

TJ on Neovim, Wild Tech Jobs, and Life
11 snips Aug 23, 2025
TJ, a talented software developer and streamer known for his work with NeoVim and co-founder of terminal.shop, shares his insights on various topics. He discusses the challenges of mastering low-level text editors and the importance of documentation. The conversation highlights the nuances of safe software deployment in critical environments and Epic's unique in-house health tech development. TJ also reflects on navigating career transitions, balancing family life with streaming, and pursuing innovative projects like game development and selling coffee through NeoVim.
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Read Docs First, Build Second
- Read official docs thoroughly when learning a tool or language; they contain the answers you need.
- Pair reading with building small projects to solidify understanding and reveal unknowns.
First PR: Statusline Patch
- TJ's first NeoVim contribution was a statusline middle separator patch while he barely knew git.
- He submitted tests, iterated with direct feedback, and eventually got the PR merged.
Make Integrations Feel Native
- Integrating LSP into Neovim required both protocol plumbing and making behavior feel "Neovim-like."
- Design choices aimed to avoid combinatorial option explosion and keep customization ergonomic.