I still think about one migration project where everything was green until the final month. We did not have the luxury of extending the deadline. This was tied to external regulation and compliance, so missing the date was not really an option. We had to make it. Up until that point, the project had been reported as green. Then, almost […]
Most of what we call progress in software is just motion. New tools, new frameworks, same problems. Maybe fancier logos. Our industry always has this collective thrill that a new fancy method, framework, process will make things infinitely better. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. I’ve watched that excitement enough times to recognize its cycles. Years ago, a colleague was setting up Apache […]
I wasn’t around in the 90s, but people who were say it was incredible. If you could code, you were set. Talent was rare. There were opportunities almost everywhere. In the 2000s and early 2010s, that momentum kept going. Engineers climbed fast, management and then director roles in their 30s, big paychecks, life was good. Then came the pandemic, and […]
Over the years, I’ve interviewed many candidates. One crucial skill that often gets overlooked is operational reflexes during oncalls. Surprisingly, few companies test for this, yet it’s a capability that greatly distinguishes engineers. There is a gap in interviewing. Some of the candidates excel in code interviews and system design but not on the operational side of things. They can […]
A healthy level of competition can fuel innovation, drive individuals to excel, and push teams to achieve remarkable results. However, when competition crosses the line and becomes overly aggressive, it can hinder the growth and productivity of the team as a whole. I don’t think competition is inherently negative. It becomes problematic when it starts overshadowing the team. Over the […]