Jacob Voytko
@bitlog.com
Staff backend engineer at Hinge. Ex-Etsy, ex-Google.
https://www.clientserver.dev -- my newsletter on software engineering and the tech industry
https://www.clientserver.dev -- my newsletter on software engineering and the tech industry
I thought that I changed and started hating movies. Then I rewatched a bunch of movies from ~1998-2008 (my prime movie-watching years) and realized that movies and I have just grown apart since then.
October 21, 2025 at 4:30 AM
I thought that I changed and started hating movies. Then I rewatched a bunch of movies from ~1998-2008 (my prime movie-watching years) and realized that movies and I have just grown apart since then.
Sucks to suck, get raptured next time
September 23, 2025 at 5:05 AM
Sucks to suck, get raptured next time
In Google, you have bodies of litigated law instead of principles.
Principles are like "Be Googly" (i.e. "don't be a dick") and are widely ignored.
Laws are the tomes they have written about code quality and making services production ready, every word resulting from endless wars and bikeshedding.
Principles are like "Be Googly" (i.e. "don't be a dick") and are widely ignored.
Laws are the tomes they have written about code quality and making services production ready, every word resulting from endless wars and bikeshedding.
September 7, 2025 at 7:01 PM
In Google, you have bodies of litigated law instead of principles.
Principles are like "Be Googly" (i.e. "don't be a dick") and are widely ignored.
Laws are the tomes they have written about code quality and making services production ready, every word resulting from endless wars and bikeshedding.
Principles are like "Be Googly" (i.e. "don't be a dick") and are widely ignored.
Laws are the tomes they have written about code quality and making services production ready, every word resulting from endless wars and bikeshedding.
Maybe it's just NYC, but if my wife and I did dinner and a movie it'd be north of $100 unless we grabbed falafel or something cheap. That's pretty steep especially for someone in their 20s, unless you land in tech or something like that.
September 3, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Maybe it's just NYC, but if my wife and I did dinner and a movie it'd be north of $100 unless we grabbed falafel or something cheap. That's pretty steep especially for someone in their 20s, unless you land in tech or something like that.
I liked it a lot more when I started learning as much as I could on every round, instead of overly focusing on getting to the antechamber
September 3, 2025 at 4:09 PM
I liked it a lot more when I started learning as much as I could on every round, instead of overly focusing on getting to the antechamber
They didn't used to have service fees. I just pulled up a random receipt from 2019 and I had $21.35 of items and it came out to $26.48 after tax and tip. Now you'd have a delivery fee and service fee, which varies by time of day, so it's just noticeably a lot more than it used to be
July 12, 2025 at 3:15 PM
They didn't used to have service fees. I just pulled up a random receipt from 2019 and I had $21.35 of items and it came out to $26.48 after tax and tip. Now you'd have a delivery fee and service fee, which varies by time of day, so it's just noticeably a lot more than it used to be
Everyone laughs at New Jersey but we have "Born to Run" at the ready
June 22, 2025 at 4:35 AM
Everyone laughs at New Jersey but we have "Born to Run" at the ready
Tag yourself, I'm "Strange Stones"
June 16, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Tag yourself, I'm "Strange Stones"
* And remember: there’s more to life than tech. Fill your life with stories, not just side projects.
June 13, 2025 at 6:05 PM
* And remember: there’s more to life than tech. Fill your life with stories, not just side projects.
* Learn how computers really work: OS, architecture, protocols.
* Understand where the industry is going. Right now? LLMs, agents, AI.
* Increase your luck surface area. Talk. Share. Meet. Post.
* Be curious. Be humble
* Understand where the industry is going. Right now? LLMs, agents, AI.
* Increase your luck surface area. Talk. Share. Meet. Post.
* Be curious. Be humble
June 13, 2025 at 6:05 PM
* Learn how computers really work: OS, architecture, protocols.
* Understand where the industry is going. Right now? LLMs, agents, AI.
* Increase your luck surface area. Talk. Share. Meet. Post.
