ICYMI, my latest post on one of the most common mistakes managers & leaders make. Of course published on #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 802] All the monkeys on your shoulders no-kill-switch.ghost.io/all-the-monk... #nokillswitch
All the monkeys on your shoulders
If I had to bet on which graphical meme appears most frequently in my LinkedIn timeline, I'd say it's the one about "servant leadership". I'm sure you recall it easily (even if it comes in many "flavo...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
October 27, 2025 at 7:47 AM
ICYMI, my latest post on one of the most common mistakes managers & leaders make. Of course published on #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 802] All the monkeys on your shoulders no-kill-switch.ghost.io/all-the-monk... #nokillswitch
All the monkeys on your shoulders
If I had to bet on which graphical meme appears most frequently in my LinkedIn timeline, I'd say it's the one about "servant leadership". I'm sure you recall it easily (even if it comes in many "flavo...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
October 25, 2025 at 6:06 PM
[No Kill Switch 802] All the monkeys on your shoulders no-kill-switch.ghost.io/all-the-monk... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 801] Why LLMs don't make (some of) us fly? - part 2 no-kill-switch.ghost.io/why-llms-don... #nokillswitch
Why LLMs don't make (some of) us fly? - part 2
That's the second (& final) post in the mini-series. The prior one can be found here. Where are we right now? I've explained why the "depth" of Gen AI usage matters. And I've already covered two of th...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
September 15, 2025 at 6:18 AM
[No Kill Switch 801] Why LLMs don't make (some of) us fly? - part 2 no-kill-switch.ghost.io/why-llms-don... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 800] Why LLMs don't make (some of) us fly? - part 1 no-kill-switch.ghost.io/why-llms-don... #nokillswitch
Why LLMs don't make (some of) us fly? - part 1
There are very few topics online these days that receive as much attention as expected productivity gains due to LLM usage. Some CEOs claim publicly that their companies "write NN% code with Gen AI" o...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
September 7, 2025 at 5:36 PM
[No Kill Switch 800] Why LLMs don't make (some of) us fly? - part 1 no-kill-switch.ghost.io/why-llms-don... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 799] Omakase - let the chef decide no-kill-switch.ghost.io/omakase-let-... #nokillswitch
Omakase - let the chef decide
Disclaimer 1: This post is 100% inspired by DHH's recent references to Omakase and the projects that implement this concept: Omarchy, Omakub. So if you believe this article deserves some "kudos", they...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
August 10, 2025 at 9:10 PM
[No Kill Switch 799] Omakase - let the chef decide no-kill-switch.ghost.io/omakase-let-... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 798] The forthcoming era of LLM tokenomics no-kill-switch.ghost.io/the-forthcom... #nokillswitch
The forthcoming era of LLM tokenomics
By mid-2025, it's pretty clear - LLMs are here to stay, whether we like it or not. Yes, there are multiple scenarios where their applicability is still at least questionable, but Gen AI has anchored i...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
August 3, 2025 at 9:09 PM
[No Kill Switch 798] The forthcoming era of LLM tokenomics no-kill-switch.ghost.io/the-forthcom... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 797] On storytelling: stay awhile and listen no-kill-switch.ghost.io/on-storytell... #nokillswitch
On storytelling: stay awhile and listen
There's one thing about (professional) communication that I find hilarious. Over the last 15+ years (until approx. 2023), the importance of writing (as a skill) in software engineering craft has gradu...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
June 23, 2025 at 7:43 PM
[No Kill Switch 797] On storytelling: stay awhile and listen no-kill-switch.ghost.io/on-storytell... #nokillswitch
Frequently omitted topic - are technical leaders accountable for the long-term effects of their work? How to codify that responsibilities in job contracts? no-kill-switch.ghost.io/ethical-aspe... (No Kill Switch oldie from 2021) #nokillswitch
Ethical aspects of leaving a mess behind
A few days ago, this thread [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29064692]
gained a lot of popularity on Hacker News. The discussion was quite interesting
(I encourage you to take a look), but I've ...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
May 12, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Frequently omitted topic - are technical leaders accountable for the long-term effects of their work? How to codify that responsibilities in job contracts? no-kill-switch.ghost.io/ethical-aspe... (No Kill Switch oldie from 2021) #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 796] On entropy control no-kill-switch.ghost.io/on-entropy-c... #nokillswitch
On entropy control
There have been tons of books and articles written on how to be a decent engineering leader. Various authors have been dissecting the role into pieces and atoms, trying to pinpoint the true essence of...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
May 4, 2025 at 1:48 PM
[No Kill Switch 796] On entropy control no-kill-switch.ghost.io/on-entropy-c... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 795] On luck no-kill-switch.ghost.io/on-luck/ #nokillswitch
On luck
"Luck" (in an effective & successful software product delivery) is one of those topics I've never dedicated a post to. At least not directly. You may be surprised why I want to change that - isn't "lu...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
April 22, 2025 at 5:57 AM
[No Kill Switch 795] On luck no-kill-switch.ghost.io/on-luck/ #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 794] Are we doomed to Price's Law? no-kill-switch.ghost.io/are-we-doome... #nokillswitch
Are we doomed to Price's Law?
