Exploring Ideas: A Blog on Technology, Startups, Food, and More
Welcome to my blog where I share thoughts and insights on technology, startups, and life in Atlanta. Browse through the articles below or explore by topic.
OrdinalEncoder: When Order Matters in Categorical Data
April 10, 2025
In our previous post, we explored one-hot encoding, which creates binary columns for each category. But what if your categorical variable has a natural order, or you need a more compact representation? That’s where ordinal encoding comes in. Today, we’ll dive into the OrdinalEncoder from the category_encoders library - a simple yet powerful tool for handling categorical data. The Concept: Mapping ...
Measuring Success: EOS Metrics for Technology Organizations
April 9, 2025
This is Part 5 of our Building with EOS series. Check out Part 1 for the fundamentals of EOS, Part 2 for core components, Part 3 for tech implementation, and Part 4 for enhancing product development. “What gets measured gets managed,” they say. But in tech companies, figuring out exactly what to measure can feel like trying to count clouds. Should you track lines of code? User satisfaction? System...
Makefiles: The Unsung Hero of Python Development
April 8, 2025
I’ve been building Python libraries for years, and there’s one tool that consistently makes my life easier: the humble Makefile. Yes, that decades-old build automation tool from the C world. It might seem old school, but it’s become an essential part of my Python development workflow, and today I want to show you why. What’s a Makefile Anyway? If you’re coming from a pure Python background, you mi...
Atlanta Creek Restoration: Reviving Waterways for Wildlife & Community
April 7, 2025
As a cyclist who has traversed Atlanta’s urban landscape for years, I’ve had a front-row seat to the remarkable transformation of our city’s creeks. Pedaling along the evolving trails that trace Peachtree Creek, Nancy Creek, Tanyard Creek, and Proctor Creek has given me a unique perspective on these waterways. What once felt like forgotten backwaters, concrete channels I’d grudgingly ride past to ...
Modern Python Package Publishing: PyGeoHash's New CI/CD Pipeline
April 6, 2025
Gone are the days of manually building wheels and uploading them to PyPI - we now have a fully automated pipeline using GitHub Actions and PyPI’s Trusted Publisher system. Let me walk you through how we set this up, because it’s pretty cool. The Old Way vs The New Way Back in the day (like, last month), releasing PyGeoHash went something like this: Build the source distribution locally Build wheel...
Crafting Fermented Hot Sauce: A Tangy, Flavorful Adventure
April 5, 2025
Fermented hot sauce has a depth and complexity that far surpasses the vinegar-based varieties on supermarket shelves. Through lacto-fermentation (the same process that creates sauerkraut and kimchi), simple peppers transform into a tangy, funky, and deeply flavorful condiment. The best part? It’s surprisingly easy to make at home with minimal ingredients and equipment. The Recipe This is a basic t...
Military-Style Decision Making: A Secret for Business Choices
April 4, 2025
Let’s face it - making big decisions is hard. Leaders either get paralyzed by analysis or rush into poorly-conceived actions. The problem? Most of us never learned a systematic approach to decision-making. The Military Gets Decision-Making Right Military leadership has refined decision frameworks for centuries with lives on the line. Their approach isn’t about rigid procedures - it’s about making ...
PyGeoHash Gets Type Hints: A Journey into Modern Python
April 3, 2025
I’ve been on a bit of a maintenance kick lately with PyGeoHash, and the latest update brings something I’m particularly excited about: comprehensive type hints and a new types module. If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve been working on modernizing PyGeoHash, and this is another big step in that direction. What’s New? The latest PR adds two major features to PyGeoHash: Type Hints Througho...
EOS in Action: Enhancing Product Development and Technical Operations
April 2, 2025
This is Part 4 of our Building with EOS series. Check out Part 1 for the fundamentals of EOS, Part 2 for a deep dive into core components, and Part 3 for implementing EOS in tech organizations. Ever feel like your product development process is like trying to build a plane while flying it? You’re juggling feature requests, technical debt, and operational challenges - all while trying to innovate a...
Optimal Bankroll Management with Keeks: The Kelly Criterion
April 1, 2025
In this first post of our series on bankroll management strategies in Keeks, we’ll dive into the Kelly Criterion - the mathematical foundation of optimal betting and the inspiration behind the library’s name. What is the Kelly Criterion? The Kelly Criterion is a mathematical formula used to determine the optimal size of a series of bets or investments. Developed by John L. Kelly Jr. at Bell Labs i...
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Get the latest posts and insights delivered straight to your inbox.