Tom Mango
@sleepingpotato.com
Dad and husband. Principal Eng @ North. Occasional advisor. Ex-Recharge, Ex-TaxJar. Co-founder of Limited Run. Building Looping & writing at sleepingpotato.com
Pinned
Tom Mango
@sleepingpotato.com
· Oct 11
Tom Mango (@tsmango@hachyderm.io)
284 Posts, 267 Following, 28 Followers · Dad and husband. Principal Engineer at North. Occasional advisor to engineering leaders. Co-founder and sole engineer behind Limited Run. Ex-Recharge (Sr Direc...
hachyderm.io
I’m spending less and less time here and more over at hachyderm.io/@tsmango if you’re also on Mastodon.
I wrote about how teams keep engineering patterns consistent as systems grow. The ones I've seen succeed combine solid guardrails with a culture that reinforces golden paths, onboarding, and clear documentation.
sleepingpotato.com/keeping-patt...
#software #engineering
sleepingpotato.com/keeping-patt...
#software #engineering
Keeping Patterns Consistent: Guardrails and Culture
After reading Design Principle: Composable Services someone asked "How do you keep consistency with this approach long-term?", noting that they've seen it tried, but eventually things get out of hand....
sleepingpotato.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:09 PM
I wrote about how teams keep engineering patterns consistent as systems grow. The ones I've seen succeed combine solid guardrails with a culture that reinforces golden paths, onboarding, and clear documentation.
sleepingpotato.com/keeping-patt...
#software #engineering
sleepingpotato.com/keeping-patt...
#software #engineering
After writing about stepping back from Ruby, I wanted to dig deeper into the long-term impact of leadership and governance on the ecosystem itself.
New post: sleepingpotato.com/when-leaders...
#ruby #rails #opensource #programming
New post: sleepingpotato.com/when-leaders...
#ruby #rails #opensource #programming
When Leadership Fails, Ecosystems Shrink
After publishing Taking a Step Back from Ruby, I heard from a lot of people. Some agreed, some didn’t, and a few offered perspectives that helped me clarify what I didn’t fully explore in that post: w...
sleepingpotato.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:46 PM
After writing about stepping back from Ruby, I wanted to dig deeper into the long-term impact of leadership and governance on the ecosystem itself.
New post: sleepingpotato.com/when-leaders...
#ruby #rails #opensource #programming
New post: sleepingpotato.com/when-leaders...
#ruby #rails #opensource #programming
I’ve loved Ruby for two decades, but have decided to take a step back. The language is still beautiful, but the leadership around it isn’t.
I wrote a bit about how I've gotten here and where I'll be focusing instead:
sleepingpotato.com/taking-a-ste...
#ruby #rails
I wrote a bit about how I've gotten here and where I'll be focusing instead:
sleepingpotato.com/taking-a-ste...
#ruby #rails
Taking a Step Back from Ruby
I wrote briefly about this on Mastodon earlier in the month, but I wanted to expand on my thoughts a bit.
I’ve been writing and defending Ruby for more than 20 years. It isn't a huge community, and i...
sleepingpotato.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:42 AM
I’ve loved Ruby for two decades, but have decided to take a step back. The language is still beautiful, but the leadership around it isn’t.
I wrote a bit about how I've gotten here and where I'll be focusing instead:
sleepingpotato.com/taking-a-ste...
#ruby #rails
I wrote a bit about how I've gotten here and where I'll be focusing instead:
sleepingpotato.com/taking-a-ste...
#ruby #rails
I’m spending less and less time here and more over at hachyderm.io/@tsmango if you’re also on Mastodon.
Tom Mango (@tsmango@hachyderm.io)
284 Posts, 267 Following, 28 Followers · Dad and husband. Principal Engineer at North. Occasional advisor to engineering leaders. Co-founder and sole engineer behind Limited Run. Ex-Recharge (Sr Direc...
hachyderm.io
October 11, 2025 at 9:00 PM
I’m spending less and less time here and more over at hachyderm.io/@tsmango if you’re also on Mastodon.
Reposted by Tom Mango
The team formerly behind RubyGems has come together to launch a new gem server for the Ruby community!
gem.coop
I am *super* excited about this!
gem.coop
I am *super* excited about this!
gem.coop
gem.coop
October 6, 2025 at 4:33 AM
The team formerly behind RubyGems has come together to launch a new gem server for the Ruby community!
gem.coop
I am *super* excited about this!
gem.coop
I am *super* excited about this!
Reposted by Tom Mango
> So, paired with those feelings plus the latest continued revelations of the creator’s personal beliefs and political stances, I can’t find as much joy writing Ruby on Rails apps as before.
...
> I can’t wait for my next adventure with @hanamirb.org [...]
Read it: afomera.dev/posts/2025-1...
...
