📄️ Intro
Picking the right engineers is one of the most important steps you will take.
📄️ Architecture - Getting Consensus on Technical Decisions
Reaching consensus on technical decisions is critical to ensure smooth progress and alignment among team members when you are trying to move fast. If one engineers builds their module in a single, large function, a new developer will have to spend time understanding the whole piece of code before they attempt to modify it. If the code is well organised and consistent, working with that code will require less cognative load.
📄️ Code Review: Building an Effective PR (Pull Request) Process
A solid PR process is crucial for maintaining high-quality code, promoting collaboration, and improving overall development efficiency. Here, we will cover key elements of a successful PR process, including how to write meaningful PRs, what makes a good code review, and guidelines for constructive feedback.
📄️ Daily Habits for an effective early stage tech startup
One of the most powerful ways to use Large Language Models (LLMs) in software development isn’t just for writing code—it’s for brainstorming ideas and working out approaches to solving hard problems. I've had some great chats about how to share state across a next app, cost effective ways to use LLMs on Google Cloud (move off Google Cloud!), microservice messaging, "is [insert technology] the best way of doing x?".
📄️ Onboarding new engineers
When someone new starts, you want them to be able to get the local environment up and running quickly. If they are not able to get working on something on their first day, that is a bad sign!
📄️ How to succeed as an engineer at a SaaS startup
In 2022, as software engineering salaries soared—a trend I fully support—I faced a challenge. With a limited hiring budget, I needed to bring on a junior developer and provide them with a clear, accelerated path to becoming a principle engineer. This wasn't just about filling a role; it was about crafting a meaningful journey. I envisioned a "wax on, wax off" approach, inspired by distilling years of hard-earned experience into practical lessons. What started as a few bullet points has since evolved into a framework for fostering growth, resilience, and mastery in software engineering.
📄️ Be a bit boring
Choose Boring Technology is a really interesting piece I read at the start of the year, and a lot of it rang true to me.
📄️ Coding Standards
Documentation
📄️ red-flags
Red Flags