He talks about Computer Science, AI, Education, and Philosophy in his Substack publication, The Computist Journal.

We originally published this piece in his newsletter and now we decided to refine it further and share it with you.

Without further ado, here’s Alejandro.

Competitive programming is a form of coding that involves solving algorithmic problems in competition with other coders, usually within some time and resource constraints.

The most common competition format (e.g., the ICPC, International Collegiate Programming Contests) involves teams of 3 programmers solving short coding problems in real time.

This activity requires an in-depth understanding of data structures and algorithms and fast thinking and coding skills.

For this reason, competitive programming has become an increasingly popular element of Computer Science education.

Many introductory courses in algorithms and data structures lend themselves easily to this format.

It also simplifies evaluation, as problems are graded simply by a well-crafted set of input/output pairs.

As a CS college professor, having taught introductory programming courses and specialized courses on algorithms, I have observed many pros and cons when fostering a competitive mindset in my students.

In this essay, I want to explore ways to enhance CS classes with a bit of competitive programming flavor while avoiding its main caveats.

I'm focusing on competitive programming for the purpose of clarity, but I think the main takeaways of this post apply to many other forms of competition in education.

Part 1: Benefits of the competitive mindset

Many students excel in competitive environments because the drive to win serves as motivation.

This competitive environment can push students to reach their full potential and develop valuable skills.

In competitive programming, problems are rarely straightforward.

Students must exercise creativity to decode the underlying problem. Even once the real problem is identified, applying a standard algorithm is often insufficient. Problems may require combining two or more classic algorithms unconventionally or implementing a non-trivial change to a data structure.

To come out on top, one must master complex programming problems that require a deeper understanding of algorithms and data structures.

Additionally, participating in competitions encourages students to code quickly and anticipate errors because feedback is indirect—they only know if they solved the problem or not, but not which test cases failed.

This cultivates creative and innovative thinking, valuable skills that extend beyond competition.

Participating in competitive programming entails collaborating with a team to solve a specific problem while coding on the same computer.

Although this setup is only used during the competition, students must practice working in teams to develop a collaborative mindset. Over time, they establish strong bonds that often endure throughout their careers. Typically, teams consist of at least one member who excels in coding speed and another with solid math skills.

This method of working in teams fosters trust and encourages students to divide tasks based on each individual’s strengths.

However, there are several drawbacks to overemphasizing a competitive mindset.

In the following section, we’ll examine these potential downsides. While I’ll be discussing the negative aspects in greater detail, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I believe they outweigh the benefits.

However, it’s often easier to argue in favor of the positive aspects, whereas the negative aspects require more careful consideration.

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Part 2: Possible harms to be aware of

One major disadvantage of competitive programming is the missed opportunities for many students who do not achieve significant success beyond their university studies.

I have witnessed numerous students focusing solely on competition after competition, neglecting their other subjects but still not reaching the top.

These are not poor-performing students, as they could have excelled in other subjects if they had redirected their efforts.

However, the nature of the competition is such that only the winners are recognized, leaving the second-best teams with little recognition despite their hard work and dedication.

Note that extreme cases where one team consistently outshines all others are rare.

Typically, the top two or three teams will alternate winning in different events, and multiple prizes are often available. However, when considering the 10 or 15 teams that never place in any competition, it becomes clear how much talent and hard work are sacrificed in a competitive environment. This is a downside of competition in general.

For a few to win, you need a long tail of equally talented and hardworking participants who will lose.

An additional concern with focusing too much on competitive coding is that it can lead to the formation of bad habits.

Competition problems are often artificial and come with pre-defined inputs and expected outputs. It’s also common for the expected performance to be provided, making it easier to determine if a linear, quadratic, or brute-force solution is needed.

However, real-world problems are rarely so straightforward, and students who excel in competitive programming may struggle when faced with open-ended problems that lack a clear path forward.

To succeed in competitive coding, particularly during a competition, students must rely on their instincts as there is no time to unit-test or formally prove a solution’s efficacy.

However, this approach can lead to poor software engineering practices in the long run.

It may also promote rote learning of pre-made solutions instead of genuinely comprehending the fundamental principles of computer science.

I have noticed a particularly concerning issue among some students.

They have become so accustomed to winning that they shy away from challenges where they cannot achieve maximum success. As they progress in their careers, projects become more realistic, and there is no limit to performance—there will always be room for improvement. Additionally, there is often a need to balance trade-offs, making it challenging to optimize performance metrics.

These students don’t just struggle with these problems, but actively avoid them, choosing not to participate in research groups or tackle interesting open problems due to a fear of not being at the top.

Lastly, it is the emphasis on competition can have a negative impact not only on the students who directly participate in competitive coding activities.

If we base an entire course around a competitive mindset, it can negatively affect those who do not excel under pressure.

As any teacher knows, students come in all different flavors and have countless ways of demonstrating creativity, intelligence, and talent. Forcing them all through a competitive funnel can stifle their potential.

I have witnessed this disproportionately affect marginalized students, but it is not limited to them.

Any student who struggles with working under pressure will see their performance and motivation impacted in an environment overly focused on competition.

Now that we’ve thoroughly discussed the pros and cons, let’s briefly discuss additional strategies to implement in a competitive environment.

These strategies will help students who find it challenging to perform under pressure by fostering a more encouraging and supportive atmosphere.

