Matheus Lima

Some engineers quietly resent not being picked for roles they never asked for. New post on why your manager can't help you if you don't open the door: terriblesoftware.org/2026/04/01/say…

Everyone's saying "taste" is the skill that matters in the AI era. Here's why I don't like this: terriblesoftware.org/2026/03/27/goo…

You can't write a compelling promotion packet about the thing you didn't build. And that's the whole problem. terriblesoftware.org/2026/03/03/nob…

"What do you think?" without sharing what YOU think isn't collaboration, but more like outsourcing cognitive work. New post on why stating your position (even when uncertain) moves things forward faster. terriblesoftware.org/2026/02/02/why…

@brny Thank you for sharing!

I worked in process engineering and was basically forced to lead a team as a condition of promotion. I also decided not to give up technical work while managing my brilliant staff. You made the right points. Another thing is that when working on the real work you find strategic problems that are more than your team can handle that they assume are just dumb things to work around, so they wouldn't have told me. But, as a manager I can sometimes remove them. I also jumped in to handle stupid things that were a waste of anyone's time but I could do them half-assed and not get in trouble like they would have. Similarly, I went to useless all-hands meetings on their behalf so they could keep working. Last, by retaining my technical skills, I was able to retire early and consult.

"I'm a manager now so I don't code anymore." Is that because you genuinely can't, or because you've convinced yourself you shouldn't? terriblesoftware.org/2026/01/22/why…

Here are the links: - playlumi.app - github.com/matheusml/lumi Feel free to try it out with your kids as well, and tell me what they think of it!

I spent weeks looking for an iPad math app for my 6yo Most of them were bad. Notifications, ads, systems designed to keep her hooked So I decided to vibe code her something without any addictive shady patterns She's been loving it, so I'm making it open source and sharing it

@aiosym Thank you!

This was a great read, offering a manager’s perspective. I ended up exploring more of the author’s articles and found them consistently valuable. terriblesoftware.org/2026/01/05/cre…

I switched everything (podcasts, YouTube, audiobooks) to 1x speed. New rule: if it's not worth consuming at 1x, it's not worth consuming at all. terriblesoftware.org/2026/01/08/lif…

"I want to grow, but my manager isn't giving me the right opportunities." I hear this a lot. Here's the thing: even the best manager can only do so much. If you want growth, start creating your own opportunities. terriblesoftware.org/2026/01/05/cre…

January: "maybe a few people will read this" Today: 230,000+ unique visitors, two #1 Hacker News posts, and a lot of emails from strangers My (writing) year in review: terriblesoftware.org/2025/12/29/a-y…

I wrote about AI and got backlash from an unexpected direction. Engineers didn't argue AI would replace them; they argued it couldn't even write code. That's... concerning. terriblesoftware.org/2025/12/19/the…

I've been thinking about what AI actually changes for software engineers, and what it doesn't. Wrote some thoughts: terriblesoftware.org/2025/12/11/ai-…

The thing that actually makes you senior isn't architecture or communication or ownership. It's being the person who makes fuzzy things concrete. terriblesoftware.org/2025/11/25/wha…

New post is out 🔥 If you're copy-pasting AI responses as code review feedback, you're not helping. You're just creating more work for everyone else. Your teammates need YOUR thoughts, not ChatGPT's generic advice. terriblesoftware.org/2025/10/24/cha…

Politics isn't manipulation and backstabbing. It's understanding how decisions actually get made and learning to navigate that reality. Refusing to engage doesn't make politics go away. It just means you lose by default. terriblesoftware.org/2025/10/01/sto…

Read a parenting book recently (stay with me here) that completely changed how I think about management. Turns out the most important skill isn't avoiding mistakes, it's what you do after making them. terriblesoftware.org/2025/08/22/the…

"Be the pilot, not the turbulence." Great parenting advice that's equally true for management.

How much of your feedback is actually about performance vs. personal preference? If you can't point to specific impact, maybe the behavior that needs changing is yours. terriblesoftware.org/2025/07/18/why…