Each year I choose three words that help guide my year. They don’t end up being life changing, but they are always in my mind. It helps me make small changes in the right direction. Most of the time, they are also a harsh reminder that I’ve been struggling with some common themes for years. Still, they help me find new ways to try to be the person I want to be. Be advised that this series is…
Last updated on June 18 2026. Hello lovely people! The goal of this article is to help you, as much as possible, to understand me as a manager, and have better clarity on how I work with my team. If you want to learn more about working with me in general, read this article . Before continuing # Keep a couple of things in mind before reading further: In no way it’s replacing the professional…
Unfortunately, my time at Konstruct came to an end as we are closing our doors, which mean that I’m now open for a new challenge . For the last two years and a half, I had a blast building developer relations, and creating or leading multiple initiatives that helped us grow a lot. I want to sincerely thanks John Dietz , and Jared Edwards (feel free to ping them for some feedback on my work at…
Most years, instead of taking a resolution or setting specific goal(s), I choose three words that will serve as guides for the next 365 days. I found that it’s the perfect way for me to continue moving in a direction that I want, which is somewhat successful, without putting too much pressure on overly optimistic goals that end up depressing me. Going in the right direction slowly is better than…
You just upgraded to the latest version of a software that is critical to you, and there is a new bug that is causing you problems. It’s software, it happens… You cannot wait for a fix to be released, so the easiest step would be to downgrade to the previous version which was working perfectly. Unfortunately if you installed it using Homebrew , unless the maintainers release different versions ,…
After using WordPress as my main blogging and site platform for the last 19+ years, my site is now using Eleventy (11ty). The change is unrelated to the WordPress drama happening with Matt Mullenger, the WordPress creator and overlord, but it’s also the reason I finally took the time to make the jump to a static site generator (SSG). I’ve been thinking about moving to a SSG for a while to…
Before even speaking at a conference, you need to be accepted (duh), which mean that you need to submit your talk to the CFP (Call for Proposals). We commonly call those “call for speakers”. The CFP is the moment when you need to shine, and prove to the organizers or track chairs that you are worthy to be on the stage. No matter how much experience you have, or how amazing your submissions are,…
I thought it would be useful to list the Chrome extensions I’m currently using as I share some of them every now, and then. So think of this as a GitHub awesome lists , but not community-curated! Here are the ones I’m using: 1Password : this is the 1Password application helper. Ad Blocker Notice Removal : remove ad blocker notices ( source code ). AdBlock : ad blocker. Antidote Connector : this is…
When I evaluate or review something for you, no matter what it is (i.e., blog posts, resumes, conference talks, open source projects, ideas…), I do it with the goal of helping you or your team. Never doubt that I am rooting for you. I want you to succeed! With that said, I’m fully aware that I tend to focus on things that could be improved instead of cheering for everything else that is awesome. I…
It’s been a couple of years that I’m defining three words instead of a standard resolution. The big difference is that they are guidance, not things I absolutely need to do. One may see this as a lack of accountability, but doing it this way is a lot more impactful for me. It also alienate the guilt if I don’t achieve a specific goal I’ve taken. More often than not, the words improve the specific…
Today is my first day as a Principal Developer Advocate at Kubefirst , a fully automated open source Kubernetes platform to provide cloud infrastructure management and software delivery in minutes. Kubefirst is like a company within a company as it’s part of Kubeshop : an accelerator for open source startups around cloud-native space. I’m back in an IC role, and it’s what I wanted, even if I was…
Writing # Announcement: 401 & scoped packages for npm Book: Success in Programming published at Apress Documentation: Mindee [efn_note]it was a team effort, but I was responsible for the vision, process & quality[/efn_note] Opinion: The paradigm of open source licensing for MeiliSearch Media: Why the Dev Community Will Rule 2022 on DEVOPSdigest Non-Technical: Cornucopia of public speaking tips…
Speech communication is a soft skill that is important regardless of the job you have. Public speaking is not just for adventurous people looking to participate at conferences, and the truth is that without realizing it, you do it every day. Think about the one-on-one manager meeting or the weekly team meetings you have, or when you have to present a new project to your department - those are all…
