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Matthew Hou

Software engineer who spends too much time making AI do actual work. Writing about what I've tried, what worked, and what didn't. Building tools at updatewave.gumroad.com.

Joined Joined on  Personal website https://updatewave.gumroad.com
The Promotion I Didn't Get Taught Me More Than the One I Did
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The Promotion I Didn't Get Taught Me More Than the One I Did

#career #programming #growth #advice
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4 min read

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Every Web Developer Should Know These 10 Security Basics. Most Don't.
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Every Web Developer Should Know These 10 Security Basics. Most Don't.

#security #webdev #programming #beginners
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5 min read
Your App Has Zero Monitoring and You Don't Know It's Broken. Here's the Minimum Setup.
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Your App Has Zero Monitoring and You Don't Know It's Broken. Here's the Minimum Setup.

#devops #monitoring #programming #webdev
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4 min read
I've Worked Remotely for 4 Years. Here's My System for Not Going Insane.
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I've Worked Remotely for 4 Years. Here's My System for Not Going Insane.

#remote #productivity #career #programming
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5 min read
I'm a Senior Engineer and I Still Google "How to Center a Div." Here's Why That's Fine.
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I'm a Senior Engineer and I Still Google "How to Center a Div." Here's Why That's Fine.

#career #mentalhealth #programming #beginners
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4 min read
The 15 Developer Tools I Can't Live Without in 2026 (And Why)
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The 15 Developer Tools I Can't Live Without in 2026 (And Why)

#tools #productivity #programming #webdev
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3 min read
How I Convinced My Manager to Let Us Pay Down Tech Debt (A Framework That Actually Works)
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How I Convinced My Manager to Let Us Pay Down Tech Debt (A Framework That Actually Works)

#techdebt #programming #management #webdev
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5 min read
Your Node.js Project Has 1,847 Dependencies. Here's Why That's Terrifying.
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Your Node.js Project Has 1,847 Dependencies. Here's Why That's Terrifying.

#node #security #programming #webdev
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3 min read
12 Red Flags in a Technical Interview That Tell You NOT to Take the Job
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12 Red Flags in a Technical Interview That Tell You NOT to Take the Job

#career #interview #programming #advice
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4 min read
How I Learn a New Programming Language in 2 Weeks (Not 2 Months)
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How I Learn a New Programming Language in 2 Weeks (Not 2 Months)

#learning #programming #career #beginners
1
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5 min read
GraphQL vs REST: I've Used Both in Production for 3 Years. Here's When to Use Each.
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GraphQL vs REST: I've Used Both in Production for 3 Years. Here's When to Use Each.

#graphql #api #webdev #programming
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3 min read
Your GitHub Profile Is Your Second Resume. Here's How to Make It Work for You.
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Your GitHub Profile Is Your Second Resume. Here's How to Make It Work for You.

#github #career #portfolio #beginners
1
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3 min read
I Got My First Open Source PR Merged After 7 Rejections. Here's What I Learned About Contributing.
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I Got My First Open Source PR Merged After 7 Rejections. Here's What I Learned About Contributing.

#opensource #github #programming #beginners
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5 min read
The Art of Naming Things in Code (With a Cheat Sheet You'll Actually Use)
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The Art of Naming Things in Code (With a Cheat Sheet You'll Actually Use)

#programming #cleancode #webdev #beginners
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3 min read
Things Nobody Told Me Before My First Dev Job That Would Have Saved Me Months of Pain
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Things Nobody Told Me Before My First Dev Job That Would Have Saved Me Months of Pain

#career #beginners #programming #advice
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5 min read
Redis Is Not Just a Cache. Here Are 7 Things You Can Build With It.
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Redis Is Not Just a Cache. Here Are 7 Things You Can Build With It.

#redis #database #programming #webdev
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4 min read
Your .env File Is a Ticking Time Bomb. Here's a Better Way to Manage Configuration.
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Your .env File Is a Ticking Time Bomb. Here's a Better Way to Manage Configuration.

#security #devops #programming #webdev
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5 min read
We Moved to Microservices and Our Delivery Speed Dropped by 40%. Here's What We Should Have Done.
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We Moved to Microservices and Our Delivery Speed Dropped by 40%. Here's What We Should Have Done.

#microservices #architecture #devops #programming
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5 min read
The "Soft Skills" That Actually Determine Your Engineering Career (With Specific Examples)
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The "Soft Skills" That Actually Determine Your Engineering Career (With Specific Examples)

#career #softskills #programming #advice
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5 min read
I Switched From VS Code to the Terminal for a Month. I'm Not Going Back (For These 5 Tasks).
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I Switched From VS Code to the Terminal for a Month. I'm Not Going Back (For These 5 Tasks).

