README for Luke Floden
Last Edit: 2024-07-31
Me
Pronouns
They / Them
Respect of ones identity is a precursor to receive respect in return
Pronunciation:
Luke (Loo-k, Lew-k, IPA: /luːk/, /lɪu̯k/) Floden (Flo-den, Flow-den)
More about me
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Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky.
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Land of: “The Kentucky Derby”, Bourbon, KFC, Muhammad Ali, Jennifer Lawrence, etc.
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I have a cat (her name is Mochi).
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I am allergic to cats 🙃
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I prefer being able to take public transit or bike/walk.
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But Louisville doesn’t have the best infrastructure/planning for that unfortunately.
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Cooking
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I did most of my cooking exploration when I was vegetarian/vegan for 10+ years.
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I had a particular interest in learning Chinese dishes
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Much like Robin, I also like to be a “informer consumer”. Doing too much research on products before I buy.
Professional Life
Aspirations
Most of my experience thus far has been in full-stack development. Currently I am shifting focus to front-end matters and pursuing more impact on the overall design of what i’m working on (UI, UX, A11y, etc).
Values
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I find it hard to do things “quick and dirty” unless there is a well thought out reason for it. You always have to pay for it in the end, and often its much worse to deal with it down the road.
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“Fail often and fail fast”
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If the cost of resetting is low, don’t over calculate, make an attempt and learn from your failure.
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Distaste for abundance
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Work towards everything being meaningful, impactful, or having a purpose.
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This can be applied to many areas. The way you live, designing a product’s interface, overkill solutions that won’t ever see such scale, etc.
Experience
I have had a passion for computers and electronics since middle school; and a fascination for engineering starting with my first train-set.
Alongside my interest of engineering i’ve been drawn to artistic endeavors. Be that sculpture or music. This is an area that hasn’t been applied as much in my professional life until now. It is a major factor in the direction I am pursuing now.
Education / College
- 2017-2020 BS in “Computer Engineering, Computer Science” (CECS).
- 2020-2021 MEng in “Computer Science Engineering” (CSE)
I discovered during this time that I really enjoy helping people learn. I worked as a math/programming tutor and later as a teacher’s assistant for an “operating systems” class.
Career
My early career involved C# .NET development. Working with networked audio/visual gear and interfacing these systems with our software suite. I’ve always been fascinated by both the hardware and software side of computers so this was a great chance to dive into the intersection.
More recently my focus has been on full-stack web development (React and other frameworks + various python backends).
Now in my career I am pursuing more of an impact on the full experience of what I am working on. I have always had a deep focus on how I interact with tools and objects in my life; how I can reduce the barrier and make it feel more natural to interface with. I want to combine that with my background of development in the obvious area of software design. There are many terms one could use here: UI/UX/HCI/… but these terms are incomplete and don’t encompass everything needed for a successful design.
Working Together
Supporting you
I offer my honest opinions and try to always include my rational. An opinion without support is not worth nearly as much. Its a missed opportunity for sharing knowledge.
Supporting me
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I thrive under structure and deadlines. I create this in my personal life as well. Too much “green field” can lead me to stray from the desired path.
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Like Robin, I also don’t mind being in the spotlight, but don’t always default to putting myself there.
Feedback preferences
I enjoy learning efficiently from others. Straight forward constructive criticisms and asking for clarification are encouraged. On the other side of the spectrum, I not so fond of this when its too often or too small (think social micro-managing in a way).
Preferred modes
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slack, slack, slack: The fewer places to look, the better. Simplicity with digital tools helps keep my head on straight
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I am an avid note-taker. Not necessarily in meetings but definitely as a way to work through thoughts and so I can supplement my habit of forgetting things out of sight.
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I make good use of my calendar (currently Notion Calendar, synced to google). This goes for both professional and personal life (I even keep track of major life events for posterity 😅).
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I also like taking walks and short breaks in the day (I am open to potential “walk-n-talks”).
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I switch up where I work often. If i’m not at my desk at home I like to utilize public libraries and coffee shops.
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If I have meetings that require privacy I’ll try to work somewhere I can reserve a room or I’ll go back home.
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I like to get up and go; but with flexibility.
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I should have a pretty consistent schedule starting around 9am ET. I believe that some days its better to start late rather than trudging through just to “be at my desk”; I’d rather do **good** work.
Things I could improve at
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Asking for help sooner
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Trying something on my own for longer than I should before coming to others (so that I don’t appear ignorant).
Personality Markers
MBTI: INTP (though it has been years since i’ve done this)