Ka Wai Cheung | Essays

Essays on all sorts of things.

100+ thoughts on business, code, software, design, and none of those things since 2006. My most recent writing lives over here.

On building software

Designing for the first 5 minutes and the next 20 yearsAug 2026
AI slop is a novelty actJul 2026
The confounding dilemma of vibe coding small, contained thingsApr 2026
Inertia vs. frictionMar 2026
Satisfaction needs time to brewFeb 2026
One small tweak can make it all make senseJan 2026
Masking the annoying detail in UXOct 2025
Here's to the crafty webSep 2025
Building products with basically nothingSep 2025
The best feelingSep 2025
I think mobile designs cause forgetfulnessAug 2025
I'm feeling pretty good about writingJul 2025
37signals? Almost.Jul 2025
A new word for simpleJun 2025
Holding on to the feeling of makingJun 2025
The lost phenomenon of recurring creativityJan 2025
The joy of designing the dreadful parts of softwareJan 2025
Is the journey really the gift?Jan 2025
Early thoughts on coding with AINov 2024
What is code readability, really?Aug 2024
The one-person product: Throwing the AI train in reverseJul 2024
Old school workarounds: Keeping the screen up to dateMay 2024
Championing the doerApr 2024
We shouldn't be surprised that code gets that wayApr 2024
My 25-year career in web design (through the Wayback Machine)Apr 2024
Professionals are often just sliver expertsMar 2024
It's OK to want to work aloneMar 2024
Most bugs live in the permutationsMar 2024
Why I can't bill timeMar 2024
Avoiding fancy abstractionsJan 2024
Old school workarounds: The interstitial stateJan 2024
Encapsulation is a messy artJan 2024
Beware the blind faith of testsJan 2024
Why it's hard to write about codeDec 2023
It's the end...and I feel fineDec 2023
The nth impressionDec 2023
Starting design with spaceDec 2023
Code as the design mediumDec 2023
The small pleasure of info tablesDec 2023
Using CSS classes as markersDec 2023
The thing to think about with feature gatingDec 2023
Why cache invalidation is actually hardDec 2023
Build software like a musicianDec 2023
Software writing to just writingDec 2023

In 2017, I wrote a series on the making of DoneDone—some flashbacks to how we started and pivotal moments during the early years of the product.

Older writing on business, work, teaching, coding, design, and testing.

What’s your weekly work pyramid?Jun 2017
Being briefApr 2017
Finding big passions in small thingsApr 2017
Sometimes, it's life-work balanceApr 2017
Where the software endsApr 2017
Shining the spotlight on stage crew softwareMar 2017
When I first learned about the impact of designMar 2017
A maker's approach to managing projectsMar 2017
The life changing magic of tidying up your codebaseMar 2017
How about a refactorthon?Nov 2016
What's the greatest piece of advice you've ever received?Nov 2016
Why sports matter to some of usNov 2016
Camraderie and recognition inside the development teamOct 2016
Finding comfort in the uncomfortableSep 2016
Building and maintaining a global search catalog using LuceneSep 2016
Make good decisionsSep 2016
There are rockstars and there are bandsAug 2016
Remembering the rabbits: A fond farewell to FlashAug 2016
The mythical couch-liftMay 2016
The unintended byproducts of refactoring codeMay 2016
Finding those “clear glue” momentsMay 2016
Sometimes archaic technology is the most effective kindMay 2016
How the evolution of baseball stadiums might inform the future of web designMar 2016
Why I (still) write codeMar 2016
Hiring into boundariesJan 2016
The psychological battle of big refactoringsSep 2015
Why it is hard to write about codeSep 2015
An homage to strict codingAug 2015
A primer on delivering a good presentationJul 2015
The personal lessons I've learned in businessJun 2015
The overlooked benefits of making yourself busyJun 2015
Building the optimal users database modelMay 2015
Do what you love, but know what love isApr 2015
Where automated testing should (and shouldn't) fit in your strategyApr 2015
Programmers should be a part of the design processFeb 2015
Give away the punchlineJan 2015
Cut the problem in halfNov 2014
The hard thing about testingOct 2014
The face on the other sideJul 2014
A remote-first approach to the workplaceJun 2014
Programming's three life lessonsJul 2014
The least you can doMay 2014
Want fewer bugs? Test these five casesApr 2014
The redesign, the wait, and the responseMar 2014
Quiet please: The benefits of online chatMar 2014
A fast code cultureFeb 2014
Thinking through your problemAug 2013
The by-products are everywhereApr 2013
Humility is at the heart of every problem solverMar 2013
There will never be a programmer in the White HouseFeb 2013
The golden rule on creating rulesFeb 2013
Create your own sense of urgencyJan 2013
Keep working on the easy stuffJan 2013
Write code to read it, not bow to itJan 2013
Reaching programmer's nirvanaJan 2013
Teach abstraction through concretenessAug 2012
Legacy code is good for your company cultureAug 2012
Who is the new business programmer?Apr 2012
Thank goodness I usually don't have a strong opinionMay 2011
Why you should (and shouldn’t) track timeMar 2011
The importance of familiarity within a teamFeb 2011
Time your detailsDec 2010
The benefits of the imperfect art of handwritingOct 2010
Selling the process with the productMar 2010
Recalibrating your sensesMar 2010
Being your own boss is about being your own employeeJan 2010
Treat time as an ingredientFeb 2010
Simple sells depending on who you’re selling it toOct 2009
Fixing software problems after the factSep 2009
Building an ISV on top of a client businessAug 2009
.NET MVC/LINQ/jQuery let you care about the details laterAug 2009
Breaking old habits: Delete your crusty old codeMar 2009
Use what you designMar 2009
Make less interface when you canFeb 2009
The fallacy of first impressionsJan 2009
Quality starts and a save: Starter-reliever developmentNov 2008
Make your product better in 2 ways every dayAug 2007
Abstracting your writing is as important as abstracting your codeOct 2006