Adrian Lamøy

After sitting on the fence, I decided to jump into the blogosphere. A blog lets me show technical expertise over time, which is a solid foundation for an online identity.

Writing on a platform with zero audience might seem foolish to some, but I feel a spark of freedom making this choice. It’s a blank sheet of paper where I can fiddle around with my thoughts on software development and security. Building this identity won’t happen overnight, but I think it’s a smart move.

Communicating technical expertise

I started my career with coding and in recent years I’ve moved more into the business side. The technical knowledge is still my greatest advantage in my job, and it’s important to keep those skills sharp. I don’t get a full day of coding nowadays, but an hour in the editor is time well spent. This leads to an important reason why I want to write — the technical details are omitted from my CV, but they’re still important in my career.

I learn a lot from my tinkering, but writing about it takes the learning experience to the next level. An idea in my head is messy when I write the first draft. By processing it over time, each pass reveals the true shape of the idea.

A good technical write-up represents something finished. It’s something to point to, instead of just talking about something. If somebody else finds the write-up useful, it’s a big bonus.

Writing without compromise

Starting a blog with zero audience may at first appear a little counterproductive with so many platforms out there. LinkedIn has a huge user base, but it’s a never-ending competition for attention. You have to write “the correct way” or the algorithms send the content into the void.

You don’t need to spend much time before you find someone with opinions about how to write for LinkedIn. The problem is, one month you must stuff your content with emojis, the next you need an image carousel. I believe the optimisation introduces compromises. Another thing, LinkedIn is a melting pot of many professions, it doesn’t work for niche writing.

This blog is something different. I write on my own terms. I expect zero audience.

There’s one more thing, writing on a public platform happens on their terms. The platform obviously gets a license to use it, but can also just delete it at will. Hours of work can just disappear overnight. This blog is easy to move to a new hosting platform, I can even run it from a Raspberry Pi under my desk.

My identity

Application security is my niche and I will continue with that long term. I started my career with coding, but I’ve drifted away from it. Still, I enjoy spending time in the editor. Using a pinch of self-awareness, there are way better developers out there than me, so coding details are not in scope when I write.

I spent time in different realms — from hands-on software development to working with executives. Bridging the gap between these domains is a challenge I like, it involves a lot of give and take on both sides. I will not pursue the optimal balance between both sides with my writing, it will probably be like a pendulum — sometimes technical, sometimes management oriented. I think that is a good foundation for my online identity.

Only time will tell what this entry into the blogosphere becomes. My hope is that my thoughts bring some sanity to the messy relationship between software development and business.