Duncan Davidson
@duncan.dev
Software developer and engineering leader. Ex-[Shopify, Microsoft for Startups, Wunderlist, JavaSoft,...]
I’m really happy to see the RubyGems repository transferred to the Ruby organization. This is probably 20 years overdue. www.ruby-lang.org/en/news/2025...
The Transition of RubyGems Repository Ownership
www.ruby-lang.org
October 19, 2025 at 5:09 PM
I’m really happy to see the RubyGems repository transferred to the Ruby organization. This is probably 20 years overdue. www.ruby-lang.org/en/news/2025...
There is no seahorse emoji. But GPT-5, Claude, and most other LLMs are absolutely convinced there is—and will confidently try to give you one if you ask.
October 6, 2025 at 9:43 AM
There is no seahorse emoji. But GPT-5, Claude, and most other LLMs are absolutely convinced there is—and will confidently try to give you one if you ask.
I like the slight change in attitude that Sonnet 4.5 has. When it was reviewing my latest link blog post and adding in the confidence it had in its answers (in my preference prompt), it replied: “Confidence level: Pretty high - I write and edit regularly, though of course taste varies.” 🤣
October 1, 2025 at 1:57 PM
I like the slight change in attitude that Sonnet 4.5 has. When it was reviewing my latest link blog post and adding in the confidence it had in its answers (in my preference prompt), it replied: “Confidence level: Pretty high - I write and edit regularly, though of course taste varies.” 🤣
Really cool to see that @flox.dev keeps expanding where Nix and reproducible environments can go.
We’re teaming up with NVIDIA and the Nix Foundation to make CUDA-accelerated stacks easier to build and ship! 🎉
From AI and ML to HPC and beyond, teams can now create reproducible CUDA environments that just work — anytime, anywhere.
👉 Sign up for early access: buff.ly/xTKCEwu
From AI and ML to HPC and beyond, teams can now create reproducible CUDA environments that just work — anytime, anywhere.
👉 Sign up for early access: buff.ly/xTKCEwu
September 10, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Really cool to see that @flox.dev keeps expanding where Nix and reproducible environments can go.
I really like how Reeder renders the `external_url` property in JSON feed and finally got off my butt and implemented a JSON feed for my site. Yay for the open web!
September 8, 2025 at 6:36 PM
I really like how Reeder renders the `external_url` property in JSON feed and finally got off my butt and implemented a JSON feed for my site. Yay for the open web!
KPop Demon Hunters is on heavy rotation in the house these days, which means those damn catchy tunes are ear-wormed into my brain. Solution: Headphones and a thorough metal cleanse followed up by some good beats. Today’s treatment is the new Linkin Park followed up by some Chemical Brothers.
September 1, 2025 at 11:05 AM
KPop Demon Hunters is on heavy rotation in the house these days, which means those damn catchy tunes are ear-wormed into my brain. Solution: Headphones and a thorough metal cleanse followed up by some good beats. Today’s treatment is the new Linkin Park followed up by some Chemical Brothers.
Reminder: the ‘Rona is still out there even in the summertime on the beach where I’ve been. This time pretty mild so far, thankfully.
August 19, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Reminder: the ‘Rona is still out there even in the summertime on the beach where I’ve been. This time pretty mild so far, thankfully.
Microsoft lays off ~15,000 people in a year where it reports record profits. Satya Nadella sends a memo framing the pain as necessary and leadership as embracing it early. Om Malik took a closer look: om.co/2025…
https://om.co/2025…
July 27, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Microsoft lays off ~15,000 people in a year where it reports record profits. Satya Nadella sends a memo framing the pain as necessary and leadership as embracing it early. Om Malik took a closer look: om.co/2025…
Almost four and a half years ago in early 2021, I went to work at Shopify. It was one of the best jobs I’ve had. But every tour of duty comes to a close. I’m going to take a few months this summer to really reflect on what I want to take forward with me. duncan.dev/post/free-ag...
A free agent again, for now
After over 4 years at Shopify, I’m a free agent again. The AI revolution feels like 1997’s web all over again. It’s time to step back and reflect on what I’ve learned and what’s next.
duncan.dev
June 16, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Almost four and a half years ago in early 2021, I went to work at Shopify. It was one of the best jobs I’ve had. But every tour of duty comes to a close. I’m going to take a few months this summer to really reflect on what I want to take forward with me. duncan.dev/post/free-ag...
I've found that leaning into Daniel Kahneman’s "Thinking fast and slow" has really improved the way I work with LLMs. It’s all about the mindset you arrive with.
duncan.dev/post/ai-thin...
duncan.dev/post/ai-thin...
AI thinks fast, so think slow
It’s useful to treat LLM outputs as System 1 thinking (fast, reflexive, pattern-matching) while you provide System 2 oversight (deliberate, logical). This framework helps maintain thoughtful human jud...
duncan.dev
June 14, 2025 at 3:03 PM
I've found that leaning into Daniel Kahneman’s "Thinking fast and slow" has really improved the way I work with LLMs. It’s all about the mindset you arrive with.
duncan.dev/post/ai-thin...
duncan.dev/post/ai-thin...
