trace my interest in technology back to two key events. First was when I got my first computer, a Commodore 64, in the 1980s. I loved playing games and learning DOS commands.

The second event was thanks to my fear of calculus in high school. I’m horrible at math so I asked if there was a different class I could take instead. They put me in an experimental, non-credit class, with all boys. The goal was for us to teach ourselves web design, graphic design, and video production.

I learned HTML, created the school’s first website, and earned an internship with the company hosting the web server. I loved web design so much that I often skipped other classes to spend more time in the computer lab.

This leads me to my first recommendation: do what you love.

Life is too short to do anything else. If you’re not happy with your life or your career, it’s up to you to change it. It’s not up to your boss, your HR department, or your spouse to fix.

What do you enjoy doing? I know that I love to create things. First it was creating websites and now it’s creating Jira content. But “creating” has always been the common theme.

Before you do anything, start by answering these questions:

• What do you love?

• What problems can you solve for others?

  • Think about the major problems all organizations have. Now think of the experience and expertise you have solving those problems. Make a list!

• Now re-write the problems in terms of features and benefits.

  • I like to use the format “I can do X so you can do Y”. It’s like writing a user story. 😉 Here are some examples:

    • Instead of saying you’re a skilled Jira administrator, say “I’m skilled at building Jira workflows, so teams can track their work and leadership can monitor progress.”

    • If you’re a team lead, say “I coached the team to hit weekly deadlines so the company could make the most out of their main revenue generating channel.”

• Next, write down any experiences or perspectives that make you unique.

My Example

I have a unique set of skills and experience you won’t find elsewhere. As the founder of a Web Development company, I understand business, software development tools, and have lived the software development life cycle. As a prioritization specialist, I helped business and IT teams analyze, prioritize, schedule, and track strategic company projects. As a certified Jira Administrator, I thoroughly understand the Jira configuration, best practices, and how decisions today affect applications in the future. I literally wrote the book on Jira strategy and effective administration. My consulting experience is diverse, helping development, support, and business teams in different industries and environments. Finally, I’m well known in the Atlassian community as a frequent speaker, user group leader, and community champion. This uncommon combination of skills and experience creates a deep understanding, holistic, and informed approach for setting up, cleaning up, and maintaining Atlassian applications.

That’s my example.  Now write something unique for yourself!

---

Part 4: What Do You Need?

[Teodora _Old Street Solutions_Tempo_]

It's so important to have your own support. I remember back in the days when my brother and I tried to give DOS error commands to make it play a song with 2 or 3 types of error sounds. 

And yet, I haven't entered the software industry until my late 20s. And when I did, I immediately understood I was here to stay :) 

[Aron Gombas]

My first computer was a C64, as well. My home country in Eastern Europe had a major shortage of western technology products, so mum had to import it from Austria. :-)