When I joined Imprint a little less than a year ago, our deploys were manual, requiring close human attention to complete.
Our database migrations were run manually, too.
Developing good software is very possible in those circumstances, but it takes a remarkable attention to detail to do it.
It was also possible to develop good software using Subversion and developing by ssh’ing into a remote server to edit PHP files,
but the goal is making things easy rather than possible.

Lethain, authored by Will Larson, offers a unique perspective on engineering management, leadership, and organizational dynamics. Developers and engineering leaders can explore topics such as team building, career growth, and organizational design, gaining insights into building high-impact engineering organizations. With thoughtful reflections and actionable advice, Lethain serves as a resource for those navigating the complexities of engineering leadership.

Irrational Exuberance

A reflection on how coding agents are transforming software development, using two real-world infrastructure migrations as a lens: one at Uber in 2014 and one at Imprint in 2026. The key insight is that coding agents have largely solved the constraints of time and attention, shifting the primary bottleneck to judgment — knowing how to build software that is maintainable, secure, and reliable. The author proposes that 'datapacks' or skill packages (expert context injected into coding agents) will scale judgment, and that creativity will be the final frontier after judgment is addressed.

Judgment and creativity are all you need.

Productivity today is is most constrained on judgment