<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Witczax.com blog RSS feed]]></title><description><![CDATA[Expert insights on engineering management, software development, and technical leadership by Krzysztof Witczak - a seasoned engineering manager and software developer.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com</link><generator>GatsbyJS</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2025 08:46:25 GMT</lastBuildDate><item><title><![CDATA[The engineering manager pendulum]]></title><description><![CDATA[Some time have passed in the new job and my role shifted to being hands-on technical leader. How did it work?]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2025/the-pendulum/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2025/the-pendulum/</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Notes on getting hired as engineering manager in 2025]]></title><description><![CDATA[Yay, I got a new job offer! I have to admit it was more difficult than I thought. What changed in the industry since my last job search?]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2025/2025-eng-managers-market/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2025/2025-eng-managers-market/</guid><pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 2025 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tech Radar 32 summary - top 10 takeaways]]></title><description><![CDATA[A new tech radar was just shipped by Thoughtworks! Let's see what it covers. I guess something with AI?]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2025/tech-radar-32/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2025/tech-radar-32/</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Apr 2025 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[How vibe coding may affect our IDEs?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Last month Andrej Karpathy introduced a new term - "vibe programming", which essentially means going with the flow of AI suggestions, accepting it and seeing what happens. I've been using Cursor AI for a while now, and his comment made me think about the future of AI-assisted coding.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2025/vibe-coding-and-no-code/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2025/vibe-coding-and-no-code/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Mar 2025 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cursor AI and Claude - impressions from personal projects in 2025]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lately, I have shipped several solo projects using Cursor AI and Claude. It's remarkable how much it can help, especially when you try uncharted territories.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2025/cursor-ai-and-claude-impressions/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2025/cursor-ai-and-claude-impressions/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 08 Mar 2025 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Challenges in Shipping Generative AI-Based Systems: Key Production Issues]]></title><description><![CDATA[Discover the critical challenges companies face when deploying generative AI in production systems, from hallucinations to compliance requirements and technical regressions.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2024/challenges-in-shipping-gen-ai-based-systems/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2024/challenges-in-shipping-gen-ai-based-systems/</guid><pubDate>Sun, 12 May 2024 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ability to identify cross-team technical work]]></title><description><![CDATA[Many engineers wonder what it takes to turn into Staff engineers. It's a huge topic and I'll take a look at only one of those aspects - the ability to identify cross-team technical work.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2024/ability-to-identify-work/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2024/ability-to-identify-work/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 06 Apr 2024 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Craft vs Engineering]]></title><description><![CDATA[I've finished reading "Modern Software Engineering" by Dave Farley. In the first part of the book, Dave explains his definition of engineering and it resonated with me. What is it?]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2024/craft-vs-engineering/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2024/craft-vs-engineering/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 02 Mar 2024 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[What I was looking for in candidates in 2022]]></title><description><![CDATA[IT job market is much tougher than it used to be in 2022. If you're looking for a new job right now, this little guide may be useful.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2024/what-i-was-looking-for-in-candidates-in-2022/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2024/what-i-was-looking-for-in-candidates-in-2022/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 10 Feb 2024 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Advent of Code]]></title><description><![CDATA[For many, Advent is a special time saved for reflection and preparation. For some, it's a time of waking up at dawn and solving algorithmic puzzles.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2023/advent-of-code/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2023/advent-of-code/</guid><pubDate>Fri, 29 Dec 2023 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Thoughtworks Technology Radar Analysis: Key Insights from Volume 29]]></title><description><![CDATA[Explore the latest insights from Thoughtworks Technology Radar Volume 29, including emerging trends, recommended technologies, and strategic advice for software development teams.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2023/technology-radar-review/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2023/technology-radar-review/</guid><pubDate>Sun, 26 Nov 2023 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Beyond Code conference and it's unique approach]]></title><description><![CDATA[In October this year I attended an IT conference branded as having a different approach than everyone else. I confirm that this is the case.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2023/beyond-code-conference/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2023/beyond-code-conference/</guid><pubDate>Fri, 03 Nov 2023 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lessons learned from my CTO]]></title><description><![CDATA[After being in GAT for over 2.5 years and working closely with CTO, I've observed and learned a lot. Here are some of the top lessons about leadership I took out from the experience.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2023/lessons-learned-from-my-cto/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2023/lessons-learned-from-my-cto/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 02 Oct 2023 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[25 aspects of remote work to be aware of as a manager]]></title><description><![CDATA[We are in the second half of 2023 and our approach towards remote work has shifted since the start of the pandemic from love to doubt. For a long time in IT, it was considered to be a benefit, what has changed since then?]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2023/managing-in-remote-setting/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2023/managing-in-remote-setting/</guid><pubDate>Sun, 27 Aug 2023 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[How DORA, SPACE and DevEx connect?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Since the beginning of the IT industry, we couldn't find a decisive answer on how to properly measure software engineering productivity. In the last five years, there have been many discoveries on this topic - in this article, I'll try to unravel and connect the dots between the three most extensive frameworks that could bring us closer to solving the productivity puzzle.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2023/dora-space-devex/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2023/dora-space-devex/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 29 Jul 2023 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Accidental managers]]></title><description><![CDATA[Every company wants to have the best engineers they can afford. Obtaining them is hard, but keeping - even harder! In some cases, it may seem that promoting a strong engineer to a leadership position may be the biggest form of recognition and a reason for them to stay in the organization. I think it often leads to big mistakes, and here's why.