I’ve Been Lucky
Over the years, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work alongside some excellent engineers. The opportunities I had early in my career to learn from these talented people shaped me into who I am today. Beyond their technical skills, their passion for what they were teaching made me rethink what it was to be a good engineer. I now believe that engineering (of all kinds) is a much more interpersonal discipline where knowledge sharing should be the principal indicator of a great engineer.
I recall a senior engineer at my first startup patiently working through the OAuth protocols v1 and v2 with me. I remember the sensation that I was seeing how part of the world really worked for the first time. That interaction left a lasting impression. It wasn’t only about the technical details; it was about the excitement he felt in sharing something he admired. Passion can be infectious.
Paying It Forward
Years later, I’ve realized how much I enjoy sharing knowledge with other people. That’s why I created this blog: to pay it forward. Here, I’ll share things I’ve picked up over the years, stuff I find fascinating, and maybe even the occasional recipe (because hey, we all have to eat).
One very recent and profoundly rewarding moment happened while I was in California giving a guest lecture. I was invited by the lecturer who was a friend and colleague that I had hired and mentored a few years prior. Seeing how this young graduate had grown into an intermediate full-stack engineer with a prestigious company while simultaneously becoming a lecturer at a private university, made me realize how far being willing to share ideas can take all of us.
We Are All Forgetful and Lazy
I’ll admit it, I’m forgetful. I always have been. Writing things down helps me remember them better, and sharing my thoughts forces me to organize them in a way that sticks. I first discovered this back in university when I started running study groups.
The beauty of writing things down is that now, one doesn’t need to properly remember everything. I can look it up later! Plus, if someone asks me a question that I’ve already written about, I can send them a link so we can talk through the finer points at our own pace.
But it’s more than convenience. Writing is also a way to process what we’ve learned. Sometimes, it’s not until I sit down to explain a concept that I realize I don’t fully understand it myself. In a way, writing isn’t only for others it’s for me, too.
Why a Blog at All?
Honestly, this blog is as much for me as it is for anyone else. Writing things down helps me think more clearly, and sharing what I’ve learned feels like a natural way to give back.
That said, I’m not going to pretend I’m great at writing. I’ve always been better at articulating ideas in person or verbally. But I recognize that the nature of my work (and where the industry is headed) means that strong writing skills are more important than ever. So, I’m hoping that as a side benefit of this blog, I will improve.
If this happens to help someone starting out in their career or spark an idea for someone else, that’s what a win would look like. Alternatively, maybe this will be just a fun way to keep track of my own thoughts and look back on them someday.
Short but Sweet
Some future posts will be longer than this, some shorter, but this feels like a good place to stop for now. My hope is that you’ll enjoy what I write, find something useful here, and maybe even feel inspired to share what you know with others.
And if nothing else, I’ll enjoy these posts. As anyone who knows me can tell you, most of my jokes are for my own amusement, so if these posts don’t land, at least I’ll still get the odd chuckle or two. 😀