Claude can create 50 API designs in minutes. ChatGPT can write endless variations. The new superpower isn’t generating work — it’s knowing what to reject.
duncan.dev/post/art-of-...
duncan.dev/post/art-of-...
The art of saying no
Claude can create 50 API designs in minutes. ChatGPT can write endless variations. The new superpower isn’t generating work — it’s knowing what to reject. Curation is becoming the primary creative act...
duncan.dev
June 13, 2025 at 4:47 AM
Claude can create 50 API designs in minutes. ChatGPT can write endless variations. The new superpower isn’t generating work — it’s knowing what to reject.
duncan.dev/post/art-of-...
duncan.dev/post/art-of-...
I picked up a new MacBook Pro on recent travels and the model I wanted at the Apple Store had a nano-texture screen. And oh boy, yah. Me like. It’s gooooood.
June 11, 2025 at 1:59 PM
I picked up a new MacBook Pro on recent travels and the model I wanted at the Apple Store had a nano-texture screen. And oh boy, yah. Me like. It’s gooooood.
This used to be a Walgreens that i shopped at. Now, i want to shoot a movie here with some sort od fitting plot line of emptiness and a state of being discarded.
May 26, 2025 at 3:17 PM
This used to be a Walgreens that i shopped at. Now, i want to shoot a movie here with some sort od fitting plot line of emptiness and a state of being discarded.
Setting up a new personal laptop and digging into @flox.dev to set things up. We’ve been using Nix a lot more at work, but I really like the layer on top of Nix that Flox gives.
May 26, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Setting up a new personal laptop and digging into @flox.dev to set things up. We’ve been using Nix a lot more at work, but I really like the layer on top of Nix that Flox gives.
Happy to see the Shopify logo up in the Anthropic presentation!
May 22, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Happy to see the Shopify logo up in the Anthropic presentation!
Reposted by Duncan Davidson
May 21, 2025 at 6:34 PM
I wish I’d been in an A seat for this approach. Still, it always brings a smile to my face to see the Bay Area out the window.
May 21, 2025 at 10:21 PM
I wish I’d been in an A seat for this approach. Still, it always brings a smile to my face to see the Bay Area out the window.
May 20, 2025 at 2:16 PM
I’m totally stoked about this: zed.dev/agentic. Yes, Cursor and Windsurf and even using Copilot in VScode are good. But, I’ve got a soft spot for @zed.dev and I’m so happy to see their new agent mode ship. Great agent in a super fast editor. 🎉
Zed — Agentic Editing
Collaborate with agents at 120fps in a natively multiplayer IDE.
zed.dev
May 7, 2025 at 11:46 AM
I’m totally stoked about this: zed.dev/agentic. Yes, Cursor and Windsurf and even using Copilot in VScode are good. But, I’ve got a soft spot for @zed.dev and I’m so happy to see their new agent mode ship. Great agent in a super fast editor. 🎉
You know what I really dislike about GraphQL? All requests look the same in HTTP logs. I really miss not having that when I’m trying to figure out why something something that somebody is doing in their app is blowing up our SaaS provider. (intentionally left vague to protect the guilty)
April 23, 2025 at 4:50 AM
You know what I really dislike about GraphQL? All requests look the same in HTTP logs. I really miss not having that when I’m trying to figure out why something something that somebody is doing in their app is blowing up our SaaS provider. (intentionally left vague to protect the guilty)
I think the lesson I’m taking away is that I should accept more invitations to group chats that I don’t recognize. 😳
March 25, 2025 at 10:54 AM
I think the lesson I’m taking away is that I should accept more invitations to group chats that I don’t recognize. 😳
Woke up.
Packed.
Checked out.
Got car to airport.
Checked in.
Flight delayed.
Flight delayed.
Flight cancelled.
One hour in line.
Flight rebooked.
Lunch.
Connecting flight disappears.
Rebooked.
Connecting flight disappears.
Talk to support with two airlines.
Packed.
Checked out.
Got car to airport.
Checked in.
Flight delayed.
Flight delayed.
Flight cancelled.
One hour in line.
Flight rebooked.
Lunch.
Connecting flight disappears.
Rebooked.
Connecting flight disappears.
Talk to support with two airlines.
March 8, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Woke up.
Packed.
Checked out.
Got car to airport.
Checked in.
Flight delayed.
Flight delayed.
Flight cancelled.
One hour in line.
Flight rebooked.
Lunch.
Connecting flight disappears.
Rebooked.
Connecting flight disappears.
Talk to support with two airlines.
Packed.
Checked out.
Got car to airport.
Checked in.
Flight delayed.
Flight delayed.
Flight cancelled.
One hour in line.
Flight rebooked.
Lunch.
Connecting flight disappears.
Rebooked.
Connecting flight disappears.
Talk to support with two airlines.
Oh hai, Toronto. You look… welcoming.
March 5, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Oh hai, Toronto. You look… welcoming.