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2023/accidental-managers/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2023/accidental-managers/</guid><pubDate>Sun, 25 Jun 2023 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Going back from workation in Athens: Unveiling Inspiration]]></title><description><![CDATA[I just finished my half-year workation experience in Athens, Greece! I have a couple of takeaways that could be useful for other IT professionals considering doing a similar journey.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2023/going-back-from-workation-in-athens-unveiling-inspiration/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2023/going-back-from-workation-in-athens-unveiling-inspiration/</guid><pubDate>Sun, 21 May 2023 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Encourage your engineers to try AI Assistants]]></title><description><![CDATA[Entire software engineering community debates on the influence of current AI revelations on our industry. Most people tend to agree that AI will land an impact on how software is going to be built in the upcoming years - a good idea would be to prepare yourself and your colleagues for a change that will happen, or at least be aware of what may happen.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2023/encourage-your-engineers-to-try-ai-assistants/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2023/encourage-your-engineers-to-try-ai-assistants/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Apr 2023 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Evolution of my learning methods, part #3]]></title><description><![CDATA[In the final part of the series about learning, I'll focus on discussing topics of knowledge retention - from Ebbinghaus Forgetting curve, through plastic platypus learning up to PKM systems, commonplace books and Zettelkalsten.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2023/evolution-of-my-learning-methods-part-3/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2023/evolution-of-my-learning-methods-part-3/</guid><pubDate>Fri, 31 Mar 2023 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Evolution of my learning methods, part #2]]></title><description><![CDATA[This is the second post in my series about my different levels of awareness around the topic of learning. This time I'll be describing areas like 'Just in Time' versus 'Just in Case' learning as well as the topic of 'Deliberate practice'.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2023/evolution-of-my-learning-methods-part-2/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2023/evolution-of-my-learning-methods-part-2/</guid><pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2023 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Evolution of my learning methods, part #1]]></title><description><![CDATA[It's difficult these days to keep up with constantly changing technology. The common problem is proper motivation or discipline, but lack of direction or weak retention may be equally disturbing. This post is a first of a series about my approach to constant learning.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2023/evolution-of-my-learning-methods-part-1/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2023/evolution-of-my-learning-methods-part-1/</guid><pubDate>Sun, 15 Jan 2023 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Your personal .README]]></title><description><![CDATA[Life would be so much easier, if we could just get user manuals to understand other people. We would just read a rough summary before the first encounter, highly increasing chances for great first impression. If we would spend more time with this person, we could look into the details in the manual, get the nitty gritty details. What stops us from doing that?]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/2022/personal-readme/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/2022/personal-readme/</guid><pubDate>Sun, 13 Nov 2022 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to start with programming in 2022]]></title><description><![CDATA[Almost every bigger company is looking for software engineers these days, and still, I claim that starting your first job in IT is not easy. The reason is, that everyone is looking for experienced individuals - not juniors or starters. Here's my advice on how to land this first job.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/how-to-start-with-programming-in-2022/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/how-to-start-with-programming-in-2022/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2022 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[You cannot go wrong while doing the right thing]]></title><description><![CDATA[While working with people, you constantly battle through tough choices. Multiple times, each decision will have their solid arguments and supporters. The 'Washington Post test' may be an useful trick in your toolbelt to make that choice easier.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/you-cannot-go-wrong-doing-the-right-thing/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/you-cannot-go-wrong-doing-the-right-thing/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 27 Aug 2022 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Looking through engineer eyes after a break]]></title><description><![CDATA[For over a year now I'm working in GAT as a full time engineering manager. During that time I've basically stopped contributing to the codebase. Recently, I've got opportunity to commit a couple of small updates here and there. And I've learned a lot thanks to that.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/through-engineer-eyes/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/through-engineer-eyes/</guid><pubDate>Mon, 20 Jun 2022 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[My thoughts on #NoEstimates]]></title><description><![CDATA[When I was preparing for one of my talks, I've encountered the concept called #NoEstimates. Here are my thoughts regarding this controversial idea!]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/no-estimates/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/no-estimates/</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Jan 2021 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Netguru PM Guide]]></title><description><![CDATA[Netguru is a big software house in Poland. When I browsed their website some time ago, I've found an interesting resource - a company guideline for project managers. Is it worth reading?]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/netguru_pm_guide_review/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/netguru_pm_guide_review/</guid><pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2020 12:16:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Splitting the Monolith]]></title><description><![CDATA[Around two years ago, we've made decision to use gem called React on Rails. Now is the time to move to fully separated architecture, and here are couple of my notes from that process.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/splitting_the_monolith/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/splitting_the_monolith/</guid><pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2020 12:12:03 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Extreme Ownership: Leadership Lessons from Navy SEAL Jocko Willink]]></title><description><![CDATA[Discover powerful leadership principles from Jocko Willink's Extreme Ownership book that can transform your approach to responsibility, team management, and personal accountability.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/extreme-ownership-review/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/extreme-ownership-review/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2020 22:12:03 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Phoenix Project - DevOps Book Review and Key Lessons]]></title><description><![CDATA[Discover key insights and practical lessons from The Phoenix Project, the legendary DevOps novel that revolutionizes IT operations and software delivery practices.]]></description><link>https://witczax.com/the-phoenix-project-review-and-notes/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://witczax.com/the-phoenix-project-review-and-notes/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 25 Apr 2020 22:12:03 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>