You may not have heard about Price's law, so why don't we start with its definition?
"In any group, the square root of the total members accounts for half the output. For example, in a team of 100, a...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
March 16, 2025 at 5:24 PM
[No Kill Switch 794] Are we doomed to Price's Law? no-kill-switch.ghost.io/are-we-doome... #nokillswitch
Bias for action is praise-worthy, as are creativity and ownership. But even all of those combined can have a very detrimental effect without adequate focus, discipline & clarity. You can read my old post 🪙 on the "creative diarrhea" here: no-kill-switch.ghost.io/creative-dia... #nokillswitch
Creative diarrhea ain't no leadership
We, human beings, have that incredible ability to exploit, exaggerate and travesty every (originally) valuable idea we encounter. That is not necessarily because of some malice - we tend to focus on m...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
March 5, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Bias for action is praise-worthy, as are creativity and ownership. But even all of those combined can have a very detrimental effect without adequate focus, discipline & clarity. You can read my old post 🪙 on the "creative diarrhea" here: no-kill-switch.ghost.io/creative-dia... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 793] Not-a-review (of year 2024) no-kill-switch.ghost.io/not-a-review... #nokillswitch
Not-a-review (of year 2024)
It's not that I hate year reviews, but let's be honest - a stereotypical year summary is very "me"-centric, so why bore you folks with scribblings that are mainly relevant to myself only? That would b...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
January 7, 2025 at 7:01 AM
[No Kill Switch 793] Not-a-review (of year 2024) no-kill-switch.ghost.io/not-a-review... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 792] Daylight Computer DC-1: Initial Impressions no-kill-switch.ghost.io/daylight-com... #nokillswitch
Daylight Computer DC-1: Initial Impressions
I received my DC-1 over a month ago (on Nov 7th) - it's enough time to summarize my initial impressions. Most likely, I'll add some updates in the following months, so feel free to bookmark the articl...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
December 13, 2024 at 8:16 AM
[No Kill Switch 792] Daylight Computer DC-1: Initial Impressions no-kill-switch.ghost.io/daylight-com... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 791] The failed promise of Domain-Driven Design - part 4 no-kill-switch.ghost.io/the-failed-p... #nokillswitch
The failed promise of Domain-Driven Design - part 4
The previous episode in the series (part 3) can be found here.
It's the time. First, to conclude this short series of blog posts dedicated to what's wrong with DDD. Second (and more important) - to t...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
October 28, 2024 at 9:30 AM
[No Kill Switch 791] The failed promise of Domain-Driven Design - part 4 no-kill-switch.ghost.io/the-failed-p... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 790] How to break a pretty decent app (with Gen AI)
no-kill-switch.ghost.io/how-to-break... #nokillswitch
no-kill-switch.ghost.io/how-to-break... #nokillswitch
How to break a pretty decent app (with Gen AI)
Let me tell you a story about enhancing an existing product with Generative AI. It will be a cautionary one, so if you read carefully, you may avoid some (potentially expensive) future mistakes.
As y...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
September 26, 2024 at 3:29 PM
[No Kill Switch 790] How to break a pretty decent app (with Gen AI)
no-kill-switch.ghost.io/how-to-break... #nokillswitch
no-kill-switch.ghost.io/how-to-break... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 788] Preening: image over substance no-kill-switch.ghost.io/preening-ima... #nokillswitch
Preening: image over substance
In my last post about "snacking", I promised to cover one more leadership anti-pattern (also mentioned by Will Larson in "Staff Engineer") - this one is called "preening".
What is "preening"?
