Mindset

Your next mountain, pt2

3+1 quick book recommendations to help you think about next year

What's your next mountain?

Life is a hill-climbing algorithm

Why system design is my favorite interview

Without reading their resume, you'll see if a candidate is fresh or has been doing this a while. And you'll know their blind spots and their strengths

Don't judge tech just because you're old

Your favorite way of doing things may just be an expression of tech limitations at the time

"Yes caviar is great, here's a ham sandwich"

Why do some projects ship and others seem to drag on forever? You need 3 people to get this right.

Yes, AI will "take" your job. No, you won't mind

Is the job to get things done or to memorize trivia and solve cute coding puzzles?

Make mistakes easy to fix

You can't prevent bugs. You'll burn out. Instead focus on making them quick to fix.

Better is good

A small improvement that lands is better than a large improvement stuck in review

The Tour of Duty approach to career

Quick note today to plant the seed of an idea I've always loved: The Tour of Duty.

Why software projects fail

5 common themes

Interviewing tips for experienced engineers

The way you interview changes as you go through your career. If you're grinding leetcode 10 years in, something's wrong.

Let small fires burn

You can't fix everything. Focus on the next big thing and let the small fires burn.

Some personal news

When you see a unicorn, you gotta hop on

Small change in big scary codebase?

Making small changes in large unfamiliar codebases is the job. That's what engineers do all day.

6 books engineers should read

Here are 6 books I'd buy every engineer who joins my team, if I ran a team. You might like 'em too.

Get us over the water, not build us a bridge

effective engineering teams should work *with* their product owner/manager, not *for* them

Outputs are not outcomes

Doing the work is not the same as getting things done

Coding is a brawl, not a battle of wits

Discover why coding is more like a boxing match, focused on delivering results rather than perfect technique. Learn how to navigate economic upheaval and prioritize business needs in this unexpected comparison.

The best engineering books get good 5 years into your career

The best engineering books aren't those you read at the start of your career. It's the ones you appreciate 5 years in.

Code yourself out of the job

Don't get stuck being a critical member of the team.

The quickest way to kill a team

The answer to 5 soloists in a trench coat

Team dysfunction where everyone's a soloist? Try this fix: Force the team to work on ONE story at a time.

5 soloists in a trench coat

Ever felt like your software team is just soloists in a trench coat? You may be right!

Why you need a regular retro

Agile is something you are, not something you do.

Your resumé has a job

Is your resume a tech bingo card? Not great.

5 tips for effective standups

Talk about today, not yesterday

Onboarding to a new team

People are starting to cheat in interviews using ChatGPT. It's obvious, doesn't work, and wouldn't even be cheating if you did it right!

What interviewers look for in senior engineers

People are starting to cheat in interviews using ChatGPT. It's obvious, doesn't work, and wouldn't even be cheating if you did it right!

When to stay at a company

Cap your down-side and think like an investor. Look for key metrics that can shape your career growth.

Be action oriented

Unearth the surprising connection between the CIA's Simple Sabotage Manual and your productivity, and learn how to transform tiny actions into big wins. Dive into Swizec's engaging exploration of how small actions can make a huge impact on your progress.