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Understand the Problem

Posted on November 28, 2013

The intersection between technology and common sense - make sure that you understand the problem and go for the simple solution.

“Are you ready?” Something that veteran parents asked us as we prepared for the arrival of our baby boy? We would always answer with the affirmative, “Yes, of course. The veteran parents would shoot back an incredulous look. It was as if they were saying "You think you are ready, but you have absolutely no idea what’s in store for you.” And boy, were they right. Our baby cried non-stop, and we were scrambling to figure out what to do.

There were times where it seemed like he would cry all day and all night, only taking breaks for quick naps and feedings. Naturally, we spent those first 8 weeks figuring out how we could fix his crying issue. My background as an engineer lead me to approach my baby problem like any other problem - with the aide of technology. White noise app. Baby lullaby app. Use the swing. Jiggle method. Google this. Google that. Some things helped, but the technology was only a temporary distraction for baby Damian.

My wife took a more maternal and natural approach. She soothed him with song, held and rocked him for hours, and reassured him with her tender touch. It was exhausting work, but it was exactly what he needed. She understood the problem clearly; that the baby was unable to soothe himself. He would have to learn, and Mommy was there to teach him. Eventually, the baby would progress developmentally to the point where he could self-soothe, but until then this manual process gave us the best results.

She taught me an important lesson - make sure that you understand the problem before attempting to find a solution. In this case, technology was an ancillary aide, a mere side dish to a more simple solution. Taking the time to understand the problem can be the key to creating a more complete and long-lasting solution.

About

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Hi, I'm Don Pottinger.

I love building things with computers. At 10 years old, I wrote my first program using BASIC. I built my first computer when I was 12 years old.

I graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering. I have a background as a technology consultant and software engineer.

Now, I'm a co-founder of LanguaTalk, a language learning platform, and an engineering manager at Google.

I live in Atlanta with my amazing wife and kids. For fun, I play too much soccer and follow my favorite clubs, FC Barcelona and Arsenal F.C.

My CV so far

  • Engineering Manager at Google (2022 - Present)
  • Co-founder at LanguaTalk (2020 - Present)
  • Cloud Engineer at Google (2019 - 2022)
  • Founder and CEO at Kevy (2014 - 2019)
  • Co-founder and Head of Technical Development of Body Boss Fitness (2010 - 2015)
  • Engineering Manager and Software Engineer at Big Nerd Ranch (2012 - 2014)
  • IT and Management Consultant for Accenture and Slalom Consulting (2008 - 2012)
  • Graduate of Georgia Tech with BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering (2008)

Facts About Me

  • I was born in Jamaica and raised in the United States.
  • I speak English, Spanish and Jamaican Patois.
  • I love to travel. So far, I've visited Peru, Argentina, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, Canada, Jamaica, Hawaii, Mexico and England.