Andy Ray's Blog

TL;DR A charismatic founder doesn't guarantee company success. I acknowledge my privileged position of being able to scrutinize companies before joining them. Not everyone has that luxury. So You're About To Join (or Fund!) A Startup You're early in your programming career. You're young, excited, and looking for The Next Big Thing™. You passed the main interviews with a trendy startup and the final step is the company founder interview. In your one-on-one interview with the founder:  They're…

TL;DR I tend to err on the side of believing someone who has experienced something I haven't, even if I initially disagree with it. Knowing vs. Understanding An audience member trying to ride a bicycle where the turning the handlebars left turns the bicycle right, and vice versa. The audience member is falling off the bike.The "Smarter Every Day" YouTube Channel released a remarkable video, The Backwards Bicycle . It features a bicycle with a gear th…

Content warning: Some anti-feminist quotes, and I make unspecific references to sexual assault. TL;DR I finally "got" feminism thanks to outspoken critics on Twitter, research, and watching many "well meaning" males complain about reverse sexism. Target Audience? If anyone, this post is targeted at my past self. I was a "well meaning" guy who would occasionally argue against feminism saying we should focus on equality for everyone, not one group. Focusing on equality for one group must be dis…