Torin List

Are your communication skills holding you back as a software engineer? As a software engineer, your technical chops may get you in the door, but your communication skills are what'll make or break you, especially if you're freelancing or eyeing those senior-level roles. Here's the truth: if you can't explain your solutions to clients and stakeholders in a way they actually understand, then you've got some work to do on those communication abilities. No matter how brilliant your code is, if you can't break down complex problems in a clear, direct manner, you’ll end up spending a lot of time spinning your wheels in meetings. Clients and higher-ups need you to translate the technical into the tangible. So take a hard look at how you communicate, both in writing and face-to-face. Are you being direct and professional? Can you distill abstract concepts into simple, compelling terms? If not, take some time to level up those skills. The best way to sharpen those essential skills? Practice, practice, practice. Take every opportunity - at work, with the barista in the morning, even just talking to yourself at home. Hone your ability to communicate clearly and listen attentively. Because these abilities will benefit you everywhere, not just in your engineering career. Because at the end of the day, your programming prowess can only take you so far. The real multiplier is how effectively you can explain your solutions to the people who matter. Don't let communication be your Achilles' heel - make it your secret weapon. Your career will thank you. What other tips do you have for sharpening those essential communication skills as a software engineer? I'm all ears.

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After giving a couple of system design interviews and learning from my mistakes, I was able to come up with these 3 small changes that helped me clear more design rounds- ⭐Always ask clarifying questions - Make sure to gather requirements before jumping into the solution. ⭐Identify the possible failure scenarios at each step in the flow- Identify cases like "what would happen if traffic/volume was extremely high at one specific part?” ⭐Strike a balance - between being able to see and express the big picture while also being able to get into detail in certain areas. The best way to master it is through experience of building a software from scratch. But not all of us had this opportunity in our work- so to take you through all intricacies of system design and how to master it for your interviews with FAANG, here is a masterclass by Swapnil Daga (alumni of IIIT-H) who has worked with Google London and Apple. Mark Your Calendars: 27th June (Thursday) at 9 p.m Register your spot now: https://bit.ly/3REGPMV #systemdesign #dsa #coding #software #developer #masterclass #free #lld

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Does anyone do alot of prometheus.io client side metrics stuff... ? I have a couple of questions about how far you can push the client as a local metrics store...... 1) the client when iterating makes you loop through metric families. does anyone know why? id rather loop thru just metrics as a flat space. 2) the client doesn't store timestamps when you Inc() or Set(...). this means the only way to see update times is to expose them to a server... and hope the server is scraping regularly . has anyone else wanted to be able to know when they (on the client side) last incremental a metric?

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Sad to hear about the *last* carvel meeting. Carvel came up with (1) a sane replacement for k8s operators (2) a really dynamic Yaml substitution model (3) a really easy to use docker image inspector (imgpkg). I love these tools (especially 3 and 1) and still use them sometimes, even after i left VMWare Tanzu. Reminds us that - if you depend on an open source project - as the contributors to donate it to a foundation - esp if its relevant to infrastructure or other critical things that might be mission critical. The CNCF or the ASF have always been great homes for projects - and they live well beyond the scope of any company's ups and downs. Open source foundations are super important, and they're experiencing a loss in contributors due to the economic crunch. Become a contributor to the projects your company cares about so that you can help maintain them in crunchtime :) Also its a good way to make friends. https://lnkd.in/g4DBVuy8

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One could end the entire H1-B visa debate by imposing the following requirements on any company applying for such a visa: You must demonstrate annually that, for each visa recipient, the following conditions are all met: - There are no eligible candidates who meet the hiring criteria currently in the job market in the US - The criteria are general enough to apply to at least 100 people (this just prevents abuse or hiring criteria) - You are offering/paying compensation for the person on the visa which is more than the 90% percentile for the role (ie: greater than the compensation of 90% of employees with a similar role) We could have a third-party independent entity verify this. If talent shortages are a real problem for specialized and high-end roles, and lots of H1-B visa are granted under this criteria, I'd have no issue expanding the number of grants (this would be good for the US, imho). I strongly suspect this would not be the case, though (ie: "everybody" knows this is abused for cheap labor and depressing compensation rates for US employees, it's the huge open lie which all the proponents ignore).

