Deliberate Restarts Only

December 12, 2024

When solving a technical problem, I rarely restart a process or my computer. But when I was less experienced, I did this often. What changed? I learned...

Fuel, Air, Spark

December 5, 2024

I have a lawnmower. When it doesn't start, I have a few tricks to try, such as checking to see if there's fuel in the tank. When it still won't start, I...

Hard-won Software Development Habits

November 28, 2024

This post is about how to write software well. It was inspired by this post with a similar title. Read it (and write yours?)! These ideas aren't advice but...

We Should Take This Outside

November 21, 2024

TONY We should take this outside. JARVIS (O.S.) I must strongly caution against that. There are terabytes of calculations still needed – TONY We'll do them...

My Middle Way Dotfiles Strategy

November 14, 2024

This week I got to set up a new computer and reflected on how I manage my configurations. After a decade, I've found something that works for me and feel is...

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...