Writing Archive
Setting up a Remote Development Environment with Google Chrome and DigitalOcean
My Macbook Pro is a couple years old now and I’ve been thinking about switching...
Becoming a Senior Software Engineer
I used to speak regularly at many of the Chicago-area coding bootcamps and one of...
API Development: The Complete Guide for Building APIs Without Code
The term “API” gets thrown around a lot these days, but what does it mean?...
Sprint Planning and Agile Metrics
In late 2014, I was managing a team of software engineers working diligently on a...
Alternatives to Basecamp for Project Management
Basecamp has recently come under fire for changes the founders implemented including the prohibition of...
What to do After Your Coding Bootcamp
I have been a guest lecturer, instructor, and mock interviewer at half a dozen Chicago...
What to Expect from a Coding Bootcamp
You’ve probably noticed the rise coding bootcamps over the past few years. If you come...
Using the Bubble App Builder to Launch Your Startup Faster
There are an average of 12,000 new startups founded daily in the US. To gain...
What it's Really Like Working for a Startup
After almost ten years working for startups, I’ve seen some pretty wild things. One startup...
Laravel Forge: Deploy Laravel Applications Fast
As a long-time PHP developer, Laravel is one of the most exciting additions to the...
The World Needs a Non Profit Search Engine
Google is the most widely-used search engine in the world, and the company now offers...
Testing Microservices: A Layered Testing Strategy
We made some considerable improvements to the tech stack at The Graide Network during my...
The Importance of Software Testing
I’m currently writing a series of articles about test frameworks, and it got me thinking...
Recruiting and Hiring Software Engineers
When I took my first real management role as Packback’s Head of Engineering back in...
The One Reason Software Engineers Should Write
I’ve been thinking a lot about writing lately. I recently left a career as a...
How to Start Freelance Technical Blogging
I like writing. I lived with a bunch of English majors in college, so we...
Building a Resilient Career
I was reading another engineer’s story this week about his 65-day job hunt. I’ve avoided...
The Evolution of Our Product Management Process
In 2016 when I joined The Graide Network, I was the first developer. With the...
PHP Architect 2019 Contributions
I have not been writing as much this year as I did in 2017, but...
The Myths You’ll Hear About Working as an Engineer at a Startup
When I first graduated from college and went looking for a job with a startup...
Using Postman to Access APIs Without Code
An “Application Programming Interface” or API describes the way that two computer programs talk to...
Stop Working and Let Someone Else Build It
My backlog of project ideas is long. Like, ridiculously long. Even though I clean it...
The Bulk of Software Engineering is Just Plumbing
I read a post online recently about how some software engineer was asked to complete...
Web Applications: The Guide for Building Webs Apps Without Code
Web applications are getting more and more popular, but in 2018, what’s the best way...
The Age of Cloud Services
Cloud based web hosting has enabled small startups to build and scale software applications that...
Writing Less Software to Accomplish More
Creating custom software should be the last resort for early stage startups. Writing good software...
Building a Free Website on the GABA Stack - A Spin on JAM Stack
Note: When I first wrote this in early 2018, I had not heard of the...
API Testing Presentation at API Strategy & Practice Conference
This year, I decided to make speaking at a conference one of my goals (and...
Beginner PHP Resources
I was recently asked by a new web developer what resources I would recommend for...
Startup Employees Still Need a Financial Plan
I know this is a little off base from my usual posts about software, technology,...
Continuous Integration on a Budget
Since I wrote this in September, 2015, continuous integration has become pretty much the standard...
Why the Textbook Industry is Ripe for a Technological Revolution
When I first wrote this in September, 2014 I was just a few months in...
The Secret to Staying Employed: Be Indispensable
With everyone talking about automation and the widespread job loss that it may lead to,...
Colleges API: A Database and REST API of Accredited Colleges in the United States
Back in 2013 I needed a list of all the colleges in the US. The...
The Power of Responsiveness - Web Design for Multiple Platforms
Since writing this post in 2012, the case for responsive (and now progressive) websites has...
My PHP Open Source Project Checklist
Open source software is becoming the norm, and not just for small companies, indie developers and...
Planning for Retirement While Working at a Startup
As I’ve entered my late 20’s and begun to solidify my career path in startups,...
Joining The Graide Network as Chief Technology Officer
After over 2 and a half years at Packback, I’ve decided to move on and...
How Microservices Help Enforce Domain Driven Design
I’m working my way through a long backlog of episodes of Software Engineering Radio right...
Using Docker to Run a Laravel Application in PHP7
PHP7 has been out for a few months now; the performance benefits have been demonstrated,...
5 Things I Learned at Midwest PHP 2016
Now that Midwest PHP 2016 is over and I’m back on my cozy couch here in...
Bedrock: Bringing Modern PHP to Wordpress
I cut my teeth writing websites in Wordpress, but I’ve fallen out of love with...
Sub 1-Second Page Load Time in Wordpress
Wordpress has a bad reputation on the web for being bulky and slow, but that...
Accessing Job Board APIs in PHP
Niche job boards have made a surprising comeback in the past few years. Despite the...
Textbook Prices: Packback's Open Source Price Comparison Tool
Like a lot of startups, we rely heavily on open source software at Packback, and while...
Packbot: Helping our Business Access Data at Packback
Note: Since writing this, I’ve stopped using Slack for most things. Here’s why. Slack is...
Moonclerk Recurring Payments PHP Library
A few months ago I was looking into an easy way to set up recurring...
An Update on Engineering at Packback
As I enter my second full year of working with Packback, I can say that...
On Leaving Uloop for Packback Books
This month marked the end of my first startup experience and the beginning of my...