4 min read
Beginner Again
I've spent my career learning how to learn. Then I put on skates for the first time and found out what I'd been missing.
Writings
Thoughts on code & craft
Essays on PHP, Laravel, AI-augmented development, and the craft of shipping software that lasts. Some of my writing also lives elsewhere on the web.
3 min read
Between Terminally Online and Completely Dark
I drifted away from the developer community somewhere around 2020. Here's what I lost, what changed, and why I'm looking to plug back in.
1 min read
Work life balance
After working remotely since 2011, I don't love the term 'work life balance' anymore. But here's what's actually helped.
2 min read
Noisy notifications and building for users
Every app is battling for your attention. A short take on notification fatigue and building with your users' sanity in mind.
2 min read
Improving client communication during deployments
How I automated changelogs and deployment notifications to keep clients informed without extra manual work.
5 min read
Cleaning up controllers with model observers
How to use Laravel model observers to abstract critical logic out of controllers and into maintainable, testable classes.
2 min read
Why you should learn PHP
A friend asked for three reasons new developers should learn PHP. Here's what came to mind -- plus a bonus.
2 min read
When not to use a framework
A contractor built a custom framework inside Laravel. Here's why that's a problem, and when rolling your own actually makes more sense.
1 min read
What happens during a meeting in my home
An accurate, GIF-based depiction of what my wife and kids do during a lengthy conference call. No explanation needed.
2 min read
Northshore Code and Coffee
A casual weekly meetup for developers on Chicago's Northshore -- coffee in the morning, code all day, beer in the evening.
1 min read
30
A short reflection on turning thirty, looking back at the last decade, and setting the next round of goals.
1 min read
Hire More Veterans
The story behind launching Hire More Veterans -- a project inspired by my mother and our family's military background.
2 min read
Why you should pay for software
A quick take on the Evernote pricing backlash, and why developers of all people should understand that good software costs money.
2 min read
Homestead
From MAMP to OS X Apache to Vagrant -- how Laravel Homestead changed my local development setup for the better.
2 min read
Migrations and seeds
A shift in thinking about Laravel migrations vs seeders -- when to use each, and why seeds should only be for testing.