The hottest Software Development Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Bits, Bytes, and Bylaws: Timeless Computing Laws (Part - 2)

Wisdom over Waves • 59 implied HN points • 28 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Software Development Programming Organizational Design Metrics Management
  1. Adding more people to a late software project can make it even later due to various factors like onboarding time, increased coordination needs, and additional deployments causing outages.
  2. When a measure becomes the target, it loses its effectiveness, leading to actions like renaming variables or engaging in practices that prioritize metrics over true code quality.
  3. The structure of the software often mirrors the communication structure of the organization that designed it, showcasing the impact of company dynamics on software architecture.

Multimodal Search Using Vector DB

The Beep • 39 implied HN points • 25 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Data science Machine Learning Software Development Information Retrieval
  1. Multimodal search lets you look for information using different types of data like text, images, and audio at the same time. This makes finding what you need much easier and faster.
  2. Embeddings are special numbers that represent words, images, or sounds so computers can understand them. They help machines learn about relationships and contexts in the data they process.
  3. Using vector databases, we can store these embeddings efficiently. This technology enables smarter applications like image searches or recognizing songs quickly.

Weekly Notes

Rethinking Software • 49 implied HN points • 30 Sep 24
💼 Business Workplace culture Management Practices Innovation Software Development
  1. Building successful work teams is like creating a strong community, and it takes good advice to do it well.
  2. Too many rules in software development can stifle creativity and innovation. Developers should choose their own processes to thrive.
  3. Workers are often seen as tools to achieve executives' dreams, so we need more self-managed and cooperative workplaces.

Crafting Great Software Products: The Function of Building for Beauty

Nadia’s Substack • 19 implied HN points • 08 May 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Design Quality AI Product Development
  1. Craft and beauty in software products have significant business value. Quality design details can enhance user experience and performance.
  2. Meticulous craft and quality work are essential in company culture. Focusing on quality output is crucial for impactful software product development.
  3. Functionality and beauty should be prioritized in software design. Solving root causes and maintaining focus on core features contribute to building high-quality products.
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Resurrecting Swing Desktop Apps on the Web

jDeploy Newsletter • 84 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Web Apps Software Development
  1. It is possible to resurrect old desktop applications, like ArgoUML, by converting them into web apps using tools like jDeploy and CheerpJ.
  2. When transitioning desktop apps to the web, functionalities like accessing local files and the clipboard may need modifications to align with web app behavior.
  3. Adding cloud storage integration and improving download functionalities can enhance the usability and user experience of old Swing apps on the web.

Inside Meta’s Chaos, StackOverflow on Its Last Legs, & the Makefile Effect

HackerPulse Dispatch • 2 implied HN points • 14 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Development Tech Trends Corporate culture AI Impact Programming Languages
  1. StackOverflow is facing a big decline, with questions down over 70% since 2023. Many users are frustrated with the moderation and are turning to AI tools for support instead.
  2. Electron has been popular for building desktop apps, but it has some issues like heavy memory use. New frameworks like Tauri are coming up as better alternatives.
  3. The 'Makefile effect' shows that engineers often copy and adapt existing setups instead of creating new ones due to tools being too complex. This highlights the need for better tool design to make things easier.

Intentionally Building Your Product Stack

Nadia’s Substack • 19 implied HN points • 06 May 24
🕹 Technology Product Management Software Development AI Project management Team Collaboration
  1. When setting up your technology stack, choose tools that best serve both your product and team.
  2. As AI becomes more prevalent in software development, product managers and founders need to adapt their product stacks.
  3. Regularly update and tailor your product stack based on your team's needs, growth, and the evolving technology landscape.

How Will AI Impact Software Development, Products, and Teams?

Nadia’s Substack • 19 implied HN points • 06 May 24
🕹 Technology AI Impact Software Development Products Teams
  1. AI is already influencing our daily lives through products like ChatGPT and is increasingly integrated into work and personal experiences.
  2. The adoption of AI in software development can speed up code writing, but also bring challenges like maintaining complex codebases and potentially less human-readable code.
  3. AI can enhance product decision-making for product managers and founders, empowering teams to deliver high-quality products faster and more effectively.

