John Crickett
@johncrickett.bsky.social
Author of CodingChallenges.fyi
Helping you become a better software engineer through coding challenges that build real applications.
Helping you become a better software engineer through coding challenges that build real applications.
Tips for AI-assisted software development:
Boring tech gives AI superpowers.
AI coding agents performs best with tools, languages, and frameworks that have been around long enough to show up in its training data.
When use the bleeding edge, it hallucinates.
Boring tech gives AI superpowers.
AI coding agents performs best with tools, languages, and frameworks that have been around long enough to show up in its training data.
When use the bleeding edge, it hallucinates.
November 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Tips for AI-assisted software development:
Boring tech gives AI superpowers.
AI coding agents performs best with tools, languages, and frameworks that have been around long enough to show up in its training data.
When use the bleeding edge, it hallucinates.
Boring tech gives AI superpowers.
AI coding agents performs best with tools, languages, and frameworks that have been around long enough to show up in its training data.
When use the bleeding edge, it hallucinates.
Tips for AI-Assisted software development:
Work in small batch sizes.
Humans and AI have limited short term memory. Ensure the task you're working on fits within your and AI's short-term memory.
When switching tasks start a new session, clear the context of you and the AI.
Work in small batch sizes.
Humans and AI have limited short term memory. Ensure the task you're working on fits within your and AI's short-term memory.
When switching tasks start a new session, clear the context of you and the AI.
November 23, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Tips for AI-Assisted software development:
Work in small batch sizes.
Humans and AI have limited short term memory. Ensure the task you're working on fits within your and AI's short-term memory.
When switching tasks start a new session, clear the context of you and the AI.
Work in small batch sizes.
Humans and AI have limited short term memory. Ensure the task you're working on fits within your and AI's short-term memory.
When switching tasks start a new session, clear the context of you and the AI.
“AI is incapable of programming well thought out and complex code”
This is both true and irrelevant.
The goal is to write well thought out and simple code (which may solve a complex problem).
This is both true and irrelevant.
The goal is to write well thought out and simple code (which may solve a complex problem).
November 22, 2025 at 3:18 PM
“AI is incapable of programming well thought out and complex code”
This is both true and irrelevant.
The goal is to write well thought out and simple code (which may solve a complex problem).
This is both true and irrelevant.
The goal is to write well thought out and simple code (which may solve a complex problem).
If you use AI to help you build software professionally, has your organisation provided any training?
If so, what did it cover?
What was missing?
If not, why not?
If so, what did it cover?
What was missing?
If not, why not?
November 22, 2025 at 11:10 AM
If you use AI to help you build software professionally, has your organisation provided any training?
If so, what did it cover?
What was missing?
If not, why not?
If so, what did it cover?
What was missing?
If not, why not?
Software Engineers - need a project for the weekend?
How about building your own LLM powered chatbot?
codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/c...
Or one of the 80+ other real-world projects you can build to level up your coding skills:
codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/i...
How about building your own LLM powered chatbot?
codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/c...
Or one of the 80+ other real-world projects you can build to level up your coding skills:
codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/i...
Build Your Own LLM Powered AI Chatbot | Coding Challenges
This challenge is to build your own LLM powered AI chatbot. The chatbot will play a specific role and offer advice to the user. For example I’ve created one that is trained to behave like me and recom...
codingchallenges.fyi
November 22, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Software Engineers - need a project for the weekend?
How about building your own LLM powered chatbot?
codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/c...
Or one of the 80+ other real-world projects you can build to level up your coding skills:
codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/i...
How about building your own LLM powered chatbot?
codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/c...
Or one of the 80+ other real-world projects you can build to level up your coding skills:
codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/i...
If you code with AI, and don't do Test-Driven Development, have you tried or are you going to try doing Spec-Driven Development?
What is the attraction?
What do you see as being a blocker to doing it?
What is the attraction?
What do you see as being a blocker to doing it?
November 21, 2025 at 5:58 PM
If you code with AI, and don't do Test-Driven Development, have you tried or are you going to try doing Spec-Driven Development?
What is the attraction?
What do you see as being a blocker to doing it?
What is the attraction?
What do you see as being a blocker to doing it?
Why do people feel the need to post stuff like this:
"So far only the uninformed and b-players are using LLM"
LLMs are way over-hyped, but attacking people is a weak argument.
"So far only the uninformed and b-players are using LLM"
LLMs are way over-hyped, but attacking people is a weak argument.
November 21, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Why do people feel the need to post stuff like this:
"So far only the uninformed and b-players are using LLM"
LLMs are way over-hyped, but attacking people is a weak argument.
"So far only the uninformed and b-players are using LLM"
LLMs are way over-hyped, but attacking people is a weak argument.
If you use AI to develop software, do you vibe code or do you do AI assisted engineering?
November 8, 2025 at 10:53 AM
If you use AI to develop software, do you vibe code or do you do AI assisted engineering?
