Favorite Quotes

"Because the dev environment is where engineers work, improvements in the dev environment translate directly into improvements in engineering productivity"By Designing Machine Learning Systems

"Beginning with praise is like the dentist who begins his or her work with Novocain. The patient still gets a drilling, but the Novocain is pain-killing."How to Win Friends and Influence People: Updated For the Next Generation of Leaders

"Being able to take control of a mess is a key aspect of technical leadership. If security detects a breach, a database gets dropped, or a meteor hits US-East-1, there are likely to be many responders. Unless they’re working together, the ensuing chaos can make the problem worse. Everything goes better if someone is coordinating."—The Staff Engineer's Path

"Being able to take control of a mess is a key aspect of technical leadership. If security detects a breach, a database gets dropped, or a meteor hits US-East-1, there are likely to be many responders. Unless they’re working together, the ensuing chaos can make the problem worse. Everything goes better if someone is coordinating."—The Staff Engineer's Path

"Be warned that, when you delegate, you’re not going to get a clone. (Sorry, we don’t have that technology yet.) Inevitably the person you’ve delegated to is going to take a different approach than you would have. Be a guardrail, coach them, and ask questions, but inhibit the urge to step in. So long as they’re going to achieve the goals, let them do it their way."—The Staff Engineer's Path