Data Design For Fine-Tuning LLM Long Context Windows

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 19 implied HN points • 03 May 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Data science Natural Language Software Development
  1. Fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) can help them better understand and use long pieces of text. This means they can make sense of information not just at the start and end but also in the middle.
  2. The 'lost-in-the-middle' problem happens because LLMs often overlook important details in the middle of texts. Training them with more focused examples can help address this issue.
  3. The IN2 training approach emphasizes that crucial information can be found anywhere in long texts. It uses specially created question-answer pairs to teach models to pay attention to all parts of the context.

Run A Small Language Model (SLM) Local & Offline

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 39 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Data Privacy Software Development Chatbots
  1. Small Language Models (SLMs) can be run locally, giving you more control over your data and privacy. This means you can use them even without an Internet connection.
  2. SLMs are great for specific tasks that don't need the power of larger models, such as simple text generation or sentiment analysis. They can do a lot with less resource demand.
  3. Using SLMs can help businesses reduce costs related to API limits and data privacy issues. They also address delays that come with using larger models.

The Case For Small Language Models

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 39 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Models Conversational AI Natural Language Processing Machine Learning Software Development
  1. Small Language Models (SLMs) can do many tasks without the complexity of Large Language Models (LLMs). They are simpler to manage and can be a better fit for common uses like chatbots.
  2. SLMs like Microsoft's Phi-2 are cost-effective and can handle conversational tasks well, making them ideal for applications that don't need the full power of larger models.
  3. Running an SLM locally helps avoid challenges like slow response times, privacy issues, and high costs associated with using LLMs through APIs.

Toasts and Theming

Pine • 19 implied HN points • 23 May 24
🕹 Technology User Interface Product Design Software Development User Experience
  1. Pine now gives you fun little toast messages when you keep a daily streak or reach card milestones. This helps give positive encouragement while you work.
  2. You can now customize the appearance of each deck with different themes and styles. This makes it visually unique and easier to switch between decks.
  3. Many improvements have been made to the user experience to make using Pine more enjoyable overall. This should enhance how you create and review your cards.

GroupBy #33: Data Gateway - A Platform for Growing and Protecting the Data Tier at Netflix, The Cloud Storage Triad: Latency, Cost, Durability

VuTrinh. • 19 implied HN points • 30 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Cloud Computing Software Development Infrastructure Data Management
  1. Netflix has created a platform called Data Gateway that helps their developers manage data more easily. It simplifies complex database processes so that app developers can focus on coding.
  2. The cloud storage triad talks about balancing latency, cost, and durability when storing data. Choosing the right storage solution can save money while ensuring data is always available.
  3. Managing data ingestion effectively is crucial for companies like RevenueCat. They faced challenges moving their data and found ways to optimize the process for better performance.

Why you should design systems that ship fast [System Design Sundays]

Technology Made Simple • 79 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🕹 Technology System Design Software Development Programming
  1. Shipping software quickly has many benefits, including improved efficiency and cost savings.
  2. A slow release process can lead to increased expenses as more resources are required for tasks like testing, outage management, and manual deploys.
  3. Investing in designing systems that support fast shipping is valuable as it helps build a culture of efficiency and productivity.

Monitor Azure Open AI Deployments with Microsoft Sentinel

Rod’s Blog • 79 implied HN points • 20 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Cloud Computing Security Data Analysis Automation Software Development
  1. Defender for Cloud Apps can now monitor Azure Open AI activity, making it easier to track and locate activity using Microsoft Sentinel.
  2. Utilize KQL queries to identify Azure Open AI deployments and create a maintained Watchlist in Microsoft Sentinel for easy monitoring.
  3. Automate the updating of the Watchlist with Logic Apps to ensure it always contains the most up-to-date information on Azure Open AI instances.

