Tudor Girba
@tudorgirba.com
CEO feenk.com
We modernize legacy systems.
Through Moldable Development.
We modernize legacy systems.
Through Moldable Development.
We can only perceive software systems through tools.
This makes tools essential for anything we do with software systems, and in particular for software engineering.
And we should pay attention to our tools' characteristics as they will influence how we are going to think.
This makes tools essential for anything we do with software systems, and in particular for software engineering.
And we should pay attention to our tools' characteristics as they will influence how we are going to think.
September 15, 2025 at 2:54 PM
We can only perceive software systems through tools.
This makes tools essential for anything we do with software systems, and in particular for software engineering.
And we should pay attention to our tools' characteristics as they will influence how we are going to think.
This makes tools essential for anything we do with software systems, and in particular for software engineering.
And we should pay attention to our tools' characteristics as they will influence how we are going to think.
Ask n technical people "what is architecture?" and you might get n+1 answers.
Change the question slightly to "what is architecture for?" and you will get just one: to support decision making.
Read about software engineering as decision making in the book I am writing with @swardley.bsky.social 👇
Change the question slightly to "what is architecture for?" and you will get just one: to support decision making.
Read about software engineering as decision making in the book I am writing with @swardley.bsky.social 👇
March 27, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Ask n technical people "what is architecture?" and you might get n+1 answers.
Change the question slightly to "what is architecture for?" and you will get just one: to support decision making.
Read about software engineering as decision making in the book I am writing with @swardley.bsky.social 👇
Change the question slightly to "what is architecture for?" and you will get just one: to support decision making.
Read about software engineering as decision making in the book I am writing with @swardley.bsky.social 👇
If you go in a meeting to talk about an existing software system, bring the system in that meeting. Otherwise, you will be talking about the various beliefs people have about the system.
How should you do that?
Through contextual tools that help you answer various questions quickly.
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How should you do that?
Through contextual tools that help you answer various questions quickly.
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March 3, 2025 at 7:38 AM
If you go in a meeting to talk about an existing software system, bring the system in that meeting. Otherwise, you will be talking about the various beliefs people have about the system.
How should you do that?
Through contextual tools that help you answer various questions quickly.
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How should you do that?
Through contextual tools that help you answer various questions quickly.
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So, you might want to optimize this. To do that, you can start by measuring.
"Measure what?"
Time to answer (ttA) and time to question (ttQ).
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"Measure what?"
Time to answer (ttA) and time to question (ttQ).
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February 16, 2025 at 9:20 PM
So, you might want to optimize this. To do that, you can start by measuring.
"Measure what?"
Time to answer (ttA) and time to question (ttQ).
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"Measure what?"
Time to answer (ttA) and time to question (ttQ).
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How long does it take to answer a question about your software system?
And how long until you get to a new interesting question?
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And how long until you get to a new interesting question?
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February 16, 2025 at 9:20 PM
How long does it take to answer a question about your software system?
And how long until you get to a new interesting question?
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And how long until you get to a new interesting question?
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Chapter 3: Questions and answers
A new chapter in which we talk about the role of questions and answers in software engineering and describe the case study from chapter 2 from the point of view of commoditizing answers.
We introduce two new metrics:
ttA = time to answer
ttQ = time to question
4/
A new chapter in which we talk about the role of questions and answers in software engineering and describe the case study from chapter 2 from the point of view of commoditizing answers.
We introduce two new metrics:
ttA = time to answer
ttQ = time to question
4/
February 6, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Chapter 3: Questions and answers
A new chapter in which we talk about the role of questions and answers in software engineering and describe the case study from chapter 2 from the point of view of commoditizing answers.
We introduce two new metrics:
ttA = time to answer
ttQ = time to question
4/
A new chapter in which we talk about the role of questions and answers in software engineering and describe the case study from chapter 2 from the point of view of commoditizing answers.
We introduce two new metrics:
ttA = time to answer
ttQ = time to question
4/
Chapter 2: How we make decisions
This is largely similar to what we had before, but rewritten (same arguments and case study). We introduce Moldable Development and provide a concrete case study example.
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This is largely similar to what we had before, but rewritten (same arguments and case study). We introduce Moldable Development and provide a concrete case study example.
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February 6, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Chapter 2: How we make decisions
This is largely similar to what we had before, but rewritten (same arguments and case study). We introduce Moldable Development and provide a concrete case study example.