> I can’t wait for my next adventure with @hanamirb.org [...]
Read it: afomera.dev/posts/2025-1...
Hanami after one week
afomera.dev
October 5, 2025 at 3:10 AM
> So, paired with those feelings plus the latest continued revelations of the creator’s personal beliefs and political stances, I can’t find as much joy writing Ruby on Rails apps as before.
...
> I can’t wait for my next adventure with @hanamirb.org [...]
Read it: afomera.dev/posts/2025-1...
...
> I can’t wait for my next adventure with @hanamirb.org [...]
Read it: afomera.dev/posts/2025-1...
We had a saying on my old team: make it easy to use, hard to f*** up. That mindset pushed us toward Platform Engineering – a path many teams face.
I wrote about the trade-offs and why Platform Engineering is a multiplier:
sleepingpotato.com/platform-eng...
#software #leadership
I wrote about the trade-offs and why Platform Engineering is a multiplier:
sleepingpotato.com/platform-eng...
#software #leadership
Platform Engineering: Easy to Use, Hard to Mess Up
We used to have a saying on Recharge's Platform Services team: It should be really easy to use and really hard to fuck up. As a team building a platform that allowed not only ourselves, but other engi...
sleepingpotato.com
October 3, 2025 at 2:33 AM
We had a saying on my old team: make it easy to use, hard to f*** up. That mindset pushed us toward Platform Engineering – a path many teams face.
I wrote about the trade-offs and why Platform Engineering is a multiplier:
sleepingpotato.com/platform-eng...
#software #leadership
I wrote about the trade-offs and why Platform Engineering is a multiplier:
sleepingpotato.com/platform-eng...
#software #leadership
Reposted by Tom Mango
Ignoring us is insulting at this point @rubycentral.org. Why are you not communicating with the community? When is the next Q&A?
September 29, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Ignoring us is insulting at this point @rubycentral.org. Why are you not communicating with the community? When is the next Q&A?
Reposted by Tom Mango
Thought I gift linked to it. Here you go. READ it. Your welcome.
GIFT.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/m...
GIFT.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/m...
September 28, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Thought I gift linked to it. Here you go. READ it. Your welcome.
GIFT.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/m...
GIFT.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/m...
Reposted by Tom Mango
It's easy to do this when his political opinions don't affect you or your friends. It's hard to just ignore when they do cause an impact.
I'm glad I didn't get into Rails. If I did, I'd be finding a new framework.
I'm glad I didn't get into Rails. If I did, I'd be finding a new framework.
Thought about this latest Ruby drama a lot. I ❤️ Rails and I’m thankful for it, so by association to DHH even if his political blog posts wind me up. Frankly, what he chooses to write is his business and I don’t think it affects Rails. Don’t read it if it gets you worked up. Life’s too short, srsly.
September 26, 2025 at 3:49 PM
It's easy to do this when his political opinions don't affect you or your friends. It's hard to just ignore when they do cause an impact.
I'm glad I didn't get into Rails. If I did, I'd be finding a new framework.
I'm glad I didn't get into Rails. If I did, I'd be finding a new framework.
Reposted by Tom Mango
in case you're not sure who dhh is, he's a danish counterstrike player and race car owner who writes essays like "i am smarter than you" and "foreigners bad"
rich enough not to worry about consequences but at the very same time, still desperate for status, a man two friends short of a podcast
rich enough not to worry about consequences but at the very same time, still desperate for status, a man two friends short of a podcast
September 19, 2025 at 5:30 PM
in case you're not sure who dhh is, he's a danish counterstrike player and race car owner who writes essays like "i am smarter than you" and "foreigners bad"
rich enough not to worry about consequences but at the very same time, still desperate for status, a man two friends short of a podcast
rich enough not to worry about consequences but at the very same time, still desperate for status, a man two friends short of a podcast
Reposted by Tom Mango
Ages ago, when I was still a student, I taught myself Ruby on Rails for my senior thesis and fell in love. Fifteen years later, and I’ve used Rails at every job I’ve ever held in the tech industry. Fifteen years, and I still love Rails! But there’s something rotten at its core, and we share a name.
Rails Needs New Governance
Ages ago, when I was still a student, I taught myself Ruby on Rails for my senior thesis and fell in love. Fifteen years later, and I’ve used Rails at every job I’ve ever held in the tech industry. Fifteen years, and I still love Rails! But there’s something rotten at its core, and we share a name.
davidcel.is
September 19, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Ages ago, when I was still a student, I taught myself Ruby on Rails for my senior thesis and fell in love. Fifteen years later, and I’ve used Rails at every job I’ve ever held in the tech industry. Fifteen years, and I still love Rails! But there’s something rotten at its core, and we share a name.
