2023 in Books

2023 in Books

My year in books (according to Goodreads). 8443 pages read in 26 books. I mostly binged on thrillers and series I am already following. Just one non-fiction! I am currently reading / being stuck in these: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values by Robert M. Pirsig - this is a reread. I read it as a teenager, and I am not getting through it at the moment. Obsessive Compulsive Cycling Disorder by Dave Barter - collection of articles. The title might be the best bit. Edges by Linda Nagata - I am not very excited. Fiction Mark Dawson I just continue reading his multiple series. ...

January 2, 2024 · 4 min · Christof Damian
Friday Links 23-31

Friday Links 23-31

I was lazy due to the festive season and travels. That means plenty of links for today. Leadership Engineering strategy notes. - I think I posted the articles in a previous edition. Many good resources in this one. Navigators - interesting approach. I guess in some companies these are architects or staff engineers. TBM 257: How to Make the Case for Slowing Down to Speed Up - many strategies, align with the main values and strategies. ...

December 29, 2023 · 4 min · Christof Damian
Friday Links 23-30

Friday Links 23-30

I liked the story about Backstage from Spotify. The monaspace font is also lovely. Leadership Adam Bryant on how to know if you’re ready to become a leader. [Podcast] - lots of good stuff. A Practical Handbook For Engineering Management- another guide. I have just browsed a bit for now. Team Charters are a trap. - oh, I quite like them, but … “Empowering bottoms up mission-setting in an organization that practices top-down resource allocation is a trap.” ...

November 17, 2023 · 2 min · Christof Damian
Friday Links 23-29

Friday Links 23-29

If you want to watch something inspiring today, I recommend the video about Germany’s Green City and Pedal to freedom. Overall, a lot of interesting stuff to think about this week. Leadership How Do I More Effectively Build Stakeholder Alignment? [Podcast] - excellent example of coaching, where the thinker is already aware of the answers. Communicating Your Engineering Team’s Impact at Work - Tips for Leaders [Podcast] - obviously pushing LinearB a bit, but still good. ...

November 3, 2023 · 4 min · Christof Damian
Friday Links 23-28

Friday Links 23-28

I decided to stop posting depressing links and keep only the interesting and uplifting content. This makes the list smaller and me more happy. Leadership TBM 247: 15 Metaphors for Waste In Product Development - excellent summary. I recognise all of them in past jobs. Engineering Open source advocacy: The benefits of open source software [Podcast] - another one of these, apparently necessary, since many people are moving in a more closed direction. ...

October 20, 2023 · 2 min · Christof Damian