chad fowler @chadfowler Twitter profile | Pikagi

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chad fowler

@chadfowler

328,832

Followers

3,596

Following

1,455

Media

58,985

Statuses

general partner @blueyard + music at @chadfowlermusic . he/him prev @wunderlist , @microsoft , @rubycentral , @rubyconf @railsconf @rubygems @pragprog

New York, USA

https://t.co/ZGiQlXIAxd

Joined February 2007

Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

3 years

Most of what good management consists of can be boiled down to this simple idea: a manager's job is to create a context in which each team member is inspired and empowered to do their best work. It's shocking out far from reach this is for many managers.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

9 years

The older I get, the more I realize the biggest problem to solve in tech is to get people to stop making things harder than they have to be.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

4 years

The more time I spend exploring the state of front end web development the more I’m amazed that the majority of web sites work at all.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

3 years

I used to know how to do things but didn't understand how they fundamentally work. Now I understand how things fundamentally work, but I don't know how to do things.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Instead of optimizing for code that can live a long, healthy life, optimize for constantly destroying and replacing code inside systems that live a long healthy life. Code should be impermanent by design. Code is fuel.

@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

I wrote this article on immutable infrastructure almost 5 years ago now. Now that immutable infrastructure has caught on, I think we should focus more on the disposable components part of the message.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

New experience in public speaking today: dumped my water bottle onto the laptop mid-demo and had to clean it up and turn the laptop upside down to dry out while I finished the talk 😂

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

2 years

One of the best things I've learned as I've aged: no argument is worth having on the internet

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

3 months

It took me years to really learn this: if someone talks to you in technical terms such that you can't follow or understand, it's almost definitely not your fault. It's theirs. They're either incapable of explaining the concepts, don't care if you understand or are afraid of…

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

As a manager, one of the best gifts one of your team members can give you is to ask for a one on one meeting to talk about something that's important to them. Managers, show them appreciation. Everyone else, don't be afraid of wasting your leader's time.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

After watching @google 's phone call demos, I'm imagining a time when all conference calls are filled with bot proxies, none admitting to not be the person invited to the meeting. Nothing will be accomplished except attendance. The real life manifestation of proof of work.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Almost 20 years ago I picked up a little fringe programming language from Japan that no one had heard of, and it and its community enhanced my life in ways that are not enumerable. Thank you @yukihiro_matz and happy #ruby25th

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

Hey everybody, please learn markdown and use it to write text files instead of creating files in heavy formats using heavy tools which excel at doing something other than e.g. transmitting words to your colleagues. Thank you. ❤️

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

1 year

I've re-learned over and over in my career(s) that confidence is vital for me to do my best work. I have sometimes been criticized as a manager because I over-index on _not_ destroying the confidence of my teammates. As I reflect, those criticisms were almost always wrong.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Startup CTOs, where do you go when you need advice about how to be a good CTO? Where did you turn when you were a first time CTO? How did you learn to do what you do other than the obvious (try, fail or succeed, learn, repeat)? Pls RT!

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

The flight attendant on @AmericanAir 3377 today was excellent under pressure and deserves praise and appreciation. Lost an engine and did an emergency landing, and he held it together and comforted everyone. ❤️

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Slack reduces email and communication stress by: 1. Moving inessential communication out of email 2. Creating an experience in which it is impossible to keep up with those messages and, therefore, 3. Mainstreaming bankruptcy declaration for those messages.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

7 years

@realDonaldTrump Idiot

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

4 years

@RandPaul You are a criminal

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

7 years

@realDonaldTrump Thanks Obama!

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

4 years

@realDonaldTrump Worst president in history

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

A first for me today. 27 hour trip to India. Turned away at the airport because my visa processor gave me wrong information about the validity of my visa. No option but to immediately leave the country and return to Europe 😩

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

I just published “Do you give energy or take energy?”

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

7 years

Being anti-trump is not partisan or political. It's humanitarian. cc @POTUS @realDonaldTrump

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

I don't think I've mentioned it here on Twitter yet, but I now have the pleasure of leading this amazing team of people! We're hiring. Email me 😀

@CYarkoni

Charlotte Yarkoni

6 years

We’re gonna need a bigger boat. @azureadvocates 🙏

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

3 years

Speaking to many new founders as they grow their teams, and I find myself constantly saying two related things: 1. don't hire for any position until you're sure what problem hiring for it solves & 2. don't implement any process unless you know specifically what pain it relieves.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

1 year

I just found some old photos from @rubyconf 2001, which I helped organized with @pragdave and David A. Black. This was the first RubyConf. The photo below is not a breakout session. It's the whole conference.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Today, @kellyjeanne and I celebrate the only holiday we actually observe. Happy 21st anniversary to my best friend, partner, and love of my life! ❤️🌈👫

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

10 years

I hope all developers I know read this one: The Magic of strace http://t.co/UfTPGcHq1T

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

8 months

After almost 30 years developing software, I'm coming to a realization that's probably been way too long coming: when I encounter something new that seems way too complicated to understand, it's probably not really that deep.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Underrated leadership tip: bolstered confidence leads to better, more productive, execution. People lacking confidence tend to do tepid work. Don't cut your people down when they fail. Build them up.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

Just woke up from a nightmare about having to go to a company picnic.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

3 years

This might add another half day to their one week rewrite 😂

@okta

Okta

3 years

@RealOGAnonymous We were notified that Parler was using a free trial of Okta’s product and we have terminated Parler’s access to the Okta platform. While we support organizations across the political spectrum, our platform will not be used for threats of violence and illegal activity.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

For the past few years, helping startups has been my hobby. As of this week it’s also my day job at @microsoft . More to come!