It is the kind of thing you do not want to wait until you really need to do it, trust me ( CW: depression, suicidal thoughts ). It shouldn’t be an after thought. It shouldn’t be a shameful topic. We shouldn’t have to sacrifice vacation time or a full paycheck for it. A good mental health is important for a fulfilling life. More than physical health, even if they influence each other. It is the…
The word ego isn’t a bad one in itself: it denotes one’s opinion of their own value or importance. There is that non-written rule about it though. We mostly always use it with a negative connotation. Now, it means a pretentious asshole. Someone who has excessive self-esteem that it is becoming hostile. There is nothing wrong with being confident is your own abilities and who you are as a person.…
Being busy is not a badge of honor. Having too many things piled up on a daily basis is preventing you from seizing the moment. It is a barrier to impromptu opportunities. Occupying every minute of your life prevents you to fully live your emotions. There are benefits to process your feelings: good and bad. How can you be mindful of your environment and what is happening now if you keep running…
I’m not talking here about the song that haunted parents, or should I say, everyone for years. What I want to verbalize here, is letting go anything you are attached to that causes you pain. The first thing that comes to mind is the past. Unless it’s a joyful memory, leave the past where it belongs. The only exception is about learning opportunities or growth moments. You cannot change what…
My Buddhism teacher would say that, it’s giving yourself too much importance, and she is right! No matter what happened or what people said, most of the time, it’s not even about you or against you. It may be miscommunication. It can be lost in translation. You don’t know what others are thinking, nor which demons they are fighting right now. Taking things personally can only lead to negative…
They are not pleasant. They are not easy. They don’t always generate the outcomes you expected. As much as you want to avoid them, you need to have the difficult conversations. They are the ones that help you grow. They help you clear the air. They resolve misunderstanding. They will give you the truth. It’s not fun, I know. It takes a lot of courage, but again, they are worth it. Have those damn…
Impermanence is one of the concepts I learned during my Buddhism courses. But you can disconnect the idea from the philosophy. Nothing is permanent. It’s a universal truth. All things and living creatures, including us , will have their final moments. It may be disconcerting at first, but once you understand and accept it, it is eye-opening. Think about it. It means that any suffering we endure…
We live in an individualism world: it’s all about oneself. It is like that in every sphere of one’s life, including information. The thing is, we should share the knowledge we have. We should use our expertise to educate others. Awareness about different topics will make our life, as a collective, better. It will help fight disinformation as we are seeing at the moment. So fuck the “knowledge is…
Traveling to new places is, depending on the locations, opening your mind to new cultures. It’s marveling your eyes with paysages you only dreamed of. It’s creating relationships with people around the world. It’s giving your tastebuds a preview of heaven with astonishing food and strange beverages. Travels open your mind and makes you more tolerant about differences. If you can, do pleasure…
No one ever said on their deathbed ‘I wish I’d spent more time at the office’ — Harold Kushner I love my job: most of the time, it doesn’t feel like work. Still, I work because I need money to live. Would you work 40 hours, or more, if you didn’t need a paycheck? Maybe you would, but as a pastime, not because you have no choice. So work is work, it’s not life. You need to have a good work-life…
Remember death. Remember that you will die! In the Western world, we don’t like to talk about death, or the uncertainty of our time on earth. We should talk about it, to make it less taboo. You should also think about it. I’m not being morbid here: knowing that it may be your last day, can inspire and motivate you. It’s not about fear: it’s about making the best of the time we have left…
Being open-minded means welcoming new ideas or information. Especially if a priori, you disagree with them or they challenge your belief system. In a broader sense, it can also mean being favorable to new activities, food and anything that is unknown to you. I know, it is comforting to stick to what you believe or know, but being flexible is the best way to grow. It does not mean accepting every…
