On writing code that lasts
Most codebases grow in directions their authors never anticipated. The pressure to optimize early is real, but constraints often produce more elegant solutions than freedom ever could.
Recent posts
- Patterns in distributed systems · 32 minutes ago · 25,513 reads
- Notes on system reliability · 7 days ago
- Notes on system reliability · 15 days ago
Incremental adoption of types
Performance optimization is a tempting distraction. Every line of code that exists to optimize one specific case is a line that must be maintained and understood forever.
From the archive
Naming is one of the hardest problems in software, yet we spend less time on it than we should. Let's talk about why it matters and how to get better at it.
About this site
I write about software architecture, distributed systems, and the craft of programming. Posts are infrequent but hopefully worth the wait.
Thoughts on systems. Updated monthly.
Elsewhere
Occasional writing on technical topics. Past essays here.