3/
This is largely similar to what we had before, but rewritten (same arguments and case study). We introduce Moldable Development and provide a concrete case study example.
3/
We (@swardley.bsky.social and I) published a new installment of our Rewilding Software Engineering book on Medium:
Chapter 1: Introduction
medium.com/feenk/rewild...
Chapter 2: How we make decisions
medium.com/feenk/rewild...
Chapter 3: Questions and answers
medium.com/feenk/rewild...
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Chapter 1: Introduction
medium.com/feenk/rewild...
Chapter 2: How we make decisions
medium.com/feenk/rewild...
Chapter 3: Questions and answers
medium.com/feenk/rewild...
1/
February 6, 2025 at 4:01 PM
We (@swardley.bsky.social and I) published a new installment of our Rewilding Software Engineering book on Medium:
Chapter 1: Introduction
medium.com/feenk/rewild...
Chapter 2: How we make decisions
medium.com/feenk/rewild...
Chapter 3: Questions and answers
medium.com/feenk/rewild...
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Chapter 1: Introduction
medium.com/feenk/rewild...
Chapter 2: How we make decisions
medium.com/feenk/rewild...
Chapter 3: Questions and answers
medium.com/feenk/rewild...
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This was a very nice experience. @swardley.bsky.social and I worked last year on describing Moldable Development using the map below. And now we compared it with a diagram I drew 15 years ago. We changed a little the labels, like in the attached picture, and they just matched. Really great feeling.
January 16, 2025 at 8:47 PM
This was a very nice experience. @swardley.bsky.social and I worked last year on describing Moldable Development using the map below. And now we compared it with a diagram I drew 15 years ago. We changed a little the labels, like in the attached picture, and they just matched. Really great feeling.
Another option is to look at a thermometer.
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January 13, 2025 at 6:13 AM
Another option is to look at a thermometer.
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January 13, 2025 at 5:26 AM
In his book "The Software Architect Elevator", Gregor Hohpe describes diagram-driven design, a way of designing systems through visual representations rather than through words because "cheating in a picture is much harder than cheating in words".
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December 28, 2024 at 3:19 PM
In his book "The Software Architect Elevator", Gregor Hohpe describes diagram-driven design, a way of designing systems through visual representations rather than through words because "cheating in a picture is much harder than cheating in words".
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As people are talking about the meaning of software engineering these days, it's useful to look at where it came from.
The Computer Directory and Buyer's Guide from 1965 contains "software development" 5 times and "software engineering" one time, the first occurrence of the term I know of.
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The Computer Directory and Buyer's Guide from 1965 contains "software development" 5 times and "software engineering" one time, the first occurrence of the term I know of.
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December 26, 2024 at 9:05 PM
As people are talking about the meaning of software engineering these days, it's useful to look at where it came from.
The Computer Directory and Buyer's Guide from 1965 contains "software development" 5 times and "software engineering" one time, the first occurrence of the term I know of.
1/
The Computer Directory and Buyer's Guide from 1965 contains "software development" 5 times and "software engineering" one time, the first occurrence of the term I know of.
1/
It turns out that using custom tools for every problem is both practical and can lead to better problem solving.
It’s called Moldable Development.
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It’s called Moldable Development.
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December 24, 2024 at 10:41 AM
It turns out that using custom tools for every problem is both practical and can lead to better problem solving.
It’s called Moldable Development.
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It’s called Moldable Development.
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The 2020 and 2021 StackOverflow surveys featured a fascinating "What do you when you get stuck" question.
In 2021, the top spot was taken by "Google it" (~90%), with "Visit StackOverflow" coming second (~80%). I guess if they'd ask today, "Ask ChatGPT" would be the top preference.
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In 2021, the top spot was taken by "Google it" (~90%), with "Visit StackOverflow" coming second (~80%). I guess if they'd ask today, "Ask ChatGPT" would be the top preference.
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December 16, 2024 at 7:33 AM
The 2020 and 2021 StackOverflow surveys featured a fascinating "What do you when you get stuck" question.
In 2021, the top spot was taken by "Google it" (~90%), with "Visit StackOverflow" coming second (~80%). I guess if they'd ask today, "Ask ChatGPT" would be the top preference.
1/
In 2021, the top spot was taken by "Google it" (~90%), with "Visit StackOverflow" coming second (~80%). I guess if they'd ask today, "Ask ChatGPT" would be the top preference.
