Software architects have a weird role: Think about the code _tomorrow_. Today's code is what it is, how do we make it good tomorrow? Without slowing down, losing business, or falling off a cliff.
Swizec Teller
https://swizec.com/blog/ · 108 posts · history since 2025 · active
25 Jul
21 Jul
swizec.com is 20 years old and has gone through many rewrites. Here's the latest
11 Jul
In the last few months every engineer I hired stumbled in exactly the same way: Project management. They learned quickly, but that first big project has become a right of passage.
In the last few months every engineer I hired stumbled in exactly the same way: Project management. They learned quickly, but that first big project has become a rite of passage.
6 Jul
Feedback from an expert is how you learn taste. Your code doesn't matter until it's shipped.
Feedback from an expert is how you learn taste. Your code doesn't matter until it's shipped.
27 Jun
The death of engineering has been greatly exaggerated. You still need to know what you're doing.
The death of engineering has been greatly exaggerated. You still need to know what you're doing.
23 Jun
Hiring engineers is like deciding what kind of system you'll have. This seems obvious but surprised me to see first-hand.
Hiring engineers is like deciding what kind of system you'll have. This seems obvious but surprised me to see first-hand.
17 Jun
This is a classic startup war story: Someone had built a leaky rowboat. It worked! Then we started flying the rowboat as a Cessna. What we needed was an aircraft carrier.
This is a classic startup war story: Someone had built a leaky rowboat. It worked! Then we started flying the rowboat as a Cessna. What we needed was an aircraft carrier.
4 Jun
Explore the art of invisible software and user-centric workflow design with Swizec and Kent C Dodds. Uncover what separates a good engineer from a great one in this insightful dialogue.
Explore the art of invisible software and user-centric workflow design with Swizec and Kent C Dodds. Uncover what separates a good engineer from a great one in this insightful dialogue.
26 May
AI makes it easy to focus inwards and feel impressed with all the churn and motion and output you're producing. But your users don't care.
AI makes it easy to focus inwards and feel impressed with all the churn and motion and output you're producing. But your users don't care.
19 May
Traditional engineering levels were about skill progression. I think this has changed. Everyone now is a mini staff engineer.
Traditional engineering levels were about skill progression. I think this has changed. Everyone now is a mini staff engineer.
13 May
You know what's better than a code review comment? A fix.
You know what's better than a code review comment? A fix.
9 May
On AI, mental load, and delegation
On AI, mental load, and delegation
5 May
I've been digging into agents for internal tooling and processes. Looking for how to scale without drowning in manual work. Here's what I found
I've been digging into agents for internal tooling and processes. Looking for how to scale without drowning in manual work. Here's what I found
1 May
When candidates put AI on their resume, the key thing I try to find out is whether they used evals. How did you measure making improvements?
When candidates put AI on their resume, the key thing I try to find out is whether they used evals. How did you measure making improvements?
25 Apr
Forget the bullshit tips and tricks, just talk to it.
Forget the bullshit tips and tricks, just talk to it.
20 Apr
Read more papers. You can learn the latest and greatest in your field in one chill afternoon.
Read more papers. You can learn the latest and greatest in your field in one chill afternoon.
14 Apr
We talk a lot about outcomes over outputs and how engineers are supposed to get us over the water, not blindly build a bridge because someone asked for a bridge. But how do you do that in practice?
We talk a lot about outcomes over outputs and how engineers are supposed to get us over the water, not blindly build a bridge because someone asked for a bridge. But how do you do that in practice?
2 Apr
Frustration is your greatest engineering asset. What do you do the 5th time someone asks for the same damn thing yet again?
Frustration is your greatest engineering asset. What do you do the 5th time someone asks for the same damn thing yet again?
25 Mar
Maybe AI will replace engineers, I don't know. Self-driving cars were just around the corner for 50 years. Until then we've got shit to do and engineers to hire.
