Category: Uncategorized

I started this blog 15 years ago today. I’ve been through various periods of activity and inactivity (I’ve posted in 12 of those 15 years), but even when I’m not writing, it’s very frequent that I think, “I should put that on my blog”. For some reason, even when I don’t do that, it gives me a little comfort, so I keep it running. Hopefully I’ll hit an active cycle sooner rather than later!

10 years ago, I started looking at the available languages, with an eye towards potentially adding them to my toolkit. I narrowed it down to 27 and then didn’t get any further. I’m going to reboot this project on a similarly exhaustive scope, but with a more relaxed schedule (i.e. this is going to take a while).

What hasn’t changed in the past 10 years is that I’m still not a language geek, and I’d be happy to solve most of my problems with one or two well-rounded languages.

What has changed is that I haven’t written Java professionally for over 4 years. The average number of languages I deal with in a given week between work and personal projects, has gone from slightly more than one to at least 5 (Go, C++, Python, JS, Java), not to mention any number of DSLs and things like SQL or bash.

The goal at the end of this, is simply to have (and share) a list of candidate languages that someone could find a practical use for in 2021, and some starting points for each.

Part 1 will re-compile the original list, adding new languages (like Rust, which technically existed at the time but was pretty invisible) and removing any that have fallen by the wayside since it was created. After that, I’ll start to dig into each one and make cuts where appropriate.

As promised, here is my progress update on my OKRs. Without about 8 weeks to go, I’d say success has been good but less than hoped for. I can’t really pin it all on COVID-19, while that has been very disruptive I don’t think it’s really impacted these goals. What working from home for two months has done has shifted my computer work to some shop work, since I am at home for longer periods more since I have no commute.

Note: Scoring is simple unweighted average of the component pieces, rounded to 0.1.

0.3 – OKR 2020A: Reclaim Technical Familiarity

0.3 – KR1: Get a full stack project “running”

I’ve tinkered here and there but am not sure I’m going to have something running in the next 8 weeks, though that might happen if I make some tradeoffs.

0.0 – KR2: Publish 15 Technical Blog Posts

Not a one! Can I do two per week? Doubtful, but I’ll refocus and try to get at least one per week done.

0.5 – KR3: Learn (and do something useful with) a new language

I’ve done a bit of Go, but nothing useful. This is on the schedule though so I’d say I’m on track.

0.8 – OKR 2020B: Finish More of What I Started

0.8 – KR1: “Finish” my Woodshop

• 0.8 – Finish Painting There’s a few spots left but they are not really blocking anything, and are better left for when I redo the stairs (which is next half).
• 0.8 – Wiring – Subpanel is in, table saw has a dedicated circuit, and lighting is 95% done. There are a few circuits left to install (by the electrician) but I’m reconsidering making the investment at the moment.
• 0.5 – Dust Collection – I got the larger (2HP) unit, but haven’t done any ducting yet, partly because the new sheet good project is in the way of it.
• Bonus: +0.7 – I’m in the process of adding some sheet good and small-piece storage, which will go a long way to keeping things tidy.
• Bonus: 1.0 – I finally pulled the trigger on getting the SawStop, which I’ve wanted for many years, and is now the centerpiece of the shop.

0.7 – KR2: “Finish” my Home Office

The space is much improved. There is very little random junk strewn about, though there are a number of bins/boxes that need to be sorted, but if I ended the half as things are now I’d be pretty happy with the progress.

0.5 – OKR 2020C: Improve My Health

What personal improvement list would be complete without some health goals?  These are not easy but seem to strike a balance of achievability and meaningfulness.

0.4 – KR1: Lose 20lbs

I’m down about 10, which is still pretty solid as a sustainable loss for 4 months, but I’d really like to stretch and hit that 20.

0.7 – KR2: Hit 150 Move Goals in Apple Watch

As of May 1, I’m currently at 111 with an active streak of 65 days, so I’m 11 ahead of schedule. It has raised my calorie requirement twice, due to the streak, from the starting 890, first to 970 and now at 1,060.

I am annoyed because I didn’t get my “Perfect Month” badge for March or April, I suspect there is a bug where you don’t get it if it raises your target and you didn’t hit that new target every day.