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

1 year

Bolster the confidence of those around you, and they (and you) will perform better.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

4 years

@realDonaldTrump @FoxNews You are garbage

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

I have no upcoming conference talks, nor am I writing any books. Freedom. 😂

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

If you'd told me 20 year ago some day I'd be leading developer advocacy for Microsoft, I would have thought you were crazy. Speaking of the 90s, I hear fiscal year 2019 is the year of Linux on the Desktop.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

11 years

"Water-proof design" - no water can get in. "Future-proof design" - no future can get in.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

I finally finished the Great Unfollowing on Twitter. Now to slowly re-add people.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

I'm a musician and a programmer. Are you? If so, you should strongly consider supporting @samaaron 's work on @Sonic_Pi . It won't cost you much on a programmer's salary, and it will open up both programming and music to new audiences.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Read it even if you don't think you're burnt out: Recovering from Burnout

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Recovering from Burnout and Depression - Kieran Tie

Burnout was the worst thing that ever happened to me, and recovering was difficult and painful - but it’s also been one of the most wonderful things I've gone through. I feel like I'm now on a better...

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

Growing up, I'd have never guessed that I would have to answer "Are you a robot?" on a daily basis. And if I did imagine it, there's no way I would have thought it was to combat advertisers.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

To understand the Buddhist concept of desire-rooted suffering, buy an Apple pencil. It's expensive, cool, unnecessary, and almost definitely going to get lost.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

10 years

Your most important skill: Empathy http://t.co/V5HE0q3WJk

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

4 years

@realDonaldTrump You are an embarrassment and a compulsive liar.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

Lately I’ve found myself frequently tempted to print emails and read them from paper. Is this what happens when you’re 45 years old or do I need to see a doctor?

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

We're hiring a leader for a new team in @azureadvocates focused on improving how we represent our customers' and communities' needs to Microsoft product teams. Interested in working with us or know someone who would be great for this?

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

Currently standing on a stage in a dark room with a light shining in my face. This is my comfort zone at work. I wish I could get as comfortable talking to 5 people as I am 1000.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

I wrote this article on immutable infrastructure almost 5 years ago now. Now that immutable infrastructure has caught on, I think we should focus more on the disposable components part of the message.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

“Book: Craft GraphQL APIs with Elixir and Absinthe” by @wbruce

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

3 years

💉 #1 ✅

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

7 years

Web sites should just all be like this all the time

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

9 years

That you can't see Instagram pictures on Twitter without clicking a link is an example of what has always been wrong with the internet.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

While we're in the process of doing away with #DaylightSavings let's go ahead and deprecate time zones. New time scale for a new world! I'm fine with waking up at 12:00 and going to sleep at 4:00. Might as well banish AM/PM while we're at it and globally standardize 24 hour clock

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

7 years

Instead of having a day off, kids in the US should spend an entire day learning about MLK specifically and civil rights in general annually.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

As people start to file in, my dream of becoming a cloud advocate is about to come true. 😁 #MsIgniteTheTour

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

7 years

Today @kellyjeanne and I celebrate 20 years of marriage. My best and proudest accomplishment! ❤️🌈👫

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Some day I want to find a job where all I do every day is fix other companies' production outage and performance problems. I love deep tech troubleshooting and creative fixing under pressure. Especially if it's not my fault things are in trouble

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

8 years

People are always citing WhatsApp low engineer count as an amazing feat. Hard problems like massive scale aren't solved by adding people.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

7 years

Let this sink in. The president of the USA takes to twitter to delegitimize a judge and the judge's ruling against the president. Be afraid.

@realDonaldTrump

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

7 years

The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

@realDonaldTrump The desperation in your tweets is palpable. I enjoy it thoroughly. I only hope your handlers are on high alert to help avoid an international incident.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

1 year

I once had coffee with the creator of CAPTCHA but it was too late to stop him.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

The mutability of a system is enhanced by the immutability and impermanence of its components.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

I've decided to greatly reduce my travel schedule in 2019, so I only have trips to Toronto, Johannesburg, Raleigh, Milan, Seattle, Bangalore, New York, and Mexico City planned so far. 🤣🤪

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

There are many women in tech who have inspired me over the years, but I haven't had a single job since I started reading Kathy Sierra's work that hasn't been strongly influenced by her. Read this: #SheInspiresMe #InternationalWomensDay

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Badass: Making Users Awesome

