31
Confessions of a Software Developer: No More Self-Censorship
I haven't published since April because I've been afraid. What was I afraid of? In this post I detail every single thing I've avoided admitting on this blog.
New
The latest blog posts to take off on Hacker News. 311 posts.
32
How good engineers write bad code at big companies
Every couple of years somebody notices that large tech companies sometimes produce surprisingly sloppy code. If you haven’t worked at a big company, it might be…
33
Lobsters Interview
I recently had an engaging conversation with Alex ( @veqq ) from the Lobsters community about computing, mathematics and a range of related topics. Our conversation was later published on the community website as Lobsters Interview with Susam .
34
35
Feedback doesn't scale
Listening is always hard, and it only gets harder at scale.
36
37
Ego, empathy, and humility at work
In our daily lives empathy and humility are obvious virtues we aspire to. They keep our egos in check. Less obvious is that they're practical skills in the workplace, too. I think, for developers and technical leaders in particular, that the absence of ego is the best way to further our careers and do great work.
38
"Good engineering management" is a fad
As I get older, I increasingly think about whether I’m spending my time the right way to advance my career and my life. This is also a question that your company asks about you every performance cycle: is this engineering manager spending their time effectively to advance the company or their organization?…
39
We stopped roadmap work for a week and fixed bugs
How quarterly fixit weeks help teams tackle small annoyances that never bubble up to the priority list.
40
Indie, alone, and figuring it out
Going indie looks like freedom from the outside. But once you’re in it, you face loneliness, pressure, constant decisions, user feedback, and all the invisible work no one warns you about. This is what the journey feels like, and why it’s still worth it.
41
Why top firms fire good workers
Elite firms’ culture of employee turnover isn’t arbitrary but a rational way to signal talent and boost profits, a new study finds.
42
The peaceful transfer of power in open source projects
Most of the people who run Open Source projects are mortal. Recent history shows us that they will all eventually die, or get bored, or win the lottery, or get sick, or be conscripted, or lose their mind. If you've ever visited a foreign country's national history museum, I guarantee you've read this little snippet…
43
I am stepping down as the CEO of Mastodon
Reflections on my time leading Mastodon and what's to come next.
44
Maybe you’re not trying
On selective agency in capable people
45
Zed is our office
From the Zed Blog: A look at how we use Zed's native collaboration features to run our entire company.
46
47
Blame as a Service
Productized scapegoating
48
Collaboration sucks
If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go alone too. (mostly)
49
Hiring a developer as a small indie studio in 2025
A practical guide for hiring a developer as a small indie studio. How we, a three-person team, managed 159 applicants using a streamlined, time-efficient process. The article covers designing relevant take-home assignments and a simple Gmail labeling system for high-volume candidate triage.
50
51
Always be ready to leave (even if you never do)
After 7 years at the same company, I'm moving on. But the practices that made my exit smooth aren't exit strategies—they're professional habits everyone should build, whether they're staying or leaving.
52
Becoming a compiler engineer
I got a job!
53
54
Why Your Best Engineers Are Interviewing Elsewhere, CodeGood
A company lost five senior engineers in 18 months. Exit interviews cited compensation. The real problem: information does not flow upward through organizational hierarchy. By the time problems reach executive level, they have metastasized into resignation decisions made months earlier.
55
The kind of company I want to be a part of
'aight, hear me out guy(s) (👀 👀 👀)
56
57
Updated practice for review articles and position papers in ArXiv CS category
arXiv’s computer science (CS) category has updated its moderation practice with respect to review (or survey) articles and position papers. Before being…
58
How to build silos and decrease collaboration on purpose
Although counter-intuitive, it can be beneficial to build silos and decrease collaboration between teams. Balance the need for collaboration, coordination, and communication with these tips.
59
Taking money off the table
Written pieces, talks, and other bits by Zach Holman.
60
Tips for stroke-surviving software engineers
This is a pretty niche topic; I don't imagine there are many of us out there. Actually, to be strict, I'd say this advice is tailored to people who've had hemorrhagic stroke in the parietal lobe…