The Hacker Chick Blog
creativity, innovation, and pushing the edge on what's possible
Why “Hacker” ?
As a self-taught programmer, the most inspirational book for me in my early years, what really made me want to be a coder and never look back, was Steven Levy’s Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution. In it, Levy describes the early computer hackers, starting back at MIT in the 1950’s, and their insatiable thirst […]
How to Work with Developers at Your Startup: A Guide for Non-Techies
Got developers at your startup? Freaking out because you have no idea how to manage them… judge the quality of their work… coach them through the forever changing product that marks the life of a startup…? Here’s what you need to do. Not just one of these. All of them. I know. It’s a long list. But they […]
Evolution is the ultimate hacker
If you’re interested in pushing the edge on what’s possible then you should look to evolution as a role model, because evolution is the ultimate hacker.
30 Days of Getting Shit Done
Screw New Years Resolutions. If you really want to get shit done in 2018, join us in the Tech Misfits Creativity Lab for 30 Days of Getting Shit Done. It’s free, it’s fun, you’ll get to do it alongside the elite tech misfits (remember that you are the average of the 5 people you spend […]
What motivates you to create?
I’ve been asking developers what it is that motivates and excites them to write code in their spare time. The best answer I’ve gotten so far is from Brendan Kohler. To which, I exhibit zero surprise.
Embracing imperfection
So if you’ve been following along, you know I’m in the middle of this 30 posts in 30 days challenge. Which, as a die-hard perfectionist who tends to blog more like 30 posts in 30 months…. well, is a challenge. My biggest challenge is allowing myself to put together a quick post to share my […]
Which do you want to be: perfect or innovative?
Do as I say, not as I do This is a quote I tweeted out last week with the comment A good reminder for us damn perfectionists: “It is easy to begin once you have accepted that what you produce may not be very good, and that’s normal.” — Megan Mcardle But, clearly. As I sit here at 5am […]
Ask Me Anything
I’ve challenged myself to 30 posts in 30 days. So…. what do you want me to write about?
Waking Up
I’ve got this kick in the ass lately – I sold my home, decided to move back up north, change what I do for a living (yeah yeah, again). I cut my hair, I want to get a dog. Two, actually. And some furry chickens…
Fun Ways to Teach Kids to Code
Following up on my Why We Need to Teach Kid to Code, here are some fun ways to help them learn. So cool – wish some of these were around when I was an 8 year old learning to code on my Atari 800! (this is an excerpt from my article for SheKnows) Games that teach computational […]
Why We Need to Teach Kids to Code
Obviously, don’t even get me started on the ridiculous skills gap we’ve got in technology and the fact that, in most schools, kids still aren’t being offered any options for learning programming. I can’t even understand it. So, when SheKnows asked me to write a couple of pieces on teaching kids to code, I jumped at […]
Biohacking: More human than human
Think hacking technology is cool? What about hacking our bodies? Welcome to the wonderful world of biohacking. Of course hacking ourselves is nothing new. People have been modifying their bodies as long as… well… we’ve been people. Cosmetic improvements like tattoos and piercings — there’s evidence of tattoos dating back to 6000 BC. And, later, technology allowed us to improve how […]
What Is Fear is Holding You Back From?
Was super excited to do a TEDx talk at the recent TEDx Lowell. And so, of course, I chose to do it on my favorite subject: doing one thing every day that scares me.
