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.
Python Logging Best Practices for Library Developers
April 20, 2025
As someone who’s developed a few Python libraries (category-encoders, elote, etc.), I’ve learned that good logging can make the difference between a library that’s a joy to use and one that makes you want to pull your hair out. Let’s dive into what I’ve learned about logging best practices for Python library developers. The Golden Rules of Library Logging Before we get into the nitty-gritty detail...
Spargelzeit: German White Asparagus Pasta
April 19, 2025
In Germany, springtime is marked by “Spargelzeit” (asparagus time), a cultural phenomenon centered around white asparagus. This pale cousin of green asparagus appears on every restaurant menu between April and June, celebrated for its delicate, complex flavor. This pasta dish is inspired by a traditional German preparation that showcases white asparagus in a light cream sauce, allowing its subtle ...
Traits of High-Performers: What to Look for in Interviews
April 18, 2025
When it comes to job interviews, there’s more to consider than just technical skills and job requirements. Over the years, I’ve noticed a few traits that consistently set high-performers apart. These are worth assessing in interviews, and they can make a significant difference in team dynamics and project outcomes. Understanding High Agency A ‘high agency’ person is someone who takes initiative, i...
What Is a Family Office and Why Should You Care?
April 17, 2025
When I mention “family office” in conversation, I usually get one of two responses: a blank stare or “isn’t that just for billionaires?”. It’s true that traditional family offices serve the ultra-wealthy, but the principles behind them can benefit families at almost any wealth level. In this new series my goal is to demystify what family offices actually do and why you might want to pay attention....
Finding Your World-Class Niche
April 16, 2025
Being “the best in the world” isn’t about competing in the largest possible arena. It’s about finding the precise intersection where your unique capabilities, passion, and opportunity converge to create unmatched value. The Power of Specialized Excellence Most organizations and individuals try to be good at everything, spreading themselves too thin and achieving only mediocrity. A restaurant offer...
Introducing 'stargazers': A Tool to Understand Your GitHub Audience
April 16, 2025
Building and maintaining an open-source project involves more than just writing code. Understanding who is interested in your work (your stargazers and forkers) can provide invaluable insights into your community’s growth, reach, and potential. Where are they located? What other projects do they star? Answering these questions helps tailor communication, prioritize features, and build stronger con...
HashingEncoder: Tackling Extreme Cardinality with the Hashing Trick
April 15, 2025
In our journey through categorical encoding techniques, we’ve explored OneHotEncoder, OrdinalEncoder, and BinaryEncoder. Today, we’ll tackle an approach designed for extreme cardinality: the HashingEncoder from category_encoders. When you’re dealing with millions of unique categories or streaming data where new categories appear constantly, traditional encoding methods break down. That’s where the...
The Secret to Change Management: Transform While You Perform
April 14, 2025
The most difficult challenge for leaders implementing organizational change isn’t designing the transformation; it’s maintaining operational effectiveness throughout the process. Military organizations have mastered this critical balance, providing valuable lessons for civilian leaders facing similar challenges. The Dual Imperative: Transform While You Perform Military units undergo continuous tra...
BinaryEncoder: The Space-Efficient Alternative to One-Hot Encoding
April 13, 2025
In our previous posts, we explored OneHotEncoder and OrdinalEncoder, two fundamental approaches to handling categorical data. Today, we’ll dive into a clever (or hacky) middle ground: the BinaryEncoder from category_encoders. Binary encoding attempts to offer a compromise between the dimensionality explosion of one-hot encoding and the potentially problematic ordinality of ordinal encoding. It was...
Elevating Celery: A Velvety Celery Soup Recipe
April 12, 2025
Celery is often relegated to a supporting role in cooking: the background component in soups and stocks or a vehicle for dips. This soup turns that dynamic on its head, showcasing celery as the primary flavor in a velvety, satisfying dish that might just change how you think about this underappreciated vegetable. The Recipe What makes this soup special isn’t some complex technique or rare ingredie...
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