I'm Launching My Newsletter: The Tech Buffet!

The Tech Buffet • 79 implied HN points • 01 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Data Engineering Programming Software Development Technical Writing
  1. The Tech Buffet is a new newsletter focused on Machine Learning, Data Engineering, and Python Programming. It's designed to help people learn and improve their technical skills.
  2. You can expect weekly updates with practical advice, tutorials, and insights on making machine learning systems more efficient and effective.
  3. The creator wants feedback on what topics readers are interested in, so it's a community-driven project that aims to meet the needs of its audience.

Switching to nvim as an early career developer in 2024

The Schematic • 19 implied HN points • 27 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Productivity Tools
  1. Switching to neovim offered a more close-to-the-computer experience for the developer and helped in understanding what's going on under-the-hood.
  2. Choosing a stable neovim package manager like LazyVim and customizing the setup helped in a smoother transition and better understanding of the tool.
  3. Using neovim increased efficiency in coding tasks like text editing, search and replace, and improved typing speed by focusing on keyboard-centric usage.

🧊 The Container Iceberg, New Era of Global Databases, the 70% Dilemma in AI Coding, & More

HackerPulse Dispatch • 5 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Cloud Computing AI & Machine Learning Database Systems Programming Languages
  1. Companies are moving away from VMware because of high cost increases. Many are finding open-source options like OpenNebula to save money and improve efficiency.
  2. A new coding language called PyGyat has playful syntax, making Python coding more fun. It allows developers to switch between traditional Python and PyGyat easily.
  3. AI tools can help speed up coding, but they have limitations. While they help create initial code quickly, the last touches needed for quality often still require human expertise.

💸 The Hidden Cost of Context Switching

ppdispatch • 11 implied HN points • 11 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Software Development AI Applications Productivity Tools Data Management Legal issues
  1. Frequent interruptions, even from short messages, can hurt developers' productivity a lot. It can take over 20 minutes to refocus after just one distraction.
  2. A small update to the Linux kernel can really boost data center efficiency, potentially cutting power use by 30%. This change helps manage network traffic better without needing much setup.
  3. Many math libraries don't follow floating-point standards, leading to rounding errors. This can cause big problems in areas like gaming and machine learning where precision is key.

Open Source Meets AI | Red Hat's Scott McCarty

Dev Interrupted • 9 implied HN points • 05 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Open Source Artificial Intelligence Software Development Startups Product Management
  1. Open source AI has the potential to change how enterprises manage software development. This could lead to better trust and benefits for everyone involved.
  2. Startups are advised to be careful about taking too much funding. High valuations can create unrealistic growth expectations, which might hurt the company in the long run.
  3. Tools like Holistic AI OSL are being developed to help create responsible AI by addressing issues like bias and security. This is important for safe and fair AI development.

The Tech Buffet #19: How To Build and Deploy an LLM-Powered App To Chat with PapersWithCode

The Tech Buffet • 39 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Software Development Web applications Cloud Computing Data Management
  1. You can build a personal assistant to easily find and understand the latest machine learning research. This assistant will let you ask questions in simple language.
  2. The app uses a system that retrieves and generates information, utilizing a database and machine learning models. It processes data from a site called 'Papers With Code'.
  3. The guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to create, index, and deploy this assistant as a web application, including ready-to-use source code.

Unveiling Backdoors, Optimized LLMs, and Spurious Patterns in AI

HackerPulse Dispatch • 8 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity Data science Software Development
  1. Backdoors can be secretly added to machine learning models. These backdoors let bad actors change how the model makes decisions without being noticed.
  2. Large Language Models (LLMs) are helpful for tuning model settings to make them work better. They can suggest and adjust configurations based on past performance.
  3. Understanding spurious patterns in data is important. These patterns can confuse models and lead to mistakes, which is crucial for developing responsible AI systems.