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Part 3: Alternatives to competition

A straightforward way to provide students with flexibility is by allowing them to revise assignments after completion.

For instance, in my programming classes, students participate taking coding exams that mimic the competitive coding environment to an extent: they are constrained in time and resources.

However, I always remind the students that if they don’t perform well during the exam, there’s still an opportunity for improvement once they get home.

They can rework their solutions and submit a better version to their professor for evaluation.

This somewhat reduces the stress on exam performance alone.

Their TA will assess the initial attempt made during the exam and subsequent revisions and give a final evaluation that considers not only what the student managed to solve during the exam but also the ideas they had afterward.

This approach acknowledges that factors such as time constraints or nervousness may lead to mistakes and allows students to demonstrate their proper understanding of the material.

Another way to create flexible assignments is by providing open-ended projects for students to work on in teams.

These projects involve a loosely defined problem, and the students must refine and define it correctly. This approach benefits those who may not excel when given strictly limited constraints. For example, posing an open-ended question like “How can we improve healthcare using machine learning?” allows students to explore various aspects of the problem through research, interviews, and critical thinking.

As a result, they may develop more innovative solutions than initially anticipated.

Finally, I also encourage my students to demonstrate their learning in any way they can think of beyond the assigned tasks.

Submitting well-formatted lecture notes, expanding on in-class examples, or solving additional problems from textbooks or online sources are all valuable ways to showcase their understanding.

They are free to work on independent projects or delve deeper into the theory only briefly discussed in lectures.

I assure them their efforts in exploring and sharing these areas with me will be appreciated and acknowledged in their final evaluation as a testament to their growth and progress in the subject matter.

The key takeaway is that flexibility is crucial when designing assignments.

Recognize that each student has unique abilities and expectations; there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to learning.

By being adaptable with your teaching methods, you can better cater to diverse needs and facilitate effective education for all students.

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Conclusion

Competitive programming allows students to develop their coding abilities as they work together to solve complex problems.

It also encourages students to think outside the box, as they must develop creative solutions to complex problems.

Additionally, competitive programming can foster collaboration and a sense of camaraderie among students as they work together to reach a common goal.

On the other hand, competitive programming can also create an environment of unnecessary stress and competition.

As a result, it can cause students to become discouraged or overwhelmed.

Additionally, competitive programming can lead to students exclusively focusing on problem-solving instead of learning the underlying concepts of the discipline.

Ultimately, every student deserves a chance to explore competitive programming and discover if it interests them.

It can be a great way to increase problem-solving and critical thinking skills and hone coding abilities.

If students enjoy competitive programming, it can provide a great platform to develop and showcase their technical skills.

However, it is essential to strike a balance when incorporating competitive programming into the classroom.

While providing an environment where the most competitive students can flourish is beneficial, it is also essential to remember those who do not thrive in competition.

Instead of solely focusing on competitive programming, providing mechanisms better suited to different learning styles is just as important.

I have argued before about how beneficial it is to foster the mindset of being an effective team player.

While competitive programming can be a valuable team skill, it should not be the only one.

Encouraging collaboration among students and having them work together to learn will significantly benefit them in the long run.

As educators, our role is to build a diverse classroom environment that caters to different learning styles so that students can benefit from each others’ strengths and create something better than they could on their own.

When you are ready, here’s how I can help you:

Improve your problem-solving skills with our Graph Theory Book.

Learn how to engage in focused work with our Deep Work Playbook.

Upgrade your subscription and access our Premium Content Library.

Come join a group of talented engineers in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Sincerely,

Alberto

P.S. This post is part of a series of guest posts I’m hosting until the end of March. If you want to be featured on this newsletter please shoot me an email or reach out on Substack.

Every Sunday, I’ll share three ideas related to the core topics we discuss in this newsletter so you can start your week aiming to become an even smarter engineer.

Here are the ones for this week:

1. Discovering and tapping into your unfair advantage.

2. How to turn common work questions into valuable articles.

3. Three examples of where you should step away from your screens.

Let’s dive in!

1) The Unfair Advantage of Specific Knowledge

Your unfair advantage is not something you can learn in school.

It is a unique blend of skills, interests, and experiences that make you unique, and irreplaceable.

Think about this:

• It’s what you are naturally great at.

• It’s what you have mastered through curiosity, not obligation.

• It’s something so niche that it’s almost impossible to automate or outsource.

It should feel natural to find your specific knowledge.

It is, as Naval Ravikant would say, something that feels like play to you but looks like work for others.

More on how I apply this principle in my daily life and how you can do the same in yours in this previous post 👇

Smarter Engineers 💡

What’s Your Unfair Advantage? 🏆

Naval Ravikant calls it Specific Knowledge…

Read more

a month ago · 26 likes · 5 comments · Alberto Gonzalez

2) Turning Common Work Questions into Valuable Articles

Coming up with ideas to write about is not hard.

Yet, people struggle with it.

They think they have to write about something new when in reality they should be writing about the everyday issues of people around them.

This is what I do every week to never run out of ideas and hit my publishing schedule:

• Listen to what people ask me.

• Identify the core problems behind every question.

• Decide on the right format to write about those core problems.

• Write a first draft based on my own experience.

• Publish and get feedback as fast as possible.