#terminal #productivity #vscode #linux
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4 min read
We Were Paying $14,000/Month on AWS. I Got It Down to $3,800. Here's How.
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We Were Paying $14,000/Month on AWS. I Got It Down to $3,800. Here's How.

#aws #devops #cloud #programming
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4 min read
Your Test Suite Is Lying to You. 90% Coverage and Zero Confidence.
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Your Test Suite Is Lying to You. 90% Coverage and Zero Confidence.

#testing #programming #webdev #javascript
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5 min read
I Became a Tech Lead and Wrote 80% Less Code. Here's What I Do Instead.
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I Became a Tech Lead and Wrote 80% Less Code. Here's What I Do Instead.

#leadership #career #programming #management
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6 min read
10 Things I Did as a Junior That Make Me Cringe as a Senior
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10 Things I Did as a Junior That Make Me Cringe as a Senior

#career #programming #advice #beginners
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4 min read
Our CI/CD Pipeline Went From 45 Minutes to 8 Minutes. Here's Every Optimization.
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Our CI/CD Pipeline Went From 45 Minutes to 8 Minutes. Here's Every Optimization.

#cicd #devops #programming #automation
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3 min read
How to Refactor Without Breaking Everything: A Step-by-Step Playbook
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How to Refactor Without Breaking Everything: A Step-by-Step Playbook

#refactoring #programming #cleancode #webdev
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4 min read
What I'd Do Differently in My First Week at a New Engineering Job (After Doing It 4 Times)
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What I'd Do Differently in My First Week at a New Engineering Job (After Doing It 4 Times)

#career #beginners #programming #advice
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3 min read
The Developer Productivity System I Built in Notion (With Templates You Can Steal)
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The Developer Productivity System I Built in Notion (With Templates You Can Steal)

#productivity #tools #programming #webdev
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4 min read
My Side Project Makes $2K/Month. Here's Every Mistake I Made Getting There.
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My Side Project Makes $2K/Month. Here's Every Mistake I Made Getting There.

#sideprojects #startup #entrepreneurship #webdev
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5 min read
How I Made My First $1,000 Freelancing on the Side (While Working Full-Time)
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How I Made My First $1,000 Freelancing on the Side (While Working Full-Time)

#career #freelancing #programming #beginners
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5 min read
The Debugging Framework That Finds Every Bug in Under 30 Minutes
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The Debugging Framework That Finds Every Bug in Under 30 Minutes

#debugging #programming #productivity #beginners
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5 min read
10 TypeScript Tricks That Made Me Mass-Delete Type Assertions From Our Codebase
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10 TypeScript Tricks That Made Me Mass-Delete Type Assertions From Our Codebase

#typescript #javascript #webdev #programming
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5 min read
I Built an AI Agent That Runs My Side Business While I Sleep. Here's the Architecture.
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I Built an AI Agent That Runs My Side Business While I Sleep. Here's the Architecture.

#ai #automation #programming #tutorial
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5 min read
I've Conducted 200+ Technical Interviews. Here's What Actually Gets You Hired.
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I've Conducted 200+ Technical Interviews. Here's What Actually Gets You Hired.

#career #interview #programming #beginners
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5 min read
I've Helped 50+ Engineers Rewrite Their Resumes. The Same 3 Mistakes Appear Every Time.
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I've Helped 50+ Engineers Rewrite Their Resumes. The Same 3 Mistakes Appear Every Time.

#career #resume #jobsearch #beginners
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4 min read
The Prompt Engineering Guide Nobody Needed Until AI Wrote 75% of Our Code
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The Prompt Engineering Guide Nobody Needed Until AI Wrote 75% of Our Code

#ai #programming #productivity #beginners
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5 min read
I Created .cursorrules Files for 10 Tech Stacks. Here Are the Patterns That Make AI Write Production Code.
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I Created .cursorrules Files for 10 Tech Stacks. Here Are the Patterns That Make AI Write Production Code.

#cursor #ai #coding #productivity
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4 min read
The Hottest Job in Tech Right Now Didn't Exist 18 Months Ago: AI Agent Engineer
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The Hottest Job in Tech Right Now Didn't Exist 18 Months Ago: AI Agent Engineer

#discuss #ai #career #programming
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3 min read
A Zero-Day in CSS. Yes, CSS. Here's Why Frontend Security Is the Next Battlefield.
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A Zero-Day in CSS. Yes, CSS. Here's Why Frontend Security Is the Next Battlefield.

#security #webdev #css #programming
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3 min read
Anthropic Just Banned Subscription API Access for Third Parties. Here's Why It Matters More Than You Think.
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Anthropic Just Banned Subscription API Access for Third Parties. Here's Why It Matters More Than You Think.

