David Xiang
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David Xiang
  • About
  • Posts
    • Recent
    • Software
      • Technology
      • Management
    • Life
  • Software Developer Life
    • Introduction
    • Buy on Amazon
  • YouTube
  • 1-on-1 Mentoring
Tag:

software developer

  • Art or Science?

    by dxiang 2022-04-25
    2022-04-25

    Art is subjective, soft, human, unique. Science is objective, formulaic, algorithmic, process-heavy. Think about a recent problem you faced and its surrounding context. Was your approach more artistic or more scientific? Did your perception change as you solved the problem? How did it compare with your colleagues? As with anything…

  • Guidelines For Criticism

    by dxiang 2022-03-09
    2022-03-09

    #1 — Do not criticize others while being blind to your own faults. Do not seek fault in others while staying blissfully unaware of your own. When others code slowly, it’s because they’re inefficient and don’t manage their time well. When I code slowly, it’s because I’m being thorough and…

  • Monolith To Microservices Vs. Your Organization

    by dxiang 2022-01-24
    2022-01-24

    Microservices are nothing new. After being deployed successfully by mega-companies like Netflix, many growing engineering organizations gravitate towards this architecture as an aspirational symbol of success. This journey is known to many as the “monolith to microservices” migration. A few companies (Spotify) have the clairvoyance to adopt microservices from the…

  • Use More 1-1-1s

    by dxiang 2021-12-30
    2021-12-30

    1-1s are core to management. Ad-hoc feedback delivery, bi-weekly check-ins with your directs, monthly meetings with your skip-levels, annual performance reviews. Their use cases are well-defined and well-understood. 1-1-1s, on the other hand, can be much more interesting. Significant progress can be made if you’re able to get the three…

  • 4 Questions To Ask Yourself

    by dxiang 2021-12-17
    2021-12-17

    As a Junior IC How comfortable am I developing code and debugging issues? Could I give a presentation about my team? Do I know who to contact if I’m not sure how to solve a problem (besides my mentor)? Did I release a project end-to-end that required me to do…

  • Staff Software Engineer Responsibilities – Align With Authority

    by dxiang 2021-10-10
    2021-10-10

    Check out my original post on Staff Software Engineer Responsibilities! As a Staff Software Engineer, one of your hardest challenges is to influence without authority. If your position doesn’t hold authority by default, then your best bet is to align with it. This topic was inspired by an insightful quote…

  • Communication For Leaders — Be Generous

    by dxiang 2021-09-20
    2021-09-20

    As a leader, you may have grown accustomed to a variety of conveniences when it comes to communication. You rarely get interrupted during meetings, your ad hoc Slack messages receive prompt responses, and your under-researched opinions influence people more than they really should. Unsurprisingly, not everyone enjoys these conveniences. As…

  • 20 Micro-Habits Of High-Impact Software Engineers

    by dxiang 2021-07-18
    2021-07-18

    “The 25 Micro-Habits of High-Impact Managers” is a wonderful article highlighting wisdom from various managers across various industries. The article also reinforces an important universal idea—the details always matter. I subscribe to this idea and believe it can be easily re-applied to individual contribution. At any given company, the criteria…

  • 6-Step Guide For Software Engineering Decision-Making

    by dxiang 2021-06-16
    2021-06-16

    Software engineering decision-making is a stressful and time-consuming process. When the stakes are high, you will be met with opinionated programmers, insurmountable organizational constraints, and unfortunate baggage from old projects. Consensus is difficult. In a previous post, “Staff Software Engineer Responsibilities“, I mention that the act of “Transforming Competing Opinions…

  • What Is A Runtime Environment?

    by dxiang 2021-02-26
    2021-02-26

    “Runtime” and “Runtime Environment” are some of the most overloaded terms in software development. It’s confusing for everyone; this word means many different things in many different contexts. This post’s goal is to provide you with an intuition behind the many use-cases of “runtime.”

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My name is David Xiang. I am a software developer based in New York City.

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Categories

  • Life (5)
  • Management (14)
  • Software (16)
  • Technology (3)

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Subscribe to my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips, and technology updates. Let's stay updated!

Software

  • Monolith To Microservices Vs. Your Organization

    2022-01-24
  • Use More 1-1-1s

    2021-12-30
  • 4 Questions To Ask Yourself

    2021-12-17
  • Staff Software Engineer Responsibilities – Align With Authority

    2021-10-10

Management

  • Art or Science?

    2022-04-25
  • Guidelines For Criticism

    2022-03-09
  • Monolith To Microservices Vs. Your Organization

    2022-01-24
  • Use More 1-1-1s

    2021-12-30

Life

  • Art or Science?

    2022-04-25
  • Guidelines For Criticism

    2022-03-09
  • 5 Mistakes That Damage Your Personal Brand As A Young Professional

    2021-10-27
  • Communication For Leaders — Be Generous

    2021-09-20

Join The List

Subscribe to my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips, and technology updates. Let's stay updated!

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