You can read the entire breakdown of these five steps on this previous post 👇

Smarter Engineers 💡

The 5-Step Framework to Turn Common Work Questions into Valuable Articles

Coming up with ideas to write about is not hard…

Read more

a month ago · 13 likes · Alberto Gonzalez

3) 3 Moments When You Should Step Away From Your Screens

Notifications, endless content, and digital overload make it harder to focus, rest, and think clearly.

Poor sleep, mental fatigue, and a constant feeling of being “on” are your worst nightmares.

But here’s the good news—small analog habits can help you reclaim your mind.

By making simple shifts you can break free from digital overwhelm and reset your brain for better focus, creativity, and clarity.

Here are three examples you might find useful:

1. To reduce screen time before bed, read a physical book for at least 20 minutes instead of scrolling on your phone.

2. To take meaningful breaks during work, step away from your screen and use a pocket notebook to sketch, doodle, or jot down random thoughts.

3. To reset your attention after long digital sessions, take a walk without your phone and mentally process your thoughts instead of consuming more content.

If you want a breakdown of the benefits and some extra pro tips, dive into this article 👇

Smarter Engineers 💡

The Digital World is Overwhelming: 3 Examples Where You Should Step Away From Your Screens

In a world dominated by screens, our attention is constantly under attack…

Read more

a month ago · 25 likes · 3 comments · Alberto Gonzalez

And that’s it for today!

If you are finding this newsletter valuable, consider doing any of these:

1) Subscribe to the full version — consider becoming a paid subscriber of Smarter Engineers. 70+ tech professionals have joined already! Learn more about the benefits of the paid plan here.

Get full access to Smarter Engineers 💡

2) Share the newsletter with a friend — and earn sweet rewards in compensation.

Share Smarter Engineers 💡

If you have any comments or feedback, reply to this email.

Have a great day,

Alberto

He helps tech leaders scale teams, guide aspiring data scientists, and levels you up in data visualization.

He also writes Senior Data Science Lead, a Substack newsletter where he shares his experiences building more than 50 data science teams in his career.

We originally published this piece in his newsletter and now we decided to refine it further and share it with you.

Without further ado, here’s Jose for you.

Ever wondered why software engineers groan about their on-call rotations while data scientists seem to sleep peacefully through the night?

This question came up during a chat with my counterpart Principal Engineer a few weeks ago. He’d never worked with data scientists before and naturally assumed we’d have on-call duties. My response? A polite but firm ‘nope.’

Here goes a personal view of why I pushed back on getting our data scientists on the on-call rotation.

• First, data scientists build systems to fail gracefully.

• Second, problems like model drift aren’t 3 AM fixes.

• And third, ML issues often need team-wide coordination.

In this article, I’ll dive into these three key differences and explore what makes on-call duties unnecessary—and sometimes outright counterproductive—for data scientists.

I would also appreciate ’s view as a software engineer who writes about health—and health is the opposite of what on-call duties provide.

Reason #1: Data scientists design their systems for graceful degradation

As a data science lead, my teams handle production-grade traffic through our machine learning models in two ways: batch inferencing and real-time traffic.

Let's focus on real-time scenarios, such as a system that ranks hotels when users search by city and dates.

When things go wrong:

For Data Scientists:

Our systems are designed with built-in fallbacks.

If our primary model (say, v54) starts showing high error rates due to feature store connectivity issues, the system automatically falls back to a simpler, more robust "failsafe" version.

This failsafe might not be as sophisticated as our latest model, but it's battle-tested and reliable.

No midnight phone calls are needed—the system handles the degradation gracefully.

For Software Engineers:

Issues often require active human decision-making and intervention.

When a service fails, someone needs to assess the situation, determine the appropriate fix, and implement it safely.

There's rarely a "flip the switch to failsafe" option—each problem might need a unique solution.

Our ML systems are built expecting things to go wrong and have predetermined fallback strategies, while software systems often need human judgment to resolve issues.

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Reason #2: The nature of debugging differs significantly

Software issues often have clear symptoms—error logs, monitoring alerts, and user reports provide immediate feedback.

Data scientists face murkier challenges: model drift, data quality issues, or statistical anomalies that require careful investigation and validation.

These aren't problems best solved at 3 AM with bleary eyes.

For example, what happens when model performance degrades?

Is it because user behavior has changed? Has data quality dropped? Or is the model itself no longer capturing important patterns?

Answering these questions requires analyzing trends over days or weeks, running A/B tests, and collaborating with business stakeholders to understand market changes.

Unlike a crashed service that needs immediate restoration, these investigations benefit from thorough analysis during business hours when we have access to the full context and team expertise.

Reason #3: The fixes for an issue regarding ML have a longer lag

Even if a data scientist was on-call and able to spot a data issue or saw that an updated pipeline was stalled, these problems tend to have broader dependencies in an organization.

Data owners will probably not be on-call either, so there is no point knowing that an upstream ETL which you have a dependency on, failed.

This is why ML system issues are better handled during business hours with a coordinated response, rather than through middle-of-the-night firefighting.

The "fix" usually isn't a quick code deployment - it's a series of collaborative decisions and actions across multiple teams.

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The takeaways

• Data scientists build ML systems to handle failure gracefully, using predetermined fallback strategies that reduce the need for midnight interventions.

• Debugging ML problems requires deep analysis and collaboration—tasks best handled during business hours when the full team is available.

• Fixing ML issues often involves upstream dependencies and broader organizational coordination, making on-call duties less effective for data scientists.

