Leaf of Beyond Writing Code
I'm writing a book on the human side of being a developer. Sign up below for weekly reflections on working better and happier and what it means to be human in the age of AI, plus occasional glimpses of my art. Find out more at beyondwritingcode.com.
Be clear about your goal, issue 26 of Beyond Writing Code
Beyond Writing Code #26 November 13, 2025 Be clear about your goal. I keep hearing that, but the lesson doesn't seem to stick. Sometimes, we have to hear a lesson multiple times in order to get it to stick. No big deal. Not everything gets through on the first try, or even the second or third. But have you ever encountered a lesson that you know you've been taught multiple times before... and you're pretty sure it isn't going to stick this time either? At least, not unless you do something...
So How's The Book, issue 25 of Beyond Writing Code
Beyond Writing Code #25 November 7, 2025 "So how's the book coming along?" I do feel like every now and then I should give you that update. And this is where my internal voice says "it's been more than six months, you should be further along than this." I need to keep reminding that voice what I've been up to. Book proposal Over the summer, I wrote about half of my book proposal. However, a lot of the book proposal is driven by being clear about what you are and aren't writing about. I was...
Book notes, issue 24 of Beyond Writing Code
Beyond Writing Code #24 October 30, 2025 I'm generating a list of books I wish I read earlier, books that surprised me, and books I'd like to read soon. Granted, my idea of "fun reading" is perhaps unusual. Anything in the neighborhood of tech, leadership, productivity, ways of working, psychology and sociology... this is what lines my bookshelf and fills my audio book app. Unfortunately, the recommendations I'm receiving come in faster than I can read them. Does that happen to you? By the...
Questions and stories, issue 23 of Beyond Writing Code
Beyond Writing Code #23 October 23, 2025 In preparation for the conferences I'm attending this fall, I came up with a hundred questions. In doing that, I found that I had at least a hundred stories behind them. I knew I'd be meeting lots of people at LeadDev StaffPlus and the Grace Hopper Celebration. I wanted something fun to hand out so people might remember who I was. When Ben Lloyd Pearson of DevInterrupted mentioned at the Enterprise Technology Leadership Summit that he was handing out...
Being human, issue 22 of Beyond Writing Code
Beyond Writing Code #22 October 15, 2025 In the past week, I got a great prompt about my book that I didn't have a ready answer for, even though I am six months(!) into this process. "I'm writing my book because _________" The Book Academy team posted this topic for discussion on our alumni forum. And a recent episode of Macy Robison's "Own Your Impact" podcast posed a similar question. Rephrasing both: What's your 'why'? Everything else stems from how I answer that question. Not just what I...
Looking at systems, like a hospital; issue 21 of Beyond Writing Code
Beyond Writing Code #21 October 9, 2025 Looking at systems If you only have time to read one thing today, skip my newsletter and go right to Gene Kim’s story. Escaping an 18-Hour Stay in a Hospital Emergency Department: A Patient Advocate's Guide to Navigating a Hospital System First, the story itself is great. (And don't worry, the ending is good, not tragic.) The tips for navigating the hospital are invaluable. Potentially life-saving. Tools for your toolkit for the next time you're dealing...
Change and AI; issue 20 of Beyond Writing Code
Beyond Writing Code #20 October 2, 2025 The role of the developer is and will be changing, fast. AI is not ignorable. I still don't want to write a book about AI itself. It's isn't and won't be my area of expertise. But I'm endlessly fascinated by how we work as developers, the "people and processes" parts. How can we move towards "better value sooner safer happier" (BVSSH) as Jon Smart says in Sooner Safer Happier. Because who wants bad worthless late dangerous and miserable? Here's my...
Why I love ETLS, issue 19 of Beyond Writing Code
Beyond Writing Code #19 September 26, 2025 I wasn’t going to write about Enterprise Technology Leadership Summit (ETLS) until next week, but how can I think about any other newsletter topic after four days of immersion in this amazing community? Let me share a little about what makes this conference special and why I love it. Just a little, or I'll be writing this for days... Gene Kim. Photo from IT Revolution Formerly DevOps Enterprise Summit, Enterprise Technology Leadership Summit is...
Vibe coding made less terrifying, issue 18 of Beyond Writing Code
Beyond Writing Code #18 September 17, 2025 Before I tell you why I'm breaking my AI silence to talk about vibe coding, and offer you a discount on a book, I have two questions for you. A poll of sorts. The questions are written for developers, but I'm happy to receive any thoughts you want to share, regardless of your role. Whether you're a developer, you work with developers, or neither, feel free to drop me a note. Long or short, all answers are welcome. Thanks for your help! Stuff like...
Ideas for my talk, issue #17 of Beyond Writing Code
Beyond Writing Code #17 Sept 9, 2025 Walked home from the cafe the other day. By the time I got home, I had five ideas to make my LeadDev NYC talk better. I'll share all five here, plus two more I've had since. Walk and talk Rehearsing my talk while I'm walking is entertaining. I put in my earbuds and pretend I'm on a work conference call so people don't think I'm odd for pontificating to nobody in particular. There are two downsides. First, my nervous speaking habit is pacing, so this isn't...
I'm writing a book on the human side of being a developer. Sign up below for weekly reflections on working better and happier and what it means to be human in the age of AI, plus occasional glimpses of my art. Find out more at beyondwritingcode.com.