It’s not uncommon to find a software developer who works on their own side-project outside of work. It’s a great way of keeping your skills up-to-date and some developers even aim to build a business from it. It’s also not uncommon to see these projects start out with tons of optimism and gradually... [More]

Why do we have systems with millions of lines of code? Every so often you’ll hear about someone who starts their new job only to discover that the system they’re now maintaining consists of many millions of lines of code. Millions. Now, are you telling me that these systems need a million lines o... [More]

Most of us have worked on our own little side projects. Usually we have some inspirational moment where we conceive an idea and then go through a mental process to map out the project in our heads. At the end of it we have a new killer idea for a project. In mapping out the idea, we have thought a... [More]

Some people think that solving the problem is the only thing that matters. Wrong. While solving the problem is key to building a successful product, a successful product is more than simply a solution to a problem. A great product makes you feel happy and actually want to use it. A really great pro... [More]

And now for something completely different. A programming language allows a human to talk to a computer, in the same way that a spoken language allows a human to talk to another human. Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s consider what programming and spoken languages have in common. The... [More]

Our current product sucks. The code is so embarrassing I wouldn’t show it my own mother – even she would know it sucks and never wash my laundry for me again. It’s hard to maintain, hell it’s hard to even look at. We can’t easily change it and we don’t have the confidence to try. The average numb... [More]

Back in 1997 I remember my first day at high school. It was a memorable experience because the first day of high school is obviously a big deal in the life of an 11 year old, but also for another reason. The building was split into two almost identical sections, each with a giant staircase which to... [More]

Over the last 10 years I've worked of a number of both small and large projects. Until recently I hadn't really evaluated my approach to a new project. I hadn't really thought much about how I decided on a design, how I began the implementation and how I generally managed the project. Over time i... [More]