• The key difference lies in system design: data scientists prepare for uncertainty, while software engineers often need immediate, human-led responses.

Further reading

I hope you have found this content useful.

Let me know in the comments if you have faced these situations before.

For more content, about Machine Learning, Data Visualization, and Data Science team management, subscribe to my newsletter.

When you are ready, here’s how I can help you:

Improve your problem-solving skills with our Graph Theory Book.

Learn how to engage in focused work with our Deep Work Playbook.

Upgrade your subscription and access our Premium Content Library.

Come join a group of talented engineers in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Sincerely,

Alberto

P.S. This post is part of a series of guest posts I’m hosting until the end of March. If you want to be featured on this newsletter please shoot me an email or reach out on Substack.

Every Sunday, I’ll share three ideas related to the core topics we discuss in this newsletter so you can start your week aiming to become an even smarter engineer.

Here are the ones for this week:

1. Understanding dopamine as a tool for achieving your goals.

2. Non-conventional ways to make money as a software engineer.

3. How to market yourself for the value you provide instead of the time you invest.

Let’s dive in!

1) The Dopamine Success Formula

Believe it or not, your brain is wired to reward progress, not just big wins.

And in a world of instant gratification, it’s easy to sabotage your motivation without realizing it.

That’s why so many people feel stuck, unmotivated, or constantly distracted.

Luckily, you can train your brain to stay motivated—without relying on willpower.

Here are 3 tips to stay motivated and achieve your goals:

1. To stay motivated, track small wins every day, because dopamine rewards progress, not just big achievements.

2. To avoid motivation crashes, cut social media and notifications since they drain your brain’s ability to focus on real work.

3. To make deep work easier, use small rewards like a walk or coffee afterward to train your brain to crave effort.

You can go deeper into all the exact strategies, benefits, and mistakes people make in this previous article 👇

Smarter Engineers 💡

The Dopamine Success Formula: 3 Tips to Stay Motivated in a Distracting World

Met a software engineer last week…

Read more

a month ago · 18 likes · 4 comments · Alberto Gonzalez

2) Non-Conventional Ways to Make Money as an Engineer

I can only list out the ones I’ve tried and have worked for me:

1. Starting a tech Substack newsletter even if you have no prior experience as a writer.

2. Get paid to write LinkedIn posts for your company even if you don’t have a degree in marketing and sales.

3. Get referral bonuses for recommending friends for positions you (absolutely) know they will get.

More on why these work and my own experiences on this previous post 👇

Smarter Engineers 💡

3 Non-Conventional Ways to Make Money as a Programmer (That Actually Work) 💰

When you think of making money as a programmer, what comes to mind…

Read more

a month ago · 18 likes · 1 comment · Alberto Gonzalez

3) Marketing Yourself for the Value You Provide

Most people think their salary is based on skills or experience—but in reality, it’s based on how well they communicate their value.

If you want to 2x your salary, you need to tell a better story about what you bring to the table.

Here’s how to do it in 5 simple steps.

1. First, you need to be clear about the biggest impact you’ve made in your role.

2. Second, you have to stop describing what you do and start explaining why it matters.

3. Third, you have to create a short, powerful statement that sells your value.

4. Fourth, you should make your impact visible before it’s time to negotiate.

5. Finally, you must negotiate based on your results, not just the time you spent.

If you don’t position yourself as a high-value asset, your salary won’t reflect your true worth.

You can go down the rabbit hole on this previous post 👇

Smarter Engineers 💡

Your Salary is a Reflection of the Story You Tell About Your Value

Hi, let’s keep it clear and concise today…

Read more

a month ago · 29 likes · 1 comment · Alberto Gonzalez

And that’s it for today!

If you are finding this newsletter valuable, consider doing any of these:

1) Subscribe to the full version — consider becoming a paid subscriber of Smarter Engineers. 70+ tech professionals have joined already! Learn more about the benefits of the paid plan here.

Get full access to Smarter Engineers 💡

2) Share the newsletter with a friend — and earn sweet rewards in compensation.

Share Smarter Engineers 💡

If you have any comments or feedback, reply to this email.

Have a great day,

Alberto

He is a performance coach who helps people unlock the potential in their work through principles of spirituality.

He also writes The Rise, a Substack newsletter that equips you with actionable advice on improving your work in under 5 minutes each week.

We originally published this piece in his newsletter and now we decided to refine it further and share it with you.

Without further ado, here’s Zan for you.

There are two groups of software engineers in the world.

The first group are 10x engineers.They somehow manage to get an outsized amount of work done to the highest level. The second group wants to be like the first.

People have written hundreds of blogs trying to explain how people can move from the second group to the first.

But they all fall short.

Here, I want to take a different approach.

Instead of focusing on practical tips and hacks, I want to focus on you. For those with an engineering mindset, it will seem unconventional. But if you want an outsized gain, you need to start thinking outside the box.

So I ask you to suspend your judgment, and invite you to at least consider what I have to say before making the choice for yourself.

And straight off the bat, the first thing I suggest you do is rid yourself of the notion of being a 10x engineer.

Now that your cup is empty, let’s dig in.

There is no conventional path to 10x

Let me start with two observations that you can easily verify for yourself.

• No two 10x engineers are the same. In fact, they’re more likely to be wildly different.