In today's Coding Challenges I used Augment Code to develop a project in Gleam: codingchallenges.substack.com/p/using-ai-t...
Using AI To Solve A Coding Challenge
Trying out augment code on the Spelling Correction Tool Coding Challenges.
codingchallenges.substack.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:06 AM
In today's Coding Challenges I used Augment Code to develop a project in Gleam: codingchallenges.substack.com/p/using-ai-t...
If this doesn't look like an AI bubble, what does?
November 7, 2025 at 11:52 AM
If this doesn't look like an AI bubble, what does?
There aren’t enough good software engineering managers in most companies.
And this problem is getting worse.
The biggest, hardest and most common problems we have with software delivery are not technical, they're people problems.
AI won't fix that.
And this problem is getting worse.
The biggest, hardest and most common problems we have with software delivery are not technical, they're people problems.
AI won't fix that.
October 30, 2025 at 2:12 PM
There aren’t enough good software engineering managers in most companies.
And this problem is getting worse.
The biggest, hardest and most common problems we have with software delivery are not technical, they're people problems.
AI won't fix that.
And this problem is getting worse.
The biggest, hardest and most common problems we have with software delivery are not technical, they're people problems.
AI won't fix that.
In software engineering, “it depends” often sounds like a smart answer.
But if it’s the only answer, it’s useless.
It suggests enough experienced to know that context matters, but not enough to be able to articulate why.
Next time you are tempted to say “it depends”, complete the sentence.
But if it’s the only answer, it’s useless.
It suggests enough experienced to know that context matters, but not enough to be able to articulate why.
Next time you are tempted to say “it depends”, complete the sentence.
October 28, 2025 at 2:27 PM
In software engineering, “it depends” often sounds like a smart answer.
But if it’s the only answer, it’s useless.
It suggests enough experienced to know that context matters, but not enough to be able to articulate why.
Next time you are tempted to say “it depends”, complete the sentence.
But if it’s the only answer, it’s useless.
It suggests enough experienced to know that context matters, but not enough to be able to articulate why.
Next time you are tempted to say “it depends”, complete the sentence.
“If someone was a very good communicator but a terrible software engineer would you hire them?”
This is a false dilemma.
To be a good communicator, you need to understand the domain that you are communicating about.
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
This is a false dilemma.
To be a good communicator, you need to understand the domain that you are communicating about.
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
October 27, 2025 at 1:47 PM
“If someone was a very good communicator but a terrible software engineer would you hire them?”
This is a false dilemma.
To be a good communicator, you need to understand the domain that you are communicating about.
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
This is a false dilemma.
To be a good communicator, you need to understand the domain that you are communicating about.
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
The hardest part of software engineering has always been writing good clear requirements in a natural language.
Using current AI requires we do more of the hard bit to automate the easier bit of writing code.
Using current AI requires we do more of the hard bit to automate the easier bit of writing code.
June 13, 2025 at 12:13 PM
The hardest part of software engineering has always been writing good clear requirements in a natural language.
Using current AI requires we do more of the hard bit to automate the easier bit of writing code.
Using current AI requires we do more of the hard bit to automate the easier bit of writing code.
I’ve met many tech executives frustrated that their software teams were failing to deliver.
In each case they’ve been advised by their software engineers that the answer was to rewrite all their software with some awesome new approach, technology, language, library, platform or architecture.
🧵👇
In each case they’ve been advised by their software engineers that the answer was to rewrite all their software with some awesome new approach, technology, language, library, platform or architecture.
🧵👇
June 11, 2025 at 12:52 PM
I’ve met many tech executives frustrated that their software teams were failing to deliver.
In each case they’ve been advised by their software engineers that the answer was to rewrite all their software with some awesome new approach, technology, language, library, platform or architecture.
🧵👇
In each case they’ve been advised by their software engineers that the answer was to rewrite all their software with some awesome new approach, technology, language, library, platform or architecture.
🧵👇
Is anyone using Zig in production?
If so, what and why did you pick it?
If so, what and why did you pick it?
June 11, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Is anyone using Zig in production?
If so, what and why did you pick it?
If so, what and why did you pick it?
31 things I’ve learned writing 91 coding challenges over the last 27 months:
1. You can build some amazing software in less than 8 hours of focused time.
2. Breaking projects down into steps is a skill that many software engineers don’t have.
3. And one that many want to learn.
🧵👇
1. You can build some amazing software in less than 8 hours of focused time.
2. Breaking projects down into steps is a skill that many software engineers don’t have.
3. And one that many want to learn.
🧵👇
June 9, 2025 at 1:22 PM
31 things I’ve learned writing 91 coding challenges over the last 27 months:
1. You can build some amazing software in less than 8 hours of focused time.
2. Breaking projects down into steps is a skill that many software engineers don’t have.
3. And one that many want to learn.
🧵👇
1. You can build some amazing software in less than 8 hours of focused time.
2. Breaking projects down into steps is a skill that many software engineers don’t have.
3. And one that many want to learn.
🧵👇
Software Engineers - need a project for the weekend?
