Skills, Plugins, and MCP Oh My!
Looking for even more Claude Code tips? Never fear, I definitely have more. This is where things get interesting...
Blog¶
Here are my thoughts on topics that I find relevant to me, or just want to go on a nice rant.
You're chosing to dive into the ramblings of my mind, don't be surprised to
find a mad man or a genius (maybe a little of both?). 
How I Actually Use the Damn Thing
Ok. Enough waxing poetic about AI. Here's how I use Claude Code to build software.
What I Found Actually Works with AI
Tools change. Models improve. Features ship faster than you can even imagine. But after months of experimenting with different AI tools and workflows, I noticed certain patterns kept appearing. Strategies and principles that yielded good results regardless of which shiny new thing I was using. And I found myself coming back to them time and time again.
Code is Now Cheap, Don't Devalue Yourself
AI is taking the world by storm, and no place more heavily than the software engineering industry. Agents are writing non-trivial percentages of production code bases to systems you are using every day now. What was once a scarce resource, code, is now cheaper than it's ever been. What it means to be a software engineer is changing fast, and those that don't adapt risk being left behind. So, in respect to adopting AI, as my great-grandmother would say, it's time to shit or get off the pot.
We're Witnessing the Evolution of Software Engineering
Change is inevitable. Technology advances, new tools emerge, productivity increases. The wheel keeps turning. The emergence of LLMs has had a Big Bang level impact on many industries, suddenly and almost violently changing what we know and how we think about everyday aspects of our life seemingly overnight. Love it or hate it, one thing's for certain. We're witnessing the evolution of software engineering in real time. And it's time to stop pretending like we aren't.
Reflections on Becoming a PSF Fellow
As of Q3 2025 board meeting, I have been named a Fellow of the Python Software Foundation. First off, I'm unbelievably grateful and surprised. This was not on my 2025 bingo card, and I'm honored. Now, let's look at the journey that got me here.
Here I Go Changing Careers Again
Oh look, I've changed careers again. Recently I moved from the Developer Relations team to the Sales team to start my journey as a Solutions Architect. I'm sure many of you have questions, so let me take you on the journey of how I came to this decision.
You Don't Get Better Without Deliberate Practice
I had a close friend who recently joined the tech industry reach out to me and ask me about my thoughts regarding doing "outside work" to level up his career. I see this discourse come up on Twitter from time to time so I felt now's as good as ever to offer my thoughts.
2023 Is Dead! Long Live 2024!
What a year it's been. I've long disliked the cliche "That year just flew by!" but holy shit this year really did. This year I changed jobs, organized a regional conference, started a new meetup, and got a new puppy just to name a few things.
Oh Shit, I Haven't Blogged in a While
You ever look at your blog and say to yourself "I should blog more"? Ya. I've been doing that for almost two years now. Now while most of you probably follow me already, maybe you missed a few moments along the way. So buckle up, I'm going to catch up on two years of blogging in this post.
How I Write Conference Talk Proposals
As a Developer Advocate, speaking at conferences is an integral part of my career. I submit many papers to conferences all around the world. Over the years, I've developed a process for thinking about, writing, and submitting talks for conferences. In this post, I'll share with you my process for writing CFPs.
Swimming with the Sharks: A Recap of My Second Year at DigitalOcean
This year was definitely a year of extremes. From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, this year will not be forgotten anytime soon. You know the drill, grab a hot beverage, a blanket, and gather round as I recap the year that was 2021.
Random Musings About Resumes
Drafting a resume can be a nerve wracking experience. While there are many resources available for creating a resume, I still see the same mistakes year after year on resumes. In this post I'll discuss my philosophy regarding resumes and some tips on how to make yours better.
Tech Industry Interviews are Bullshit. Let's Make Them Better
If you ask almost any programmer what their least favorite part of the industry is, they'll likely say interviewing. The Tech industry has transformed what should be a simple process into an unholy nightmare. When a majority of your industry says it loathes the interview process, perhaps we should examine it more and attempt to make it better.
Django or Flask: How Do I Choose Which To Use?
As a Python developer, I love both Flask and Django. But how do I choose which one to use? Over the years I've developed a very simple test that helps me decide if I'm going to use Flask or Django for my projects.
Exploring New Waters: A Recap of My First Year at DigitalOcean
Another year come and gone, and what an adventure it was but I'm happy to say I have successfully completed my first year at DigitalOcean. Come, gather round and listen to the tale of a career change, being a Developer Advocate amidst a global pandemic, and everything else 2020 had to throw at me.
My Personal How Am I Feeling About My Job Litmus Test
Over the past five years working in tech I've developed a sort of litmus test that I perform every morning to gauge how I currently feel about my job and how my career is progressing. And I do it all with a morning playlist.
Year of the Linux Desktop
After decades of trying to ignore or straight up bashing Linux, Microsoft has finally embraced the loveable penguin. So much so that it ships a Linux kernel on your Windows OS by default! What does this mean for the sake of development? Is it finally the year of the Linux desktop?
New Website!
Every few years I grow tired of my website and build a new one. More often than not, it is actually me trying to simplify something that I made more complicated than it needed to be. After listening to friends and co-workers, I'm finally making the jump to static sites.