2023-02-02 05:00
What do Agile, Waterfall, and the former energy corporation Enron have in common? A strange shared history that may shed light on one of the most well-known conflicts in software development… Read More
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Toptal Engineering Blog
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The Toptal Blog is the top hub for software engineers, designers, project managers, and entrepreneurs, featuring in-depth coverage of platforms and technologies, comprehensive tutorials by professional Toptal talent, and resources to help ambitious freelancers stay on the cutting edge.
2023-01-25 05:00
Apply the four steps in this user flow analysis method to make your product development process more efficient—and improve UX for activities like app onboarding and checkout Read More
2023-01-18 08:00
UX designer Pam Nicholls has created video games and augmented reality experiences for companies like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and DreamWorks Animation. Here she explores designing for the… Read More
2023-01-17 06:00
A PMO can deliver huge value, but setting one up can be a challenge—especially if it is an organization’s first time. Ensure a smooth launch with this expert PMO strategy guide Read More
2023-01-11 05:00
For many years, there has been debate around the value of a PRD in digital product development. The issue is not *whether* one should be used, says product expert Milos Belcevic, but *how* Read More
2023-01-04 05:00
Managing projects is largely about managing people. These three soft skills can help project managers build a strong team, gain trust, and create a positive culture Read More
2022-12-20 08:00
Today’s cloud building blocks empower any size team—even a lone engineer—to build big data solutions. Learn how to use open-source tools to create scalable architecture for… Read More
2022-12-20 06:00
SolidJS is a blazing-fast framework that dodges virtual DOM manipulation. Let’s see how it compares to React, the industry standard, when it comes to components, performance, and devel… Read More
2022-12-20 06:00
Mobile app push notifications are powerful engagement tools, but they can be intrusive if not handled correctly. Don’t hit send on your push notification strategy before asking yoursel… Read More
2022-12-08 08:00
Banks haven’t seen the savings expected from the transition to digital products and services. A leading consultant for some of the largest US banks shares his step-by-step plan for usi… Read More
2022-12-07 05:00
Customer research in the food sector is expensive and time-consuming. Here’s how one global pizza company used its own food-ordering app to get new levels of insight into its products… Read More
2022-12-06 06:00
Browser console logging is a hassle. Discover how React Developer Tools and third-party libraries make inspecting components, states, and props and tracking rendering and performance so much… Read More
2022-12-05 06:00
Asia is one of the hottest venture markets in the world right now. Find out what savvy investors must understand about this culturally and economically diverse region in order to succeed Read More
2022-12-05 06:00
Kotlin and Java are two powerful general-purpose languages popular for Android and beyond. We’ll discuss their top features and differences, then focus on how to smoothly transition be… Read More
2022-11-29 06:00
Storytelling is a compelling way to communicate brand value—but only if you’re telling stories that resonate with your audience. Find out how to craft authentic brand stories tha… Read More
2022-11-29 06:00
Heroku makes deployment—and redeployment—incredibly simple. Explore Heroku’s Django hosting in this tutorial, and see for yourself Read More
2022-11-29 06:00
Stakeholders demand quick fixes for a buggy app release. Such patching is costly, and does not always offer a complete solution. Break the cycle with unit testing, a worthwhile investment in… Read More
2022-11-22 05:00
Product professionals are often called upon to act as both product owner and product manager. The key to doing that well? Maintaining separate strategic and tactical roadmaps. Here’s h… Read More
2022-11-17 06:00
Empowering non-researchers to collect client feedback can pave the way to better products and customer retention Read More
2022-11-15 06:00
Mobile web traffic is booming, making responsive website development more important than ever. Leverage the power of two popular technologies with the React-Bootstrap library for performant… Read More
2022-11-14 06:00
Unnecessary component computation drastically reduces application performance. Avoid this pitfall by using React memoization hooks and render component caching Read More
2022-11-09 05:00
Program managers and product managers often clash. Improving communication at three specific touch points can alleviate tension, develop more positive relationships, and ensure smooth projec… Read More
2022-11-01 05:00
To value or build projections for a company accurately, you have to factor in working capital—and you can’t do that without investing in a three-statement financial model Read More
2022-11-01 05:00
Naive React routing increases risk and maintenance. This tutorial provides a full exploration of routing approaches, achieving an elegant solution that seamlessly fits into any React code ba… Read More
2022-11-01 05:00
Today’s young adults have enormous buying power, but they’re choosy shoppers with particular tastes. Understanding what drives their purchasing decisions can help you design cont… Read More
2022-10-31 05:00
Listening is everything—especially when it comes to effective marketing and product design. Gain key market insights from social media data using sentiment analysis and topic modeling… Read More
2022-10-26 04:00
It’s not uncommon for project managers to be assigned duties that should belong to a product owner. Find out how you can use this role confusion to your advantage, and increase your sk… Read More
2022-10-25 05:00