GroupBy #32: Canva - Scaling to Count Billions, Ensuring Precision and Integrity: A Deep Dive into Uber’s Accounting Data Testing Strategies

VuTrinh. • 19 implied HN points • 23 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Software Development Cloud Computing Artificial Intelligence Database Management
  1. Canva's usage of creator content has skyrocketed, with data showing its growth doubling every 18 months. Managing the architecture to track this data is a significant challenge.
  2. Uber has developed strong testing and monitoring processes for its financial accounting data. This ensures accuracy and presents reliable external financial reports.
  3. With the rise of data lakehouses, utilizing tools like Apache Hudi and Paimon can enhance data storage and performance. These tools help build efficient and scalable data solutions.

A Guide to Customer Analysis for Sequencing Kit Providers

LatchBio • 6 implied HN points • 03 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Biotechnology Data Analysis Cloud Computing Software Development Customer Support
  1. Kit providers should create analysis packages that include tools to help customers understand their data better. This makes it easier for scientists to answer their research questions.
  2. Redeemable codes can be embedded in kits to give customers access to these analysis tools. This lets providers track which customers are using the tools and how.
  3. It's crucial for kit providers to monitor their customers' progress with the analysis tools. If customers can't get the insights they need, they are less likely to buy more kits.

India’s GenAI Funding Summer Begins

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 39 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Startups Venture Capital Software Development Innovation
  1. India has seen a rise in AI funding, with the first AI unicorn called Krutrim AI raising $50 million. This shows that there is a growing interest in AI startups in India.
  2. Investors in India are sitting on a large amount of money, about $20 billion, and they are eager to invest in more AI-related projects. This means there could be a lot of new AI companies emerging.
  3. Many companies are shifting their focus to become more involved in AI. It's not just tech firms; different industries are looking to integrate AI into their operations.

The CHAT Stack, GPT-4, And The Near-Term Future Of Software

jonstokes.com • 237 implied HN points • 15 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Software Development Machine Learning Data Storage API
  1. Developers will build apps on top of ChatGPT and similar models to create interactive and knowledgeable AI assistants
  2. The CHAT stack approach involves Context, History, API, and Token window, enabling how software applications will operate in the near future
  3. GPT-4 introduces an enlarged token window, improved control surfaces, and better ability to follow human instructions

Fine-Tuning OpenAI GPT-4o mini

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 2 HN points • 21 Aug 24
🕹 Technology AI Models Natural Language Machine Learning Data science Software Development
  1. OpenAI's GPT-4o Mini allows for fine-tuning, which can help customize the model to better suit specific tasks or questions. Even with just 10 examples, users can see changes in the model's responses.
  2. Small Language Models (SLMs) are advantageous because they are cost-effective, can run locally for better privacy, and support a range of tasks like advanced reasoning and data processing. Open-sourced options provide users more control.
  3. GPT-4o Mini stands out because it supports multiple input types like text and images, has a large context window, and offers multilingual support. It's ideal for applications that need fast responses at a low cost.

That time I broke login at Box

Basta’s Notes • 204 implied HN points • 19 May 23
🕹 Technology Coding Software Development System Architecture Security
  1. Reusing code can be beneficial, but be cautious of reusing business logic as it can lead to unexpected dependencies.
  2. When rewriting code, consider extending existing functionality rather than reusing entire systems to prevent potential issues.
  3. Make sure to thoroughly understand the business logic behind the code to avoid unintended consequences, especially when dealing with complex systems.

What is CI/CD [Systems Design Sunday]

Technology Made Simple • 119 implied HN points • 28 Nov 22
🕹 Technology Software Development
  1. CI/CD stands for continuous integration & delivery. It involves frequently merging code changes and running them through automated tests.
  2. Continuous integration (CI) ensures constant code integration, helping developers catch outdated processes and maintain updated systems.
  3. Continuous delivery (CD) automates the testing and integration of code changes, ensuring smooth and efficient updates to production.