Aside from don't? Haha.

My normal goto response is, unless you have a passion for fine dining, go do something that makes money, and just host dinner parties.

Realistically though, two things. A) knife skills, learn them, though google, YouTube and practice. They will be your best asset. It will take years. There is no shortcut to experience here, but there are shortcuts to mediocrity.

B) there is nothing wrong with not remembering everything. Read up on every style of cooking and each technique, so if you are rushed you will know the basics, but there is too much to remember - don't be afraid to google how to search a specific thing. Eg roasting times for different types of meat. I looked it up tonight, I don't roast that often, so I don't remember the general times for each type of meat, there is nothing wrong with double checking your memory haha.

(Bonus?) C) once you get to my level)executive chef), don't be afraid to learn or listen, I have learnt more in the past 12 months than I would have thought possible, due to meeting chef's with an amazingly different outlook on things.

Edit:

Mobile apps? Not really, there isn't a stack overflow for chef's, or any major resource center, just Google. (I am working on this with another chef :-p)

Thanks for the amazing response and advice given (I realize I'm a beginner still in A) and B), and perhaps C) to some extent :)).

I do have a passion for fine dining but I'm not sure if I would be able to handle the pressures of working in a professional kitchen. I do think it would be a more rewarding profession compared to programming in a corporate environment which has become a chore.

I think I may go with your advice of developing my skills as a hobby!

I should have phrased my last question better- I was wondering if as an Executive Chef and technology enthusiast you can think of ways a mobile app (or technology in general) could aid a team of chefs in a professional kitchen? (developing something like that would be a pretty amazing experience).

I am working on an app(tie in with a cook book I'm writing), but that's aimed more at non chef's.

The issue with anything for chef's is the kitchen is hot, wet with lots of oils and liquids going around. Most devices don't last too long haha.

For non service related items, there are quite a few for execs to help control costs and work flow, it's a fairly well supplied area to be frank.

Good luck with the cook book! I'm sure it is hard work nowadays with so many chefs publishing.

In the kitchen, something like an Amazon Echo may work?

Commercial kitchems are very noisy, hell as soon as I turn on the extraction fans - without cooking anything, I think it would struggle. Plus during service everyone is too busy to even think of non-absolutely necessary talking.