https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/tags/engineering/Recent content in Engineering on Joe McCarthyHugoen-gbSun, 02 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/08/prefer-boring-technology/Sun, 02 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/08/prefer-boring-technology/“Boring” tech is often the most reliable. Here’s why I lean toward proven tools instead of chasing trends.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/07/every-tool-has-a-cost/Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/07/every-tool-has-a-cost/Every technology decision comes with tradeoffs—whether you acknowledge them or not. Here’s how I evaluate tools.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/07/what-production-ready-means/Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/07/what-production-ready-means/“Production-ready” is often overused. Here’s what I think actually matters before shipping something real.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/06/stop-building-for-scale-you-dont-have/Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/06/stop-building-for-scale-you-dont-have/Designing for millions of users sounds smart—until it slows you down. Here’s how I think about scaling realistically.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/06/simplicity-scales-better/Sun, 07 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/06/simplicity-scales-better/Complex systems don’t just fail differently—they fail more often. Here’s why I bias toward simplicity in everything I build.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/04/over-engineering-side-projects/Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/04/over-engineering-side-projects/Side projects are supposed to be fun and useful—not production replicas of Big Tech. Here’s how over-engineering kills momentum.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/04/most-developers-dont-need-kubernetes/Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/04/most-developers-dont-need-kubernetes/Kubernetes is powerful—but for many developers, it adds more complexity than value. Here’s when it makes sense and when it doesn’t.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/03/qcon-london-2026-reflection/Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/posts/26/03/qcon-london-2026-reflection/A reflection on attending QCon London 2026, from the reality of commuting again to the sessions that actually delivered value.https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/qcon-london-2023/Fri, 31 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://joe-mccarthy.github.io/qcon-london-2023/Key takeaways from sessions and hallway conversations that made the ticket worth it.