Team-Driven Developer A newsletter with tips and tools for building software as a team Many developers are aware of the power of gamification. From video games to board games to even personal hobbies, there is something powerful about creating a competition or structure around leveling up or completing challenges. I’ve been thinking about this recently as I’ve been reading a book called The Power of Moments. It talks about how we miss out on pivotal moments in our lives, careers, and...
17 days ago • 2 min read
Team-Driven Developer A newsletter with tips and tools for building software as a team I returned to work last week from a short vacation. When I logged back in, I quickly saw there had been some problems while I was away. Some code that processes authentication requests was running extremely slow.As I read through the thread, I realized this was code I had worked on😳And for the rest of the week, even though my team had solved the problem quickly and prevented an outage, I kept apologizing...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Team-Driven Developer A newsletter with tips and tools for building software as a team “Does it scale?” This is a frequent and familiar question in the software world these days. In the world of SaaS and the ability for software users to ramp quickly, we all want to make sure our software scales. But beyond just scaling software, I want to consider a different function that also needs to scale: Your engineering team.Scaling your team is non-trivial (probably harder than scaling software!),...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Team-Driven Developer A newsletter with tips and tools for building software as a team There are a lot of growth hacks, tips, and tricks available for software engineers today. And while those hacks and tips are great, there is a key to growth that you can't hack through, and that's getting feedback.Unfortunately, feedback can be difficult to obtain. And you can't wait for feedback that comes once or twice a year during a performance check-in. This week, I'm sharing some of the tactics and...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Team-Driven Developer A newsletter with tips and tools for building software as a team In one of my first software internships, I remember overhearing a conversation between two engineers. I don’t remember much of the details, except that this one engineer was pretty frustrated with another about some recent code that was checked in. His last line was “Let’s be consistent.” as he walked back to his own cubicle, clearly agitated. For some reason, this conversation stuck with me. I carried it...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Team-Driven Developer A newsletter with tips and tools for building software as a team Engineers love to talk about process. Whether it's how to run a team, the best development methodology, or even the most effective deployments, we are always talking about the “right process.” And it makes sense. A process is pretty similar to an algorithm, and many of us write algorithms in the form of computer code all day.When projects go wrong or run late, one of the first things to do is scrutinize the...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Team-Driven Developer A newsletter with tips and tools for building software as a team I've spent many hours hiking across the US. I've spent much time on trails, from deserts to forests, beaches to mountains.One common pattern you'll find across many trails is the switchback. Switchbacks control erosion on a hillside, lessen the incline for hikers and can be easier to develop than a straight line to the top. What does a swtichback have to do with any software engineering related? For me, it...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Team-Driven Developer A newsletter with tips and tools for building software as a team I'm not much of a gardener, but my wife is all about it.I've learned much from her (and Monty Don) about cultivating a successful garden over the years. It's so much more than "make sure to water your plants."It requires attention to the seasons, your sunlight, and your soil. It requires procuring the right plans for the garden you want, tending to weeds, and knowing when it's time to try something...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Team-Driven Developer A newsletter with tips and tools for building software as a team Many companies today have a formal code review process to prevent engineers from unilaterally merging their changes directly into production. This check exists for a handful of reasons: code maintainability, defect detection, and SOX compliance, to name a few. If you're on a team with a mandated code review process, part of your job now includes navigating the code review process to get the approvals and...
5 months ago • 2 min read