Lucas A. Meyer’s Blog

Badlands Ranch Dog Food Review

Insight into Badlands Ranch dog food’s behavior with picky eaters, its price point, packaging, promotions, and comparison to other brands.
Nov 3, 2023
Lucas A. Meyer

Father’s Day 2023

I didn’t have a good father. But my mother showed up. Happy Father’s Day to all fathers that show up, and to all non-dads and single moms that do so much every day to fill in that giant void.
Jun 18, 2023
Lucas A. Meyer

You should not base your career plan on mine

The intricacies of navigating career paths, the factors influencing career choices, the value of finding one’s Ikigai or happy medium in their career, and tips to identify and pursue what makes an individual happy and successful in their professional life.
May 31, 2023
Lucas A. Meyer

Happy Towel Day!

The significance of the number 42 in Douglas Adams’ Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, its presence in other works of literature, particularly those by Lewis Carroll, and its common usage in computer science as a seed number to generate random sequences.
May 25, 2023
Lucas A. Meyer

Teamwork - what’s wrong with this picture?

The functional dynamics and potential inefficiencies of mechanical gear systems as a metaphor for teamwork in professional settings, as well as reflections on personal experiences of teamwork within the AI for Good Lab.
Nov 8, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Quiet(ly) quitting Twitter

The reasons and ways to manage digital habits, specifically leaving social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, and transitioning to new platforms like Mastodon, along with the influence such a decision can have on one’s career and personal life.
Nov 6, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

What are you optimizing for?

The ins and outs of tech company compensation, the risks and rewards of stock-based pay, the importance of diversifying from RSUs, and the consideration of factors beyond pay when choosing a job.
Nov 4, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

NewsGuard is free for Microsoft Edge users

Methods for detecting fake news online, including evaluating the consistency of a news headline with its content and assessing the credibility of the news sharer or news website, along with an introduction to the NewsGuard service.
Sep 15, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

I use Arch, btw

The nuanced differences between using Arch Linux and other operating systems, the pride associated with successfully installing and using Arch, the challenges and rewards of its customizable nature, and the possible solution of using Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2) for dual benefits.
Aug 25, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Economics of bad phishing emails

The economics behind why scam emails often contain errors and absurd claims, specifically how this tactic can yield higher profits by narrowing down the pool of potential victims to only the most gullible ones.
Aug 14, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Teaching Economics vs. teaching Physics

The differences in teaching and learning experiences between Physics and Economics, including reactions to assumptions and terminology used in both disciplines, and how attempts at relating the material to real-world applications can often lead to misconceptions or upset students.
Jul 27, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

My model is training

How to use a script with Twilio to receive a notification when a data model is finished training.
Jul 15, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Interview question: Musky vs Tweety

The conception and optimization of loss functions, specifically through the context of a hypothetical legal dispute scenario.
Jul 13, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Two interview questions I hate

The article delves into the challenges faced by potential candidates when presented with ambiguous or unsolved problems during an interview, the dangers that interviewers face when they don’t know the answer to a problem, how a high-pressure interview setting presents issues for dealing with ambiguity, and the need for preparation and experienced interviewers to navigate these issues effectively.
Jul 11, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Quarto with Python

The usage and benefits of Quarto, a tool that builds on RMarkdown and adds native Python support known for its data integration, content generation for both computers and humans, and tutorial guide for beginners.
Jul 7, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Happy new year, Microsoft

The years of experience, flexibility, and learnings gained while working in different roles and geographical locations at Microsoft.
Jul 1, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

My review of the Farmer’s Dog food service

A detailed personal review, benefits, and drawbacks of using The Farmer’s Dog pet food and switching to Badlands Ranch dog food.
Jun 30, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Posting automatically from my blog to LinkedIn

The utilization and benefits of using Quarto for blog-posting technical content on multiple platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter.
Jun 28, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Failing to lead by example

The importance of setting a good example for work-life balance as a manager, the power of admitting when you’re wrong, and how prioritizing vacation time can actually enhance your team’s productivity and morale.
Jun 16, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Work life balance is worth something

The intricacies and considerations when choosing between employment at Microsoft and FAANG companies, comparing factors like compensation, work-life balance, and personal goals.
May 10, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Joining Microsoft

The reader will garner knowledge about the author’s excitement over their new role as Principal Data Scientist at the AI for Good Research Lab at Microsoft, their past experience and learning, and their gratitude for the support and interactions they have received in their career journey.
Apr 18, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Bear on tree

The humorous anecdotes of living closely with nature, including dealing with a bear situation.
Apr 17, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Farewell Lunch

The importance and value of instilling good team dynamics and appreciating contributory efforts in a distributed work environment.
Apr 15, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

My policies on interviewing

The importance and benefits of regular practice in job interviewing, strategies for effective interviewing, and how to handle difficult interview questions, all through personal experiences and reflections.
Apr 13, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Leaving Amazon

