The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source Storytime with Steve Yegge (Interview)
4 snips
Jul 20, 2023 
Steve Yegge, a seasoned software engineer with a rich history at Amazon and Google, now leads engineering at Sourcegraph. In this insightful talk, he shares humorous anecdotes from his tech journey, including his experiences with Jeff Bezos. He reflects on the evolution of AWS, the challenges of innovation at Google, and the importance of AI for developers. Yegge also discusses his return from retirement, emphasizing the need to embrace new technologies and engage with an ever-changing tech landscape.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Bezos's Day One Philosophy and Amazon's Design
- Steve Yegge shares a story about Jeff Bezos's "reality distortion field" and his insistence that it was "still day one" at Amazon, even after years of success.
- An insider revealed that Bezos designed Amazon to be divisible into autonomous business units, partly due to his fear of the company's demise and the need for a potential DE Shaw-style breakup.
Early Skepticism Towards AWS and the SOAP vs. REST Wars
- Steve Yegge recalls the initial skepticism towards AWS, with engineers questioning the use of a "slow" text-based protocol for RPCs.
- The preference for established object-oriented approaches like SOAP over the then-new REST architecture contributed to the resistance.
Prioritize Text-Based Formats and Developer Experience
- Steve Yegge emphasizes the importance of text-based formats, highlighting their flexibility, debuggability, and human readability.
- He criticizes the overemphasis on performance at the expense of developer experience and maintainability, citing his experience at GeoWorks.
