Based in Big Pine Key, Florida, Bruce Sonnenfeld has worked as a software engineer and consultant for over 30 years. During this period, he has worked on mobile application development, gaming, and application development. Bruce Sonnenfeld’s skill set bridges client/server architecture, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and front-end technologies, making him a rare full-spectrum developer in today’s specialized tech landscape.
Bruce Sonnenfeld began his professional journey writing software for a variety of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Mac. In this period, he developed different server applications, drivers, and desktop applications using C++, C, Java, Python, Perl and C#. Some of the other tools and languages that he worked with include React, Objective C, Linux/RHEL8, Tomcat, WebLogic, Git, Shell Scripts and PHP.
Mr. Sonnenfeld is currently a senior software developer with ByLight Professional Services. In this role, he has written code and created J2EE applications and services for the Veterans Administration Loan Guaranty Program. He also used Jira for stories and sprint reviews, and GitHub to commit code for software versions using branches. He received honors for his outstanding work accomplishments and was granted a patent on a remote testing application.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My typical day is usually filled with work, mixed with swimming and ballroom dancing and my puppies. I typically start the day by waking up and getting ready with morning routines and puppy feeding and walking. I then start work around 9 and program. Around lunch time, I take a break for swimming and eating. I also walk the puppies. I then work until 5ish and then take a walk and eat. I usually go out in the evening and practice ballroom dancing or watch a movie in the evening.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I bring ideas to life by thinking and planning first. I am theoretical at first and like to go over different ways to implement things and plan. Depending on the idea, I usually get the needed supplies and materials to make it work. I also write down what I need to do. I also consult the internet or ChatGPT to get others’ ways to do things. This gives me a head start on the best solution and what to expect. Finally, I put everything together and do the work and make the idea a reality.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I enjoy the technological advancement trends. Some technological trends that I follow are quantum computers, DNA memory, fusion and AI. The advancements in these areas is fascinating since it will lead to revolutionary changes in our societies. Quantum computers can compute billions of operations simultaneously. It will create possibilities that we can’t even imagine. DNA memory is another technology which will allow us to save things in less space. They say a box of this could hold all of mankind’s knowledge and more. Fusion reaction will create the possibility of unlimited energy. AI (artificial intelligence) will allow us to think better and complement our knowledge.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
One habit that makes me productive is my persistence at making things work and following through until the job is done. I always want to help out and do well. I don’t like to leave things in a halfway state and always try to find solutions and innovate. I will find a solution that works through perseverance and drive. Being creative and figuring out how to make something work is fun and challenging for me.
What advice would you give your younger self?
If I could go back in time and give myself some advice, I would tell myself to be confident in my abilities and not to be dependent on others and settle for less. I tend to not think I can do things and to worry about things too much. I have taken shortcuts and married people because I wanted an easier lifestyle. I would tell myself to believe in myself and to know that I can do things and accomplish a lot independently.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I believe that people need to not control others’ beliefs and make others feel ashamed of what they believe. I find this in religion, in raising children, and in other aspects of life. This happens when others try to influence our opinions and make us shameful if it doesn’t coincide with our beliefs. An opinion should only be given when asked. If a person doesn’t want your opinion or doesn’t ask, then it should be respected and not volunteered. I spent many years working on this and hope others will do this for me as well. A lot of people may disagree with this belief.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
I repeatedly do and recommend ballroom dancing and tango to everyone else. Dancing is such a wonderful thing to share with a partner or other people. It takes work and coordination and a real effort to get better. This is something we can’t do alone. It is very rewarding and satisfying to grow together and learn and accomplish something that is shared between two. If you haven’t tried, I would definitely recommend taking a lesson and putting in some effort.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
When I’m overwhelmed or unfocused, the first thing I do is halt and take a break. It is important to clear my mind and relax and not continue to loop into trying to fix or solve the issue at hand. I try to break the task into simpler steps and do things in smaller pieces. For example, if I have a task to paint a wall, maybe I will focus on just getting the paint or the paint brushes. Not trying to do everything at once. By breaking things down, life becomes simpler and easier.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
My one strategy that has helped me advance my career is being helpful, committed, and fully open and honest at work. I continually try to overachieve and make sure I connect with my peers and put personality and humor in addition to the normal workload. This has given others confidence in me and my abilities. By being reliable and consistent, others know that I will perform and can depend on me being there when needed. This has allowed me to get promotions and advancements in my career, and I also feel good and confident about myself internally knowing that I am doing my best and being clear in my intentions and communication with others.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
One failure in my career was when I didn’t apply myself to a project and tried to cover up what I had done. I was asked to code a piece of software and given a deadline. I procrastinated and didn’t work on it and gave excuses instead of applying myself. Eventually things caught up, and I was reprimanded for it. I overcame it by talking with my manager and taking responsibility for the poor quality of work. I learned that I need to be open and honest and try my best to meet the requirements of the project. I’ve taken away to owning up to what I do and being responsible for my actions.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
One business idea I had was to create a “Carnot engine” for personal houses. Currently, these are used on submarines to generate electricity and energy from hydrogen. By building one for the home and making it scalable and personal, it could eliminate generators and power-up communities. It is also environment friendly and doesn’t pollute. There is a need for this in the world today.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
There are a lot of pieces of software that help me be productive. Probably the most important one is ChatGPT and having that help me produce code and documentation. I am using AI (artificial intelligence) in my work and in my personal life. In my personal life, I use it to find out how to fix things and to help me find things out that I am not sure about. At work, I use it to get a head start and fix coding issues. Now that it is here, I don’t think I can work without it and be as productive.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I like self-help books and ones that analyze who we are. One of my favorite books was Attachment Styles, and I got a lot of value from it. Attachment styles are the way we are in relationships with partners. There are mainly three styles: anxious, secure, and avoidant. The way we are has to do with our upbringing and situations. Were we paid attention to as children? The book talks about the research behind the field and what characteristics each style has. Most people are secure. I gained so much value from this book because it gave me insight into my personality and the reasons I behave the way I do.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I recently watched the series Breaking Bad and really enjoyed it. It was interesting to see how a chemistry teacher became involved with producing methane and illegal drugs and how he progressed more and more. In the end, he was a really bad person and got corrupted by power and money. He betrayed friends and loved ones in the process. I liked this series because it was interesting to see how people can react and get involved in something that is so corrupt. We are all human in nature, and our instincts take over, and we all could go down the same path if circumstances were different.
Key learnings
- Persistence, self-confidence, creativity, and follow-through are key to success.
- Commitment to reliability, consistency, accountability, and communication promote professional and growth.
- Artificial intelligence can help us become better thinkers, complement our knowledge, and improve our productivity.
- Effective problem-solving and idea implementation begins with thorough preparation and exploring different theories.