What blog posts influenced your thinking the most?

Joel Spolsky's "The Law of Leaky Abstractions" significantly shaped my early career perspective. The concept of always seeking deeper understanding of underlying layers, in case abstractions fail, resonated deeply with me. It instilled a mindset of continuous learning and improvement, regardless of the current technological stack or tools.

A more modern influence came from Will Larson's 2018 article "Migrations: the sole scalable fix to tech debt". Larson's perspective on migrations as a fundamental, routine aspect of software engineering was revolutionary. He advocated for embracing migrations as skills to invest in and master, rather than fearing them as isolated, one-off tasks. This view has been instrumental in my approach to tackling software debt and continuously evolving systems.

Charity Majors' "The Engineer/Manager Pendulum" provided crucial guidance during a challenging period in my career. Grappling with the decision of whether to remain an individual contributor or transition into engineering management, Majors offered a transformative outlook. She highlighted that many highly successful software developers frequently pivot between these roles throughout their careers.

This fluidity, she argued, enhances proficiency in both areas, benefitting both the individual and their team. Majors' advice gave me the confidence to navigate this career crossroads, recognizing that such oscillation between engineering and management can be a powerful asset.