0.0 – KR3: Do 5,000 Pushups

I’ve basically done none of these, but partly because I’ve been using our new home gym and really enjoying it, when I’m not too tired from doing other physical work (e.g. the workshop).

Bonus: +1.0 – Set up the home gym

I didn’t expect to get this finished this half, but things worked out and we have a nice little spot with some barbells, dumbells, and an elliptical. I’ve been doing some circuit training and really enjoying it, perhaps even more than at a gym. We’ve also been taking family walks 3-4 times per week which has been great for everyone.

Infrastructure Theme

I think the adjustments have stayed within the theme, perhaps even moreso than the things that have fallen out. I have actually conciously thought about this as I’ve been going so I think this is a good part of the plan to keep for future versions.

0.5 – Final Score

I’m reasonably happy with the progress and if I keep tracking I should end up near a nice green 0.7, perhaps higher if I can make progress on the zeroes.

Be back in a couple of months with final results and new goals!

I’ve been tinkering with OKRs since before I joined Google, and there are aspects of it that I really like.  I’ve tried a few personal ones over 2019 but they have not been successfully tracked and/or completed.  I’m going to do this round publicly and see if that helps.

A few notes:

1. I’m not including family things here because spending quality time with them is table stakes.
2. These are all basically 100% goals, so they are not *too* aspirational, and I intend to hit them all.
3. I wrote these up at the end of last year, and have been working on them, but haven’t gotten around to posting them!
4. The target date on these is June 30, 2020 (hence the H1 – Half One).

OKR 2020A: Reclaim Technical Familiarity

I’ve spent the past few years exploring new areas (maps, networks, C++) and want to brush up on what I was doing prior to that.  I also want to do a better job staying better informed of new developments outside the comfy walls of Google.

KR1: Get a full stack project “running”

Running here means that someone (almost certainly not the public) can log in and do stuff, probably play a game although there are other candidates.

KR2: Publish 15 Technical Blog Posts

Media reviews and personal updates (like this post) don’t count, I’m unofficially shooting for about 15 of those too.

KR3: Learn (and do something useful with) a new language

Spoiler alert: this will probably be Go.

OKR 2020B: Finish More of What I Started

I like finishing things, but I love starting things.  If I’ve not finished something it’s rarely because I didn’t want to* and almost always because I’ve started something else.  I’d like to improve my discipline and wrap up a few things that will unlock starting lots of new things.

* Although I have gotten better in recent years about quitting some things earlier, like TV series that go downhill.

KR1: “Finish” my Woodshop

Like software, no workshop is ever really finished, there’s always room for improvement, but I’m pretty close to having no unfinished setup/projects in my shop. Some specific goals are:

• Finish Painting – It’s an unfinished basement and the walls were mortared by not painted and the floor is concrete, none of which was painted.
• Install New Wiring – The wiring is actually pretty easy, but a prerequisite is (an electrician) installing a new subpanel, which requires building a wall to put it on.
• Install Dust Collection – I have a small unit now with a flex hose, but I’d like to get a larger unit with some fixed ductwork.

KR2: “Finish” my Home Office

We moved about 18 months ago and while all (or very close to it) of the moving boxes have been unpacked, my office has yet to really come together. This is in large part due to the fact that I don’t work from home much anymore, so it may be up to 2 or 3 weeks where I don’t even set foot in it, but I would like to maximize the time I do spend there by having it be a pleasant space.

OKR 2020C: Improve My Health

What personal improvement list would be complete without some health goals?  These are not easy but seem to strike a balance of achievability and meaningfulness.

KR1: Lose 20lbs

I’ve been doing intermittent fasting over the past 6 months and have slow but steady success with it and am on the verge of classifying it as a permanent thing. More to come on this later.

KR2: Hit 150 Move Goals in Apple Watch

That basically means hitting it slightly more than 5 times per week, which seems pretty doable. A perfect streak is pretty difficult considering my job is at a desk, with occasional travel, and the occasional cold my son has been bringing home now that he’s going to school.

I accept what The Algorithm decides my target is, it’s been as high as 1200 calories and as low as 800. It’s currently at 890 since I was slacking over the holidays.

