Four great reads for 6/12/2025

Inclusive Hiring, AI in Dev, Historical Warnings, and Product Vision

Is Your Hiring Process Accidentally Pushing Away Amazing Neurodiverse Engineers? (Andrew Murphy)
This article critically examines common pitfalls in tech hiring that inadvertently alienate neurodiverse talent, as well as women and individuals from underrepresented groups. It outlines seven key problem areas, from overly demanding "unicorn" job descriptions to lengthy interview processes and the biased concept of "culture fit." The piece provides actionable strategies for each, advocating for more inclusive language, streamlined processes, a focus on "culture add," structured interviews, transparent communication, and diverse talent sourcing. This is a crucial guide for any organization committed to building genuinely diverse and high-performing engineering teams. (link)

My AI Skeptic Friends Are All Nuts (Thomas Ptacek)
This provocative article argues that many AI skeptics in the programming world are "nuts" for dismissing the transformative power of Large Language Models (LLMs) in software development. It debunks common criticisms, such as "hallucination" and the production of "shitty code," by emphasizing the role of AI agents and the need for developers to adapt their workflows. The piece argues that LLMs excel at tedious coding tasks, boost productivity, and are immune to inertia, thereby freeing human developers for more complex and creative work. It challenges the notion of "craft" in professional software development, suggesting that resistance to LLMs often stems from misplaced concerns or a lack of understanding about their current capabilities. (link)

What the collapse of the Ming Dynasty can tell us about American decline (Noah Smith)
This article draws a compelling parallel between the 17th-century collapse of the Ming Dynasty and potential signs of decline in contemporary America. It identifies key factors in the Ming's stagnation, including isolationism, disregard for science, and a "paradox of development" or "high-level equilibrium trap" that led to complacency. The piece suggests that America exhibits similar concerning trends, such as anti-immigrant sentiment, geographic illiteracy, a decline in interest in STEM fields, and a reluctance to acknowledge areas where other nations surpass it. This serves as a timely historical warning, urging America to shed its complacency and embrace global learning and reform to avoid a similar fate. Despite being from 2015, the themes of insularity and resistance to adapting to external progress feel acutely relevant today. (link)

Your product can't see itself. (Mike Watson)
This article argues for a fundamental shift in how product teams approach observability, moving it from a post-development afterthought to an integral part of the planning process. It highlights the common issue of shipping features "flying blind" due to inadequate instrumentation, leading to missed errors and user struggles. The piece proposes "flipping the product planning script" by defining necessary measurements and signals before design, fostering a shared language around learning goals. It offers practical "Monday-morning moves" for implementing this, such as identifying critical user paths, creating learning maps, defining observable signals, and establishing weekly observability reviews. The core message is that upfront investment in observability leads to "compound returns" in understanding user behavior and building better products. (link)