Brittany Ellich’s Blog
Software Engineer at Bluesky specializing in developer productivity, AI-assisted development, and accessibility. Creator of The Balanced Engineer newsletter and co-host of the Overcommitted podcast.
Latest posts
108 PRs in eight days: Accidentally discovering loop engineering
On Atproto and Atmospheric Groups
I'm starting A Fresh Blog(tm), this time on Pckt. I wanted a dedicated space to post about development, atproto, and community thoughts, and a new space felt like the right place for it. Plus I wanted to get in on standard.site summer while it's still ongoing. Before I get into any of that, though, an introduction. As of a little over a month ago, I work at Bluesky! Before that I was a staff…
Why I'm betting on ATProto (and why you should, too)
Social media was supposed to connect us, but most of it has turned into ads, division, and loneliness. I'm betting on ATProto as a way to fix that, and not just for developers. Whether you're a scientist, journalist, or just someone who wants the internet to feel human again, I think ATProto matters for you too.
Why I'm betting on ATProto (and why you should, too)
Social media was supposed to connect us, but most of it has turned into ads, division, and loneliness. I'm betting on ATProto as a way to fix that, and not just for developers. Whether you're a scientist, journalist, or just someone who wants the internet to feel human again, I think ATProto matters for you too.
Embrace the uncertainty
Start where you are: A practical guide to building with AI
Working Safely With AI Tools (A Non-Expert's Field Notes)
Living in the Inflection Point
I guess I'm AI-pilled now?
Capacity is relative
You can handle so much more than you think
AI Has an Image Problem
I spent 2025 going from skeptical to genuinely excited about AI tools. My non-tech friends and family spent 2025 learning to hate them. The AI industry has fumbled this introduction so badly that we've turned a useful set of tools into a cultural flashpoint - but the damage isn't irreversible.
AI Has an Image Problem
I spent 2025 going from skeptical to genuinely excited about AI tools. My non-tech friends and family spent 2025 learning to hate them. The AI industry has fumbled this introduction so badly that we've turned a useful set of tools into a cultural flashpoint - but the damage isn't irreversible.
The subtle peer pressure of working in public
How to go from starting things to finishing things.
2025 in review
2025 was my year of doing ALL the things - speaking at 5+ conferences, starting a podcast, shipping side projects, and somehow not completely burning out. I learned that momentum creates more momentum, perfectionism is overrated, and seeing people in real life again after years of isolation is actually really, really good.
2025 in review
2025 was my year of doing ALL the things - speaking at 5+ conferences, starting a podcast, shipping side projects, and somehow not completely burning out. I learned that momentum creates more momentum, perfectionism is overrated, and seeing people in real life again after years of isolation is actually really, really good.
Representing groups in ATProto
I wanted to add book clubs to my GoodReads-like app (Collective), but ATProto doesn't have a standard way to handle shared group resources yet. So I'm building opensocial.community—a separate service that manages groups independently from any single app. This means the same book club could potentially work across multiple apps (imagine your book club having both a reading list in Collective AND a…
Representing groups in ATProto
I wanted to add book clubs to my GoodReads-like app (Collective), but ATProto doesn't have a standard way to handle shared group resources yet. So I'm building opensocial.community—a separate service that manages groups independently from any single app. This means the same book club could potentially work across multiple apps (imagine your book club having both a reading list in Collective AND a…
Build the thing you wish to see in the world
A Software Engineer's Guide to Agentic Software Development
I've cracked the code on breaking the eternal cycle - features win, tech debt piles up, codebase becomes 'legacy', and an eventual rewrite. Using coding agents at GitHub, I now merge multiple tech debt PRs weekly while still delivering features. Tickets open for months get closed. 'Too hard to change' code actually improves. This is the story of the workflow.
A Software Engineer's Guide to Agentic Software Development
I've cracked the code on breaking the eternal cycle - features win, tech debt piles up, codebase becomes 'legacy', and an eventual rewrite. Using coding agents at GitHub, I now merge multiple tech debt PRs weekly while still delivering features. Tickets open for months get closed. 'Too hard to change' code actually improves. This is the story of the workflow.
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I finally added Bluesky comments and likes to my blog (and you can too!)
Learn how to add Bluesky comments and likes to your blog in under an hour using ATProto integration, with copy-paste code for Astro sites.
I finally added Bluesky comments and likes to my blog (and you can too!)
My Honest Take on the BenQ RD280U Programming Monitor After Three Months of Daily Use
My Adventure on the Web Dev Challenge - Caffeine, Code, and Cameras!
Epic Web Conf - You can just do things
How I use AI to enhance my writing
Not the most technical one in the room: On imposter syndrome
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A weekend away - reflections from Skamania Lodge
Ardan Labs Podcast
The Evolution of My Personal Websites - A Journey Through the "Eras"
2024 in review
A look back at parental leave, switching teams at GitHub, finding crochet, and starting therapy and an SSRI that changed everything.
2024 in review
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How to organize and improve your documentation for your favorite repositories
Why I Write
How to Find Your Passion in the Tech Industry
Book Club Questions: The Software Engineer's Guidebook
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Boise Code Camp 2024
My experience at BoiseCodeCamp 2024: talks on AI, OpenSCAD, and domain-specific languages, plus my first time speaking at a developer conference.