• 10x engineers didn’t set out with a goal to be labeled as 10x engineers.

Taken together, these two observations suggest that how can I become a 10x engineer? is the wrong question to ask.

By asking that question, you’re asking for a set of instructions to reach a place someone has already discovered. A path. A track. But frankly, the beaten track will lead you nowhere because it’s been beaten to death.

There is no path to where you want to go.

The whole point of being a 10x engineer is to make your own way. And to do that, you need to start asking deeper questions.

So what’s the real question you should ask?

Well, underneath your question of how you can become a 10x engineer, is a desire. To be better, faster, more productive, more ingenious. But your desire comes from a place of fear, and implies that right now, you see yourself as insufficient in these things.

But now let’s flip these assumptions: for a moment, assume that a 10x engineer is the default state.

From this perspective, the better question to ask is:

What is my mind holding onto that’s stopping me from returning to that default state?

Now, instead of looking for external hacks and instructions, you are forced to look inside. You notice what baggage is holding you back, and realize that letting go of it is the only way to float up to the height of success.

Ask this question with sincerity, and see what comes up.

Those are the real things you need to work on to unlock the next level of performance.

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You must get out of your own way

If you did the first step properly, you’ll realize that most of your real blockers are creations of your mind.

You put so much energy into maintaining these blockers because you want to protect yourself from failure.

But that also protects you from success.

With all this wasted energy, there’s not much left to do 10x engineering.

So in reality, there’s only one thing you must subtract from the equation of your work: yourself.

Put your ego aside. Put your assumptions aside. Put the voice in your head aside.

This step is not about trying to fix these things, or challenge them, or make them better. It’s about accepting them, yet not getting involved with them.

Let your ego do what it does, let the voice in your head say what it says. Just don’t get sucked into them.

Instead, divert your newly freed energy to focus on the problem you need to solve and stay with it.

You must stay with the problem you are trying to solve

Students are perplexed by the question because they focus on an answer when all their attention should remain on the question. "Stay with the question," I tell them. "Don't worry about the answer, just get the question right. Examine your assumptions." Soon enough the question itself has been destroyed and, along with it, many layers of delusion.

Jed McKenna

The answer lies in the question is definitely an overused and abused spiritual platitude - but my experience has shown it to be true.

Here, the question refers to the engineering problem you are working on.

For example, you might be tasked with writing code to meet a particular requirement. It’s easy to jump straight into writing some code and iteratively test it - and that’s okay sometimes. But for trickier challenges, you want to get under the question.

Where did it come from?

What is it trying to achieve?

Why does the question exist in the first place?

When you look closely at the question like this, you will start to see all the assumptions baked into it.

Your job is to pry open these assumptions, work your way deep into the question, and figure out the solution that’s actually needed from there.

Just to convince you this isn’t purely spiritual woo, what I’m saying is no different to steps 1 to 3 of Elon Musk’s 5-step engineering process:

1. Make the requirements less dumb.

2. Delete the part or process.

3. Simplify or optimize the design.

4. Accelerate cycle time.

5. Automate.

Most engineers will jump to the 4th step of iteration.

But steps 1 to 3 are all about staying with the question and breaking it apart to see what the best answer really is.

That comes from examining your assumptions (steps 1 and 2), and destroying the layers of delusion (step 3).

The 10x engineering happens at the level of the question.

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My challenge to you

I sincerely hope you find this helpful.

It won’t be for everyone, and that’s okay.

The first two principles I shared are all about you and your mind. The third principle is more practical and tells you where to focus your mind. Together, they will plant the seed for outsized results in your work.

So my challenge to you this week is simple.

Start by asking yourself: what am I holding onto that’s stopping me from moving to 10x?

Happy coding.

Ready to become a 10x engineer?

Improve your problem-solving skills with our Graph Theory Book.

Learn how to engage in focused work with our Deep Work Playbook.

Upgrade your subscription and access our Premium Content Library.

Come join a group of talented engineers in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Sincerely,

Alberto

P.S. This post is part of a series of guest posts I’m hosting until the end of March. If you want to be featured on this newsletter please shoot me an email or reach out on Substack.

You are experiencing some form of hell right now.

This is what it looks like:

• You are stuck in a job that feels soul-sucking.

• You are underpaid despite years of hard-earned skills.

• You are losing real connections as screens swallow your days.

• You are neglecting your health and your chair is becoming part of you.

Does any of these sound familiar?

I’ve been there and experienced all of them.

And I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be this way.

Technology is supposed to empower us, not drain us.

In contrast, this is what heaven looks like.

Pay attention:

• You wake up to perform work that is both satisfying and rewarding.

• You have a strong relationship with your family and close friends.

• You are in the best physical and mental shape of your life.

• You belong to a community of like-minded people.

Tell me,

Did the idea of achieving even a subset of the above make you smile?

Did you feel relieved knowing there’s an alternative to hustle culture, endless pointless meetings, and high blood pressure at 25?

If you did, this is how you transition from hell to heaven.

Here’s your roadmap for work:

• You build career capital (read as skills) so that you are impossible to ignore.

• You use your skills to differentiate yourself from the crowd and negotiate based on your value instead of your time.

• You start your own business while working your 9-to-5 job.

• You adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and start seeing opportunity in everything around you.

Here’s your roadmap for health:

• You sleep 7 to 9 hours per day.

