Hello Friends,
I’m writing this to you all from the floor of the Web Directions Code Leaders conference and having a grand old time. If you’ve missed it this time around definitely keep an eye out for it next year. Good talks and good peeps.
Tech
Good Code Reviews, Better Code Reviews
Helpful article on taking your code review process from good to better. Your code review process is already good right?
Micro Frontends
A very broad overview of approaches and tradeoffs in splitting up a monolithic web frontend. There are no free lunches.
Object Calisthenics in Golang
I don’t love object calisthenics as a rule-set but it’s a good approach to use periodically to break out of a design rut. I also like when they get adapted to new languages to really highlight idiomatic differences between languages.
This TRS-80
My first ever computer was a TRS-80 and nostalgia compells me to share this story.
OWASP Serverless Top 10
OWASP have shared a really helpful guide to the most common security risks in developing “serverless” apps. Some good tips in there.
Business & Management
Tech and Antitrust
An analysis of the big four tech firms and their different exposure to antitrust action in the US. Less of a right/wrong analysis but more of a what’s possible/probable in the regulatory framework.
Opening up our Atlassian Term Sheet
Hopefully this signals the start of a new era of more startup friendly M&A activity the same way the standardisation of seed fundraising docs did.
What Silicon Valley Can Learn From Bill Walsh’s The Score Takes Care of Itself
A counterpoint to the current trend of OKRs and how sometimes a focus on mastery of the work rather than the outcome can drive a better outcome than the other way around.
Director’s First Rule: My Desired Outcome is…
This is a really helpful framing for how to delegate work as a manager of managers without micromanaging.
Debugging Your Startup: What to Do When Things Aren’t Working
Not a lot of depth in this post but a good checklist to run through when you feel like things aren’t clicking the way they should.
Culture
Somebody Once Told Me: An Oral History of Smash Mouth’s ‘All Star’
And I quote Smash Mouth’s lead singer: ‘“Walkin’ on the Sun” changed music. It changed the way people listen to music. I’ve talked to other artists over the years and they said the day that song came on radio, they were like, “We’re fucked.” It was so different and it was so unusual, and it was so special.’
The Surprising Reason that There Are So Many Thai Restaurants in America
A few issues back I shared a post about Pad Thai essentially being an invention of the Thai state. Now I’m learning the Thai restaurant down the road probably is too.
From tea to opium: how the Scots left their mark on China
A really interesting survey of the role Scots played in the British empires expansion through Asia.
What It’s Like to Work on a 30-Year-Old Macintosh
After reading this post it took almost every bit of self discipline I had to stay off eBay and buy myself an old Macintosh. I may still waver.
A Kafkaesque List of Things Described as Kafkaesque
I’d add to this list “composing an appropriate teaser of a Kafkaesque list”.
Contractually Obligated Nautical Fact
Operation Ivy Bells
One of my all time favourite submarine slash spy stories is that of the time the USA sent a specially modified submarine to tap one of the Soviet navy’s deep sea communication cables only to get sold out by a bankrupt NSA agent.
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