A woodsman was once asked, “What would you do if you had just five minutes to chop down a tree?” He answered, “I would spend the first two and a half minutes sharpening my axe.” When it comes to solving a problem with code, I’ve found a few things that help make the process more efficient. The code is the output, but like sharpening the axe, there are a few things I do outside of writing code that makes it easier.| alexanderell.is
Software engineering is cursed with uncertainty. When we’re solving big new problems with software, if the exact problem has been solved before, we could just reuse the solution that already exists. Frequently though, the exact problem (or combination of problems) hasn’t been solved before, and we need to come up with a way to solve it. Have you felt that feeling? That moment of uncertainty, where you don’t know what the solution will look like.| alexanderell.is
“I’m going to be 29 anyways, so I might as well be 29 with a Master’s.” — me 5 years ago debating whether I should take classes On June 5, 2017, I started taking classes at Tufts University while working full time. On January 4, 2022, I submitted the final draft of my Master’s thesis. Much like my past self had hoped, I’ve made it 4 years in the future, and I’m done with my Master’s program.| alexanderell.is