All Stories
How to prioritize profit while supporting innovation
It’s easy to be seduced by the latest ‘innovation’ fads. But it’s important to focus on aligning innovation with core business goals and customer needs. Doing so will protect teams from the innovation trap and achieve long-term success. A lot of this essay is inspired by Christen’s book ‘The Innovation...
Software infrastructure and databases workshop for interns and new engineers
This is the syllabus I originally designed to train Hack.diversity fellows for a 8-week workship (1 hour weekly classes, 2 hours of expected assignment load) to help them perform well on their internship/co-op interviews. I’ve worked on this with the engineer I mentor with the organization, and will be proposing...
Creating and leading high-trust engineering teams for success
If you’re starting a team, you want it to be a strong, cohesive group. One that trust all its members. I call such teams ‘high-trust’ teams. In this piece, I expand on what such a team might behave, and how you could go about creating one. A strong team with...
How to evaluate the right choice of technology for your team
Choosing the right tool or library for software projects can feel like navigating a minefield. This essay will offer a practical framework for evaluating competing technologies. You’ll be able to make better and informed choices that align with your project’s needs. There is no ‘perfect option’, so one must understand...
How my Fermentation Hobby Helps Me as a Software Engineer
For a software engineer, technical expertise is of course of the greatest importance. However, how they approach solving problems can significantly shape how they get their everyday tasks accomplished too. Through a hobby of mine I’ve discovered an unexpected wellspring of professional growth. Fermentation. This seemingly random hobby has become...
