Category: Musings

My thoughts and views

What you should do before you start reforms


What do you do when you run into code that apparently serves no purpose? Do you immediately expunge the code? Also, what do you do if you have to follow some organizational process that appears to make no sense? Do you just eliminate the process?

Why you should step out of your comfort zone


Late in 2016, I made a conscious decision to become a full stack engineer. It was a tough decision for me because it meant a career reset and came with some risk. I would also have to learn a lot and fast too to be an effective contributor.

Simple, Complicated and Complex Systems


A simple system can be understood by studying each of its components; similarly, complicated systems can be understood by studying the intricate details of components. It becomes possible to model complicated systems by reducing them to fundamental principles. Complex systems cannot be reduced down to a basic set of rules as the whole is larger than the sum of parts. Inference is only by observing the entire system as a whole.

Reading is not enough


I used to read a lot in the past without practicing what I learnt; that exposed me to a variety of ideas and empowered me to discuss a lot of things. Over time, I found out that I mostly didn't 'know' what I thought I knew.  Yeah I know it sounds somehow but it's really true. True understanding … Continue reading Reading is not enough →

What it means to be a Senior Software Engineer


This post discusses the traits of the excellent engineers I have had the opportunity to work with over the years.

Efficiently shipping Big Hairy Audacious Software projects


I recently transitioned into a full-stack role - I wanted to stretch myself and step out of my comfort zone. The biggest challenge was my struggle to quell the quite nagging voice in my mind screaming 'impostor!'.

New beginnings : New frontiers


I have been pretty much a JavaScript person mostly for the past four (or is it 5?) years - well ever since I did my internship in 2012. No doubt I really like the language, the ecosystem and the potentials. It's easy to get so engrossed in the ecosystem - there is never a dearth of … Continue reading New beginnings : New frontiers →

The difficult parts of software development


Another classic rant again; yeah it's always good to express thoughts and hear about the feelings of others - a good way to learn.

Maturing as a software engineer


Looking back on my time as a developer, there are a lot of things I would have avoided doing if I had as much knowledge and maturity as I did now.

Influential Books for programmers


I try to read a lot of books. Over the years, my 'taste' for books has been refined and some of my criteria are listed below.

10 hard-learned Lessons for aspiring programmers


I have made a couple of mistakes over the years and wanted to share those pitfalls so upcoming programmers know what to avoid and what works.

10 years of programming: Lessons Learnt


Looking back, I have learnt a couple of lessons the hard way and wanted to share some of these so that other engineers know what to avoid.

The Effective Programmer – 3 tips to maximize impact


Effectiveness, (noun) : the degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result; success.

World Class Nigerian Software Engineering: Are we there yet?


Jason of Iroko recently announced mouth-watering offers for developers and this triggered a long discussion about software engineer pay in Nigeria. The discussions on techCabal's radar got me thinking about software development in Nigeria, do we have enough world-class talent or could we be better?

Code is Poetry : 5 steps to bulletproof code


Programmers have to love their craft and put their best into making it stand out.

SICP Section 2.2: New ideas and thoughts about programming


5 things to learn from the SICP book

Maximizing Value: Learning to do less


I have always been concerned with maximizing efficiency for a long time; before, it meant learning everything I could in the shortest time possible. To me then, 'done' meant completing a book or series of videos and this blinded me from verifying acquired knowledge. So I mostly went from one book to another without challenging … Continue reading Maximizing Value: Learning to do less →

Becoming a Professional Programmer


1. Deliver when you commit It is extremely bad for your reputation to fail to meet up to your words; if you can't deliver, please say no or find an alternative way out. How would you feel if an artisan disappoints you for no good reason? I bet you'll probably never do business with them again. … Continue reading Becoming a Professional Programmer →

Memories of Masdar: 2011 – 2013


I wrote a memories of Ife piece after completing my bachelors and it would be just as well to write another post about my time at Masdar. Masdar is a great school, has an international student community, extremely nice people, an awesome nearly unbeatable welfare package and a great beautiful environment. I arrived at MASDAR in … Continue reading Memories of Masdar: 2011 – 2013 →

Staying Up-to-date : Newsletters and Resources


A collection of resources for staying up-to-date in the industry

Job Hunting 101 for Students


Yes, I am still continuing with my posts on Grad School, research and all-of-that. The big question for most of us towards the end of school is 'Whats next?', a lot of us want to get jobs immediately afterwards but realize too late that it's much more difficult than we thought. Here are a couple of … Continue reading Job Hunting 101 for Students →