Preeni...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
August 21, 2024 at 7:29 AM
[No Kill Switch 788] Preening: image over substance no-kill-switch.ghost.io/preening-ima... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 787] Snacking ain't good for you(r leadership) no-kill-switch.ghost.io/snacking-ain... #nokillswitch
Snacking ain't good for you(r leadership)
It won't be the first time I praise Will Larson's books (directly or indirectly), but they deserve all the recognition they get, so I have no remorse. Anyway, I think it was "Staff Engineer," where Wi...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
July 22, 2024 at 7:14 AM
[No Kill Switch 787] Snacking ain't good for you(r leadership) no-kill-switch.ghost.io/snacking-ain... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 786] Domain dogma, first principles & the risks of EventStorming no-kill-switch.ghost.io/domain-dogma... #nokillswitch
Domain dogma, first principles & the risks of EventStorming
I've always adored EventStorming as a form of workshop - for many reasons:
* the formula is all about direct, high-bandwidth collaboration with (domain) experts
* it's very visual (as you're all st...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
July 8, 2024 at 6:06 AM
[No Kill Switch 786] Domain dogma, first principles & the risks of EventStorming no-kill-switch.ghost.io/domain-dogma... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 785] Classifying high-performers: pushers VS pullers no-kill-switch.ghost.io/classifying-... #nokillswitch
Classifying high-performers: pushers VS pullers
Who wouldn't like (more) high performers in their team(s)? The ones who consistently and relentlessly kill every type of work assignment. Difference-makers who set an example for everyone else and som...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
June 4, 2024 at 6:46 AM
[No Kill Switch 785] Classifying high-performers: pushers VS pullers no-kill-switch.ghost.io/classifying-... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 784] Has Gen AI effectively killed certifications? no-kill-switch.ghost.io/has-gen-ai-e... #nokillswitch
Has Gen AI effectively killed certifications?
When we consider the changes (to our daily lives, jobs, and entire society) inflicted by Gen AI, we typically focus on the audacious claims of Gen AI-powered tool creators. "This will disrupt X, Y is ...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
May 6, 2024 at 6:30 AM
[No Kill Switch 784] Has Gen AI effectively killed certifications? no-kill-switch.ghost.io/has-gen-ai-e... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 783] Organizations that exist to keep themselves busy no-kill-switch.ghost.io/organization... #nokillswitch
Organizations that exist to keep themselves busy
To explain the phenomenon I dedicate this post to (which I come across from time to time when looking at how different organizations operate), I need to start with a simple mental model ...
Inwards ...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
March 28, 2024 at 7:09 AM
[No Kill Switch 783] Organizations that exist to keep themselves busy no-kill-switch.ghost.io/organization... #nokillswitch
No, it's not a story about frogs 🐸 or software craftsmanship conferences in Wrocław 😉, but about organizational culture and what happens when it's not cultivated properly 🌱. Yet another old-but-goldie 🪙 from #nokillswitch archive: no-kill-switch.ghost.io/boiling-frog...
Boiling Frogs - about lowering your standards to mediocrity
> TL;DR Poor (in terms of engineering culture standards) work environment doesn't
just impact negatively the end products (quality, fit-for-purpose), development
process (effectiveness, efficiency) & ...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
March 13, 2024 at 5:56 PM
No, it's not a story about frogs 🐸 or software craftsmanship conferences in Wrocław 😉, but about organizational culture and what happens when it's not cultivated properly 🌱. Yet another old-but-goldie 🪙 from #nokillswitch archive: no-kill-switch.ghost.io/boiling-frog...
[No Kill Switch 782] A year and a half with LLMs - what do we know? no-kill-switch.ghost.io/a-year-and-a... #nokillswitch
A year and a half with LLMs - what do we know?
It's 2024, and based on what you can read on the Internet, everyone is a Gen AI expert already 😄. Well, honestly, I am not. I mean, yes - I do use a bunch of Gen AI tools daily, and as I work for a co...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
March 11, 2024 at 7:37 AM
[No Kill Switch 782] A year and a half with LLMs - what do we know? no-kill-switch.ghost.io/a-year-and-a... #nokillswitch
[No Kill Switch 781] The failed promise of Domain-Driven Design - part 3 no-kill-switch.ghost.io/the-failed-p... #nokillswitch
The failed promise of Domain-Driven Design - part 3
The previous episode in the series (part 2) can be found here.
What was supposed to be a single, short blog post has grown to a series of at least four articles (because this one is not the grand fin...
no-kill-switch.ghost.io
January 26, 2024 at 9:09 AM
[No Kill Switch 781] The failed promise of Domain-Driven Design - part 3 no-kill-switch.ghost.io/the-failed-p... #nokillswitch