writing ≠ thinking
Who Really Owns That Config File?
Sharing ownership of an app’s codebase is easier than ownership of its configuration. The biggest impediment is failing to understand the dynamic between development teams and operations.
Logging Remote IP in Rails
Wondering why your Rails logs are reporting the wrong Remote IP on your hosted cloud platform? This explains trusted proxies and how to configure Rails the right way.
On the Ephemera of 'Front End'
What is the shelf-life of your codebase, and what changes would you make if it was cheap to throw it all away?
Why Software Breaks
In Steve Jobs’ March 2011 keynote, he shared his thoughts on Apple, technology & the humanities, all wrapped up in this frequently cited quote about how he viewed Apple at the intersection between technology and the liberal arts…
Politics, Oh Politics
I tweeted something a while back which resonated with a few folks: I do find people find “politics” to be a loaded term. The way I frame it for them is that knowing how to “navigate the org” Is essential. They all seem to want that skill, even if they don’t know how to get it. There is an essential point here, even if I wrapped it in a poorly worded Tweet.
On Second Opinions
I once talked someone out of hiring me, and then talked them out of hiring anyone remotely like me. The first outcome was obvious. I only learned of the second much later. Talking someone out of hiring you can seem weird, but it’s a good exercise in providing clarity (i.e usually the very thing people hire you to do). In piecing together what needed to be done in this role, something didn’t add up.
Work to Play
This was going to be post about the way work is indiscernible from play, but then I came across an article on ‘The Crisis of Purpose’ which brought to mind the very connection between ‘work’ and ‘play’. Quote from the section titled ‘Play’ (emphasis mine): When you were 8 years old, you did things because you were curious. Because it felt good. Because you genuinely didn’t know what was going to happen.
Hire Late
You’ve heard the phrase “hire when it becomes painful”, but did anyone ever tell you what that means in practice? In this article, I’ll break it down as best as I can.
Web 2.0 Notes
Robin Sloan’s piece “Notes on Web3” made me consider the “versions” of the web I have lived through (note: all of them), before bringing me to how far we’ve come in 2021:
Great Managers Read Books
Long ago someone asked me what helped me grow the most as a technical leader. My answer was immediate: reading books about management.
I started reading these books only after I exhausted my network of advice on how to manage effectively. I noticed people borrowing ideas they learned from books, and eventually, I started buying some of these books myself.