KR3: Do 5,000 Pushups

That’s 25-30 per day averaged out, but that’s a little high right now, and I’m hoping by the end of this I’m doing 50-100 per day.

Addendum: Themes

I recently came across a video by CGP Grey about new years resolutions and I liked his idea of themes. I admit that having specific targets like these kind of goes against the whole idea of holistic themes, and I didn’t really have a theme in mind when drafting the OKRs, but I think they can actually work well together. It appears that there is a latent one here that is about laying the groundwork for future improvements. If all goes well:

• I’ll have a little side project going, which always gives me a boost at my day job.
• I’ll have two great workspaces from which to tackle new projects, software and otherwise.
• I’ll be in better health and have more energy and drive to do those projects. Bonus: The onsite gym at work re-opens in May and I should be a much better position to use it well!

Therefore, I will declare the theme of 2020H1 to be Infrastructure.

So you’ve got an idea. Maybe The Idea. You need to do it, and you need to start now, maybe you already did. Here is a list of things to do, or at least keep in mind before you get too far. They mostly won’t slow you down, but in the event your project actually takes off, I guarantee this will pay off in the long run in terms of saving money and time and avoiding hassle and heartbreak.

Many of these steps (especially the early ones) apply to any business or project, but my experience lies mostly in software so this list is tailored to that.

Note: This is a living post, in that I intend to come back and update it when there is more to add, so be sure to bookmark it somewhere!

Step 0: Clear It!

If you are a knowledge worker or work for a company big enough to have HR or lawyers, you probably had to sign something when you got hired that assigns ownership of inventions/copyright/patents/etc. to the company while you are an employee there. If your thing ever becomes valuable, that will matter. Do not rely solely on the fact that your state has laws about this or that you think management is reasonable. Write up your idea in a reasonable amount of detail and get a waiver in writing from the company. Most good employers will have no problem with this if it’s not related to their interest and the better employers will even encourage this as a way for you to grow and hopefully bring some energy and new experiences back to your job.

Do not do anything until you have this in place. Don’t write code, don’t register domains, don’t collaborate with others about business models, nothing that could come back and see your efforts snatched in a lawsuit. The bigger your company, the more important this is as they have broader interests and more lawyers.

Step 1: Name It

Names have power. If your idea doesn’t have a name, it will struggle for attention and likely wither away. Your name doesn’t have to be permanent, you can give it a codename, but name it something.

Domains

If you think this might turn into a real thing someday, align your name with your domain. It doesn’t have to be a perfect match, but close enough. Even if you’re not planning on building a website (e.g. an app, etsy store, etc.), you’re likely to build one eventually or at least want an email address for it.

If you can’t get the .com domain because a possible competitor has it, pick a new name, not a different TLD (e.g. .net, .io, etc.)

Codenames

Codenames have a knack for survival. They will be around in some form for the life of your project, in documents, emails, code comments, and so on. Don’t call your new project something embarrassing or offensive because “we’ll change it later”. You’re better off picking something meaningless and common like “Green Tea” or “Fortitude” if you can’t come up with something better.

Social Media

Once you’ve got a name and a domain, set up whatever social media accounts/pages/handles you think are relevant. They don’t have to be perfect matches, but the closer the better. You don’t want someone else to do it for you, as it can be impossible or expensive to get it back.

Step 2: Register It

If you’re in the US, and you think your project will generate any revenue or expenses this year, you’re better off to get it set up as a business as soon as possible. It’s pretty easy and cheap to do so.

If you’re doing this with other people, you’ll want to set up a partnership/LLC/Corporation. Even if it’s family, get this taken care of now to avoid tears later.

If you’re doing this by yourself, go to your city/town hall and register as a DBA. There generally isn’t a penalty for not doing this, but it may come in handy later when setting up things like bank accounts or making commitments like contracts or commitments.

Once your entity exists, go get a tax ID. As a sole proprietor this isn’t required, but it’s free to do it and will keep things better separated down the line.

More to Come…

I’ll add more to this list later, but if you can get those steps above done before you invest too much, you can proceed with far more confidence that you’re not forgetting something important.