--- title: Best Substack posts — July 2024 | daily.dev description: The most upvoted Substack posts from July 2024, curated by the daily.dev community. canonical: https://daily.dev/sources/substack/best-of/2024/07 twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:url: https://daily.dev/sources/substack/best-of/2024/07 og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Best Substack posts — July 2024 | daily.dev og:description: The most upvoted Substack posts from July 2024, curated by the daily.dev community. og:image: https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--VAY5ToZt--/f_auto/v1724209435/public/daily.dev%20-%20open%20graph --- # Best of Substack — July 2024 1. 1 [](https://daily.dev/posts/clean-code-7-tips-to-write-clean-functions-yxi7yixdl "Clean Code: 7 tips to write clean functions") Article Substack · 2y Clean Code: 7 tips to write clean functions Writing clean functions ensures that your code is readable, maintainable, and less prone to errors. Key tips include keeping functions small and well-named, limiting parameters, reducing nesting by returning early, writing pure functions without side effects, avoiding boolean flags, and using comments sparingly. Good coding is about communication between programmers, so clarity and simplicity are paramount. 1.4K 43 2. 2 [](https://daily.dev/posts/system-design-how-to-scale-a-database-i2uidupks "System Design: How to Scale a Database") Article Substack · 2y System Design: How to Scale a Database Scaling a database is essential as an application grows to maintain optimal performance. Strategies include: vertical scaling, adding resources to one server; indexing, creating indexes on frequently queried columns; sharding, splitting data across different servers; vertical partitioning, separating columns into smaller tables; caching, storing frequently accessed data in a faster storage layer; replication, creating copies of the database in different regions; materialized views, pre-computing and storing complex query results; and data denormalization, introducing redundancy to optimize reads by combining tables. Each method has trade-offs and can be combined based on application needs. 1.3K 26 3. 3 [](https://daily.dev/posts/40-life-lessons-i-know-at-40-that-i-wish-i-knew-at-20--sy9tno2ds "40 Life Lessons I Know at 40 (That I Wish I Knew at 20)") Article Substack · 2y 40 Life Lessons I Know at 40 (That I Wish I Knew at 20) Discover practical lessons on career, health, and relationships shared by Peter Yang, based on his experiences at 40\. Highlights include tips on following your curiosity in your career, prioritizing sleep for health, and building strong relationships by being genuinely curious about others and not keeping score. Additionally, advice is offered on maintaining a healthy diet, the importance of exercise, and seeking a calendar you control to balance various life priorities. Reflect on these insights to navigate a more fulfilling life. 1.1K 41 4. 4 [](https://daily.dev/posts/20-patterns-to-master-dynamic-programming-pqgtzalzo "20 Patterns to Master Dynamic Programming") Article Substack · 2y 20 Patterns to Master Dynamic Programming Dynamic Programming (DP) is known as a challenging topic for coding interviews. Learning DP efficiently involves understanding various patterns that solve a wide range of problems. This guide covers 20 DP patterns, from easy to hard, offering insights into their uses and linking to LeetCode problems for practice. Patterns include Fibonacci Sequence, Kadane's Algorithm for maximum subarray problems, the 0/1 and Unbounded Knapsack problems, Longest Common Subsequence, and many others. 573 7 5. 5 [](https://daily.dev/posts/the-end-of-the-everything-cloud-j1mulofdg "The end of the Everything Cloud") Article Substack · 2y The end of the Everything Cloud AWS is deprecating several low-usage services to focus more on its core offerings like EC2 and S3\. This shift, led by new leadership, aims to streamline AWS's service portfolio and enhance its primary infrastructure-as-a-service offerings. While this move may cause uncertainty regarding the stability of newer services, it is seen as a necessary step to allocate resources effectively and maintain AWS's leading position in cloud services. 186 8 6. 6 [](https://daily.dev/posts/rate-limiting-algorithms-explained-with-code-9c1vdbotp "Rate Limiting Algorithms Explained with Code") Article Substack · 2y Rate Limiting Algorithms Explained with Code Rate limiting is crucial for preventing your service from being overwhelmed by too many requests from single users or bots, which can degrade the experience for others. This post explains 5 common rate limiting algorithms: Token Bucket, Leaky Bucket, Fixed Window Counter, Sliding Window Log, and Sliding Window Counter. Each algorithm has its own set of pros and cons and is suited for different scenarios. Implementing these algorithms can help maintain a smooth and controlled flow of requests, ensuring stability and performance of your service. 143 1 7. 