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Pay for Good Tools
October 31, 2024
When I recommend software tools, I have a few favorites, including Cleanshot X, a fantastic screenshot tool that has enhanced my ability to communicate....
Raise the Flag
October 24, 2024
Consider this scenario. You've been given some work to do, and you're stuck. Hours have become days. You've exhausted the internet. You're starting to...
Being the Third Engineer
October 17, 2024
I was the third engineer hired by my company, not counting our technical co-founder. I like that position, and it seems to play to my strengths. Who is the...
Lambs Born in April
October 10, 2024
Pastures which are subject to overflow should be avoided. All lambs born in April or May should be drenched about August or September following, to be...
Why I'm Writing To You
October 3, 2024
Almost eight years ago I wrote a post called You Should Blog. In it, I made an argument that I still believe in: public, professional writing is something...
If It's Too Hard, You're Doing It Wrong
September 26, 2024
Imagine we're building a web application and need a data store. Most of our employees have a finance background, so we decide to store the data in a CSV file...
I Need a Hero
September 19, 2024
Scenario: you're stuck and feeling defeated. Maybe you're alone in a startup office after midnight, trying to fix the firmware on a router (total...
"Yes, and" Your Next Assignment
September 12, 2024
"Jake, can you take this ticket? You know the most about our email templates." Get some seniority in programming, and you'll start to hear this. I understand...
Exposing My Ignorance
September 5, 2024
In Apprenticeship Patterns, Dave Hoover and Adewale Oshineye introduce a technique called "exposing your ignorance": "Show the people who are depending on...
Decoupling Design From Engineering
August 29, 2024
Often when you work as an engineer on a small team, you don't have dedicated designers on staff. How can you deliver beautiful, intuitive software, without...
Please Fill Out This Field
August 22, 2024
A lot of what makes a web application is its forms– the inputs you can interact with and submit. Good forms are validated: you can only put valid information...