Building Feedback Loops: The Engine of Rapid Improvement

    I spent six months writing code that I thought was good. My process: Build a feature Test it locally Ship it to production Move on to the next feature What I never did: Get feedback on the quality of my code. The result: I got very good at writing bad code quickly. Then my company hired Elena, a senior engineer. Her first week, she instituted a new rule: “No code gets merged without a code review from someone senior.” ...

    November 18, 2025 · 12 min · Rafiul Alam

    Building Systems That Practice for You: Automation for Skill Development

    I wanted to get better at writing. My plan: “I’ll write every day.” What happened: Day 1: Wrote 500 words. Felt great. Day 2: Forgot to write until 11 PM. Rushed 200 words. Day 3: Too tired. Skipped. Day 4: “I’ll write tomorrow.” Day 7: Hadn’t written since Day 2. The problem: I relied on willpower and memory. Willpower is finite. Memory is unreliable. Then I built a system. The system: ...

    November 18, 2025 · 11 min · Rafiul Alam