I’m serious! Get toxic people out of your life, and the sooner the better! You can try, once , to resonate with them, and explaining to them why you feel they aren’t good for you. Explained in a proper way, the message can pass: if it doesn’t, it’s the green light you were waiting for. After all, there is a slight change that what they do or say that hurt you weren’t intentional. That tip is good…
I’m turning 40 in March: watch out midlife crisis! It’s a pretty huge milestone, so I had the idea to share one tip per day until March 4. A way to celebrate and to share the *cough* *cough* wisdom I acquired in the last 39 years. Anyway, without further ado, let’s start with the first one… In other words, stop caring about what other people think of you. Let’s be real here, most people don’t care…
I can’t believe I was able to keep my mouth shut for that long, but here it is, the announcement of my new adventure! I’m joining Mindee (pronounce “mind-dee”) as their first Director of Developer Relations. I’m really excited to join this young, but quite impressive company. I’m looking forward to help the company continue their successful growth. This is a remote-first company with people around…
I am now actively looking for found my next challenge 🎉: a place I’ll be able to call home for many years to come. If you think you have a role for me, here is a cheat sheet for you to evaluate if I could be a great fit. I want # a developer relations leadership role: open to discuss IC roles if the challenge is uber-awesome; a real challenge: I get bored easily so I cannot be just another…
We are finally done with 2020! Obviously, this year will get some reverberating effects from the last awful one, but let’s hope for the best. New years means resolutions for many. For me, it’s been a couple of years that I’m defining three words that will help me guide my next year. The previous ones were 2020 : self-love, intentional, meaningful 2019: I forgot to define them 🤦♂️ 2018 : energy,…
Pandemic aside, the last months were a hell of a ride, but it was worth it: I found the perfect role for me! By the end of November, I’ll start a new job at MeiliSearch as their Director of Developer Relations. After years of being an individual contributor, I’m back in a leadership position. It’s also a return to the startup world, in addition to my open source roots. I can’t wait to build our…
I had a couple of aha moments since I started studying Tibetan Buddhism with a teacher. One of those was about impermanence. It’s one of the important teachings of this philosophy: everything is impermanent. Everything! I was minded blown when I realized it was true. This will change my life forever, for two specific reasons. If nothing is permanent, it means that my suffering is not either. Don’t…
This afternoon I was walking from the florist where I acquired three small plants. First since I adopted my first cat, Java , who was eating them and getting sick. On my way back, I decided to stop at the coffee shop and grab a latte. I have a dual personality where I like my coffee strong and black, but I also love caffe latte. The air was cold but the sun was warming me at the same time. I was…
So you want to hire me as an employee, but you don’t have a legal entity in Canada . Lucky for you, there are two easy solutions. First, you can create a legal entity in Canada: it’s fast, inexpensive and easy. This solution only make sense if you plan to hire more people here. There is a misconception that you need to absolutely register your company in Québec to hire me: you can definitely hire…
The picture isn’t updated: I have new monitors & rearranged the light arms for cleaner desk. Disclaimer : I invested a lot of money in my physical setup. Keep in mind that online conferences and video recording, even if fun, are part of my job. I’m also working remotely for the last ten years. I’m privileged enough to be able to afford the tools I wanted to get a high-quality job done. Every time…
Let’s be honest, looking for a job isn’t something I enjoy, yet, here I am, searching for my next role. I dream of finding a company that understand developer relations and where I’ll be able to grow for years. Shouldn’t be too much to ask, or is it? I’m primarily looking for a Developer Advocate role : this is where I am at my best. I’m open to an IC (Individual Contributor) or a manager job. I…
Last year, I decided not to choose my 3 words for 2019. I thought that this exercise wasn’t that useful. I realized now that I was wrong. They had a bigger impact than I thought, and it’s why I’m back at it for 2020. Self-love # The last years have not been gentle on me. It may be hard to believe if you’ve seen me at work, but my self-esteem and my self-confidence were badly hurt. Focusing on…
I miss her. I miss my little girl. I miss Java, my cat. I loved her. I love her. Two weeks ago, she left me. She was too sick. I had to. I wanted to be selfish. I wanted to keep her still. I wanted us to have many more years together. I had to. I had to let her go. For her. I didn’t want my Java to suffer. It was hard. It’s still hard. I miss her so much. I spent more than one third of my life…
