The blue sweater scene in 'Devil Wears Prada' is a masterclass in expertise

Overtraining won't always get you to the finish line faster. Growth comes in cycles - rest, push hard, recover. Less can be more when it comes to achieving your goals

it's about noticing the rocks that could trip others and taking the initiative to move them

Regular writing is a secret superpower! Sharpens your thoughts, boosts your career, and helps you become an authority in your field. Don't pretend to be an expert, just share your experiences. Your insights are gold

Shared state in programming isn't the enemy, it's unclear dependencies that tangle your code. Keep it clean with explicit state dependencies and strict access guidelines

Delete code when it stops providing value 💡 All code is a liability; context matters. Keep what solves problems, toss the rest.

a little case study from an upcoming book I'm writing with Manning about software rewrites

Efficient problem-solving in engineering with a shift in perspective – focusing on user outcomes can lead to innovative solutions and change your approach to system design.

What is the essential difference between DRY and SoC principles in software engineering and how do you balance the two

Behind the scenes of a vendor migration project. What senior+ engineers do so you can focus on the code.

A simple change in perspective can help you overcome complex technical challenges and save time on future projects.

Performance lives in the unlikliest of places. Follow the metrics.

A painful lesson from production that brought several engineers almost to tears: *Please* add PATCH endpoints to your public APIs.

When your code feels hard, 9 times out of 10, the problem is with your data model. The signs are subtle.

One of my favorite ways to simplify and de-gotcha React code is to rip out all the useCallback and useMemo drama. 90% of the time you don't need it.

Wherein I use LEGO to talk about organizing your code for ease of use

Some people like to organize code in files and folders and neat categories. Others love search. When they work together, that's the challenge.

"Your code doesn't matter" is something experienced programmers say, between the lines, when they sound like complete lunatics. But what do they mean? Why does everyone say it?

The quickest way to simplify a complex function with lots of logic is to turn it into data. A lesson from production

A coworker asked me for tips on how to stay focused during the day. Here's what I said.

Wherein I use a silly example to show why you need more than small reusable single purpose functions to write good software.

Programming translates fuzzy understanding into exacting specifications. That’s why it’s hard. The Illusion of Explanatory Depth reigns supreme

You cannot make something good until you understand who you're making it for.

Writing software is a playful process of exploration and discovery. Like a game of kick the can on a Sunday walk.

Spaghetti code – unstructured Ravioli code – too structured Lasagna code – layered wrong Minestrone software – unclear domains

The first in-person conference in years! It was wonderful 🤩 - Remix is great - Serverless at edge is the future - GDPR does not play with 👆

"Every product org should have a senior+ engineer whose job it is to run around and make everyone else more productive" 🤔 That IS the role of a senior+ engineer

On the backend anything can and will fail. How do you deal with that?

Or how we took an API endpoint from 16s to 3s.

The longest project of my life

No it's not a wrong answer or floundering with algorithms. Not even being nervous or shy or having a language barrier. Culture fit is the least of your worries if you make this mistake.

What do you do when every bug you fix creates 5 new bugs? You could laugh and move on, or realize it's a sign of bigger issues

burnout doesn't work the way you think

Not all overtime is bad overtime

Every null or undefined check doubles the number of tests you need 😱

wanna see the strangest looping construct I've found in production code?

Defensive coding is an important lesson and over time and engineers it leads to massive bloat, if you're not careful.

A hill I will die on 👉 global CONSTANT = 'constant' are bad

Ever wondered what it's like to make a physical book? It ain't as easy as shipping code lemme tell ya 😅

After 4 years of putting it off, 1 year of tinkering, a month of work, and $1500 of hired help, my new blog is finally here 🎉 Here's what I learned.