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🤚Why Simplicity is Key and Why Hype Can Mislead You🤔? In today's world, there's a growing trend of courses and content being marketed under the banner of FAANG/MAANG companies. While these courses can be valuable, there's a tendency for some to overhype the journey to success, often complicating the learning process. ❇️Advice for College Students:👩‍🎓👨‍🎓 Focus on Fundamentals: Your semester subjects and their fundamentals are crucial. Don’t overlook the importance of what you’re currently learning in your courses. 👉First Year: Concentrate on building a strong foundation in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and basic programming. These subjects form the bedrock of your technical education. 👉Second Year: Dive into core subjects like Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA), Computer Organization, and Microprocessors. Understanding how computers work at a fundamental level is vital. 👉Tailor Your Learning: Adapt your learning to the present requirements. Avoid last-minute cramming. Strive to understand concepts thoroughly and learn them perfectly. Remember, the key to success is mastering the basics and building upon them with a clear understanding. Stay focused on your current curriculum and enhance your skills step by step. #Education #CollegeAdvice #LearningJourney #FocusOnFundamentals #StudentSuccess

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In the end, the issue here is abuse of low cost labor (not skilled + low cost — just low cost). I’ve worked with plenty of companies who have made this mistake and suffer for it (Nissan is a BIG one). This isn’t something anyone should be encouraging. It’s not about “competition”. This is a conversation on extortion.

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🚀 Excited to dive into the world of system design interviews? Here's a quick guide to get you started: Understand the Basics: Grasp the fundamentals of system design principles like scalability, reliability, and maintainability. Solidify your knowledge of data structures and algorithms. Practice, Practice, Practice: Get hands-on experience by solving real-world design problems. Leverage platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Grokking the System Design Interview. Know Your Patterns: Familiarize yourself with common system design patterns such as Client-Server, Pub-Sub, and MapReduce. Recognizing these patterns can streamline your problem-solving process. Stay Updated: Keep pace with industry trends and best practices. Follow blogs, attend webinars, and join online communities to stay informed about the latest advancements in system design. Communicate Effectively: Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely. In interviews, focus on explaining your approach, considering trade-offs, and justifying your design decisions. Below are five common system design questions :: 1. Design a URL shortening service (Tiny URL) 2. Design a chat system (Slack/WhatsApp) 3. Design a ride sharing service 4. Design a content delivery network(CDN) 5. Design a parking lot system Remember, system design interviews are not just about finding the perfect solution but also demonstrating your problem-solving skills and communication abilities. Happy designing! 🛠️ #SystemDesign #InterviewPrep #TechCareer

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I heard a lot from middle age folks that in tech if you are not in top 1% or handling very niece technical stuff, then there are very high chance you wouldn’t have job after 45. Their reasons. 1. In tech experience has not that worth as in other professions like law, medicine etc. 2. Your salary and contribution in company will have mismatch. 3. Your survival chances may be high in large corporation because of their bureaucratic syle of functioning but there are high likely you will laid off in startup to middle company, considering faster nature of later. 4. With age and experience lot of folks encapsulates the arrogance of wisdom and hardly listens junior to mid level folks.

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For years, I've led and mentored diverse teams of software engineers, and one gripe consistently surfaces, irrespective of team makeup or project nuances: "Why do I have to resolve conflicts when cherry-picking commits from the master branch?" 🤔 This complaint hits home. Engineers crave independence to innovate and deliver swiftly, yet software development thrives on collaboration, demanding robust code management and teamwork. 🚀💻 Cherry-picking commits can be an efficient way to incorporate specific changes or bug fixes into a hotfix branch or release candidate, but it often triggers conflicts as changes collide with ongoing developments. This conflict resolution process can be time-consuming, error-prone, and frustrating for engineers, detracting from their productivity and morale. 😫⚔️ The absence of a structured cherry-picking process exacerbates the problem. Here's a simple fix to avoid conflicts: 1️⃣ Track the last merged PR number into the base branch when cutting release/hotfix branches. 2️⃣ When receiving a cherry-pick PR, confirm its base branch PR number. 3️⃣ Ensure all PRs between the last merged and new ones are cherry-picked before merging, preventing conflicts. 4️⃣ Once merged, update the base PR number of the last merged cherry-pick for the next cherry-pick PR review can be verified. Yes, adopting this process entails a bit of change, but the dividends in smoother workflows and happier engineers are well worth it. Let's make life easier for our fellow coders! 💪🛠️ #SoftwareEngineering #CodeReview #Collaboration #ConflictResolution #Teamwork #DeveloperLife #CherryPicking #CodeManagement #ProductivityTips #EngineeringCulture #TechTips #Mentorship #WorkflowOptimization #CodingCommunity

