Writing good engineering strategy | by Bennett Gar...
“Strategy” sounds like business speak. Corporate jargon that only executives use to describe what they’re doing all day. If strategy doesn’t inform your day-to-day work as a developer, you’re not…
What does Staff Engineer mean & how do you get...
There are tons of resources out there about management, but very few on how to grow as a technical contributor. Today, I want to share a few thoughts on advancing to the Staff+ levels of engineering…
1% better: Does it really apply to software develo...
Some version of this advice appears all over the place, including articles about software development & working as an engineer on a team. I can appreciate the message that’s being shared here. It’s…
Three senses: Smell, taste, hear (#4) | by Bennett...
Victory Gardens were established during World War II as a way for civilian gardeners to provide food security & fresh vegetables in times of rationing. During the war, victory gardens across the…
Overdesigning your application is leading to under...
This is especially true for tools designed to be used at scale. They deliberately introduce complexity in order to add scalability. I recently discovered a great post on Adam Drake’s blog. In the…
Can a software career have meaning? | by Bennett G...
In fact, I kind of hate the trend that circled around the internet for a few years. “Do something you’re passionate about and you’ll never work a day in your life.” At best, that advice comes off as…
Vanity metrics in software. How many followers do ...
By now, we all know these are just vanity metrics. A gamified system designed to get you to care about numbers. Largely meaningless when you think about them for a bit. At the end of the day, your…
Practical tips on how to sell yourself as a develo...
When it comes time to find a new job or ask for a promotion, many developers find it difficult to quantify that value. It can be difficult to share your value — to sell yourself — without feeling…
I need a new name for my comic. I’ve been writing ...
Apparently, there’s a real company called Alpha Software. They’re fans of the comic, but they don’t love the competition for the name. I recently received a message from the VP of Marketing at Alpha…
Pick beliefs that are useful, even if not true | b...
Derek Sivers is an odd dude. He lives globally. Renounced his US citizenship. Is a millionaire from selling his company, but lives a sparse life. Donates all the profits from his books to charity. It…