Justin Searls
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There's No Such Thing as a Free Gem
If you had to connect your app to an OAuth provider, when would you rely on a library and when would you code it yourself? Could you explain your reasoning? Using OAuth log in to Twitter in Ruby on Rails as an example, let's walk through the decision to roll our own implementation and how to build it ourselves with working code samples. -
How to completely uninstall and reinstall Homebrew Postgres
Is Postgres erroring with "could not read block 39" or "bad address"? If you installed Postgres via Homebrew on a Mac, here's the quickest way to wipe the slate clean with a fresh install -
5 for 5000: Find your Leading Indicators
It's easy to tune out talk of metrics and spreadsheets, but one of the best ways to ensure long-term success is to uncover the numbers that signal future events while there's time to act on them -
5 for 5000: Do Right by Everyone
Cutthroat competitive tactics are one way to run a business, but you'll go further by putting in the time to find a way for everyone to come out ahead -
5 for 5000: Profits are Good, Actually
The most common ways the press touts success—fundraising, headcount, revenue—don't forecast a company's future prospects. Profitability is a better predictor of long-term viability -
5 for 5000: The Customer is Usually Right
Most founders are strong-willed about the design of their products and services, but many fall for the myth that they know better than their customers. They're usually wrong about that. -
5 for 5000: Widen the Goalposts for Success
Nobody tells you when you start a company that YOU get to define success. Here's some advice on making success easier for yourself while ensuring you have a meaningful impact that you'll be proud of -
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Speed up your Rails app with upsert_all
Rails' ActiveRecord is—16 years in—almost feature complete, but Rails 6 introduces `upsert_all`. Here's how it can speed up some of the slowest parts of your app. -
Remote, but not alone
Working remotely is easy to learn but difficult to master. There's a lot of advice on getting started, so let's talk about all the hard stuff. Here's some food for thought on how to find a way to do your best work from home.