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Leveling up at Crio.Do! As part of my learning journey to become an Automation Engineer, check out the industry grade projects I’ve built using various technologies. You could view the details of the projects in my portfolio https://lnkd.in/dEd7Nnwx If you are looking to enhance your resume with such cool projects and experiences, use my referral link https://lnkd.in/dAYHdyiJ. Feel free to reach out if you want to discuss further. #learnbydoing #criodo #softwaredevelopment #upskill #technology #tech #coding #webdevelopment #upgrowth #criodofeedback #career #portfolio #devportfolio #criodohonestreview #industryprojects #projects #techskills Comment below if you have any questions 👇

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The recent fanfare around Sasan Goodarzi's, CEO of Intuit, email announcing layoffs is a perfect example of why you need to read past headlines and hype. I'll admit that a few of the ones I saw got me flustered until I took a deep breath and read the actual email everyone has taken snippets from to form a "hot take." For me, there were two things in particular that I felt deserve criticism, so let's start there. First, I don't see any accountability placed on senior decision-makers. You don't reach a point where you're laying off 10% of your workforce without major misses at the top. Sure, AI and the pandemic threw some curve balls, but how much were you investing in workforce planning, talent mobility, and reskilling to prep your employees for the changing needs? Obviously, not enough since you're offloading 10% of them with an immediate plan to hire the same number back. Second, publically calling out over 1000 people for not meeting expectations is not cool. Everyone knows that "low performer" is a very ambiguous yet derogatory label. Low performance is almost always poorly assessed and exacerbated by a lack of clarity from leaders on what's expected. Sprinkle a bit of nepotism and personal bias into the mix, and I guarantee it's a grossly inappropriate label to place on those people. It's also ironic to talk about showing respect and compassion for them when, two sentences later, you carelessly label them as poor performers. Those aside, the rest of the email is refreshingly transparent and honest about what the plan is and how they came to the decisions they made, even if it could have used a healthy dose of humility. I was also impressed with their separation plans. A minimum of 6 months' pay, especially to supposed "poor performers," is a very generous transition plan. Stepping back and looking at it through a wide-angle lens, this event can serve as an encouragement to anyone who believes AI is going to take everyone's job. While it is certainly a threat to your job as you know it today, companies recognize they still need people. The challenge ahead is aligning the talent and skills of today's employees to the jobs of the future, and that means change for everyone, which is never easy. Upon further reflection, I find myself grieving and empathizing with everyone involved. I empathize with Sasan sending that email. There seems to be a genuine desire to communicate clearly and honestly about the situation while trying to inspire those who remain. Quite frankly, I'm convinced no matter what was in that email, people would be upset I also empathize with the outrage. It's always hard to hear about people losing their jobs, especially in the uncertain times we're living in right now. I grieve with the people who were impacted, knowing the emotional and psychological trauma they're wrestling through. So, let's all try to be more empathetic and considerate to the people around us while working together to build each other up.

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From "tunnel rat" to senior engineer with FAANG on the resume - a TL;DR of my salary journey in tech: 2005-2015: Worked for the MTA in NYC as a Track Worker. I was literally swinging hammers on the rails, laying down tracks. 2015: Attended General Assembly, a 3-month bootcamp, and learned how to code. Quickly resonated with Front End development. Was the 1st in my class to get a job offer and by the summer I was working at Accenture. This represented an $11k raise from the MTA. 2016: Gave myself a $22k raise and accepted a job at L2 Inc. My first startup! I learned React here as well. Good times. 2017: Gave myself a $24k raise and accepted a job at Transfix. To this day, this was one my my favorite companies to work for. This was a hard company to leave, but I was early in my career making up for lost time in the tunnels. I also spit a verse over a dope beat as my farewell email and sent it to the whole company. 2018: Gave myself a $48k raise - welcome to Bloomberg! At this point I thought I plateaued. I was now making more than 2.5x what I was at Transit. Talk about a life change! God is good. I had no plans of leaving until drastic internal changes happened. 2019-2021: Took a 3k base pay cut but... joined Meta and give myself a significant overall raise due to those sweet, sweet RSUs. God, is this real?! Some of the best working experiences I've ever had. What a ride. 2021-2023: Base pay bump of 30k - now I'm at Coinbase. And still, those sweet, sweet RSUs. Liquid cash is always the best! This would be the company that made me realize I had the "golden handcuffs" on. It's SO hard to walk away from RSUs, but my family would ultimately help me realize there's more to life than money. 2023 - present: 30k base pay bump as I joined the good ship Docker, Inc. Pretty much at the top level (financially) of being a senior engineer but the golden handcuffs are finally off. Join me and 🌻 Anna Miller this Thursday as we continue our conversations about my career journey. The whole point is to give people insight and encouragement on theirs. 🫡

