Friday Links: Programming is dead, naming tools, and better than cheap
02 Jan 2026 #mondaylinksHey there.
Here are 4 links I thought were worth sharing this week:
#1. One of my worst career mistakes was going on auto-pilot without a plan. I jumped from job to job until I got bored or fired. But if you don’t plan your career, someone else will (4min).
#2. 2026 is the year to start a side project? Just find a focused time block. Maybe that’s coding on the subway (6min).
#3. A summary of the state of AI at the end of 2025 (4min) by the Redis’ creator.
#4. Holiday season is usually for reflection. If you haven’t yet, try these a 10-question (4min) or a 40-question prompts (3min). I followed that last one.
And in case you missed it, I wrote on my blog about feeling AI FOMO (2min) and a 30-action digital decluttering plan (4min).
(Bzzz…Radio voice) This email was brought to you by… my new book, Street-Smart Coding: 30 lessons to help you code like a pro. From Googling to clear communication, it covers the lessons you don’t learn in tutorials. It’s now out on Kindle and paperback on Amazon.
Happy coding in 2026!
See you next time,
Cesar