• You don’t wake up and pick up your phone and you don’t use your phone before going to bed.

• You go for walks every day and pay attention to the ideas that pop up in your mind.

• You exercise regularly because having a strong, flexible, resistant body is the best way to achieve anything in life.

• You develop creative hobbies outside of the tech space: things like writing, playing an instrument, or drawing.

Here’s your roadmap for relationships:

• You start seeking real human interactions.

• You stop seeing your coworkers as just “colleagues“ and start seeing them as human beings.

• You start planning more social events to connect with your close ones.

• You join communities of people with similar interests to yours.

• You start connecting with “normal“ people who will provide you with the greatest opportunities of your life: a job, an insight, a partnership, a friendship.

I know it sounds like a lot.

I know it takes time to implement all of this.

I know everyone’s journey is different and I can only speak from my own experience.

But I believe in you.

And you should believe in yourself.

Here’s to a more fulfilling life, a life of purpose and meaning, a life of mastery and depth.

Thanks for reading,

Alberto

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A few things before you go…

If you enjoyed this post, please hit that heart 🧡, restack 🔁, or share this post with a friend.

It helps more people discover it on the Substack platform.

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My company is hiring.

If you are interested in joining us, check out all the open positions here.

And, if you have further questions, shoot me an email or reach out on LinkedIn.

(I’m not sponsored by them, this is just my genuine desire to help you if you need a job).

I want you to write for this newsletter during March.

I am going on vacation in about a week and I plan to be mostly offline for around 3 weeks after that.

That means I will not be able to publish original issues as often as I would like to and that’s why I need your help.

If you have ideas you want to share and feel are aligned with the purpose of this newsletter, please reach out, and let’s make it happen.

Almost 7 months have passed since then, and I’ve written every week.

Damn, I’ve even written every day for some of those weeks.

Anyhow, I guess I could write a deep dive post where I would go through everything I’ve learned in the process:

• How I created my writing schedule.

• How do I get people to discover my publication.

• Or how do I come up with strategies to monetize my writing…

But I’ll leave that for another time.

Today, I want to focus on the #1 lesson I learned after writing online for the past 6 months:

No online connection can match the impact of real, human interactions.

Just look at my last week only and you’ll see what I mean:

• I started a ritual at work where we brew coffee every morning before starting our working bouts. This way we avoid the shitty coffee from Volvo Cars electric coffee machines.

• I went on an After Work event with the colleagues of my consulting company and their families and we had great food and played Petanque.

• I stayed late at my Volvo Cars office playing board games with my teammates who have very limited time for social activities because they have obligations with their partners and children.

• I had two hard climbing sessions because it is a fun and very social way to exercise. I crushed my goals for the week and that always makes me feel good.

• I played football for the first time this year. Played for two hours and ended up destroyed but happy. The winter is fading away and soon we will be able to play outdoors again.

• I became friends with an Estonian climber who's into plastic arts, and I instantly hoped she might inspire my wife to pick up her pencils again.

• I got sick on Valentine’s Day and fell asleep on my couch watching Princess Mononoke for the 27th time.

• Even though I got sick on Valentine’s Day I still went to a salary discussion meeting with my manager and walked out of there with a great compensation increase.

• Even though I got sick on Valentine’s Day I still called my parents and talked to them for an hour because I had not spoken to them in two weeks. Sometimes life gets in the way but you should always keep track of what’s important to you.

• Even though I got sick on Valentine’s Day, I still went on a mini-date with my wife before she went to work a 9-hour shift at the restaurant where she works. And even though I was sick, we planned how to celebrate our Valentine’s Day on the 17th because the date is not really what matters.

Sorry if my week was a bit packed.

I assure you I could have written even more things here but kept it to what I consider the highlights.

Anyway, do you see what’s happening here, right?

All these things that you read in under 2 minutes took several hours to develop during the week, created memories and opportunities, and most importantly, happened with real people.

My latest attempt to simulate this in the digital world is to have conversations in real time.

One thing I’ve been doing lately and that I want to start doing more is to hop on a call with readers and writers on Substack.

I’ve had beautiful conversations around here:

• couldn’t believe I would share Substack tips and tricks with her on a free 30-minute call that extended a little bit.

• told me everything about his plan to write a Substack related to learning languages.

• took time on a trip to Spain to exchange our experiences on Substack.

• tried to sell me a $5000 program that would help me make $3000-$10000/month in the next 6 months and I wasn’t ready for it.

• and I struggled to find a slot to hop on a call for two days until we finally met last week and talked about possible future collaborations.

• likes my profile picture with an orange background and wants to challenge me at Paddel (Padel? Paddle? That game somewhere in between tennis and squash).

See now?

I mean, more perfect than that would be to meet in person and have a coffee while we chat.

And please, if you are ever in Gothenburg, Sweden, let me know and I’ll take you to my favorite coffee place.

That being said, writing online is a massive opportunity for career growth and relationship-building.

That is if you know how to play it right.

And I don’t mean to be the best writer or the best salesman or the best promoter of your work.

I mean doing the right things with your online presence such that you still have time to live your life without looking at a screen.

I mean stepping out of the “mere consumer“ status and stepping into the “creator“ area without letting it consume you as well.

And yes, I’m the first one to admit that sometimes it gets hard.

I am not an expert on the online writing game (yet), but I’m definitely onto something here:

• I grew my newsletter to ~3700 subscribers.

