J. B. Rainsberger
@jbrains.ca
A professional 5-pin bowler who helps software professionals work with less stress for ready money. tdd.training jbrains.ca
Pinned
There is no boolean so simple that I won't get it wrong at least once in the space of a few hours of programming.
Therefore, I work in tiny steps and lean on tests.
Therefore, I work in tiny steps and lean on tests.
December 31, 2025 at 6:27 PM
There is no boolean so simple that I won't get it wrong at least once in the space of a few hours of programming.
Therefore, I work in tiny steps and lean on tests.
Therefore, I work in tiny steps and lean on tests.
Even when it's not an industrial-strength "real-life" project situation, discussions of testing strategy are quickly transformed into discussions of interpersonal conflict and individual emotional turmoil.
And that's why you need an adviser like me: help navigating the hard parts. ;)
And that's why you need an adviser like me: help navigating the hard parts. ;)
December 31, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Even when it's not an industrial-strength "real-life" project situation, discussions of testing strategy are quickly transformed into discussions of interpersonal conflict and individual emotional turmoil.
And that's why you need an adviser like me: help navigating the hard parts. ;)
And that's why you need an adviser like me: help navigating the hard parts. ;)
This emerged during Office Hours Chat! today. (tiny 🧵.)
Work describes the tasks we do and why we do them, but Job is only a mechanism to exchange tasks/time/energy for money.
Sometimes we have the opportunity to do Work at Job and we often feel happier when we do this.
Work describes the tasks we do and why we do them, but Job is only a mechanism to exchange tasks/time/energy for money.
Sometimes we have the opportunity to do Work at Job and we often feel happier when we do this.
December 30, 2025 at 5:44 PM
This emerged during Office Hours Chat! today. (tiny 🧵.)
Work describes the tasks we do and why we do them, but Job is only a mechanism to exchange tasks/time/energy for money.
Sometimes we have the opportunity to do Work at Job and we often feel happier when we do this.
Work describes the tasks we do and why we do them, but Job is only a mechanism to exchange tasks/time/energy for money.
Sometimes we have the opportunity to do Work at Job and we often feel happier when we do this.
@kathleenmadigan.bsky.social I propose that you start a Patreon with just one subscriber tier called "Termite". I imagine many folks would be happy to give you $5/month.
December 29, 2025 at 2:48 AM
@kathleenmadigan.bsky.social I propose that you start a Patreon with just one subscriber tier called "Termite". I imagine many folks would be happy to give you $5/month.
Someone contacted me today to ask me about my approach to teamwork for "Agile groups", but left a fake email address, so I don't get to answer them.
What a pity. I think I could have enjoyed that conversation.
What a pity. I think I could have enjoyed that conversation.
December 28, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Someone contacted me today to ask me about my approach to teamwork for "Agile groups", but left a fake email address, so I don't get to answer them.
What a pity. I think I could have enjoyed that conversation.
What a pity. I think I could have enjoyed that conversation.
Would you like results without blame in 2026? Are you tired of being told you're doing it wrong?
experience.jbrains.ca
experience.jbrains.ca
The jbrains Experience: Affordable personal mentoring to help you start getting unstuck.
You need help, but you can't justify the expense of a full-time coach. Maybe you're not yet sure about buying one-on-one coaching sessions. You're struggling to convince your employer to pay for the m...
experience.jbrains.ca
December 27, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Would you like results without blame in 2026? Are you tired of being told you're doing it wrong?
experience.jbrains.ca
experience.jbrains.ca
Reposted by J. B. Rainsberger
Software design techniques represent, at their core, a guess about what a hypothetical future reader will understand more with a lower investment in effort, time, and money.
I consider "guess" the key word of that claim. What makes you guess more accurately? Experience, knowing the audience, ...
I consider "guess" the key word of that claim. What makes you guess more accurately? Experience, knowing the audience, ...
December 26, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Software design techniques represent, at their core, a guess about what a hypothetical future reader will understand more with a lower investment in effort, time, and money.
I consider "guess" the key word of that claim. What makes you guess more accurately? Experience, knowing the audience, ...
I consider "guess" the key word of that claim. What makes you guess more accurately? Experience, knowing the audience, ...
Designing software means forever balancing two opposing consequences of the limits of working memory:
- wanting conciseness and relying more on tacit knowledge to make writing code feel easier
- wanting clarity and relying less on tacit knowledge to make understanding code feel easier
No escape.
- wanting conciseness and relying more on tacit knowledge to make writing code feel easier
- wanting clarity and relying less on tacit knowledge to make understanding code feel easier
No escape.
December 26, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Designing software means forever balancing two opposing consequences of the limits of working memory:
- wanting conciseness and relying more on tacit knowledge to make writing code feel easier
- wanting clarity and relying less on tacit knowledge to make understanding code feel easier
No escape.
