Workflow optimizations and tool mastery that multiply developer effectiveness without sacrificing code quality.
Welcome to the pursuit of doing more with less effort, where keyboard shortcuts save hours and the right tool transforms tedious into trivial. These productivity insights emerge from years of refining workflows, discovering that perfect balance between automation obsession and actually shipping code.20 min read
The velocity trap: when speed metrics destroy long-term performance
Velocity metrics were meant to help teams predict and improve, but they have become weapons of productivity theatre that incentivise gaming the system while destroying actual productivity. Understanding how story points, velocity tracking, and sprint metrics create perverse incentives is essential for building truly effective development teams.
18 min read
Sprint overcommitment: the quality tax nobody measures
Three features in parallel, each "nearly done". The authentication refactor sits at 85% complete. The payment integration passed initial testing. The dashboard redesign awaits final review. None will ship this sprint—all will introduce bugs next sprint. Research shows teams planning above 70% capacity experience 60% more defects whilst delivering 40% less actual value.
10 min read
Avoiding overkill: embracing simplicity
A contact form implemented with React, Redux, Webpack, TypeScript, and elaborate CI/CD pipelines—2.3MB production bundle for three fields and a submit button. Two days to set up the development environment. Thirty-five minutes to change placeholder text. This is overengineering: enterprise solutions applied to problems that need HTML and a server script.
10 min read
Terminal multiplexing: beyond the basics
Network drops during critical database migrations. SSH connections terminate mid-deployment. Terminal crashes destroy hours of workspace setup. tmux decouples your terminal interface from persistent sessions that continue running independently—network failures become irrelevant interruptions rather than catastrophic losses, whilst organised workspaces survive crashes and reconnections.
Topics for the properly obsessed
1password (1)
Technical insights and practical approaches to 1password in modern software development.architecture (4)
System design principles and architectural patterns that shape resilient, maintainable software solutions.automation (6)
Systematic approaches to eliminating repetitive tasks through intelligent scripting and workflow optimization.aws (1)
Technical insights and practical approaches to aws in modern software development.configuration (3)
Configuration management strategies that bring order to chaos across development environments and production systems.debugging (1)
Methodical approaches to hunting bugs and understanding why systems behave in mysteriously broken ways.devops (2)
Cultural practices and technical solutions bridging the gap between development agility and operational stability.docker (1)
Container-based development and deployment strategies for consistent environments across the entire software lifecycle.git (1)
Version control mastery and collaborative workflows that transform chaotic code changes into organized development history.infrastructure (3)
Foundation-level systems and architectural decisions that determine the scalability and reliability of digital services.linux (1)
Deep dives into Linux systems, from kernel behavior to command-line wizardry that powers modern computing.monitoring (1)
Observability practices and monitoring strategies that transform silent failures into actionable intelligence.networking (2)
Network engineering insights exploring the intricate dance of packets, protocols, and connectivity solutions.nix (1)
Functional package management and reproducible systems that bring mathematical precision to dependency chaos.patterns (3)
Design patterns and anti-patterns that separate maintainable codebases from technical debt graveyards.performance (1)
Performance optimization techniques that transform sluggish systems into responsive experiences users actually enjoy.quality (6)
Software quality principles and practices that distinguish robust systems from those held together by hope.security (6)
Security engineering practices that protect systems from threats both obvious and obscure.ssh (3)
Secure shell mastery and remote access patterns that turn distributed systems into a unified workspace.standards (1)
Coding standards and conventions that transform individual preferences into collective consistency.terminal (1)
Command-line excellence and terminal workflow mastery that transforms text interfaces into productivity powerhouses.testing (2)
Test engineering strategies that catch bugs before users do and ensure code behaves as intended.