Drawing on more than 25 years of design and motion graphics experience, Toptal designer Danny Rubyono explains how he makes enticing promo videos that compel viewers to action Read More
2022-10-25 05:00
Blockchain isn’t just for cryptocurrency. The technology can also be used to make supply chain management more efficient, transparent, and secure. Here’s how Read More
2022-10-20 05:00
In tough financial times, VCs often focus on shoring up portfolio companies rather than investing in new opportunities. But it’s still possible to raise capital—if you refine you… Read More
2022-10-18 05:00
Searching for a design job is never easy—and it’s even more challenging if you’re new to the country and culture you want to work in. Here are steps one designer took to bu… Read More
2022-10-18 05:00
Design systems increase collaboration, ensure consistency, and accelerate design and development cycles. Toptal product designer Molham Bakir lays out how—and shares insights and tips… Read More
2022-10-18 05:00
Knowledge workers spend most of their workdays using digital tools. These low-friction UX strategies help reduce techno-stress and increase healthy user engagement Read More
2022-10-11 05:00
Brand designer Bari Keenam shares how he turned a tricky logo redesign into a brand overhaul that helped his client establish an emotional connection with its customers Read More
2022-09-29 05:00
Rising construction costs mean real estate developers are relying on complex—and potentially costly—finance structures more often. Smarter modeling will help keep borrowing costs… Read More
2022-09-26 05:00
Explore Twitter data clusters to discover keywords that dominate identified groups. Focusing on a politically slanted data set provides an easy target for analysis Read More
2022-09-25 23:00
Improving supply chains is a top priority worldwide. Discover how mathematical optimization and Python coding can help keep a complex supply chain competitive Read More
2022-09-21 04:00
Regulations can present a big challenge for fintech product managers. Build compliance into your development process from the start, with these tips from a leading financial product manager Read More
2022-09-20 05:00
Telemedicine has exploded in recent years, expanding access to healthcare services. But it's missing an indispensable element of medical care: touch. Enter haptic technology Read More
2022-09-19 22:00
Incorporate comprehensive unit testing into your Flutter project to ensure best practices and reduce bugs before—not after—the app's release Read More
2022-09-08 05:00
Runaway costs have plagued the US healthcare system for decades, and providers are always looking for ways to increase efficiency without jeopardizing care. Developing smarter key performanc… Read More
2022-09-07 05:00
The functional reactive programming (FRP) paradigm is becoming increasingly mainstream. In this installment, we discuss FRP essentials like system design and libraries, and implement a sampl… Read More
2022-09-07 05:00
Clustering in machine learning has a variety of applications, but how do you know which algorithm is best suited to your data? Here's how to amplify your data insights with comparison metric… Read More
2022-09-07 04:00
The first days in a new position can be confusing and lead to avoidable mistakes. These Scrum master best practices will help you become the servant-leader your team needs Read More
2022-08-29 22:00
This tutorial explores the mathematical concepts behind two key programming paradigms, functional programming and reactive programming, so you can build long-lasting Android architecture Read More
2022-08-23 05:00
Minimalism is a prevalent design approach, but putting its principles into practice is challenging. Follow these minimalist UX design strategies to build frictionless digital products that h… Read More
2022-08-22 04:00
Three Toptal project managers and the creator of SAFe, Dean Leffingwell, discuss the challenges and rewards of implementing an Agile scaling framework Read More
2022-08-21 22:00
Microsoft created a standardized cancellation implementation that has far-reaching capabilities beyond its original use case Read More
2022-08-19 04:00
Moving from Scrum to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) means adopting a more complex way of working. For some Scrum masters, it also means moving into a new role: release train engineer. The… Read More
2022-08-17 04:00
Toptal’s Agile scaling series is designed to guide project managers in their team expansion efforts. In this first installment, project manager Kamil Imański breaks down popular s… Read More
2022-08-02 22:00
As the world’s population ages, retailers hoping to attract and retain customers will have to tailor their e-commerce interfaces to appeal to savvy older consumers Read More
2022-08-02 05:00
Many developers looking for their next gig claim to have experience with Google’s popular front-end framework. Here, international Angular coach Bo Vandersteene tells hiring managers h… Read More
2022-08-01 05:00
Online design games are perfect for practicing tricky tools and techniques, boosting core UI/UX skills, and keeping pace with a rapidly evolving industry Read More
2022-07-26 05:00
Rising inflation means it’s crucial for managers to pay close attention to pricing. Toptal finance expert Kalil Rodrigues shares four outside-the-box tips for optimizing your pricing s… Read More
2022-07-26 05:00
Enterprise tools can be fraught with features and interactions that exacerbate mental health disorders. These UX solutions improve accessibility and help everyone have a better workday Read More
2022-07-19 05:00
The health and wellness industry is booming, creating opportunity—and a competitive market. Wellness businesses can apply these branding best practices to stand out and connect with cu… Read More
2022-07-19 05:00
Take your Unity AI game to the next level with xNode. In this tutorial, we boost our FSM-based AI with a graphical user interface, delivering an enhanced development environment Read More