- wanting conciseness and relying more on tacit knowledge to make writing code feel easier
- wanting clarity and relying less on tacit knowledge to make understanding code feel easier
No escape.
Something something great minds thinking alike... #refactoring #evolutionarydesign
Different articulations of a mental model will click with different people, but those models tend to be much more alike than they are different. :)
Different articulations of a mental model will click with different people, but those models tend to be much more alike than they are different. :)
December 18, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Something something great minds thinking alike... #refactoring #evolutionarydesign
Different articulations of a mental model will click with different people, but those models tend to be much more alike than they are different. :)
Different articulations of a mental model will click with different people, but those models tend to be much more alike than they are different. :)
Reposted by J. B. Rainsberger
I've been focusing a lot recently on refactoring. Simultaneously one of the most valuable and rarest developer skills.
In this post, I talk about the different levels of refactoring:
* Primitive (the basic "moves")
* Tactical
* Strategic
codemanship.wordpress.com/2025/12/18/r...
In this post, I talk about the different levels of refactoring:
* Primitive (the basic "moves")
* Tactical
* Strategic
codemanship.wordpress.com/2025/12/18/r...
Refactoring Is Like Chess
When I’m introducing developers to refactoring, I draw a parallel between this hugely valuable – but much-misunderstood – design discipline and chess. Primitive refactorings are l…
codemanship.wordpress.com
December 18, 2025 at 7:49 AM
I've been focusing a lot recently on refactoring. Simultaneously one of the most valuable and rarest developer skills.
In this post, I talk about the different levels of refactoring:
* Primitive (the basic "moves")
* Tactical
* Strategic
codemanship.wordpress.com/2025/12/18/r...
In this post, I talk about the different levels of refactoring:
* Primitive (the basic "moves")
* Tactical
* Strategic
codemanship.wordpress.com/2025/12/18/r...
Apparently they liked it enough for us to do it again. We are Refactoring Astro for at least two hours next week, live and in public. Join us!
dateful.com/eventlink/32...
dateful.com/eventlink/32...
See the event start time
See when the event starts in your local timezone.
dateful.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Apparently they liked it enough for us to do it again. We are Refactoring Astro for at least two hours next week, live and in public. Join us!
dateful.com/eventlink/32...
dateful.com/eventlink/32...
🧵 As we figure out what role LLMs and Gen AI systems will play in developing software, I await with interest actual experience reports, such as this one:
(> next)
(> next)
December 9, 2025 at 2:51 PM
🧵 As we figure out what role LLMs and Gen AI systems will play in developing software, I await with interest actual experience reports, such as this one:
(> next)
(> next)
Sometimes we struggle getting buy-in from others about improving our software designs. I think I know one of the ways that happens: blog.jbrains.ca/permalink/a-...
A Central Conflict in 'Readable' Code
Programmers routinely complain about code being
blog.jbrains.ca
December 4, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Sometimes we struggle getting buy-in from others about improving our software designs. I think I know one of the ways that happens: blog.jbrains.ca/permalink/a-...
Vague musings about software design in the age of Generative AI. At least it's relatively short: blog.jbrains.ca/permalink/in...
In the Age of Generative AI, Better Design Remains Up to Us
When Common Practice becomes even more commonly-practised, the economic forces on software design change in a way that both creates more opportunities and ma...
blog.jbrains.ca
December 1, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Vague musings about software design in the age of Generative AI. At least it's relatively short: blog.jbrains.ca/permalink/in...
How's this for fortunate timing?! Just after writing a thread about the "ask your programmers!" strategy from _Frictionless_ (thread linked), I read the following in one of those email newsletters that we all subscribe to and never read. (next post)
bsky.app/profile/jbra...
bsky.app/profile/jbra...
On the one hand, it amazes me that this very simple and obvious strategy isn't the first thing that executives think of when they wonder how to improve results in their software development groups.
On the other hand, it doesn't surprise me at all that a person would shy away from it.
On the other hand, it doesn't surprise me at all that a person would shy away from it.
Finally, someone wrote it down in a book:
To understand what is going well/poorly inside your engineering org: ask the devs what this is! Talk to a bunch of them to get a good picture
From the excellent new book by Nicole Forsgren and Abi Noda called "Frictionless"
Arrived yesterday
To understand what is going well/poorly inside your engineering org: ask the devs what this is! Talk to a bunch of them to get a good picture
From the excellent new book by Nicole Forsgren and Abi Noda called "Frictionless"
Arrived yesterday
November 28, 2025 at 2:46 PM
How's this for fortunate timing?! Just after writing a thread about the "ask your programmers!" strategy from _Frictionless_ (thread linked), I read the following in one of those email newsletters that we all subscribe to and never read. (next post)
bsky.app/profile/jbra...
bsky.app/profile/jbra...
On the one hand, it amazes me that this very simple and obvious strategy isn't the first thing that executives think of when they wonder how to improve results in their software development groups.
On the other hand, it doesn't surprise me at all that a person would shy away from it.
