Building for the long tail
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.
Recent writing
- Simplicity as a selling point · 7 hours ago · 48,126 reads
- The maintenance burden of frameworks · 11 hours ago
- Why defaults matter more · 16 hours ago
Building for the long tail
The tools we reach for shape our thinking. I've spent the last decade in terminals and shells, and it's changed how I approach problem-solving in subtle ways.
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 craft. Updated monthly.
Elsewhere
Occasional writing on design topics. Past essays here.