Published in AWS Tip·PinnedMember-onlyThe AWS Solutions Architect Exam is a MarathonThe AWS Solutions Architect exam is a marathon. I had no idea what I was in for when I signed up for my CloudGuru account in November and resolved to pass the test. I watched the AWS official training video and thought, “yeah, yeah, yeah,” as the trainer emphasized that…Aws Certification5 min readAws Certification5 min read
Feb 6Member-onlyThomas Merton in a Year of WarThe writings of Thomas Merton spoke to me when I was in college. I borrowed the Seven Story Mountain from the library and kept it for a year. When I returned it, it had been a companion in dark times, and his autobiography about how he transformed from an aimless…Thomas Merton3 min readThomas Merton3 min read
Published in Snowflake·Jan 11Member-onlySecuring the Snowflake Storage Integration on AWSStorage Integration needs a clear understanding and remains fundamental to a scalable and secure Snowflake Data Warehouse. A slight misconception about the Storage Integration layer can lead to confusion, wasted effort, and even data security issues. …Snowflake Data Cloud7 min readSnowflake Data Cloud7 min read
Published in Geek Culture·Nov 26, 2022Member-onlyWhat if Elon Musk is Right?Elon Musk embodies the worst aspects of the tech bro spirit. He has no moral compass. He lacks compassion. He elevates the vilest voices in our world. He is not the kind of person I would want to have as my boss. He also knows that effectiveness comes from hard…3 min read3 min read
Published in Geek Culture·Oct 17, 2022Member-onlySo you got promoted to Team Lead on a Scrum Team — Now What?Team Lead is one of the best roles in a company for building value. It doesn’t matter what you’re official title is in the company: Software Engineer, VP of Development, Chief Architect, etc. What matters is that you lead a team tasked with something meaningful. …Development5 min readDevelopment5 min read
Published in Snowflake·Sep 29, 2022Member-onlyStreams on my KEXP Data WarehouseIntroduction I enjoy integrating my love of music into my professional development, so when I get the chance, I listen to KEXP and work on a personal data warehouse I have in Snowflake. …Snowflake4 min readSnowflake4 min read
Sep 5, 2022Member-onlyThree Tips to Deliver Better Projects with ScrumIf you do one thing with your Scrum above all else: deliver working products. A development team is paid to deliver a working product. Do it often Do it the best you can Do it in a repeatable way Be accountable to an actual customer Here are three tips on…Scrum3 min readScrum3 min read
Apr 10, 2022Member-onlyMy Philosophy from Sartre to Calvin and HobbesI’ve been an amateur philosopher for all my life. I’ve dabbled in Atheistic Existentialism, and Zen Buddhism, and now I’m trying to figure out where to go next. During college, a roommate introduced me to the book Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre. The book saved my life. …Existentialism5 min readExistentialism5 min read
Published in Better Programming·Apr 4, 2022Member-only3 Literacy Tests for Hiring Data EngineersNumeracy, SQL knowledge, and more — An engineering manager is continually challenged to find consistent ways to hire the best data engineers. A consistent set of tests for applicants helps teams apply a fair and consistent litmus test across three crucial skill sets: Literacy in writing, numeracy, and SQL literacy. This short article offers some examples…Programming5 min readProgramming5 min read
Dec 26, 2021Member-onlyKEXP John Richards Top 5 for 2021John Richards is my favorite DJ at KEXP, and here is my top 5 summary for his 2021 favorites.2 min read2 min read