#discuss #ai #programming #career
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3 min read
I Built a Multi-Agent System. Here's What Broke (And What I'd Do Differently)
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I Built a Multi-Agent System. Here's What Broke (And What I'd Do Differently)

#ai #agents #programming #productivity
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3 min read
How I Do Code Reviews: A Checklist That Catches Real Bugs, Not Style Nitpicks
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How I Do Code Reviews: A Checklist That Catches Real Bugs, Not Style Nitpicks

#discuss #programming #productivity #codereview
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4 min read
PostgreSQL Features You're Not Using But Should Be (With Real Examples)
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PostgreSQL Features You're Not Using But Should Be (With Real Examples)

#postgres #database #programming #tutorial
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5 min read
I Burned Out at a FAANG and It Took 18 Months to Recover. Here Are the Warning Signs I Ignored.
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I Burned Out at a FAANG and It Took 18 Months to Recover. Here Are the Warning Signs I Ignored.

#discuss #career #beginners #productivity
Comments
6 min read
I've Reviewed 300+ API Designs. Here Are the 9 Mistakes Everyone Makes.
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I've Reviewed 300+ API Designs. Here Are the 9 Mistakes Everyone Makes.

#api #programming #webdev #beginners
1
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5 min read
7 Git Commands I Wish I Learned Before Embarrassing Myself in Front of the Whole Team
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7 Git Commands I Wish I Learned Before Embarrassing Myself in Front of the Whole Team

#git #programming #beginners #productivity
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5 min read
I Burned Out at a FAANG and It Took 18 Months to Recover. Here Are the Warning Signs I Ignored.
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I Burned Out at a FAANG and It Took 18 Months to Recover. Here Are the Warning Signs I Ignored.

#discuss #7 #git #commands
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5 min read
I've Reviewed 300+ API Designs. Here Are the 9 Mistakes Everyone Makes. in the comments.*
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I've Reviewed 300+ API Designs. Here Are the 9 Mistakes Everyone Makes. in the comments.*

#beginners
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4 min read
Stop Using Docker Like It's 2020. Here's How Production Actually Works in 2026.
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Stop Using Docker Like It's 2020. Here's How Production Actually Works in 2026.

#docker #devops #programming #tutorial
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4 min read
AI Won't Replace Programmers. But It Already Replaced the Job You Were Hired For.
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AI Won't Replace Programmers. But It Already Replaced the Job You Were Hired For.

#discuss #ai #career #programming
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5 min read
The System Design Interview Is Broken. Here's How to Pass It Anyway.
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The System Design Interview Is Broken. Here's How to Pass It Anyway.

Comments
5 min read
The Exact Scripts I Used to Negotiate $45K More in Comp. Exposed, Line by Line.
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The Exact Scripts I Used to Negotiate $45K More in Comp. Exposed, Line by Line.

#discuss #career #beginners #productivity
Comments
6 min read
I Burned Out at a FAANG and It Took 18 Months to Recover. Here Are the Warning Signs I Ignored.
matthewhou profile

I Burned Out at a FAANG and It Took 18 Months to Recover. Here Are the Warning Signs I Ignored.

#productivity
Comments
6 min read
I've Reviewed 300+ API Designs. Here Are the 9 Mistakes Everyone Makes.
matthewhou profile

I've Reviewed 300+ API Designs. Here Are the 9 Mistakes Everyone Makes.

#beginners
Comments
5 min read
7 Git Commands I Wish I Learned Before Embarrassing Myself in Front of the Whole Team
matthewhou profile

7 Git Commands I Wish I Learned Before Embarrassing Myself in Front of the Whole Team

#productivity
Comments
5 min read
The Exact Scripts I Used to Negotiate $45K More in Comp. Exposed, Line by Line.
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The Exact Scripts I Used to Negotiate $45K More in Comp. Exposed, Line by Line.

#discuss #career #beginners #productivity
Comments
6 min read
I Shipped a SaaS MVP in 72 Hours Using "Vibe Coding." Here's What Went Right and What Almost Killed the Project.
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I Shipped a SaaS MVP in 72 Hours Using "Vibe Coding." Here's What Went Right and What Almost Killed the Project.

#aiwebdevprogrammingstartup
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6 min read
The Most Valuable Thing I Do as a Senior Engineer Is Delete Code
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The Most Valuable Thing I Do as a Senior Engineer Is Delete Code

#programming #career #productivity #softwareengineering
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5 min read
Claude Code vs Cursor vs GitHub Copilot: What Nobody Tells You After Using All Three
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Claude Code vs Cursor vs GitHub Copilot: What Nobody Tells You After Using All Three

#ai #programming #productivity #webdev
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4 min read
Your Resume Is Being Read by AI Before Any Human Sees It. Here's How to Beat the Filter.
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Your Resume Is Being Read by AI Before Any Human Sees It. Here's How to Beat the Filter.

#careeraibeginproductivityners
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3 min read
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