Ben Rady's Blog

Thoughts on software, testing, and craftsmanship

Powers of Two

I've worked on large and small teams before, but I'm currently working closely with just one other developer. I thought I'd try to list all the things that we don't have to do anymore, to see if there's any sort of process/value inflection point when you have exactly two developers.

Testing With Fire

For years now, I've held the belief that effective automated test suites have four essential attributes.

Empathy Is the Fourth Great Virtue of a Programmer

Laziness, Impatience, and Hubris don't seem like virtues, but the nature of programming means they are. However, I think there is something missing some Larry's list...something most people would agree is actually a virtue. I've come to believe that empathy is likely the most essential great virtue, because empathy will not only make you a better programmer, but it can keep you from becoming a terrible person.

One Second Services

Microservices have problems. Monoliths have problems. How do you wind up in a happy middle? Here's what I do.

How to Run Across a Lake

To run across a lake, you only have to do one thing: Run fast. The same is true in software development.

Don't Get Blocked By A Broken Build

Revert your coworkers changes because you want them to be happy