I’m thrilled to share the story behind our newly published book with you. This project has been a labor of friendship and collaboration, and I hope our journey resonates with you.
The Beginning
Ender and I have been friends since our school days. We attended classes together, worked on projects, and eventually graduated. Life took us in different directions—he moved to the United States, and I relocated to Ireland. Despite the distance, our friendship remained strong, and we stayed connected through regular calls and chats.
During one of these conversations, I shared my experience with Designing Big Data Platforms, a book I had written that turned out to be a marketing failure. Priced over $100, it didn’t sell much, and while I learned a lot from the experience, I often wondered if it had been worth it. This reflection sparked a desire to try again, and I convinced Ender to join me in this new venture. We started throwing ideas around, and that’s how our new project began.
The Missing Mentor
Throughout our careers, Ender and I often felt the absence of a mentor. Navigating the twists and turns of a software engineering career without guidance was challenging. We faced many pivotal moments—deciding between job offers, handling conflicts, managing projects, and recovering from setbacks—without anyone to turn to for advice.
Some of the decisions we made cost us. They impacted our careers and often our personal lives. Most of our successes were often hard-earned lessons learned through trial and error. Writing this book was our way of offering the mentorship we desperately wished we had. We share our experience to avoid the mistakes and seize opportunities as they come. The book is a mentor we never had. It’s something I want to go personally look at when I’m in cross roads.
The Journey
Our journey began in July 2022. Writing our book required discipline. We had to postpone our plans or write whenever we found time in between different things. We wanted to create something useful and practical for anyone who wants to succeed in the software business.
One of the toughest parts was double editing our work. Ender and I rewrote each topic at least once, meticulously removing anything irrelevant. This process wasn’t just time-consuming; it was also a bit of an ego crusher to have someone suggest removing entire sections. However, it ultimately made the book stronger and more focused. Midway through, we found our editor, Courtney Goldsmith. She helped with the flow and other problems
Publishing the book was another hurdle. I had to convert the manuscript from docs to LaTeX, and Ender designed the cover. We went through publishing on Amazon and other platforms. It was the last mile that we had to run. But, we made it.
Our Hope
Our hope is that this book serves as the mentor we wished we had. We want it to be a source of guidance, inspiration, and support for anyone who feels lost or unsure in their journey. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, we believe there’s something in this book for you.
Join Us
We’re excited to share this book with you and can’t wait to hear your thoughts. Your feedback and experiences are invaluable to us, and we look forward to engaging with our readers.
You can find our book at softwareengineeringhandbook.com and buy in Amazon, Google or Apple.
Thank you for being a part of our story. We hope our book becomes a part of yours.