11 Jan 2026 #misc
One day, a man approached a Zen master with a question.
“Master, what can a simple man like me do to become wiser like you?”
The Zen master said, “Well, I just sleep, eat, and talk.”
“Hmm, I already do that. But I’m not a wise man like you,” the man said.
“You may do that. But when I sleep, I’m simply sleeping. When I eat, I’m simply eating. And when I talk, I’m simply talking. When you sleep, you remember problems. When you eat, you use your phone. And when you talk, you think about what to ask next or how to answer.”
I first heard that story in a Sunday sermon, and it stayed with me.
It reminds me of a lesson from Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now. Our mind is like a time machine, taking us to the past (where guilt and resentment live) and into the future (where anxiety lives). But wisdom begins when we step off that machine and live in the present.
10 Jan 2026 #misc
For the first time, I’m putting my numbers out there.
Mark Thompson shared his stats on Medium. The point wasn’t to show off, but to hold ourselves accountable with our growing goals.
Here are some of my stats, starting 2026:
#1. Blog: My blog is my content hub. All my ideas start or end on my blog. Then, I syndicate in other places.
Total so far: 708 posts. Last year, I posted daily and hit the 400-daily posts milestone. For a recap, here’s my 2025 in review.
#2. Medium: This is my main driver of traffic and book sales. Last year, I saw a big bump in views and followers. So far: 1,197 followers and 643 subscribers.
#3. LinkedIn: This is my only social media channel, where I reshare bite-sized posts. So far: 832 followers and 364 connections.
#4. dev.to: I use dev.to only for coding content.
I have a “funny” follower count: 28,552. Mostly inactive accounts. When you create a new account, the welcome wizard asks you to choose tags and follow people.
More accurate stats: 236 posts, 1,921 reactions, and 549 comments.
#5. Gumroad: This is my store for courses and books. Last year: 202 sales, 3,530 views, and one new book launched.
#6. Friday Links: This is the “backend” for my product sales. Each Friday, I send 4 curated links. So far: 146 subscribers and 53 issues sent.
My plan for 2026
In 2026, I’m focusing on simplifying my content strategy, not chasing followers.
Here’s what I’m doing:
- I’m using dev.to API to automatically repost my posts with a simple script.
- I’m simplifying my promotion strategy for my books.
- I’m repurposing Medium highlights on LinkedIn.
In 2026, I’m doubling down on a simple, repeatable system instead of vanity metrics.
09 Jan 2026 #mondaylinks
Hey, there!
Here are 4 links I thought were worth sharing this week:
#1. AI makes coding and shipping nearly free. Side projects alone won’t help you stand out (7min). Maybe it’s time to double down on open source contributions or start a “learn and build in public” YouTube channel.
#2. Addy Osmani, a leader at Google, shared 21 lessons after a decade of coding (10min). The one that resonated the most? #6. “Coding doesn’t advocate for you.” Good code alone doesn’t make you a good coder, especially in the AI era.
#3. AI shows coding isn’t the bottleneck. A concept that isn’t new. Here’s a breakdown of why it’s never been the bottleneck (6min).
#4. Maybe juniors won’t say the same, but it’s a great time to be a coder (5min). Our job may be to design systems and let AI fill in the blanks. (That’s point #10 from that post)
And in case you missed it, I wrote on my blog about the “hiring is broken” law of coding blogs (2min) and the mantra to thrive in the AI era (2min).
(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
08 Jan 2026 #coding
We no longer need to keep learning new programming languages.
If AI writes 90% of our code, becoming a polyglot coder isn’t valuable anymore.
Here’s what Gergely Orosz says in When AI Writes All Code,
…With AI writing most of the code, the advantage of knowing several languages will become less important when any engineer can jump into any codebase and ask the AI to implement a feature – which it will probably take a decent stab at. Even better, you can ask AI to explain parts of the codebase and quickly pick up a language much faster than without AI tools.
Obsessing over learning languages didn’t work for me. That was before AI.
Trying to master many languages was my biggest mistake as a new coder. Something else always made people stand out. And something else got me into trouble.
The real question is what skills matter.
Maybe AI is making us:
- Master one general-purpose language, like C or Go.
- Understand core principles: problem decomposition, clean code, and SOLID.
- Develop strong code-reading skills
Or maybe we should learn languages that challenge our thinking: Haskell, LISP, or a language from a different paradigm. Learning Java after C# doesn’t teach much. AI can generate code in “challenging” languages, but they build stronger problem-solving skills for prompting LLMs.
To stand out when AI shines at coding, we need to step beyond the IDE. We need teamwork, communication, and the broader skills I cover in Street-Smart Coding. It’s the roadmap I wish I had when starting out.
07 Jan 2026 #books #writing
As writers, your job is to adapt to how your readers consume words.
Why this matters: Content is free and abundant. We are drowning in emails, Slack messages, and beeps and buzzes. In seconds, we decide to read or keep scrolling.
A wall of text makes us stop reading. I learned that the hard way. And you and I do the same.
We don’t read, but skim.
Deliver fast. Say more with fewer words. That’s the big idea behind Smart Brevity, the digital version of the classic Elements of Style.
Here are six lessons to apply Smart Brevity:
#1. The one idea test. Start writing the one thing you want readers to know. Put it front and center. Then ask someone else if they can find it.
#2. Use headline, strong first line, “why,” and “go deeper.”
- Don’t make people choose what’s important. You tell them.
- Tell readers what your piece is about and if it’s for them.
- Use key phrases to guide skimmers. Phrases like “why this matters,” “the big picture,” or “backstory.”
In Mastery, Robert Greene used “Understand” to introduce big ideas. That’s a visual clue for skimmers.
#3. The bar & beach test. Write like a human. Don’t use any word you wouldn’t use in a bar or on the beach. No more “Dear LinkedIn network, I’m pleased to announce…“
#4. The “would you read it?” test. Once you’re done, ask yourself: “Would I read it if I hadn’t written it?” If not, why do you think someone else will?
#5. For email subject lines:
- Use 6 words and prefer one-syllable words.
- Emojis make your subject lines stand out.
#6. For presentations:
- Start and end with “if you remember one thing from this, …“
- Use 5 or 6 slides and one point per slide.
For fiction, we want authors to take us to new, imaginary worlds. But for emails, presentations, and social media posts, we need shorter, clear text. Even in non-fiction, why make readers flip through pages for one points? Brevity always wins!