Matheus Lima
@terriblesoftware.org
💡 Posting about Software, Management, and Tech 👨💻 Engineering Manager @ Tremendous 🚀 Previously, Sr. Software Engineer @ Carta ✍️ terriblesoftware.org
An engineer I work with gave me a simple rule for using AI: brain → AI → brain. Understand the problem before the agent builds. Then check its work before anyone else has to. New post: terriblesoftware.org/2026/10/02/t...
The Brain Sandwich
The brain sandwich is a practical AI coding workflow: understand the problem, let an agent help, then verify and explain its work before sharing it.
terriblesoftware.org
I also recommend you to read @charity.wtf 's piece, which is very similar to what I wrote Friday... charity.wtf/p/confession...
Confessions of an Unrepentant Slop Snob
A framework for thinking about when AI involvement is additive or a violation
charity.wtf
Matheus Lima@terriblesoftware.org · last mo.I used to start reviews with “is this a good change?” Now I often start with “does the author even understand what they’re sending me?” When that trust is gone, you end up doing their work before you can do yours New post: terriblesoftware.org/2026/09/10/a...
I used to start reviews with “is this a good change?” Now I often start with “does the author even understand what they’re sending me?” When that trust is gone, you end up doing their work before you can do yours New post: terriblesoftware.org/2026/09/10/a...
AI Is Breaking This Thing We Call Trust
AI-generated work can look finished without being understood. That uncertainty erodes trust, slows reviews, and leaves colleagues doing the missing work.
terriblesoftware.org
“I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.” (Blaise Pascal). @terriblesoftware.org explains that the time “saved” by a developer who used AI to make a decision and write code isn’t saved at all. It was just transferred to the next person, who now has even more review time.
You Got Faster. Your Company Didn’t.
AI made you faster. But you’re not more productive; you’re outsourcing the slow part to everyone else
terriblesoftware.org
AI made everyone on your team faster. So why are companies slower? Because "faster" usually means offloading the real work to whoever comes next. terriblesoftware.org/2026/06/17/y...
You Got Faster. Your Company Didn’t.
AI made you faster. But you’re not more productive; you’re outsourcing the slow part to everyone else
terriblesoftware.org
AI should make you think better. It should not become a comfortable place to hide from the work. terriblesoftware.org/2026/05/27/u...
Using My Fucking Brain
AI is great when it extends your brain. It gets dangerous when it quietly replaces the part that was supposed to think.
terriblesoftware.org
Some engineers quietly resent not being picked for roles they never asked for. New post on why your manager can't help you if you don't open the door: terriblesoftware.org/2026/04/01/s...
Say the Thing You Want
If you want something at work, say it out loud. Your silence isn’t saving you.
terriblesoftware.org
Everyone's saying "taste" is the skill that matters in the AI era. Here's why I don't like this: terriblesoftware.org/2026/03/27/g...
“Good Taste” Is Just Experience
What people call “good taste” is really just experience earned through reps. Stop making it sound innate.
terriblesoftware.org
You can't write a compelling promotion packet about the thing you didn't build. And that's the whole problem. terriblesoftware.org/2026/03/03/n...
Nobody Gets Promoted for Simplicity
We reward complexity and ignore simplicity. In interviews, design reviews, and promotions. Here’s how to fix it.
terriblesoftware.org
"What do you think?" without sharing what YOU think isn't collaboration, but more like outsourcing cognitive work. New post on why stating your position (even when uncertain) moves things forward faster. terriblesoftware.org/2026/02/02/w...
Why Am I Doing the Thinking for You?
‘What do you think?’ without a position isn’t a question — it’s a task assignment. State your opinion first. Let people react to something concrete.
terriblesoftware.org
"I'm a manager now so I don't code anymore." Is that because you genuinely can't, or because you've convinced yourself you shouldn't? terriblesoftware.org/2026/01/22/w...
Why I Still Write Code as an Engineering Manager
I still code as an engineering manager. Not to stay busy, but to show my team what good looks like.
terriblesoftware.org
I spent weeks looking for an iPad math app for my 6yo Most of them were bad. Notifications, streaks, weird ads, systems designed to keep her hooked So I decided to vibe code her something without any addictive shady patterns She's been loving it, so I'm making it open source and sharing it
I switched everything (podcasts, YouTube, audiobooks) to 1x speed. New rule: if it's not worth consuming at 1x, it's not worth consuming at all. terriblesoftware.org/2026/01/08/l...
Life Happens at 1x Speed
Why I stopped consuming content at 2x speed, and the simple rule that changed how I listen to everything.
terriblesoftware.org
"I want to grow, but my manager isn't giving me the right opportunities." I hear this a lot. Here's the thing: even the best manager can only do so much. If you want growth, start creating your own opportunities. terriblesoftware.org/2026/01/05/c...
Creating Your Own Opportunities
The best career opportunities don’t necessarily come from your manager. They come from seeing potential in the boring work already on your plate.
terriblesoftware.org
January: "maybe a few people will read this" Today: 230,000+ unique visitors, two #1 Hacker News posts, and a lot of emails from strangers My (writing) year in review: terriblesoftware.org/2025/12/29/a...