Badass: Making Users Awesome

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Some of us choose to do other activities that also seem important to us sometimes. Even those of us that love writing code. If your elitist club only values writing code, it’s a club full of myopic turds that nobody should aspire to join anyway.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Whether you’re starting a company, writing a book (or even an email), composing a piece of music, or preparing a presentation, failing to find the essence of that thing is surely one of the leading causes of the states between and including mediocrity and failure.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Headed to Japan! First time in almost 10 years. I'll be speaking at Ruby World in Matsue and @microsoft Tech Summit in Tokyo. My team is hiring. Please tell your Japanese developer friends! 🇯🇵

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

4 years

@realDonaldTrump Go fuck yourself you piece of shit

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

2 years

Whatever happens with cryptocurrencies and web3, I hope the web will migrate to authentication systems like we have with crypto wallets such as metamask. You own and hold custody of your credentials and sign in with them rather than creating a new account on each site.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

I have a new co-worker whose emails are always written in numbered lists. Where can I find the internet where this is built into the mail protocols? 1. No fluff 2. Every statement addressable by identifier 3. Lists are implicitly sets, so points are not repeated 4. Brevity

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

3 years

In my own work, I find myself instinctively--almost subconsciously--battling any named process implementation as a result. OKRs, Holacracy, BDD, "Agile", etc. More (or less?) about that here

The Curse of a Name: How to Kill a Good Idea

What do the following have in common?

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Word of warning: Dropbox is an infrastructure company. It's no surprise it would eventually manage its own infrastructure to save cost, optimize, innovate, etc. Probably not a good example to follow for your startup:

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

8 years

A: "Do you want something to drink?" B: "Just water." Why do we often use the word "just" as if water is not a drink of worthy status?

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

8 years

“when you don't create things, you become defined by your tastes rather than ability. your tastes only narrow & exclude people. so create.”

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

13 years

All programmers should read this at least twice. Growing a Language - Guy Steele: http://bit.ly/gQXr1A

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

7 years

I wonder how many people are blocked by @realDonaldTrump . I feel special having been added to the club.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

11 months

Don't underestimate yourself. Don't overestimate your heroes.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

7 years

@ananavarro She is an idiot. That look on her face, too. So proud of herself after that moronic story.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Last year I told a lot of conference organizers I had retired from public speaking. I've officially come out of retirement. Development & startup conferences preferred. Looking to spend more time in various communities again and meet more people who are smarter than me.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

1 year

This picture was taken by @kellyjeanne on the 5th station of Mt. Fuji last week and I thought you should all see it. All of you. I’m wearing my @blueyard jacket and my old man orthopedic shoes.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

9 years

I just published “Great Leaders Don’t Juggle Priorities” Thanks to @duncan

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

7 years

Kids, you probably won't believe this, but I remember back when I could go to work and nobody would use "ask" as a noun even once all day.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

If you’re lucky enough to have accumulated lifetime tech debt you’re in a small club of people who created things that still exist years later.

@wbruce

Bruce Williams

5 years

As a programmer, you should own a minimum of the following: - 12 keyboards, each more expensive, DIY, and bizarre than the last - 6 OSS projects you’ve forgotten about/avoided, now used in critical production infrastructure - 1 crushing sense of your cumulative lifetime tech debt

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

8 years

Why do we spend so little (none?) of our formal education learning about how happiness works? Is anything more relevant?

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Earlier in my career, when taking a new job, I was concerned with being able to do what I was asked to do and do it well. Now when I take a new job, I am concerned with whether I can make a significant, lasting, positive impact on the company.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Remote life:

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

8 years

I'm excited to be joining @ciaranoleary and @jason_whitmire as a venture partner for the new firm @blueyard !

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

12 years

If I were going to learn Ruby from scratch today, here's how I would do it: http://t.co/XkltvMjQ nice job @pragmaticstudio !

The Pragmatic Studio

Premium video courses for software developers. Real apps. Real code. Really good stuff!

pragmaticstudio.com

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

9 years

This @telegram messenger thing is pretty good!

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

7 years

The fact that we now call propaganda "fake news" is itself an effect of propaganda.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

5 years

As is tradition in India we’ve been greeted with the traditional edible shoe on arrival at the hotel.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

7 years

I'm looking to invest in teams working to dramatically improve how software is developed and/or managed. Introductions welcome!

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

9 years

Today is the 10th anniversary of the publishing of The Passionate Programmer 1st ed. Thank you to everyone who has read the book! ❤️

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

10 years

What would you add to this list of must-read developer books?

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

8 years

Both a joke and a study in dramatic presentation skills. Idea worth spreading!

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

I'm heading to Iceland this evening, for what is gearing up to be an intense couple of days exploring the possible paths we might take in the future of how we develop and manage software.

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BlueYard Conversation: The Future of Software Development — Final Agenda & Speakers

We are now only a few days away from our next BlueYard Conversation “The Future of Software Development” on June 27th — 28th in Reykjavik…

blueyard.medium.com

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

7 years

Someone scheduled a 30 minute meeting w/ me and said goodbye after 5 minutes when we'd covered everything. There is still good in the world.

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@chadfowler

chad fowler

6 years

Life hack: use long, complicated pass phrases that include messages to yourself which reinforce behaviors you want to encourage for yourself or truths you want to be constantly reminded of.

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