How about building your own Monkeytype?
open.substack.com/pub/codingch...
Or one of the 90+ other real-world projects you can build to level up your coding skills:
codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/i...
How about building your own Monkeytype?
open.substack.com/pub/codingch...
Or one of the 90+ other real-world projects you can build to level up your coding skills:
codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/i...
Coding Challenge #91 - Monkeytype
This challenge is to build your own online typing test tool.
open.substack.com
June 7, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Software Engineers - need a project for the weekend?
How about building your own Monkeytype?
open.substack.com/pub/codingch...
Or one of the 90+ other real-world projects you can build to level up your coding skills:
codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/i...
How about building your own Monkeytype?
open.substack.com/pub/codingch...
Or one of the 90+ other real-world projects you can build to level up your coding skills:
codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/i...
Networking tip: lead with curiosity, not your job title.
Curious leaders ask better questions, build stronger relationships, and spot opportunities others miss.
That’s where the good stuff starts.
If you’re a senior engineering leader, I’m building a community — DM me if you’re curious.
Curious leaders ask better questions, build stronger relationships, and spot opportunities others miss.
That’s where the good stuff starts.
If you’re a senior engineering leader, I’m building a community — DM me if you’re curious.
May 12, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Networking tip: lead with curiosity, not your job title.
Curious leaders ask better questions, build stronger relationships, and spot opportunities others miss.
That’s where the good stuff starts.
If you’re a senior engineering leader, I’m building a community — DM me if you’re curious.
Curious leaders ask better questions, build stronger relationships, and spot opportunities others miss.
That’s where the good stuff starts.
If you’re a senior engineering leader, I’m building a community — DM me if you’re curious.
Software Engineers - need a project for the weekend?
How about building your own ELIZA chatbot?
codingchallenges.substack.com/p/coding-cha...
Or one of the 80+ other real-world projects you can use to level up your coding skills:
[https://codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/intro](t.co/jZPvdDtBt1)
How about building your own ELIZA chatbot?
codingchallenges.substack.com/p/coding-cha...
Or one of the 80+ other real-world projects you can use to level up your coding skills:
[https://codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/intro](t.co/jZPvdDtBt1)
May 10, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Software Engineers - need a project for the weekend?
How about building your own ELIZA chatbot?
codingchallenges.substack.com/p/coding-cha...
Or one of the 80+ other real-world projects you can use to level up your coding skills:
[https://codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/intro](t.co/jZPvdDtBt1)
How about building your own ELIZA chatbot?
codingchallenges.substack.com/p/coding-cha...
Or one of the 80+ other real-world projects you can use to level up your coding skills:
[https://codingchallenges.fyi/challenges/intro](t.co/jZPvdDtBt1)
Networking tip: just talk to the other awkward person at the event.
May 9, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Networking tip: just talk to the other awkward person at the event.
If you say you can’t prioritise a bug fix over a feature because “features generate revenue,” what you’re really saying is: you lack the judgment, experience, or data to prioritise effectively.
Here’s how you do it:
Here’s how you do it:
May 8, 2025 at 10:03 PM
If you say you can’t prioritise a bug fix over a feature because “features generate revenue,” what you’re really saying is: you lack the judgment, experience, or data to prioritise effectively.
Here’s how you do it:
Here’s how you do it:
Q: How do you find open source projects to contribute to?
A: Use Google to find a site that covers issues marked "good first issue" then look through those to find a project that interests you.
A: Use Google to find a site that covers issues marked "good first issue" then look through those to find a project that interests you.
May 3, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Q: How do you find open source projects to contribute to?
A: Use Google to find a site that covers issues marked "good first issue" then look through those to find a project that interests you.
A: Use Google to find a site that covers issues marked "good first issue" then look through those to find a project that interests you.
Who do you turn to when you're the most senior engineering leader in the room?
When your team looks to you for clarity, vision, and direction, but you aren’t sure what to do. It can feel like there's no one you can turn to.
That’s why I’m building a peer community of engineering leaders.
When your team looks to you for clarity, vision, and direction, but you aren’t sure what to do. It can feel like there's no one you can turn to.
That’s why I’m building a peer community of engineering leaders.
May 2, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Who do you turn to when you're the most senior engineering leader in the room?
When your team looks to you for clarity, vision, and direction, but you aren’t sure what to do. It can feel like there's no one you can turn to.
That’s why I’m building a peer community of engineering leaders.
When your team looks to you for clarity, vision, and direction, but you aren’t sure what to do. It can feel like there's no one you can turn to.
That’s why I’m building a peer community of engineering leaders.
What are the leading communities for software engineering leaders?
April 18, 2025 at 2:59 PM
What are the leading communities for software engineering leaders?