Technicat on Software

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Technicat on Software

About the Book

Based on over two decades of professional software development by the author, Technicat on Software provides advice on software engineering topics including programming, management, system administration, startups, finding work, user interface design, and game development. These essays, such as "Seven Habits of Highly Effective Programmers", "What I Learned@MIT", and "It's the User Interface, Stupid", have attained popularity on the internet, featured on sites such as the MIT Entrepreneurial Review, and listed as required reading in college courses.

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  • Categories

    • Computers and Programming
    • Agile
    • Consulting
    • Game Development
    • Startups
    • Project Management
    • Career
    • Testing
    • Teamwork
    • Software Engineering
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About the Author

Phil Chu
Phil Chu

Phil Chu is a general purpose programmer, accidental game developer, occasional writer, and pretty bad artist, having earned computer science degrees from MIT and Johns Hopkins and worked in several corporate and government R&D projects, such as submarine battle simulation and proposal processing software for the Hubble Space Telescope, before moving on to startups and consulting in computer graphics, video games and mobile development.

Currently, Phil provides consulting and contract development via his own firm Technicat LLC, contributing to titles such as the vampire-western game Darkwatch and the Blue Mars virtual world, while self-publishing mobile games under the Fugu Games and HyperBowl brands. He enjoys technical writing, dating back to to work for a public relations firm while in college. More recently, Phil has published Learn Unity 4 for iOS Game Development through Apress and self-published Technicat on Software.

Reader Testimonials

Rick Umali
Rick Umali

Amazon Review

Technicat on Software are the well-regarded musings and reflections of Phil Chu, a professional computer programmer. Instead of preaching or using overblown language to describe programming, his style is direct and candid. You can easily imagine yourself having a drink with him at some computer show or conference, and being struck by his blunt pronouncements. But over that drink or two, you'll come to find yourself agreeing with his style, because it's a results-oriented style...

Jeff Atwood
Jeff Atwood

Coding Horror Review

Philip Chu's Seven Habits of Highly Effective Programmers is witty, eloquent, and peppered with illustrative real world anecdotes...

James Shore
James Shore

Art of Agile Review

Phil Chu of Technicat has published Seven Habits of Highly Effective Programmers. Pragmatic and dead-on, it's one of those essays I wish I had written. Go read it.

ronin915
ronin915

Amazon Review

This is a great compact read to learn more about the software industry from the perspective of an experienced professional computer/video game programmer...

Table of Contents

Seven Habits of Highly Effective Programmers

Management Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry

Minimizing Meetings

It's the User Interface, Stupid

The Art of the Schedule

Get a Job

Have Contract, Will Travel

So You Want to Make a Game

Startup Without Falling Down

What I Learned@MIT

Agile Isn't

QA for Everyone

Work Hard, Play Hard

Back It Up: Safe IT Practices

I Miss Lisp

Chess Moves: Avoid Getting Checkmated in Your Project

Driving Lessons

Take a Whirl on the Nintendo GameCube

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