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It's easy to own multiple stocks and diversify your portfolio, but it's much harder to hold onto a few quality stocks and watch your money grow. In my 7 years of stock market experience, I ended up owning 36 stocks, mostly safe bets, but the rewards were not significant. Today, I sold around 13 stocks to focus on a few important ones. I'm still uncertain about what to buy next and am considering investing in IDFC First Bank and Indigo Paints for a potential 2x return in the next 2 years. What are your thoughts? #InvestingJourney #StockMarket #PortfolioManagement #FinancialFreedom #RiskAndReward

When I first thought about moving out of India as a software engineer, I was conflicted.   (I know you've felt this way too 😅)  Back in the day, it seemed like everyone I knew was packing their bags for higher studies abroad. Meanwhile, I was sitting pretty at Oracle, raking in a salary that made my wallet smile 💸. I wanted to enjoy that money and live a little! Plus, my parents had other plans—they really wanted me to stay in India. So, staying was an easy choice.  But the real adventure started when I moved from Bangalore to Gurgaon. Now, mind you, I had no idea what Gurgaon was like. All I knew was Delhi, and Gurgaon was... well, just a side note 🤷‍♀️.  Having grown up in a defense background, I was no stranger to moving around every 3 years. Change? It was basically in my DNA. But settling in Gurgaon? That was new territory.  Then I met my now-husband, who’s pretty much set on living in Gurgaon. His motto: "I’m not moving out of this place"—and trust me, he means it. Fast forward, we got married, had kids, and now I’m here, raising my little ones while leading my team as a manager 👩‍💻👶👶.  But every now and then... I can’t help but think: What if? What if I moved abroad for a few years? Lived a different life? Experienced the world beyond these city limits? 🌍✈️  I occasionally fantasize about working in Silicon Valley (who doesn’t, right? 😎). Maybe I’d get to wear hoodies and have fancy coffee meetings. Maybe even have a robot deliver my lunch 🛸🍕 (okay, maybe not).  But then, reality hits. I think about the family I’ve built here, the career I’ve grown, and the incredible support system that surrounds me. I’m here, and this city, this life—it’s home. And with two kids in tow, there’s no place I’d rather be 💖.  So, what’s the takeaway from this? Sometimes, the *what ifs* are exciting, but the *right now* is what matters. I’m counting my blessings: the career growth, the children’s milestones, and the endless opportunities I never even thought about when I was busy chasing that “abroad dream.”  No matter where life takes us, we make the most of it. After all, it’s not just about the destination—it’s the journey that counts 🚀. And for now, I’m loving the one I’m on.  Do you ever think about leaving your comfort zone and trying something new? Or are you like me, wondering if it’s worth the leap? Let’s chat in the comments! 💬  P.S. Have you ever felt like you missed out on something because you stayed where you are? I used to feel that way. But now? Not so much. What about you? 😏  #CareerJourney #LifeChoices #SoftwareEngineer #FamilyFirst #GlobalOpportunities #GrowthMindset #MovingForward #EmbraceTheJourney

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𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 — 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁? Meet Pooja, a Product Lead who moved to the U.S. in 2008 for her master’s. After graduation, she landed her first job in Boston, but her initial employer didn’t file for her green card. She later switched to a Fortune 500 company, which filed her EB2 in 2012. Now, over a decade later, Pooja is still navigating the H1-B renewal cycle. Meanwhile, junior colleagues who arrived years after her are securing green cards through EB-1. Feeling stuck, she’s considering EB-1 herself but isn’t sure if the process is worth it. What Pooja doesn’t realize: ➡️ Her profile may already be EB1-worthy. ➡️ She likely meets the Critical Role and Salary criteria. ➡️ Her contributions, speaking engagements, and professional growth over the years all count. With a few targeted efforts, she could have an EB1-ready profile within a year, port her 2012 priority date, and get her green card in 12-18 months. Now, Pooja has two choices: Option 1: Take control with EB-1. Option 2: Hope the EB2 backlog advances and gamble on the wait. If you were Pooja, what would you choose? PS: If Option 1 feels like your path, consider joining our EB1 Slack Community(link in comments)! Every month, we help at-least five people accelerate their EB1 journey with the right strategies and tools.

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I am not someone who usually gets so many views on my blog posts. Thank you for this. And I know that most the views are because of the big names (Atlassian, Stripe). My other blogs are from my practical knowledge that got me here. Please go through them also 😋. Adding some links in comments This week, I'll be sharing more interview experiences and how I prepared in past 6 months. That will not be the "best resource" to follow, but atleast what worked for me :) #interview_experiences #tech #hiring

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