• Of which 77 are paid subscribers.

• The open rates of my emails are at a solid 33%.

• The newsletter is averaging 39k views per month.

• The Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) is $2500.

I’m not making up these numbers.

And even if maybe my numbers don’t compare to the Substack Behemoths, they are good.

They are excellent if you put them into perspective.

For example, this ARR is already covering my grocery expenses for the whole year.

This is no small feat.

Is something of which I am extremely proud.

And the best part is that this is just the beginning.

Because writing is a long game.

Is an infinite game.

And the only way to beat this game is to keep playing it as long as possible without burning out, without sacrificing your health, and without neglecting your real-life connections.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This is what I offer you.

Let’s make both you and me happy, ok?

I’m hosting a weekly workshop with the members of this newsletter who want to use Substack as the platform to build their personal brand, share their expertise, and make a few bucks in the process.

This way I get to see your face and experience a deeper connection with you and you get access to all my expertise after writing this newsletter consistently for the past 6 months now.

It’s a win-win.

If you want to join next week, I’ll leave the invite link below.

Stay deep,

Alberto

P.S. Here’s the invitation link 👇

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I’ve been thinking about how to bring more value to this community—and today, I’m rolling out something big.

Starting this month, I’m introducing live workshops to help you level up as a tech writer.

Whether you’re just getting started or want to refine your writing strategy, these sessions will give you hands-on guidance to improve your craft.

If you have been subscribed for a while, you might know that in the past 6 months, I’ve managed to build a community of 3500+ subscribers, 70+ paid subscribers, and an ARR of $2200+.

And this is just the beginning.

I assure you you can reach even better numbers and boost your career with a new skill set that is overlooked in the tech world: writing online and building communities.

I used to think that making a living from writing online was a dream until I committed to it for 6 months straight.

And I’ve done it while:

• Working out 5 times a week.

• Working a full-time job as a software engineer.

• Having date nights with my wife every Monday and Sunday.

• Spending time with my friends and family every week because I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My goal is to help you avoid the mistakes I made and give you some shortcuts so that you can implement the right strategies from day one.

So, What’s New For You?

✅ For ALL (Free & Paid) Subscribers

📅 Monthly 2-Day Live Workshop

Every month, I’ll host a free live group session where I’ll break down the strategies I’ve used to build my own Substack.

You’ll get actionable insights and implement them live—so you walk away with real progress.

✅ For PAID Subscribers

🗓️ Weekly 60-Minute Live Workshop

Paid subscribers get access to an exclusive weekly session where we’ll go even deeper.

Each week, we’ll collect the most pressing questions & challenges from the community and address them live.

Think of it as a mastermind where you get tailored advice and direct support.

💡 Whether you’re just exploring or serious about growing your audience, these workshops are designed to give you the real-world strategies that work (for me).

How to Join?

👉 Free Subscribers: Here are the invites for both sessions happening in February:

• February 26th: Invite Link.

• February 27th: Invite Link.

👉 Paid Subscribers: You’ll receive weekly invites + access to submit your questions before each session.

If you’ve been waiting for a reason to go paid, this might be it. 😉 You’ll get weekly access to expert guidance, direct Q&A, and a supportive tech writing community.

🔒 Upgrade here to join the weekly workshops: become a paid member of Smarter Engineers.

Can’t wait to see you inside!

Cheers,
Alberto

P.S. Here’s the invite link for next week’s Live Workshop 👇

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Yet, people struggle with it.

They think they have to write about something new when in reality they should be writing about the everyday issues of people around them.

This is what I do every week to never run out of ideas and hit my publishing schedule:

• Listen to what people ask me.

• Identify the core problems behind every question.

• Decide on the right format to write about those core problems.

• Write a first draft based on my own experience.

• Publish and get feedback as fast as possible.

Let’s dive in!

1️⃣ Step #1: If you want ideas for your articles, pay attention to what people ask you.

Every day at work, people ask you questions—some are simple, some are more complex.

But these questions often reveal common:

• Challenges.

• Pain points.

• Misunderstandings.

You can start by jotting down the ones you hear most often, whether they come from junior teammates, cross-functional colleagues, or even your manager.

The best ideas will never come from guessing what people need but from real conversations.

2️⃣ Step #2: If you want your article to be helpful for most people, you must identify the core problem behind each question.

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Most people think their salary is based on skills or experience—but in reality, it’s based on how well they communicate their value.

If you want to 2x your salary, you need to tell a better story about what you bring to the table.

Here’s how to do it in 5 simple steps.

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Notifications, endless content, and digital overload make it harder to focus, rest, and think clearly. Poor sleep, mental fatigue, and a constant feeling of being “on” are your worst nightmares. But here’s the good news—small analog habits can help you reclaim your mind.

By making simple shifts you can break free from digital overwhelm and reset your brain for better focus, creativity, and clarity.

Here are three powerful ways to bring more analog moments into your day. 🚀👇

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Smart. Ambitious. But something felt off.

He told me he struggled to stay motivated—even though he loved what he did.

He’d start projects with excitement, only to lose steam a few weeks later.

The worst part? He blamed himself, thinking he just lacked discipline.

But the real problem wasn’t willpower—it was dopamine.