7 [](https://daily.dev/posts/a-primer-on-databases-as51wh8qu "A Primer on Databases") Article Substack · 2y A Primer on Databases Databases have been fundamental to software development for decades. The post discusses their history, from the invention of SQL databases to the rise of unstructured and cloud-based databases. It highlights the current database landscape, including the significance of transaction processing and analytics. The piece also touches on emerging technologies like vector databases, which are crucial for AI development. The author emphasizes that while the core technology of databases is not extremely complex, distribution and platformization will be key factors for future success in the database market. 125 1 8. 8 [](https://daily.dev/posts/5-reasons-why-your-best-developers-will-quit---and-how-can-you-postpone-it-lsuug8eib "5 reasons why your best developers will quit - and how can you postpone it") Article Substack · 2y 5 reasons why your best developers will quit - and how can you postpone it Many software developers quit due to feeling unappreciated, lonely, bored, stuck, or apathetic. To retain them, it's crucial to make them feel valued, connected, challenged, and passionate about their work. Managers should actively provide salary increases, recognize achievements, encourage team bonding, delegate interesting tasks, and support career growth. Ultimately, some factors are beyond control, and employees will still leave for various reasons, but these tips can help postpone their departure. 122 4 9. 9 [](https://daily.dev/posts/organization-architecture-9nvjfuutj "Organization Architecture") Article Substack · 2y Organization Architecture Reliability in service design hinges not on budget or staff numbers, but on the shape of the organization, and how well its structure supports communication and interaction among teams. Emphasizing consumer journeys can unlock insights to create healthier organizational designs that foster reliable systems. The article explores how collaboration within a company parallels system dependencies and highlights the detrimental impact of frequent reorganization. Upcoming discussions will cover organizational patterns such as Smorgasbord, Kebab, and Cake, and methods to optimize system reliability via effective architecture. 118 1 10. 10 [](https://daily.dev/posts/f-ck-around-and-find-out-wvv1lsfvt "F*ck Around and Find Out") Article Substack · 2y F\*ck Around and Find Out The current hype around AI in the SaaS industry has led to widespread implementation of AI features, often without clear understanding of their practical use and potential risks. Vendors are rushing to integrate generative AI into their products, despite unresolved issues in basic data management and analytics. The push for AI adoption mirrors past tech hype cycles and raises concerns about data reliability, accuracy, and the long-term utility of these AI tools. Businesses are advised to critically assess the tangible benefits and risks before jumping on the AI bandwagon, questioning the value and necessity of these features. 100 1 11. 11 [](https://daily.dev/posts/graphql-explained-eoetkenzt "GraphQL Explained") Article Substack · 2y GraphQL Explained GraphQL is a modern query language and server-side runtime that offers a more efficient, powerful, and flexible alternative to traditional REST APIs. It allows clients to request exactly the data they need through a single endpoint, supports real-time updates, and uses a strongly typed schema to ensure predictable and reliable queries. These features make it a popular choice for contemporary web development. 94 1 12. 12 [](https://daily.dev/posts/why-i-struggled-to-get-to-the-point--sfcumke6m "Why I Struggled to Get to the Point?") Article Substack · 2y Why I Struggled to Get to the Point? Struggling to get to the point in conversations can be due to habits such as cutting people off, being biased by your thoughts, or becoming prematurely defensive. Improving communication involves active listening, mindful pausing, repeating questions, understanding intentions, taking deep breaths, and assuming good intent. These strategies can help avoid misunderstandings and ensure accurate responses. 85 5 13. 13 [](https://daily.dev/posts/how-i-aced-machine-learning-interviews-my-personal-playbook-hglffxdwj "How I Aced Machine Learning Interviews: My Personal Playbook") Article Substack · 2y How I Aced Machine Learning Interviews: My Personal Playbook Preparing for a machine learning interview can be daunting with various rounds such as ML breadth, depth, system design, and coding challenges. Effective preparation involves a balanced focus on fundamental ML topics, specialized knowledge for senior roles, and understanding of system design principles. Resources like Coursera, Udacity, and specific ML books are highly recommended. Every interview is a learning journey; plan accordingly and consult with hiring company guidelines for best results. 76 14. 