Category: General

Distributed Software Systems at scale

By Mina 26 Mar, 2023 1 Comment

One of the most potent skills a senior engineer can possess in modern software engineering orgs is the ability to navigate distributed software systems at a global scale. Designing, constructing, and maintaining such systems can be an immensely challenging yet profoundly satisfying intellectual exercise. For some of the top players in the industry, like Google or Meta/Facebook, the responsibilities of lead engineers are akin to the responsibilities of commanders overseeing a global battle field. The business relies on you and your peers to operate massive global systems with a myriad of wild variables. 

Distributed software systems is a well documented … Read more

Well Oiled Engineering Teams

By Mina 18 Dec, 2022 1 Comment

In 1965, a brilliant psychological researcher, Bruce Tuckman, came up with what became known as Tuckman stages of group development. These stages describe the distinct phases that a group working together, or in other word a team, goes through as they get more effective over time. The phases (or stages) are Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. Each stage exactly reflects what it’s name means. Tuckman stages of team development became a hit with leadership circles. Most managers who went through some form of  formal leadership training know about Tuckman stages in one way or another.

Courtesy of Pexels

There are … Read more

Thoughts on managing engineering teams

By Mina 16 Jun, 2021 Leave a comment

Below are some thoughts that I put together in my journey to learn how to become a better manager of engineers. The learning journey continues.

photo of people doing handshakes
Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com

There are three main areas that need focus:

  • Vision, strategy & execution
  • People
  • Alignment

Vision, strategy & execution

You must have a vision of where you would like the team to go. A team needs to have long term goals that fit within the organization. Imagine the most perfect version of your team. What should it do? Should it evolve to several teams? Should it focus on fewer responsibilities? Should … Read more

Outside the box

By Mina 20 Oct, 2019 Leave a comment

For most of my career, I was advised to “think outside the box”. It’s a fun concept, a cute idea really! It’s a popular piece of advice, especially in the Silicon Valley culture, where I currently belong. The thing is though, I don’t really think the majority of us understand what the “box” is, let alone what thinking outside of it looks like! 

I don’t claim to fully understand it myself either. If I did, I would be now leading my white hot new startup, disrupting some industry, or even birthing a new one, while changing the world on the … Read more

My first book journey

By Mina 22 Apr, 2018 Leave a comment

Coding is a passion for many software developers. A lot of us do it because we simply like it, not because it pays for fancy steak dinners, or make our loved ones proud. But why do we like it? From my own experience, the reason for that passion is different from one developer to another. It’s about what makes you ‘tick’. For some developers, they enjoy the logical constructs that work together to build a piece of software. For others, they are obsessed with the mental challenges that come with programming.

For me, I simply enjoy building things from scratch. … Read more

Never underestimate the power of art

By Mina 23 Dec, 2014 1 Comment

According to wikipedia, art is an outlet for human expression, a vessel for our creativity. A very attractive definition indeed. But what value does art provide? Why do we care about outlets for human expression? How does it apply to our day to day lives?

Way back when, in my college days, I was deeply puzzled about the usefulness of any study that doesn’t yield immediate measurable value. Let’s say you studied medicine, shortly after you graduate you are treating patients, helping people get better, making families happier while making money in the process. How about engineering? You finish school … Read more

Life is not fair!!

By Mina 15 Jul, 2014 1 Comment

Do you think good always wins over evil?? Do bad people who do nasty things end up getting punished in life?? How about people who go through life crises? Are they all guilty of something? did they cause the agony of other human beings and hence they are suffering in return? In short, do you think life is fair??

life is not fair

As a kid, I enjoyed fairy tales, stories of how the good always prevails and how evil always loses. I had my own theory that any person who commits an act of evil will always lose, it’s just a matter of … Read more

I was bored!!

By Mina 27 Apr, 2014 3 Comments

I was really bored a couple of years ago, why? Ummm, let me think, was it because of the lack of something to do? don’t think so, I had tons of things that I could have done!! Was it for the lack of someone to talk to? Absolutely not, I had and still have amazing people in my life. Was it because of the lack of travel? Nope, I travelled quite a bit!! Come to think about it, I felt like there was the whole world to conquer out there, places yet to visit, lives yet to live, awesome people … Read more

The gift and the curse of being yourself!!

By Mina 25 Mar, 2014 1 Comment

I am currently sitting in a tiny plane cruising from Seattle to Edmonton. I decided to write about something not technical. Who am I you ask?? Well, I am just a guy who decided to write about a fancy topic while looking over the clouds from above!! Sometimes, I try to imagine how my great great grandparents would react a couple hundred years ago if they were given the opportunity to watch the skies, the mountains, the seas and the whole frickin’ world from above. For them, it would have felt like temporary possessing divine powers. For us, it’s just … Read more