Reposted by Tom Mango
Let’s be clear about what just happened: Jimmy Kimmel, a prominent late-night comedian, was just taken off the airwaves because the Trump administration didn’t like what he had to say — and threatened his employer until they shut him up. [vox.com]
Let’s be clear about what happened to Jimmy Kimmel
Trump’s most brazen attack on free speech yet.
www.vox.com
September 18, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Let’s be clear about what just happened: Jimmy Kimmel, a prominent late-night comedian, was just taken off the airwaves because the Trump administration didn’t like what he had to say — and threatened his employer until they shut him up. [vox.com]
New post in my Design Principles series: Earn Your Scale
Most apps don’t need Kafka or CockroachDB yet. Push run-of-the-mill stacks further than you think, then make the trade-offs when you’ve truly outgrown them.
sleepingpotato.com/design-princ...
#development #buildinpublic
Most apps don’t need Kafka or CockroachDB yet. Push run-of-the-mill stacks further than you think, then make the trade-offs when you’ve truly outgrown them.
sleepingpotato.com/design-princ...
#development #buildinpublic
Design Principle: Earn Your Scale
Earn Your Scale
Push run-of-the-mill stacks as far as they’ll take you. Learn their limits, then make the trade-offs of specialty infrastructure only when you’ve truly outgrown simple, proven paths. T...
sleepingpotato.com
September 17, 2025 at 8:07 PM
New post in my Design Principles series: Earn Your Scale
Most apps don’t need Kafka or CockroachDB yet. Push run-of-the-mill stacks further than you think, then make the trade-offs when you’ve truly outgrown them.
sleepingpotato.com/design-princ...
#development #buildinpublic
Most apps don’t need Kafka or CockroachDB yet. Push run-of-the-mill stacks further than you think, then make the trade-offs when you’ve truly outgrown them.
sleepingpotato.com/design-princ...
#development #buildinpublic
Reposted by Tom Mango
We need a Ruby Central which is not beholden to DHH and Shopify money but representative of the larger community. Why aren't the board of directors publicly elected, like Python?
https://ruby.social/@adarsh/115215323757719078
https://ruby.social/@adarsh/115215323757719078
adarsh 🚲 (@adarsh@ruby.social)
Can you imagine what #ruby would look like if code of conduct violations were actually enforced? Especially against our white supremacists? Refreshing to be reminded that world could exist if we wanted it. Good for the PSF and its moderators for maintaining a healthy community. 👏🏽 https://social.jacobian.org/@jacob/115215001618713506
ruby.social
September 16, 2025 at 6:45 PM
We need a Ruby Central which is not beholden to DHH and Shopify money but representative of the larger community. Why aren't the board of directors publicly elected, like Python?
https://ruby.social/@adarsh/115215323757719078
https://ruby.social/@adarsh/115215323757719078
Reposted by Tom Mango
what’s the name for a version-and-dependency-and-more manager like `uv`? I don’t know, but I’m building one for Ruby anyway
andre.arko.net/2025/08/25/r...
andre.arko.net/2025/08/25/r...
rv, a new kind of Ruby management tool
For the last ten years or so of working on Bundler, I’ve had a wish rattling around: I want a better dependency manager. It doesn’t just manage your gems, it manages your ruby versions, too. It doesn’...
andre.arko.net
August 26, 2025 at 7:06 AM
what’s the name for a version-and-dependency-and-more manager like `uv`? I don’t know, but I’m building one for Ruby anyway
andre.arko.net/2025/08/25/r...
andre.arko.net/2025/08/25/r...
Reposted by Tom Mango
true pain is having found a single good web browser (arc) and then having it ripped away.
August 26, 2025 at 1:44 PM
true pain is having found a single good web browser (arc) and then having it ripped away.
Reposted by Tom Mango
“American fascism looks like the president using armed military units from governors loyal to his regime to seize cities run by opposition political figures and it looks like the president using federal law enforcement to target regime opponents.”
I loved @vermontgmg.bsky.social's latest piece so much that I asked if I could republish it on The Handbasket and he so generously said yes.
If you haven't read it yet, please do. It's essential:
If you haven't read it yet, please do. It's essential:
America tips into fascism (GUEST POST)
"Something is materially different in our country this week than last," writes historian Garrett Graff.
www.thehandbasket.co
August 25, 2025 at 10:23 PM
“American fascism looks like the president using armed military units from governors loyal to his regime to seize cities run by opposition political figures and it looks like the president using federal law enforcement to target regime opponents.”
Reposted by Tom Mango
We had a client drop through - if anyone is after design (Design Systems, UI, UX, etc), Webflow or front-end, please let us know. We're knowledgable about implementing design on different frameworks and backends (Node, Rust, Ruby, etc.)
