developer | Atomic Spin

Project & Team Management

Tips for Devs Integrating Into an Established Team

Transitioning onto an established team can feel like being a newbie all over again, especially if the codebase, languages, or team dynamics are unfamiliar.

Development Practices

Review Pull Requests Confidently

As a new dev, I needed a process for reviewing pull requests that allowed me to feel confident. Here are four questions I ask for every PR I review.

Development Practices

A Checklist for Documenting Your Public-Facing API

Here, I'll walk through the different forms of public-facing API documentation and developer tools that we added at different phases of the project.

Growing as Makers

How and Why I’m Improving My Developer Vocabulary

Since I've started actively trying to improve my developer vocabulary, I've seen benefits that extend beyond mentoring other developers.

Growing as Makers

How Daily Journaling Helped Me Level Up as a Developer

I've recently embraced daily journaling. For one month, I took time each day to note how my mental model of a project changed throughout the day.

Growing as Makers

Lessons from Returning to the First Project of My Career 2 Years Later

Recently, I was put back on the very first project I ever worked on. It was a great opportunity to see just how much I’ve grown as a developer.

UX/Design Practices

Only Designers Should Design Stuff

As designers, we often hold user feedback in high-regard and base a lot of design decisions on it. We should also also value the feedback of developers.

Personal Optimization

Software Developer Character Stats – Rank Up!

To reduce uncertainty about your growth as a software developer, identify different skill areas and how you can level up in each of them.

Project & Team Management

Compound Developer Time with Attention to Detail

Pay attention to the details and specifics. Make sure your specific X is actually good for your project, your client, and your team.

Development Practices

New to a Codebase? Try Drilling!

Drilling the codebase can help answer many questions without assistance and help you build confidence as an entry-level developer.

Effective communication

Senior Developers Can Help New Devs Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome can hit new devs hard during onboarding. There are some simple things experienced devs on the project can do to ease the pain.

The Software Life

Non-Technical Skills I Look for When Interviewing Developer Candidates

I've been pairing with interview candidates for years. Here, I outline the non-technical skills I look for that can indicate a great developer candidate.