article thumbnail

Gordian Knots in Software Engineering

Tom Tunguz

In graduate school, I attended an operations course that assigned the book The Goal , a fictional story about a manager tasked with optimizing a declining business. Lines of code or number of commits focus on components of the engineering process. Lines of code or number of commits focus on components of the engineering process.

article thumbnail

How to prepare for software engineering interview questions

Intercom, Inc.

Preparing for interview questions in software engineering is almost a full-time job. If you are a graduate software engineer and getting ready for your first job interviews, here are the different areas you should focus on. General software engineering interview questions. Questions about your background.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

The 37% Rule: How to Decide When to Stop Wondering and Start Deciding

Tom Tunguz

Earlier this year, I read Algorithms to Live By, a book that explains how to use insights from computer science in daily life. But I had forgotten about it until I listened to the author on the Software Engineering Daily podcast. One of the rules is the 37% rule. It’s an important rule because it’s broadly applicable.

article thumbnail

Who is Eric Ries: Background, Books, Webinars, and More

User Pilot

Continue reading to discover Eric’s career milestones, the books he has written, and our recommendations for his top articles and webinars. His book, “The Lean Startup,” has been influential in the startup world and has shaped how many entrepreneurs and businesses approach building and launching products.

article thumbnail

5 Business Books I Wish I’d Read Sooner

OpenView Labs

Summer is upon us, and so are the many recommendations of books that one should read. Many lists focus on recently or about-to-be published books. Or maybe that’s just my software engineer’s bias. A story of times when I read a book that had been out for a while and regretted not reading it sooner.

Business 101
article thumbnail

Rediscovering the Power of the Command Line

Tom Tunguz

I had to install many other programs to replicate web-based email’s functionality: the client, the address book look up, modern search, and then tame all of the configuration flags. I had to learn vim first, and then I read piles of configuration examples to get things working properly. Most of the documentation isn’t great.

article thumbnail

Calm’s Will Larson on how to build a technical leadership career

Intercom, Inc.

As it turns out, he’s also quite the writer – since the last time we spoke , he has published not one but two books on engineering. If you’re a senior engineer and want to further your career, what skills should you develop? How do people move into staff engineering roles? What is a staff engineer?