The phrase “eat your own dog food” has an interesting origin story (click here to learn more). Its basic meaning is this: Use the product that you are buildingGet to know the product intimatelyPut yourself in the user’s shoes Why? Because as an engineer, you should give a d*** about the product you build. The … Continue reading Eat Your Own Dog Food →

TL;DR The founder and CEO of Volley is talking to hundreds of users a week and learning quickly. It's a great example of Paul Graham's famous advice to startups: "Do things that don't scale". Here's how Volley's founder had a 1:1 conversation with me: I started using Volley for the first time.I got a message … Continue reading Volley founder doing things that don’t scale 😱 →

TL;DR Good PR reviews are essential to a high-quality codebase. They are also great opportunities for learning. Make your reviews a top priority! Why did you write about this topic, Kev? Because I am in love with PR reviews. I enjoy reviewing other’s code because: I see different ways to solve problems and often learn … Continue reading PR Review Best Practices →

TL;DR Writing is the primary way we communicate. Write better! Why did I write this blog post? Last year I got my first 100% remote job; most of my communication with coworkers is through written text. For example: SlackEmailJiraConfluenceThe source code itself Now more than ever, I have felt the negative consequences of poorly written … Continue reading The Importance of Good Written Communication →