14 [](https://daily.dev/posts/15-life-and-work-principles-from-jensen-huang-nvidia-ceo--nmejolgtc "15 Life and Work Principles from Jensen Huang (NVIDIA CEO)") Article Substack · 2y 15 Life and Work Principles from Jensen Huang (NVIDIA CEO) Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, shares 15 principles on leadership, strategy, and personal growth. His insights include empowering employees with information, encouraging public reasoning, and maintaining transparency. Huang prefers feedback in public settings for shared learning opportunities and emphasizes strategic decisions over market share. He values resilience, humility in failure, and dedicating oneself to lifelong crafts. 62 1 15. 15 [](https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-use-perplexity-in-your-daily-workflow--olxqhvgxp "How to use Perplexity in your daily workflow 👀") Article Substack · 2y How to use Perplexity in your daily workflow 👀 Perplexity is an advanced AI-powered search tool designed to provide real-time, relevant, and concise answers to user queries by analyzing multiple sources, unlike traditional search engines. It offers features like real-time information gathering, AI-generated concise answers, and transparent source citations. The Pro version includes advanced models and the ability to ask clarifying questions for tailored results. The post highlights how Perplexity can significantly improve research efficiency and productivity across various fields, encouraging users to integrate it into their daily workflow. 44 9 16. 16 [](https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-make-money-selling-money-ab7tbku5n "How to make money selling money") Article Substack · 2y How to make money selling money Fintech startups often fail because they misunderstand their core business, which is not just selling a product but selling money and managing risk. Traditional financial institutions have a major advantage in pricing and shaping risk, which fintechs must also master to succeed. This involves novel approaches to mitigate risk after 'selling money', such as innovative customer selection and risk management strategies. Successful examples include Brex and Afterpay, which exploited gaps between perceived and actual risks. 30 17. 17 [](https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-pass-data-engineer-interviews-in-2024-tidpq4suh "How to pass data engineer interviews in 2024") Article Substack · 2y How to pass data engineer interviews in 2024 The post outlines strategies to pass data engineering interviews for 2024, emphasizing key interview types: SQL, data structures and algorithms, behavioral, data modeling, and data architecture. It provides detailed tips, such as coding efficiently in SQL, preparing for algorithm questions, and using the STAR method for behavioral interviews. Essential concepts in data modeling and architecture, including trade-offs and different architecture types, are also discussed. The author highlights the importance of clear communication, optimizing queries, and good interviewer rapport. 30 1 18. 18 [](https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-get-promoted-lessons-from-an-ex-amazon-vp-antyl7kzq "How to get promoted: Lessons from an ex-Amazon VP") Article Substack · 2y How to get promoted: Lessons from an ex-Amazon VP Ethan Evans, an ex-Amazon VP, shares career lessons on how to get promoted. Key strategies include understanding the gap between your current and desired role, asking for feedback, understanding the promotion process, building trust, and expanding your work scope. Additional tips include adapting to your manager's style, building relationships with mentors and higher-ups, and increasing visibility within the organization. 29 19. 19 [](https://daily.dev/posts/leetcode-was-hard-until-i-learned-these-15-patterns-ygyfphd8u "LeetCode was HARD until I Learned these 15 Patterns") Article Substack · 2y LeetCode was HARD until I Learned these 15 Patterns Mastering LeetCode involves understanding key problem-solving patterns rather than sheer volume of problems solved. This post outlines 15 crucial patterns, including Prefix Sum, Two Pointers, Sliding Window, Monotonic Stack, and more. Each pattern is explained with sample problems and solutions to help identify and apply the right approach efficiently. 27 20. 20 [](https://daily.dev/posts/no-one-knows-how-ai-works-ncgjeybnf "No One Knows How AI Works") Article Substack · 2y No One Knows How AI Works The complexity of neural networks, or AI, continues to baffle researchers, making them 'black boxes' whose inner workings remain largely undeciphered. Despite their powerful applications in various fields, we only have a rudimentary understanding of how they achieve their tasks. Researchers in mechanistic interpretability aim to unravel these mysteries, but their efforts are underfunded compared to the enormous sums invested in expanding and complicating AI systems. This highlights a crucial trade-off between utility and comprehensibility, raising concerns about the wisdom in our current AI advancements. 27 3 21. 21 [](https://daily.dev/posts/data-pipelines-and-scds-wct0vovp9 "Data pipelines and SCDs") Article Substack · 2y Data pipelines and SCDs Designing backfillable data pipelines using idempotent transformation code avoids the complications of ad-hoc SQL. When handling Slowly Changing Dimensions (SCDs), SCD Type 2 is preferred for its immutability and compressive qualities, though it involves complex surrogate key lookups. Alternatively, snapshot tables offer a simpler, reproducible model at the cost of higher data replication, making them ideal in cloud environments where storage is cheaper than engineering time. 27 22. 