Time flies. Six months ago, I started a new role at DigitalOcean , aka DO. I was coming in with a lot of excitement about this new challenge. I was also bringing a lot of apprehensions based on recent experiences. One hundred eighty-four days later, I can’t be happier of the choice I’ve made. DO Culture # It’s one thing to have the company’s values written on the website, it’s another to live them…
I often get asked what to do when someone is visiting my city for the first time, so here is a quick, opinionated, far from complete list of must in Montréal. Keep in mind that winter is really cold here: it can go as low as -30C (-22F) so I suggest you visit during the summer if you can. We are a welcoming city and most people are bilingual, so speaking English will get you anywhere in the city.…
Some beliefs you have are limiting your potential. Things that you consider true, that you see as facts can have a negative impact on your life. For me, two strong ones are that I’m not a cook, and I don’t like exercise. Combined together, it is the perfect recipe for an unhealthy life. In the last three to four years, I’ve been working a lot of my mental health. I see clear results from those…
In the last years, I started to take my mental health more seriously. One tool I discovered is meditation. It’s been about a year now that I meditate daily. Of course, it wasn’t without struggles, especially being in the far right end of the ADHD spectrum. Still I see tangible benefits of being constant with my practice. It helped me with my overall mindfulness, and lowering down my anxiety. It…
Last updated on June 17 2026. Working with a new coworker is like taking a walk in an unknown city. You aren’t sure what to expect. You don’t know if you will like it. You’re not even sure if the local culture will align with yours. To make it easier and more enjoyable for my new colleagues, I thought I could write a bit about who I am. I’m an intense and passionate person, and I love what I do…
When I started my first role as a developer advocate in 2011, it was still an obscure one and not as popular as today. Don’t get me wrong, it’s amazing: I’m stoked that it’s getting more and more popular. Even more important, great people have interest in this unique role. Companies now understand the return on investment. That being said, I often get questions about the role, so I decided to list…
After the #npmlayoffs , I was left with a bitter taste and no job, but it’s a good time to be a Developer Advocate my friends. Even more when you live to your values, and stay true to yourself! I’m super excited to announce that I’m joining DigitalOcean (DO) as their new Senior Developer Advocate, with a focus on the Hatch program . Yes, even if I don’t know how to swim (I had severe otitis until…
Welcome to my new site, fred.dev. I’m really excited about this domain name and the way the theme is coming along. As I mentioned in my goodbye article on my last home on the web since 2011 (blogging since 2005), Out of Comfort Zone, I needed some change. I miss blogging a lot and this is my way to come back after being mostly absent on my personal blog for the last two years… Don’t worry, the…
For those of you that didn’t follow my journey for the past two months, prepare yourself for a 360! I’m still in Montréal and it’s my first day at npm as their new Developer Advocate. I won’t go much into detail with the story behind the brutal changes in my plans as I’m a big believer that you need to accept what you cannot change, but I’m super happy with where I am right now… I can’t be more…
As I’m writing these lines, I can’t think of anything else than this blog: out of comfort zone. Unfortunately, Fitbit wasn’t a good fit for me (pun intended), but I had the chance to work with so many brilliant people there. Joining Uber as a Senior Developer Advocate is a great challenge and an astonishing opportunity at many levels. I’m going back to my initial love, Open Source, while doing a…
It’s a great time to start a new role as a Technical Evangelist even if you have never done it before. Many companies are looking to hire talented people to help them being successful within the developer community. Since I’ve been asked to share my experience on finding this type of role more than once, here are some of my tips. Define what is evangelism for you # As I mentioned in my article…
Six years ago, I decided to move away from new year’s resolutions. Instead, I’m choosing three words that are guiding me through the next 365 days. It may feel the same, but it’s different and working a lot better for me. This time, it wasn’t easy to define the direction I wanted to take for the next year. I thought about these for a couple of weeks and yesterday, it was clear to me which words…