There's two of us with several decades of experience. ✌️
There's two of us with several decades of experience. ✌️
August 21, 2025 at 3:37 PM
We had a client drop through - if anyone is after design (Design Systems, UI, UX, etc), Webflow or front-end, please let us know. We're knowledgable about implementing design on different frameworks and backends (Node, Rust, Ruby, etc.)
There's two of us with several decades of experience. ✌️
There's two of us with several decades of experience. ✌️
Excited to start a new chapter as a Principal Engineer after years in leadership roles!
sleepingpotato.com/a-personal-u...
sleepingpotato.com/a-personal-u...
A Personal Update: New Role, Same Focus
About a month ago, I started a new role as a Principal Engineer at North. On paper, it might look like a big shift after spending the past eight years in leadership. But looking at my whole career, it...
sleepingpotato.com
August 14, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Excited to start a new chapter as a Principal Engineer after years in leadership roles!
sleepingpotato.com/a-personal-u...
sleepingpotato.com/a-personal-u...
www.reddit.com/r/vuejs/s/nB...
Me: I know, I’ll post about an approach that’s working really well for me to thoroughly support a11y. Maybe others will be encouraged to do the same!
Sad People on The Internet assuming I “had AI” write the post:
Me: I know, I’ll post about an approach that’s working really well for me to thoroughly support a11y. Maybe others will be encouraged to do the same!
Sad People on The Internet assuming I “had AI” write the post:
August 5, 2025 at 10:37 PM
www.reddit.com/r/vuejs/s/nB...
Me: I know, I’ll post about an approach that’s working really well for me to thoroughly support a11y. Maybe others will be encouraged to do the same!
Sad People on The Internet assuming I “had AI” write the post:
Me: I know, I’ll post about an approach that’s working really well for me to thoroughly support a11y. Maybe others will be encouraged to do the same!
Sad People on The Internet assuming I “had AI” write the post:
Reposted by Tom Mango
Service Objects Are Totally Fine Actually | JMD
John McDowall's blog posts and thoughts.
jmd.fm
August 1, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Accessibility is often treated as a nice-to-have. But like types, tests, and lint rules, it can be enforced. I wrote about how structured patterns and editor rules can make it the default, not just something we hope gets done.
sleepingpotato.com/enforcing-ac...
#a11y #development #vue
sleepingpotato.com/enforcing-ac...
#a11y #development #vue
Enforcing Accessibility in Code, Not Just Culture
A deep dive into how I built accessibility into the foundation of my Vue frontend—using clear patterns, centralized announcements, and Cursor-enforced rules. This post shares practical, testable strat...
sleepingpotato.com
August 1, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Accessibility is often treated as a nice-to-have. But like types, tests, and lint rules, it can be enforced. I wrote about how structured patterns and editor rules can make it the default, not just something we hope gets done.
sleepingpotato.com/enforcing-ac...
#a11y #development #vue
sleepingpotato.com/enforcing-ac...
#a11y #development #vue
“Axon also claims Ring won’t share information about the users who declined to share footage.”
If the police request footage from a specific house and don’t get it, do they really need Ring to share the info of the homeowners?
www.theverge.com/news/709836/...
If the police request footage from a specific house and don’t get it, do they really need Ring to share the info of the homeowners?
www.theverge.com/news/709836/...
Ring reintroduces video sharing with police | The Verge
Ring reverses its plan to stop sharing video with law enforcement.
www.theverge.com
July 19, 2025 at 1:19 AM
“Axon also claims Ring won’t share information about the users who declined to share footage.”
If the police request footage from a specific house and don’t get it, do they really need Ring to share the info of the homeowners?
www.theverge.com/news/709836/...
If the police request footage from a specific house and don’t get it, do they really need Ring to share the info of the homeowners?
www.theverge.com/news/709836/...
New post in my Design Principles series: Composable Services
In Looping, every service has the same shape: a hash in, Success() or Failure() out. That consistency makes them predictable, testable, and reusable.
sleepingpotato.com/design-princ...
#ruby #development #buildinpublic
In Looping, every service has the same shape: a hash in, Success() or Failure() out. That consistency makes them predictable, testable, and reusable.
sleepingpotato.com/design-princ...
#ruby #development #buildinpublic
Design Principle: Composable Services
Composable Services
Services are small, predictable units that can be run in isolation, invoked directly, or chained via workflows. Each service has a uniform interface: it accepts input as a hash and...
sleepingpotato.com
July 14, 2025 at 6:46 PM
New post in my Design Principles series: Composable Services
In Looping, every service has the same shape: a hash in, Success() or Failure() out. That consistency makes them predictable, testable, and reusable.
sleepingpotato.com/design-princ...
#ruby #development #buildinpublic
In Looping, every service has the same shape: a hash in, Success() or Failure() out. That consistency makes them predictable, testable, and reusable.
sleepingpotato.com/design-princ...
#ruby #development #buildinpublic