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This announcement is fascinating. Not because it announces the generation of documentation for software systems, but because of the motivation. Let's take a look.
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December 7, 2024 at 10:45 PM
This announcement is fascinating. Not because it announces the generation of documentation for software systems, but because of the motivation. Let's take a look.
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The largest cost in software engineering is figuring the existing systems out. It's reading, not writing that we should optimize our work for. And that is the interesting bit. DX should help us make systems explainable to various audiences.
This path leads to Moldable Development.
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This path leads to Moldable Development.
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December 4, 2024 at 10:25 AM
The largest cost in software engineering is figuring the existing systems out. It's reading, not writing that we should optimize our work for. And that is the interesting bit. DX should help us make systems explainable to various audiences.
This path leads to Moldable Development.
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This path leads to Moldable Development.
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The typical discourse about DX (Development Experience) entails two pervasive assumptions: 1) that it's only for developers, and 2) that it's primarily for writing. We have to outgrow both.
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December 4, 2024 at 10:24 AM
The typical discourse about DX (Development Experience) entails two pervasive assumptions: 1) that it's only for developers, and 2) that it's primarily for writing. We have to outgrow both.
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We are playing with how to position context menus.
Here is how that looks like:
- we start with an example that creates a menu object
- the Playground inspector view gives us a draggable point related to which we open the menu.
- by dragging the point we can see how the menu positioning will react.
Here is how that looks like:
- we start with an example that creates a menu object
- the Playground inspector view gives us a draggable point related to which we open the menu.
- by dragging the point we can see how the menu positioning will react.
November 30, 2024 at 7:34 PM
We are playing with how to position context menus.
Here is how that looks like:
- we start with an example that creates a menu object
- the Playground inspector view gives us a draggable point related to which we open the menu.
- by dragging the point we can see how the menu positioning will react.
Here is how that looks like:
- we start with an example that creates a menu object
- the Playground inspector view gives us a draggable point related to which we open the menu.
- by dragging the point we can see how the menu positioning will react.
What if visual anchors were delicious?
November 28, 2024 at 8:57 PM
What if visual anchors were delicious?
Wag the Dog but more casually.
November 28, 2024 at 8:48 PM
Wag the Dog but more casually.
Anything in a software system can be seen in multiple ways. Actively choosing the perspective can accelerate how you answer questions about the system.
For example: how did a file evolve? Looking at commits tells you when/who changed it.
But: did the file grow? A new perspective answers better.
For example: how did a file evolve? Looking at commits tells you when/who changed it.
But: did the file grow? A new perspective answers better.
November 24, 2024 at 5:59 PM
Anything in a software system can be seen in multiple ways. Actively choosing the perspective can accelerate how you answer questions about the system.
For example: how did a file evolve? Looking at commits tells you when/who changed it.
But: did the file grow? A new perspective answers better.
For example: how did a file evolve? Looking at commits tells you when/who changed it.
But: did the file grow? A new perspective answers better.
When we execute a piece of code we might want to inspect the result at a later time.
A user interface solution is to remember the execution result in a visual element next to the code. And the cherry on top would be to highlight the code when hovering over that attribute.
A user interface solution is to remember the execution result in a visual element next to the code. And the cherry on top would be to highlight the code when hovering over that attribute.
November 23, 2024 at 5:43 PM
When we execute a piece of code we might want to inspect the result at a later time.
A user interface solution is to remember the execution result in a visual element next to the code. And the cherry on top would be to highlight the code when hovering over that attribute.
A user interface solution is to remember the execution result in a visual element next to the code. And the cherry on top would be to highlight the code when hovering over that attribute.
In our quest to make creating custom views more and more inexpensive, we now got to the point in which we can create a view based on the object obtained from executing a snippet in the contextual playground from an inspector.
Sounds complicated? It's really not. Just take a look.
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Sounds complicated? It's really not. Just take a look.
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November 22, 2024 at 11:02 PM
In our quest to make creating custom views more and more inexpensive, we now got to the point in which we can create a view based on the object obtained from executing a snippet in the contextual playground from an inspector.
Sounds complicated? It's really not. Just take a look.
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Sounds complicated? It's really not. Just take a look.
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How is a post with an embedded link described in the AT Protocol data?
Let's inspect it.
Let's inspect it.
November 22, 2024 at 5:43 PM
How is a post with an embedded link described in the AT Protocol data?
Let's inspect it.
Let's inspect it.