Posts
Creating a Basic EC2 Instance
A demonstration of one of the most basic CloudFormation tasks: Creating an
EC2 instance.
Posts
AWS From Scratch
The start of a multi-step tutorial for setting up a handful of AWS-based
microservices. This is an ambitious tutorial and this post explains the
project and its goals.
Posts
Add the Good Abstractions
I was working recently with an engineer to solve some problems left by past
programmers and had the opportunity to make some specific recommendations
on making the code better. These are common tasks that we see in several
classes of software and the recommendations are valid in nearly every use
case.
Posts
Scaling Plans By Time
Leading teams requires thinking at different scales of time. Here are a few
of the common periods and tasks involved at each stage.
Posts
The Pride of DIY
I took a little PTO in order to build something for myself. I’m so much
more pleased with the result because I did it myself.
Posts
Peasant Binary
I recently learned a new way for calculating the binary value of integers
and wrote a small app to help me visualize it.
Posts
Concrete Beats Abstract
When it comes to setting and achieving goals, concrete goals lead to better engagement and more actionable steps. Abstract goals can lead to a shared vision, but concrete goals lead to actual improvements.
Posts
Gardening and Carpentry
The metaphors for gardening and carpentry are powerful ways to imagine acts such as parenting and teaching. I’ve been reflecting on it this week and have come to the conclusion that they’re apt metaphors for the difference between individual contributors and managers.
Posts
No Excuse for No Tests
I often have engineers complain to me that they can’t write automated tests for a variety of reasons. They’re wrong. Let’s talk about the most common excuses and how to solve them.