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A collection of 13 posts

Misaligned Requirements

Misaligned Requirements

We should strive to align the requirements positions with the traits that lead to success in it. That alignment is getting increasingly unusual, though.

Startup Culture Doesn't Come From the Top

Startup Culture Doesn't Come From the Top

One of the common mistakes among startup leadership is the belief that culture comes from the top. This is incorrect. The culture of a small company is an organic, evolving thing. It will grow and respond in unpredictable ways.

Common Mistakes When Hiring Software Engineers

Common Mistakes When Hiring Software Engineers

The goal of an engineering interview is not to find the candidate who is most confident or thinks on their toes the best. Coding interviews should identify the people who are most likely to be successful on your engineering team.

Lessons of a Startup CTO

Lessons of a Startup CTO

For the last 4 years i have been the head of technology for MeetMindful (TS W16). I moved on a couple of weeks ago. It was time.

Choosing Lifestyle Companies

Choosing Lifestyle Companies

Lifestyle companies trade the unicorn dream for a vision of freedom. These are some of the challenges to expect along the way.

The Dark Side of Startups

The Dark Side of Startups

The startup scene is, in many ways, a plethora of good. But as the saying goes, the brightest lights cast the darkest shadows.

Goal Setting for Engineers

Goal Setting for Engineers

One of the first things new team members learn about me is my outspoken detest for the word "manager". I am not a manager.

"I would describe my codebase as _____ and _____."

"I would describe my codebase as _ and _."

If you had to pick a pair of everyday words to describe the nature of your codebase, what would they be? Take a moment and fill in the following blanks. "I would describe my codebase as ______ and ______" Now, answer a similar question about your ideals: "I would

How to Communicate as an Engineer

How to Communicate as an Engineer

There is a running joke at my company that i communicate with analogies. I take it as a compliment. Reason being that i have found no better way to explain abstract technical topics to lay people. Consider this common example. My coworker, Tim, doesn't understand why two similar-looking

There Can be No Ego in Products

There Can be No Ego in Products

Software engineers are an opinionated bunch. We hold unreasonably strong opinions on how code should look, read, be styled and where it should go. Hell, we can't even talk about tabs and spaces without rising to violence. This isn't a bad thing. It is important that

Making Your Stand Ups Better

Making Your Stand Ups Better

I am often asked what is the difference between Computer Science and Software Engineering. Many people think the difference is semantics, but they are mistaken. While a proper contrasting will have to wait for a post of its own, the difference that matters for this post is the focus on

Be Your Team's Resource

Be Your Team's Resource

Programmers are a curious bunch. I mean this literally: we are curious by nature. That is a good thing given how rapidly the tech world evolves. That curiosity keeps our skills relevant for our companies and clients. This curiosity is on display anytime a group of programmers go to lunch

Brave Developers

Brave Developers

Cautious developers keep the software world turning. They are careful, detail-oriented and inject fewer bugs than the others. This post is not about them. This will be about the brave coders. They are the foolish risk takers. They can each point to a system they have managed to completely break