Maybe AI will replace engineers, I don't know. Self-driving cars were just around the corner for 50 years. Until then we've got shit to do and engineers to hire.
19 Mar
The best engineers I know never talk about their AI setup. The worst engineers I know only talk about their AI setup.
The best engineers I know never talk about their AI setup. The worst engineers I know only talk about their AI setup.
11 Mar
How you approach software engineering makes it harder or easier to handle interruptions and other chaos. Writing a behavioral interview made me realize this is a learnable skill!
How you approach software engineering makes it harder or easier to handle interruptions and other chaos. Writing a behavioral interview made me realize this is a learnable skill!
4 Mar
Your resume titles don't matter. Just tell me what did you do.
Your resume titles don't matter. Just tell me what did you do.
28 Feb
This week I’ve been recording the audiobook for Scaling Fast. Working with a professional producer is great! Lots of little tips and tricks to make sure we get the perfect audio experience for you. This means I’ve been re-reading my book. It’s funny how much of the advice is easy to know but hard to do in the moment. You’re…
18 Feb
You might enjoy this podcast episode. Sylvain and I talked about owning production in a world where AI writes the code.
You might enjoy this podcast episode. Sylvain and I talked about owning production in a world where AI writes the code.
16 Feb
AI will automate every job except the ones I'm deeply familiar with
AI will automate every job except the ones I'm deeply familiar with
10 Feb
You want users and revenue to grow exponentially. Bugs per day to grow linearly. Support work to grow logarithmically. Your goal is to make this happen.
You want users and revenue to grow exponentially. Bugs per day to grow linearly. Support work to grow logarithmically. Your goal is to make this happen.
4 Feb
How fast you do code review is how fast you do everything. Your PR queue is the leading indicator of team velocity. Stacked PRs can help.
How fast you do code review is how fast you do everything. Your PR queue is the leading indicator of team velocity. Stacked PRs can help.
31 Jan
Your code becomes legacy software when it works. You build something to solve a problem, then the problem changes. Or best practices evolve. Or you hire team members with more experience. Or the world changes. Or you have more people touching the same code and your beautiful architectural vision didn't translate.
Your code becomes legacy software when it works. You build something to solve a problem, then the problem changes. Or best practices evolve. Or you hire team members with more experience. Or the world changes. Or you have more people touching the same code and your beautiful architectural vision didn't translate.
24 Jan
When code gets cheap operational excellence wins. Anyone can build a greenfield demo, but it takes engineering to run a service.
When code gets cheap operational excellence wins. Anyone can build a greenfield demo, but it takes engineering to run a service.
17 Jan
Here's how to navigate a tough job market from someone dumb enough to have done it before. Me.
Here's how to navigate a tough job market from someone dumb enough to have done it before. Me.
14 Jan
You can't win every bet. Your goal is to be a little more right than wrong and keep playing
You can't win every bet. Your goal is to be a little more right than wrong and keep playing
10 Jan
Minutes of planning save you days of programming. It is shocking how little planning it takes to make a big difference.
Minutes of planning save you days of programming. It is shocking how little planning it takes to make a big difference.
6 Jan
End-to-end tests are the best way to test your webapp, but they're flaky and annoying to write. I'm trying a new agentic approach that fixes the issue.
End-to-end tests are the best way to test your webapp, but they're flaky and annoying to write. I'm trying a new agentic approach that fixes the issue.
2 Jan
I called it a year in review but it's so much more.
I called it a year in review but it's so much more.
25 Dec 2025
As we enter the funny week-without-time between Christmas and New Year, it's a great time to reflect. Here's a framework I like to use.
As we enter the funny week-without-time between Christmas and New Year, it's a great time to reflect. Here's a framework I like to use.
9 Dec 2025
You're building systems and tools to help companies grow without drowning in work. This fuels your equity, career capital, and reputation.
You're building systems and tools to help companies grow without drowning in work. This fuels your equity, career capital, and reputation.
