True Shuffle
A Kotlin/Android app that shuffles Spotify playlists in a truly random order.
Hello! on The Boomerang IC
Recent content in Hello! on The Boomerang IC
Latest posts
Understandable Systems Generate Evidence
Readable code helps developers parse what is in front of them. Understandable systems go further: they provide trustworthy evidence about where behavior lives, how changes propagate, and when it is safe enough to stop searching.
Newsletter Hub
A newsletter hub using Typescript/Node/Vue that helps you keep on top of your newsletters without digging through your inbox.
Spotify Walklist
A CLI tool (React UI to come) that helps you build playlists that match your physical activity using Typescript/Node.
Stoppability in Code Design
Maintainability isn’t only about finding code or reading code. It’s also about knowing when further search is no longer necessary.
Why Some Codebases Are Hard to Understand
The difficulty of understanding a system depends less on its size than on its cognitive surface area — how much of the system developers must explore to understand behavior.
Why AI Makes Readability More Important, Not Less
AI makes it easier than ever to generate code — but it does nothing to reduce the cost of understanding it.
Why the Single Responsibility Principle Protects Working Memory
The Single Responsibility Principle works because it limits conceptual frame switching, protecting the reader’s working memory.
Mystery Meat vs. Breadcrumb Systems
A codebase that forces exploration slows everyone down. Breadcrumb systems make the starting point obvious.
Readability Is a Performance Constraint
Software development is read-heavy. When code is hard to understand, the real performance bottleneck is comprehension, not execution.
How Developers Actually See Code
Developers don’t read code like compilers. Perceptual principles like proximity, repetition, similarity, and hierarchy shape how we understand it.
Designing Code for Human Readers
Code formatting works best when it aligns with how humans process information: chunking ideas, scanning patterns, and recognizing structure.
Formatting Isn't About Style — It's About Cognitive Load
Formatting debates often get dismissed as style preferences, but consistent structure helps the brain process code more efficiently.
Refactoring Legacy Code Without Fear
Refactoring legacy systems becomes safer when structure makes behavior understandable before changes are made.
Reviewing AI-Generated Tests: A Practical Workflow
AI-generated tests often mirror implementation instead of validating it. Reviewing them properly is essential to avoid false confidence.
Every Test Makes a Claim: Why AI-Generated Coverage Can Lie
AI-generated tests often reproduce the structure of the code they test — creating the illusion of coverage without validating behavior.
Designing Team Traditions That Actually Fit Your Team
Team traditions fail more often from cultural misfit than from lack of effort.
Work Anniversary Tradition: Teammate Appreciation Day
A dedicated appreciation day gave teammates a structured moment to recognize each other’s contributions and kindness.
Birthday Tradition: Birthday Spotlight Surveys
A birthday spotlight survey revealed funny and meaningful details about teammates — but also taught me how cultural differences affect team rituals.
Birthday Tradition: Powerpoint Cards
Remote teams don’t get spontaneous celebrations — simple traditions like shared birthday cards help build connection intentionally.
Work Anniversary Tradition: The Tazzie Awards
The Tazzie Awards turned work anniversaries into a team-wide event — combining humor, recognition, and participation.
Work Anniversary Tradition: Personalized Spotify Playlists
Personalized Spotify playlists became one of our most loved work-anniversary traditions — but only because the team had the trust and familiarity to make it work.
FrugalChef 3.0
A new version of my personal recipe costing and meal-planning webapp using Rails 8/PosgreSQL and a little bit of React.
FrugalChef 2.0
A personal recipe costing and meal-planning webapp using Java/Spring/Ebean/MySQL/JSP.
About
Hi! I’m Christie. I spent three years in engineering management before “boomeranging” back to being an IC again. Along the way, I realized that I don’t just love building software — I love building teams and community, too. The most meaningful moments in my career weren’t the code I shipped; they were the team traditions, inside jokes, thoughtful rituals, and the…
Birthday Spotlight Survey Questions
Birthday spotlight survey questions for remote teams to celebrate coworkers in a fun, optional way.
Team Tradition Ideas
Team tradition ideas with fit criteria, effort level, and purpose for remote or hybrid teams.