Rock Star vs Rock Solid: CTO Edition
Sixteen years after asking whether companies really want rock star programmers, the same question turns up at the top of the org chart. What is a CTO anyway, and which kind are you?
Jeremy Hutchings
Essays on teams, systems thinking, and the social architecture of software.
Latest posts
Strata and StrataForge: What Building an AI Agent Arena Actually Taught Me
Games are underrated as a way to expose the real problems in AI systems. This is what I learned building one.
Virtual Teams and Remote Working: a research based perspective
In 2020 I finished an MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice. The final research project focused on virtual teams and remote working — timely, frustrating, and unshareable until now.
Open Plan Offices Are Killing Your People
They are likely the single biggest cause of lost happiness, effectiveness, and project success in companies — and the maths proves they aren't even cheaper.
What is :: Hackmode — Flow — The Zone
The psychology of a developer operating at maximum capacity — what it feels like, how to get there, and why most organisations accidentally destroy it.
Agile Agnostic: Which Development Method to Use
Why the waterfall-vs-agile debate is the wrong question — it's just a tool, and the best outcomes come from a blend suited to the job at hand.
Interviewing & Dating for the Techie: Playing the Game
Hiring and job hunting in IT have a lot in common with dating — it's all about looking for, and starting healthy relationships with suitable people.
Continuous Integration 2.0: Taking Care of the Team
Applying the principles of continuous integration to team wellness — prevent burnout proactively through continuous care, not annual team-building events.
The Cost of a Chair
A bad chair doesn't save money — it costs $13,400 a year in lost productivity. The maths of why good equipment pays for itself in the first month.
Cooks & Coders
The striking similarities between successful kitchen teams and software teams — trust, knowing your role, and getting out of each other's way.
Rock Star vs Rock Solid
Do companies really know what they're asking for when they want "rock star programmers"? The case for humble, methodical, rock solid engineers.
Burnout and How to Deal With It
The all too common and serious condition experienced by creative professionals — what it is, how it feels, what to do when you're in it, and how to avoid it.