A Year of Writing for Myself (That 230,000+ People Read)
I started this blog about a year ago with pretty modest expectations. It started as a place to organize my thoughts on management, engineering, and everything else in between. I figured maybe a few…
terriblesoftware.org
I wrote about AI and got backlash from an unexpected direction. Engineers didn't argue AI would replace them; they argued it couldn't even write code. That's... concerning. terriblesoftware.org/2025/12/19/t...
The Strange Case of Engineers Who Dismiss AI
Some engineers dismiss AI coding tools as ‘garbage’ without trying modern versions. Their outdated opinions are costing them.
terriblesoftware.org
I've been thinking about what AI actually changes for software engineers, and what it doesn't. Wrote some thoughts: terriblesoftware.org/2025/12/11/a...
AI Can Write Your Code. It Can’t Do Your Job.
The companies building AI are spending billions to acquire engineers, not replace them. Here’s why your job is safer than you think.
terriblesoftware.org
The thing that actually makes you senior isn't architecture or communication or ownership. It's being the person who makes fuzzy things concrete. terriblesoftware.org/2025/11/25/w...
What Actually Makes You Senior
The one skill that separates senior engineers from everyone else isn’t technical. It’s the ability to take ambiguous problems and make them concrete.Retry
terriblesoftware.org
New post is out 🔥 If you're copy-pasting AI responses as code review feedback, you're not helping. You're just creating more work for everyone else. Your teammates need YOUR thoughts, not ChatGPT's generic advice. terriblesoftware.org/2025/10/24/c...
“ChatGPT said this” Is Lazy
When you paste ChatGPT’s response instead of your own feedback, you’re not being helpful. You’re being lazy and creating more work for everyone.
terriblesoftware.org
Politics isn't manipulation and backstabbing. It's understanding how decisions actually get made and learning to navigate that reality. Refusing to engage doesn't make politics go away. It just means you lose by default. terriblesoftware.org/2025/10/01/s...
Stop Avoiding Politics
Most engineers think workplace politics is dirty. They’re wrong. Refusing to play politics doesn’t make you noble; it makes you ineffective.
terriblesoftware.org
ICYMI: this week's Balanced Engineer Newsletter has three articles to be a more balanced software engineer: ✨ An interactive overview of Big O Notation from @samwho.dev ✨ What shouldn't be written by AI from Sean Goedecke ✨ The management skill no one talks about from @terriblesoftware.org
The Balanced Engineer • Issue #34
Diving into Big O Notation, exploring AI content norms, and understanding the management skill that nobody talks about with content from Sam Rose, Sean Goedecke, and Matheus Lima!
archives.balancedengineer.com
Read a parenting book recently (stay with me here) that completely changed how I think about management. Turns out the most important skill isn't avoiding mistakes, it's what you do after making them. terriblesoftware.org/2025/08/22/t...
The Management Skill Nobody Talks About
“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” — Leonard Cohen Let me tell you something that will happen after you become a manager: you’re going to mess u…
terriblesoftware.org
"Be the pilot, not the turbulence." Great parenting advice that's equally true for management.
This is a thought provoking, bite sized little piece that boils down to, "don't give feedback on EVERYTHING, because not everything matters! give feedback on things that have impact." I think it's a *great* exercise for the feedback-giver to think through the impact they want their advice to have.
Matheus Lima@terriblesoftware.org · last yr.How much of your feedback is actually about performance vs. personal preference? If you can't point to specific impact, maybe the behavior that needs changing is yours. terriblesoftware.org/2025/07/18/w...
How much of your feedback is actually about performance vs. personal preference? If you can't point to specific impact, maybe the behavior that needs changing is yours. terriblesoftware.org/2025/07/18/w...
Why Most Feedback Shouldn’t Exist
Before giving feedback, ask yourself: is there measurable impact? Most manager feedback is just personal preference disguised as professional development. Stop policing personality.
terriblesoftware.org
The faster tech changes, the more valuable the things that don't change become. New post on why fundamentals matter more than ever: terriblesoftware.org/2025/07/14/w...
What Doesn’t Change
Why the faster tech evolves and AI advances, the more valuable computer science fundamentals become. Understanding principles beats chasing trends.
terriblesoftware.org
Built a tiny zsh plugin that's been super helpful for me - converts natural language to shell commands. Just 5KB, no dependencies. Would love feedback! github.com/matheusml/zsh-ai
After 10+ years as an engineer, I became the thing I used to complain about: a manager. Finally wrote about why this relationship is so broken (and how to fix it): terriblesoftware.org/2025/06/24/w...
Why Engineers Hate Their Managers (And What to Do About It)
Discover why engineers hate managers, the common management anti-patterns that destroy trust, and practical solutions from someone who’s been on both sides.
terriblesoftware.org
When AI says, "You're absolutely right!", something bad usually follows
