A Blog? In 2026?

Yes, I'm starting a blog. In 2026. I'm aware this is roughly equivalent to opening a Blockbuster franchise, but hear me out.

I recently joined the ranks of the involuntarily unemployed. I've been doing consulting work on the side for a few years, and I'm exploring whether that could become a full-time thing. At this point in my career, having a bit more out there about who I am and how I work could be a good thing for landing full time gigs as well. And I feel like I have some things to say.

So here we are. A blog. I was trying to think of a more modern name for it, but the more modern things would be social media. I could build a presence on social media, craft LinkedIn posts optimized for the algorithm, chase engagement metrics, and watch my ideas get sandwiched between AI-generated motivational quotes and "I'm humbled to announce" posts. Or I could just... write things down. In a place I control. Where the only algorithm is "did I have something worth saying?" Maybe I'll start posting to Medium...

What I'll Probably Write About

I've spent the last 20+ years as either a software engineerl or eader. I have opinions—some earned, some still being tested. Here's what might show up here:

On Engineering Management

The job is simultaneously the best and worst thing I've done professionally. I'll write about both. I'll talk about my big 3: engagement, ownership, and accountability, and about how the primary job of a manager is creating the conditions where people can do their best work. And I'll write about how more process, or new process, is usually a compensation for broken culture and lack of engagement.

On Process and Methodology

Agile is dead. Long live Agile. Also: everything is waterfall.

On Solving the Wrong Problems

Most organizations are not Google, Meta, Apple... They don't have problems of that scale. So why do they keep adopting their solutions where they don't belong? Yet we ignore lessons from the bigs about team management and processes.

On Things That Aren't Work

Sometimes I'll write about fixing a standing desk with an Arduino, or my ongoing cyberdeck project, or whatever else I'm tinkering with. Because everyone should have a little fun...

What This Isn't

I don't have any crazy notions of becoming a "thought leader", or coming up with a system or framework to sell you. I'm just someone who is trying to figure out what they are going to be when they grow up. I sense I'm entering a new phase of my career and life, a third act of some kind, and I want to have more influence on that. I want to make sure that I work with kind people who can appreciate the experience I bring. If I have anything unique or novel to say, it is probably along the lines of the fact that long term success comes from boring foundational principles like kindness, honesty, hard work, and trust.