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Fran Méndez

Workshop with David Boyne (EventCatalog) and some personal insights

Published 13 days ago • 2 min read

Writing Shift is proving to be challenging to me. Not in a bad way but in a really really good way. Yesterday, in a conversation with Laïla Bougriâ, I told her that I'm writing the book for me, to learn. Obviously, I'm taking into account the target audience all the time but, even this, is part of the challenge. It's not the first time I've done this though.

When I drafted the first AsyncAPI specification, I did it for me, so I could learn the ins and outs of OpenAPI and also Event-Driven Architecture.

When I started the AsyncAPI community, I did it for me, so I could learn how to properly manage a project, its people, and my communication skills.

When I took on the responsibility to join Postman as a Director of Engineering without prior experience, I did it for me, so I could keep growing my management and communication skills.

When I quit Postman to get a proper rest and heal all the damage my time there did in my mental health, obviously I did it for me, so I can learn how to grow without burning out. This one I'm still figuring out. Or, better said, I think I figured it out but I need to be very conscious about not falling for the same mistakes again.

Passion is what drives me in my life. It drives me crazy too, sometimes. It's the passion for solving challenges, learning new things, and helping people out. I feel it like hiking a mountain. To get to the top, you need to go up, yes, but also down sometimes. You also need to get a proper rest in a mountain hut (shelter/refuge).

Since June and until December last year, I've been on a (metaphorical) hut. We're 6 months in this year and I'm feeling ready more and more every day. Ready to accept new challenges, to commit to new endeavours, and to face them stronger than ever.

Consulting helps me stay in touch with the reality of Event-Driven Architectures and network with insanely good professionals.

This year, I'm doubling down on Shift. Writing the book is just the beginning. I'll be launching more training material but, to kick the tyres off and show you how serious and cool I'm going about it, I'm partnering with David Boyne (the creator of EventCatalog) to offer a workshop.

I'll share more details in this newsletter as we make progress. In the meantime, if you're interested, reply to this email or DM me on LinkedIn and I'll put you in the priority list.

I'm doing this to grow, sure, but there's no reason we can't grow together.

Until next week!

P.S. Remember you can get early access to read Shift, at a discounted price. Get early access now.

P.P.S. If you're stuck, need a second pair of eyes on your architecture, or want personalized guidance to accelerate your project, a 1:1 call can provide the clarity and direction you need. Book Your 1:1 Consultation.​

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Fran Méndez

Creator of AsyncAPI | Empowering Staff+ Engineers & Architects to master Event-Driven Architectures with proven tools, processes, and best practices.

Hey hey! I'm Fran, the creator of the AsyncAPI specification (the industry standard for defining asynchronous APIs). Subscribe to my newsletter —The Weekly Shift— where I share expert advice about building Event-Driven Architecture and share my journey writing my first book, Shift: The Playbook for Event-Driven Architecture Advocacy.

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