The deep appreciation for and benefits of working at Amazon, the personal growth experienced there, and the value of the relationships built within their team.
Apr 11, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Hiring is a superpower

The importance of hiring and developing the best team members, the benefits of an adaptive interview approach, and potentially flawed aspects of the conventional interview process.
Apr 5, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Chesterton’s Fence

The concept of Chesterton’s Fence as it applies to leadership and management, particularly the idea of understanding the reason behind existing structures and decisions before making changes.
Apr 2, 2022
Lucas A. Meyer

Using corn cob lights to beat seasonal blues

The various ways of measuring Seattle’s rainfall compared to other cities, the impact of low sunlight on mental health and energy levels, and personal strategies for coping with Seattle’s lack of sunlight, especially the use of corn cob lightbulbs.
Dec 14, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

Cunningham’s Law

The theory and application of Cunningham’s Law, the concept of exploiting biases against incorrect information, and how it economically benefits in reducing the cost of producing answers.
Nov 4, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

Do you know how smart I am in Portuguese?

The author’s journey from beginner English speaker to professional writer, the clarity gained from regular writing, and the writing culture at Amazon.
Oct 10, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

Mad Ned’s career advice

The importance of maintaining a personal brand, the impact of reputation on career progression in the tech field, and the value of kindness in professional relationships.
Sep 6, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

So you want to become a manager

Insights into the different skill set required for a manager, methods to efficiently manage time and team commitments, the importance of internal and external networking, the role of a manager as a recruiter, and the trade-off between managerial tasks and tech depth growth.
Jul 31, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

The XY Problem

The importance of properly stating the problem one is trying to solve when asking technical questions, referred to as the “XY problem,” through an example of inefficient problem-solving due to lack of clarity.
Jul 22, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

So you want to be a manager

The intricacies of a manager’s calendar, necessary meetings, the importance of interpersonal communication, and the individual’s ability to endure lengthy interactions.
Jul 13, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

 

The goodwill account

The concept of a “goodwill account”, ways in which colleagues can either debit or credit this account, and its potential utility in understanding and addressing annoying behaviors in a professional environment.
Jul 7, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

How to fail a technical phone screen

The ins and outs of technical phone screens, including their purpose and the common ways candidates fail or pass, the importance of open communication and organized responses during these screening procedures, and the need for understanding and patience in finding the right job even after several failures in this stage of the hiring process.
Jul 2, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

 

Interviews are hard for everyone

The fundamental takeaways from this markdown article are the importance of perseverance, understanding that success often involves numerous failures, and the misconception of “overnight successes”.
Jun 21, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

I’m a hiring manager: this is why I didn’t answer your LinkedIn message

The best strategies for approaching and interacting with hiring managers, common errors and misconceptions during the application process, and how to differentiate themselves in a positive light while respecting the hiring manager’s time and work circumstances.
Jun 19, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

Candidate pool

The intricacies of the job application process for large companies, including step-by-step breakdown from candidate pool selection to accepting an offer, along with tips for each stage.
Jun 5, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

 

Remember to document your code

Effective strategies for performing well in code interviews including documenting thoughts, commenting code, appropriately naming variables and functions, formatting and maintaining code, and understanding the importance of writing easily understandable code.
May 6, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

 

Getting nervous during an interview

Different techniques and strategies that interviewers can utilize to help a nervous candidate during a technical interview.
May 6, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

 

You’re applying to more positions than you think

The importance of persistence in job interviews and the potential for consideration for similar roles, even if the original role wasn’t secured.
Apr 30, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

Flunking a SQL interview with 20+ years of practice

The ups and downs of the writer’s journey in becoming proficient at SQL and their experiences with job interviews, culminating in a job they consider perfect.
Apr 15, 2021
Lucas A. Meyer

 

Installing Arch Linux

The benefits and challenges of using Arch Linux as an operating system, including its steep learning curve, the return on time investment, difficulties with high-DPI display, and the instability when using certain software combinations.
Jan 29, 2019
Lucas A. Meyer

 

Yo, Stroop!

The intricacies and challenges of developing a Slack bot using Python, Azure Functions v2.0 and Cosmos DB, including reasons for choosing these technologies, how to host on Linux, the process of creating a Slack bot and incorporating user rewards, issues encountered while working with PyODBC and Cosmos DB, and the pros and cons of using Azure Functions.
Aug 23, 2018
Lucas A. Meyer

 

Lenovo P51 - the Data Scientist’s laptop

The author recently switched from a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 to a Lenovo P51 laptop due to the Surface’s small screen size not being suitable for their work as a data scientist, and they express satisfaction with the P51’s larger screen, long battery life, and ample connectivity options, making it a great choice for traveling data scientists.
Nov 17, 2017
Lucas A. Meyer
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