Read what I publish.
I keep the list here whether a piece appears on West of Obvious or somewhere else. Each link opens at the original publication.
Where the System Becomes Visible
An introduction to the publication and the operating questions it follows.
Read the article 02 / Herding NerdsMost Developer Adoption Problems Are Not Awareness Problems
Before buying more reach, find out where the developers you want already exist.
Read the article 03 / Herding NerdsThe House Voice Should Sound Like More Than One Person
When every contributor sounds alike, only the byline tells the writers apart.
Read the article 04 / Herding NerdsI Signed Up. You Guessed the Rest.
A sign-up is an action, not an explanation.
Read the article 05 / Hiring IntegrityThe Hiring Market Is Charging Candidates for Corporate Indecision
Companies control the opening and every change that follows. Candidates absorb the cost.
Read the article 06 / Hiring IntegrityThe Posting Is Live. But Is the Job Real?
Before asking people to apply, a company should be able to describe the job it can offer and how applications will be reviewed.
Read the article 07 / Hiring IntegrityYou Prepared for the Interview They Described
When the panel changes after preparation, the company has changed the test. The same is true when the topic or format changes, or when the standard shifts.
Read the article 08 / Hiring IntegrityIf You Can Use the Work, Pay for the Work
A hiring exercise can test a relevant skill. When it produces work the employer could use, the employer should pay for it.
Read the article 09 / Hiring IntegrityDon’t Blame It on the Algorithm
Screening software can misread an accurate application. Employers still own the rejection and need a way to correct the record before the application is closed.
Read the article 10 / Hiring IntegrityYour Interview Is Not an Escape Room
An interview should test the work under conditions that resemble the job. Candidates need the relevant context, allowed tools and a fair way to provide the same evidence.
Read the article 11 / Hiring IntegrityYour Interviewer Went Off Script. Should the Score Still Count?
Both accounts of the call should reach one named person before the panel meets.
Read the article 12 / Hiring IntegrityEqual Votes Can Hide Unequal Knowledge
Before the first call, decide what each interviewer may judge and who makes the final choice.
Read the article 13 / Hiring IntegrityThe Offer Changed. You Already Gave Notice.
The company changed its plans. You made commitments based on the job it offered.
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