On the other hand, it doesn't surprise me at all that a person would shy away from it.
Finally, someone wrote it down in a book:
To understand what is going well/poorly inside your engineering org: ask the devs what this is! Talk to a bunch of them to get a good picture
From the excellent new book by Nicole Forsgren and Abi Noda called "Frictionless"
Arrived yesterday
To understand what is going well/poorly inside your engineering org: ask the devs what this is! Talk to a bunch of them to get a good picture
From the excellent new book by Nicole Forsgren and Abi Noda called "Frictionless"
Arrived yesterday
November 28, 2025 at 2:08 PM
On the one hand, it amazes me that this very simple and obvious strategy isn't the first thing that executives think of when they wonder how to improve results in their software development groups.
On the other hand, it doesn't surprise me at all that a person would shy away from it.
On the other hand, it doesn't surprise me at all that a person would shy away from it.
I'm doing some refactoring/adding tests in public on an Open Source project on December 2, in case you'd like to join us:
discord.gg/astro-lounge...
discord.gg/astro-lounge...
Join the Astro Lounge Discord Server!
The official community server for the Astro framework. Learn more at https://astro.build | 35680 members
discord.gg
November 28, 2025 at 2:06 PM
I'm doing some refactoring/adding tests in public on an Open Source project on December 2, in case you'd like to join us:
discord.gg/astro-lounge...
discord.gg/astro-lounge...
If you do the Saff Squeeze and you _don't_ finish by laughing out loud at your own mistake, then did you really Squeeze? 🤔
November 27, 2025 at 5:05 PM
If you do the Saff Squeeze and you _don't_ finish by laughing out loud at your own mistake, then did you really Squeeze? 🤔
Does this sound like you?
Evolutionary Design/TDD has, for me, been an adaptive response to uncertainty (even anxiety!) I have felt while trying to write software.
Evolutionary Design/TDD has, for me, been an adaptive response to uncertainty (even anxiety!) I have felt while trying to write software.
November 25, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Does this sound like you?
Evolutionary Design/TDD has, for me, been an adaptive response to uncertainty (even anxiety!) I have felt while trying to write software.
Evolutionary Design/TDD has, for me, been an adaptive response to uncertainty (even anxiety!) I have felt while trying to write software.
I'm looking for a client interested in getting help to simply think more clearly for an experimental 3-month program.
What could you do with weekly conversations with a wise, caring partner, whose primary concern was helping you make sense of your world?
What could you do with weekly conversations with a wise, caring partner, whose primary concern was helping you make sense of your world?
November 20, 2025 at 7:07 PM
I'm looking for a client interested in getting help to simply think more clearly for an experimental 3-month program.
What could you do with weekly conversations with a wise, caring partner, whose primary concern was helping you make sense of your world?
What could you do with weekly conversations with a wise, caring partner, whose primary concern was helping you make sense of your world?
How can writing things down in an Inbox be so powerful? blog.jbrains.ca/permalink/bl...
Blue Tape and Inbox Technique
Many people struggle to apply the ideas in Getting Things Done, partly because those ideas seem like abstract
blog.jbrains.ca
November 20, 2025 at 7:02 PM
How can writing things down in an Inbox be so powerful? blog.jbrains.ca/permalink/bl...
I try not to be quite so blunt about this these days, but I stand by the overall message: you have probably been trying to go too fast.
And I get it. No blame, really! If you don't have at least one impatient customer, then you have a hobby and not a business, right? :shrug:
And I get it. No blame, really! If you don't have at least one impatient customer, then you have a hobby and not a business, right? :shrug:
Metaphor for software development.
Reminds me of a classic @jbrains.ca saying:
“But test-driven development will slow us down.”
J.B.: “Good.”
Reminds me of a classic @jbrains.ca saying:
“But test-driven development will slow us down.”
J.B.: “Good.”
The slower pace means each machine only makes 23 to 28 meters of hoodie fabric per hour, but this also ensures quality (e.g., no holes or runs in the material). When hoodies are cheap, companies have to maximize output, but this can also mean they have lower quality control.
November 19, 2025 at 2:49 PM
I try not to be quite so blunt about this these days, but I stand by the overall message: you have probably been trying to go too fast.
And I get it. No blame, really! If you don't have at least one impatient customer, then you have a hobby and not a business, right? :shrug:
And I get it. No blame, really! If you don't have at least one impatient customer, then you have a hobby and not a business, right? :shrug:
I have a new challenge for 2026 and I have spent approximately 20 minutes on it so far.
This resource, I presume, is going to help me.
dexonline.ro
This resource, I presume, is going to help me.
dexonline.ro
dexonline
dexonline.ro
November 11, 2025 at 7:25 PM
I have a new challenge for 2026 and I have spent approximately 20 minutes on it so far.
This resource, I presume, is going to help me.
dexonline.ro
This resource, I presume, is going to help me.
dexonline.ro