8 Dec 2025
After almost 3 years of writing, research, and editing Scaling Fast is now available in paperback and ebook wherever books are sold 🥳
After almost 3 years of writing, research, and editing Scaling Fast is now available in paperback and ebook wherever books are sold 🥳
22 Nov 2025
What did you do, for whom, did it work
What did you do, for whom, did it work
19 Nov 2025
you were asked to lead or own a project. Now what? Here are a few practical steps to help you succeed.
you were asked to lead or own a project. Now what? Here are a few practical steps to help you succeed.
15 Nov 2025
Ball of mud is the world's most popular software architecture. The one we all use at work. But it sucks to work with. So what do you do?
Ball of mud is the world's most popular software architecture. The one we all use at work. But it sucks to work with. So what do you do?
11 Nov 2025
Remember when AI was gonna take our jobs? I've never felt busier. The more I get done, the more there is to do.
Remember when AI was gonna take our jobs? I've never felt busier. The more I get done, the more there is to do.
4 Nov 2025
Stakeholders are silly people. Everything feels important and urgent. Stack ranking helps
Stakeholders are silly people. Everything feels important and urgent. Stack ranking helps
29 Oct 2025
Too many engineers cry chestertons fence and never check why the code exists
Too many engineers cry chestertons fence and never check why the code exists
25 Oct 2025
Advancing big goals while you stay on top of operational day-to-day fires _is the job_. This is hard. Here are a few tips I've found helpful.
Advancing big goals while you stay on top of operational day-to-day fires _is the job_. This is hard. Here are a few tips I've found helpful.
21 Oct 2025
Explore the importance of functionality over elegance in Swizec's latest piece. Learn from his experience of tripling an engineering team's size within a year.
Explore the importance of functionality over elegance in Swizec's latest piece. Learn from his experience of tripling an engineering team's size within a year.
16 Oct 2025
Performance oscillates around your mean. Your average is what matters.
Performance oscillates around your mean. Your average is what matters.
6 Oct 2025
More and more UI frameworks are ditching JSON as the transfer protocol and going back to server-rendered markup injected into your app
More and more UI frameworks are ditching JSON as the transfer protocol and going back to server-rendered markup injected into your app
4 Oct 2025
Don't grind on something the company doesn't value. Hard work is not rewarded. **_Outcomes_** are rewarded.
Don't grind on something the company doesn't value. Hard work is not rewarded. **_Outcomes_** are rewarded.
30 Sept 2025
Regimes come and go but the people stay. Observations from living through a socialism->capitalism transition
Regimes come and go but the people stay. Observations from living through a socialism->capitalism transition
23 Sept 2025
When you see a `useEffect` that updates a `useState` and returns a value, you might be looking for a `useSyncExternalStore`. This is my current vendetta.
When you see a `useEffect` that updates a `useState` and returns a value, you might be looking for a `useSyncExternalStore`. This is my current vendetta.
16 Sept 2025
Deep thinking is the super power of wit
Deep thinking is the super power of wit
9 Sept 2025
Beyond income there's 2 reasons to take any specific job: Invest in yourself or invest in the company. Both is best.
Beyond income there's 2 reasons to take any specific job: Invest in yourself or invest in the company. Both is best.
2 Sept 2025
So this talk is my attempt to step back and write down some of the things I've learned. Hope you find something to apply in your team.
26 Aug 2025
Great for learning those little tricks of the trade you forgot you even learned
23 Aug 2025
In a fast-growing company software engineering feels like spinning plates. Nothing ever stays fixed.
19 Aug 2025
Let's be honest: Half the APIs you write are for a specific purpose in a specific component on a specific page. Re-usable in theory but you've never tried. That's where Server Components come in ... but what if your server isn't JavaScript?
13 Aug 2025
Hidden lessons painfully learned over the years.
5 Aug 2025
Your goal is not to write a book, it's to change how your reader thinks