Believe it or not, your brain is wired to reward progress, not just big wins. And in a world of instant gratification, it’s easy to sabotage your motivation without realizing it. That’s why so many people feel stuck, unmotivated, or constantly distracted.

Luckily, you can train your brain to stay motivated—without relying on willpower.

Let’s dive in!

✅ Tip #1: If you want to stay motivated, track small wins daily because dopamine rewards progress, not just big achievements.

Here are five simple ways to track small wins daily—so you can keep your motivation high and your momentum strong.

1️⃣ Use a "Done" List Instead of Just a To-Do List

Most people focus on what they haven’t done, which kills motivation.

Instead of just checking off tasks, take a moment at the end of each day to list 3-5 things you accomplished—no matter how small. This could be making progress on a new feature, writing 200 words, or just sticking to your deep work schedule. Seeing your wins in writing reinforces progress and gives your brain a natural dopamine boost.

The more you recognize what you've done, the more motivated you’ll be to keep going.

2️⃣ Set Micro-Goals You Can Finish in a Day

Big goals are overwhelming, and that’s why so many people procrastinate.

Instead of vague goals like "work on my project," break it down into micro-goals that can be completed in a single day, like "write the introduction" or "fix one bug." Each time you check off a micro-goal, your brain releases dopamine, reinforcing the habit of taking action.

When progress feels achievable, you’ll naturally stay more motivated.

3️⃣ Track Progress Visually (Use a Streak Tracker, Journal, or Spreadsheet)

What gets measured gets improved, and visual tracking makes progress more tangible.

Use a habit tracker, journal, or simple checklist to mark each day you make progress, even if it’s small. This builds momentum over time, making you want to keep going just to maintain the streak.

The longer you track your wins, the more natural it becomes to stay consistent.

4️⃣ Celebrate Wins Immediately (Even Small Ones)

Your brain needs to associate effort with reward, or it will stop caring.

After completing a task, take a moment to celebrate—say it out loud, smile, or even do a quick fist pump. This might seem silly, but small celebrations trigger dopamine, reinforcing the habit of completing work.

When your brain links effort with positive feelings, motivation becomes effortless.

5️⃣ Reflect on Wins Every Night

Your brain quickly forgets progress, which is why you often feel like you haven’t done enough.

Before bed, write down one thing you did well today, even if it’s small—like “I was able to focus for 30 minutes without distractions.” This helps rewire your brain to recognize effort as progress instead of only chasing big achievements.

Ending your day with a win ensures you wake up ready to tackle the next one.

Subscribe now

✅ Tip #2: If you want to avoid motivation crashes, cut social media and notifications since they drain your brain’s ability to focus on real work.

Here are three common mistakes people make when trying to cut social media and notifications—plus how to fix them.

1️⃣ Going Cold Turkey and Then Relapsing

Most people try to quit social media overnight, but this often leads to frustration and relapse.

Social media is designed to be addictive, with endless dopamine rewards that make quitting feel like withdrawal. When you remove it all at once, your brain craves the stimulation, and you end up reinstalling apps or checking out of habit.

Instead of quitting completely, start by reducing use in small steps—like setting “no-check zones” in the morning or limiting screen time gradually.

2️⃣ Turning Off Notifications, but Still Checking Constantly

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The big projects. The creative tasks. The flashy wins.

But you know who becomes indispensable?

The person who masters the boring, repetitive work that no one else wants to do.

Think about it:

• 🔄 The engineer who automates tedious processes.

• 📊 The analyst who cleans up messy data without complaining.

• 📝 The writer who refines drafts until they’re razor-sharp.

Most people avoid this work. They get bored. They quit halfway.

But if you can do it well—and even improve it—you become irreplaceable.

Let’s break down how you can do this in six easy steps!

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And no, it’s not something you can learn in school.

It’s that unique blend of skills, interests, and experiences that make YOU irreplaceable. Think about it:

• 🏆 It’s what you’re naturally great at.

• ❓ It’s what you’ve mastered through curiosity, not obligation.

• 🌌 It’s something so niche that it’s almost impossible to automate or outsource.

Let’s break this down.

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Probably coding all day or landing a big-name tech job, right? 💻

But what if I told you there are non-conventional ways to earn money with your skills that don’t involve grinding out 80-hour weeks or burning out on side projects?

Here are 3 creative ways to boost your income as a programmer.

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Learning frameworks, chasing certifications, or jumping from one hot tech topic to the next? 🚀

I used to do that too, but I don’t do it anymore.

Last year, I discovered Naval Ravikant’s principles.

They hit different—like a cheat code for life, especially for people in tech.

Here are 5 simple concepts and how they can transform the way you approach your career and life.

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Quick note: February is your chance to finally build that thing you’ve been putting off—your Tech Substack, a side-hustle app, or any passion project you’ve been dreaming about.

And the best part? You won’t be doing it alone.

Welcome to the 30-Day Build & Share Challenge 💪

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Every Monday, I’d morph into Tony Robbins: 💡 “This is my week to dominate!”

By Friday? I was more like a potato. 🥔

Emails consumed my soul. Workouts? Ghosted.

And my personal projects? Sitting there like a Netflix subscription you forgot you had.

Then I realized: I wasn’t running my life—my to-do list was.

Big yikes, right?

But here’s the twist: I swapped my task-based hustle for something called Lifestyle-Centric Planning—and it changed everything.

Let’s break it down so you can reclaim your time, energy, and sanity.

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