* Be curious. Be humble
* Understand where the industry is going. Right now? LLMs, agents, AI.
* Increase your luck surface area. Talk. Share. Meet. Post.
* Be curious. Be humble
I’ve been coding since I was 14. I’ve worked at places like Google, Etsy, and now Hinge. Here’s what I said, distilled from 25 years of experience:
* Learn to code early.
* Don’t just take classes. Build something. Even small projects count.
* Get internships (or the closest thing you can).
* Learn to code early.
* Don’t just take classes. Build something. Even small projects count.
* Get internships (or the closest thing you can).
June 13, 2025 at 6:05 PM
I’ve been coding since I was 14. I’ve worked at places like Google, Etsy, and now Hinge. Here’s what I said, distilled from 25 years of experience:
* Learn to code early.
* Don’t just take classes. Build something. Even small projects count.
* Get internships (or the closest thing you can).
* Learn to code early.
* Don’t just take classes. Build something. Even small projects count.
* Get internships (or the closest thing you can).
99% of my naps are about 10 minutes. Every now and then I'll accidentally sleep an hour. My accidental nap record was around 4 hours.
June 10, 2025 at 8:10 PM
99% of my naps are about 10 minutes. Every now and then I'll accidentally sleep an hour. My accidental nap record was around 4 hours.
I paid $50 for some new NES games 30 years ago. They were trash compared to what you can play today. We're blessed that games didn't keep pace with inflation.
June 10, 2025 at 2:04 AM
I paid $50 for some new NES games 30 years ago. They were trash compared to what you can play today. We're blessed that games didn't keep pace with inflation.
Only thing that it's missing is matching Shin guards
June 3, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Only thing that it's missing is matching Shin guards
But I think the important takeaway is that even if you don’t have a lot of time, it’s possible to publish to a newsletter if you have a strategy. I’m not trying to convince you to run one… but if you just need a little push, I hope this post provides it.
May 29, 2025 at 1:19 PM
But I think the important takeaway is that even if you don’t have a lot of time, it’s possible to publish to a newsletter if you have a strategy. I’m not trying to convince you to run one… but if you just need a little push, I hope this post provides it.
6 months ago, I got my first newsletter subscriber. Now I’m up above 260. This is a big deal for me, because after my daughter was born 2 years ago, I didn’t have any time for hobbies. Writing this newsletter was the first hobby that I was able to do for myself.
May 29, 2025 at 1:19 PM
6 months ago, I got my first newsletter subscriber. Now I’m up above 260. This is a big deal for me, because after my daughter was born 2 years ago, I didn’t have any time for hobbies. Writing this newsletter was the first hobby that I was able to do for myself.
On one hand, tools like Cursor are actual skills that require time and effort to learn. I've seen people drop out before they got good at it. But on the other hand, there are parts of my current codebase where I don't bother using it because it has no hope of doing anything right.
May 28, 2025 at 2:19 PM
On one hand, tools like Cursor are actual skills that require time and effort to learn. I've seen people drop out before they got good at it. But on the other hand, there are parts of my current codebase where I don't bother using it because it has no hope of doing anything right.
I'm personally excited to watch a tablet try to potty train a toddler.
May 21, 2025 at 2:24 AM
I'm personally excited to watch a tablet try to potty train a toddler.
Hinge dating app: A live map of the world. Little hearts pop up when there's a match
May 19, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Hinge dating app: A live map of the world. Little hearts pop up when there's a match
These were widely mocked and mostly went away, except for some vestiges that remain like "hour-long meetings are booked for 50 minutes."
One team took advantage of the 50-minute meeting rule in an unexpected way. Read more to find out how!
One team took advantage of the 50-minute meeting rule in an unexpected way. Read more to find out how!
May 15, 2025 at 2:24 PM
These were widely mocked and mostly went away, except for some vestiges that remain like "hour-long meetings are booked for 50 minutes."
One team took advantage of the 50-minute meeting rule in an unexpected way. Read more to find out how!
One team took advantage of the 50-minute meeting rule in an unexpected way. Read more to find out how!