The Software Engineer Weekly

It's Hard to be Yourself

Everyone at one point or another growing up has been told to “be yourself,” yet it’s an inherently difficult thing to do. We humans are social…

Oct 10 • 

Kevin Naughton Jr.

10

My Most Important Learning in Software Engineering

The irony is that my most important learning in software engineering wasn’t really about software engineering at all.It’s a lesson I learned…

Oct 3 • 

Kevin Naughton Jr.

21

September 2025

3 Years Without My Dad

This week marks three years since my dad passed away. It’s a date that always prompts deep reflection, and makes me contemplate lessons I’ve learned…

Sep 26 • 

Kevin Naughton Jr.

51

My 3-Step Debugging Process That Can Solve Any Bug

Debugging used to be the most frustrating part of my job. I'd stare at broken code for hours, randomly changing things and hoping something would work…

Sep 19 • 

Kevin Naughton Jr.

36

2

Why Imposter Syndrome is Actually a Superpower

I used to think imposter syndrome was this terrible thing holding me back. That nagging voice telling me "you don't belong here" or "they're going to…

Sep 12 • 

Kevin Naughton Jr.

26

5

Momentum is Everything

Starting and getting the ball rolling is always the most difficult part of any task. It’s amazing how much momentum can make a difference in any of the…

Sep 5 • 

Kevin Naughton Jr.

20

1

August 2025

Moving Back to NYC

I'm incredibly excited to say that I've officially moved back to New York City. Spending a year in Boston was great — I'm glad I got to experience…

Aug 29 • 

Kevin Naughton Jr.

15

I Quit Google to Go Solo - Was It the Biggest Mistake of My Life?

I recently crossed the 3-month mark of being self-employed and thankfully, so far, I still believe it's been the right decision. While leaving my 9-5…

Aug 22 • 

Kevin Naughton Jr.

14

5

Pursue Passions & Disregard Opinions

Just as blinders help a racehorse focus on the track ahead, learning to block out the opinions of others can be the key to pursuing your own path. It's…

Aug 15 • 

Kevin Naughton Jr.

20

1

Building a Career

It's easy to get caught up in the stress of the moment, especially when you're focused on your career. But it's important to remember that careers are…

Aug 8 • 

Kevin Naughton Jr.

14

I've Been Thinking About Retiring

I've been thinking a lot about retirement lately, not in the traditional sense, but more about stepping back from commitments. It's an interesting…

Aug 1 • 

Kevin Naughton Jr.

16

July 2025

Run Your Own Race

Something I wish I had learned earlier in life is that everyone needs to run their own race. When we're younger, it often feels like we're all lined up…

Jul 25 • 

Kevin Naughton Jr.

24

4