The QR Code Industry Is a $13 Billion Shakedown
The QR code generator industry charges subscription fees for an open standard that takes three lines of code to implement....
Why I Still Trust Make Over Modern Build Tools
A contrarian defense of Make (1976) over modern JavaScript build tools. Make is boring, understood, and still works....
Static Sites Still Win
Static sites load faster, cost less, and break less than dynamic alternatives. Here's why the simplest web architecture keeps winning against modern complexity....
SQLite: Software Done Right
SQLite runs on more devices than any software in history. The serverless database that taught the industry what 'done right' actually means....
Microservices Were a Mistake for 90% of Companies
A monolith with good tests is better than 50 microservices with distributed debugging nightmares. When to use microservices: when you've proven you need them....
Why I Never Use ORMs
ORMs hide the database until they don't, create performance traps, and solve the wrong problem. SQL is the better abstraction....
Every Dependency Is Technical Debt
Every dependency you add is a future liability. Why your package.json is technical debt waiting to compound....
C Was the Last Good Language
Why modern languages prioritize developer experience over runtime efficiency. The trade-offs we accepted and forgot. Where Rust tries to have it both ways....
The Best Code I Ever Wrote Was Deleted
The hardest skill in software engineering isn't writing code - it's knowing when to delete it. Stories of systems that improved by subtraction....
Write Your Own Build Scripts
Build tool complexity has gotten out of control. A 50-line shell script often does the job better than any framework....
Your Database Is Already the Best API You'll Ever Write
Your database is already the best API you'll ever build. Direct SQL, foreign keys, and constraints beat the REST layer most teams ship on top....
Why Engineers Should Own Their Build System
Build systems have become black boxes that nobody understands. When they break, teams are helpless....