Vercel's AI Integrations, React Native on Apple Vision, and Tackling Tech Debt through Knowledge Transfer

In this edition, we dive into AI integrations like Vercel's new offerings, the magic of React Native on Apple Vision Pro, and question the effectiveness of return-to-office policies.

We’ll tackle the nuances of tech leadership, discuss how to handle personal egos and technical debt, and how to make an impact even when you’re not the one in charge. As we explore technological advancements and the importance of building connections in senior roles, this issue invites us to explore the complexities of innovation with a pragmatic lens.

Join me for a concise journey through the latest in tech, where practicality meets pioneering spirit.

In The Queue Today

• AI Integrations, Tech Debt Management, and Return to Office Study

• React Native Tech Stack 2024 and Apple Vision Pro

• Comparing Remix, Astro, and Next.js, Understanding Tradeoffs, and Building Connections

Reduce Friction

The Minivan Loving Practical CTO

A CTO is in charge of a company's technology strategy and leadership. They control a huge part of the company budget between software development expenses, hardware, and hosting costs. A person with that much power needs to be practical and pragmatic.

Introducing AI Integrations on Vercel

Vercel has launched nine new AI integrations from leading AI companies. They’ve also created a new model playground where you can try dozens of models instantly to generate text, images, audio, and more in-dashboard. This can speed up product development for products that leverage AI.

Hurting Your Team Without Even Noticing

Ego can be associated with confidence, ambition, assertiveness. The problem happens when your ego controls you. When you start to think in terms of: my idea, my project, my success, you lose sight of the bigger goal. Newly-promoted engineering managers are especially vulnerable.

Tech Debt Management Through Knowledge-Transfer Strategy

Tribal knowledge is collective wisdom within a team, informally shared through interactions and experiences. Tacit knowledge is individual understanding shaped by personal experiences and perspectives. Both types of knowledge are critical in organizational contexts. When this knowledge isn’t properly shared among team members, it leads to the accumulation of technical debt.

More Proof That Return to Office is Pointless

University of Pittsburgh study found that return-to-office mandates did not result in significant improvements to firm performance. Their study analyzed all 137 firms on the S&P 500 that have publicly announced RTO plans since the coronavirus pandemic introduced remote work.

Influence Without Authority

Lessons on being influential without any real authority, from an ex-Google tech lead.

Deepen Your Expertise

The Best React Native Tech Stack for a New Mobile App in 2024

React Native continues to evolve. UberEats and Bloomberg build their apps using RN and are among the high-profile examples that highlight its practicality and effectiveness across different industries. This article provides insights into the best solutions for a React Native tech stack in 2024.

Announcing React Native for Apple Vision Pro

React Native is now running on Apple Vision Pro. The platform is an out-of-tree fork of the React Native core. It allows developers to leverage Immersive Spaces, volumetric windows and create XR experiences that "break" outside the bounds of your App.

Increase Scalability

Remix Takes on Next.js

Remix and Astro are two upstart JavaScript frameworks based on the React library. Next.js is sponsored by the VC-funded company Vercel, while Remix was acquired by Shopify. The core of Remix’s server approach goes right back to 2014, when its creators released React Router.

Useful tradeoffs are multi-dimensional.

Useful tradeoffs are often presented as binary choices, but you can frequently make better decisions by adding new dimensions that meet multiple stakeholders' needs. Identifying these extra dimensions requires deeply understanding different perspectives, exploring many options quickly, and learning from those who have solved similar problems before.

The Snow Melts at the Periphery

As you become more senior in an organization, it is easy to become isolated from the outside world. An ally is someone who you can rely on for opinions, insights, and perspectives that you may not have considered. Building connections with allies is one of the ways that you can retain this superpower.

Just Cool

Environmental DNA holds significant promise as a cost-effective, non-invasive tool for tracking terrestrial biodiversity. Scientists test the hypothesis that spider webs can act as passive biofilters, capturing environmental DNA from vertebrates present in the local environment.

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