22 [](https://daily.dev/posts/surprisingly-useful-chatgpt-apps-uhzvckgsv "💯 Surprisingly useful ChatGPT apps") Article Substack · 2y 💯 Surprisingly useful ChatGPT apps ChatGPT now offers thousands of free Custom GPT apps that assist with tasks such as creating images, diagrams, and videos. Users can access these apps by signing up for a free ChatGPT account. Apps are categorized by functionality, making it easy to find tools for writing, research, productivity, and more. Noteworthy apps include ones for drawing, querying academic research, diagram creation, photo critiques, and data analysis. While the marketplace offers vast opportunities, users should be mindful of clutter, privacy concerns, and potential costs. 26 1 23. 23 [](https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-help-underperformers--glqnvq6ou "How to Help Underperformers 📉") Article Substack · 2y How to Help Underperformers 📉 The post discusses strategies for helping underperformers, emphasizing the importance of systemic performance, effective feedback, and a structured approach like the accountability dial. It highlights the role of company culture, systems, management, and individual traits in driving performance, and offers practical steps to address underperformance early and gradually. Lastly, a checklist is provided to diagnose reasons behind underperformance. 23 24. 24 [](https://daily.dev/posts/new-paper-ai-agents-that-matter-bud1ivrv5 "New paper: AI agents that matter") Article Substack · 2y New paper: AI agents that matter AI agents are systems that use large language models (LLMs) to perform real-world actions like booking flights or fixing software bugs. Although there's significant potential, their development and evaluation face many challenges. Researchers have proposed new benchmarks and evaluation methods to ensure these agents are not just good on paper but effective in practical applications. Reliability remains a key issue, and current evaluation practices may contribute to unwarranted hype. The paper by Princeton researchers offers recommendations for advancing AI agent development and reliable benchmarking. 22 2 25. 25 [](https://daily.dev/posts/10-common-ways-engineering-managers-get-stuck-qcew3mnbo "10 common ways engineering managers get stuck") Article Substack · 2y 10 common ways engineering managers get stuck Engineering managers often get stuck in common pitfalls such as ignoring destructive behaviors, trying to please everyone, and neglecting personal development. To avoid these traps, they need to address issues promptly, build strong relationships inside and outside their teams, balance their roles effectively, and maintain their own growth. Recognizing and adapting to these challenges can significantly improve management effectiveness and team success. 18 [See all Substack archives](/sources/substack/best-of) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"CollectionPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/sources/substack/best-of/2024/07#page","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/substack/best-of/2024/07","name":"Best Substack Posts — July 2024","description":"The most upvoted Substack posts from July 2024, curated by the daily.dev community.","isPartOf":{"@type":"WebSite","url":"https://daily.dev"}},{"@type":"ItemList","@id":"https://daily.dev/sources/substack/best-of/2024/07#items","numberOfItems":25,"itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"url":"https://daily.dev/posts/clean-code-7-tips-to-write-clean-functions-yxi7yixdl","name":"Clean Code: 7 tips to write clean functions"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"url":"https://daily.dev/posts/system-design-how-to-scale-a-database-i2uidupks","name":"System Design: How to Scale a Database"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"url":"https://daily.dev/posts/40-life-lessons-i-know-at-40-that-i-wish-i-knew-at-20--sy9tno2ds","name":"40 Life Lessons I Know at 40 (That I Wish I Knew at 20)"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"url":"https://daily.dev/posts/20-patterns-to-master-dynamic-programming-pqgtzalzo","name":"20 Patterns to Master Dynamic Programming"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"url":"https://daily.dev/posts/the-end-of-the-everything-cloud-j1mulofdg","name":"The end of the Everything Cloud"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":6,"url":"https://daily.dev/posts/rate-limiting-algorithms-explained-with-code-9c1vdbotp","name":"Rate Limiting Algorithms Explained with Code"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":7,"url":"https://daily.dev/posts/a-primer-on-databases-as51wh8qu","name":"A Primer on Databases"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":8,"url":"https://daily.dev/posts/5-reasons-why-your-best-developers-will-quit---and-how-can-you-postpone-it-lsuug8eib","name":"5 reasons why your best developers will quit - 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