2022-07-08 07:00
Discover Microsoft .NET's cross-platform development capabilities by building a Dockerized ASP.NET and Entity Framework application on Linux Read More
2022-07-07 04:00
Scoping an MVP doesn’t have to take days. Product manager Phillip Wood explains how he gathers product specialists, designers, and engineers to brainstorm features, pare them down, and… Read More
2022-07-05 05:00
Toptal experts share their insights and best practices for designing motion effects that enhance e-commerce UX and increase conversions Read More
2022-07-04 05:00
Python and R empower data scientists to solve problems using elegant syntactic sugar, simplifying coding and solution exploration. Each language brings its unique capabilities and approach t… Read More
2022-07-01 07:00
More than just a way to investigate financial crimes, forensic accounting is the most in-depth form of due diligence and compliance. But smaller firms often overlook its value. Here’s… Read More
2022-06-29 04:00
Product managers work across many industries, and domain-specific knowledge is essential to finding success in each one. Learn how to quickly acquire industry expertise with these tried-and… Read More
2022-06-24 07:00
Contrary to conventional wisdom, there are times when making products harder to use can be beneficial. Here’s how to use positive friction to enhance UX security and user trust Read More
2022-06-21 05:00
The supply chain crisis has caused global players and local businesses alike to rethink logistics networks. Here’s how the world economy can emerge stronger and more resilient Read More
2022-06-21 05:00
Microsoft's Power BI is one of the most popular software solutions used to perform social network analysis. Here's how to create custom Power BI visuals in R for compelling and flexible resu… Read More
2022-06-21 05:00
Animation can make data more comprehensible, engaging, and useful, especially on mobile. When animating data visualizations, designers should use motion design principles—and avoid com… Read More
2022-06-15 04:00
How can creativity thrive in an environment of rules and set processes? The creative constraints introduced by design sprints can help product managers find the midpoint between structure an… Read More
2022-06-14 07:00
WordPress developers might be tempted to customize this popular website builder directly, but that approach creates ongoing maintenance headaches. Fortunately, there's a clean way to extend… Read More
2022-06-14 05:00
Investors aren’t patrons—they’re business partners, and startups should treat them as such. Regular updates and the occasional call for advice go a long way toward optimizi… Read More
2022-06-10 07:00
Color in industry event design informs, inspires, and builds lasting brand awareness. Discover color strategies that delight attendees and set your event apart Read More
2022-06-09 05:00
The M&A failure rate runs as high as 90%, and middle-market companies tend to fare worse than larger ones due to more limited resources. Here’s how to ensure that your next acquisi… Read More
2022-06-08 05:00
With a tour that includes Julia, Rust, and more, dive into the fascinating world of metaprogramming and get a taste for its history, common forms (such as macros), importance, and potential… Read More
2022-06-01 04:00
Estimation tools abound but none is as flexible and accessible as the humble Agile spreadsheet. Here’s why you should consider customizing your own to calculate discovery estimates Read More
2022-05-31 05:00
gRPC, REST’s up-and-coming competitor, approaches synchronous communication from another angle, offering protocol buffers and typed contracts. What does that mean for your project? Read More
2022-05-31 05:00
The global NFT market relies on designers to support artists, Web3 platforms and marketplaces, and major global brands. Toptal designer Gabor Molnar offers insights from his experience break… Read More
2022-05-23 07:00
Modern freelancing is easier and more rewarding than older workers may think. Toptal’s chief economist breaks down the advantages of freelancing in semiretirement Read More
2022-05-23 05:00
Understanding total spend is a common challenge for cloud users, especially on projects with complex pricing models. This article explores the top AWS cost optimizations that will help you s… Read More
2022-05-23 05:00
Designer Gemma Busquets shares how she created a responsive website and 20+ engaging charts and graphs for the software development platform’s annual report Read More
2022-05-19 07:00
Designing fintech products requires more than great UX/UI skills—you need to understand finance too. Here’s what designers need to know to get started Read More
2022-05-18 04:00
Agile’s flexibility is attractive, but its lack of specificity leads teams to misinterpret its applications. Agile expert Umar Ali explains how he helps teams prioritize values over pr… Read More
2022-05-17 05:00
The so-called “future of the internet” isn’t here yet, but it’s coming soon. Here’s how to start preparing your company for impending metaverse growth Read More
2022-05-16 05:00
At-home medical monitoring is on the rise, thanks to the growing ranks of IoT devices and the promise of fewer doctor visits. How can designers ensure that at-home products meet patients&rsq&hell…Read More
2022-05-16 05:00
To persuade investors to fund your startup, your pitch deck must do more than present a solid business case. It must generate an emotional response Read More
2022-05-16 05:00
Learn how to develop a Django application coupled with pydantic where the development environment matches production Read More
2022-05-10 05:00
Neural networks have become expert manufacturers of the human voice, a skill that both content creators and cybercriminals love. Experts from the United Nations, Adobe, and speech synthesis… Read More
2022-05-04 04:00
Growth product managers are now a mainstay of Silicon Valley, but what do they do, how do they work, and what value do they bring? Find out in this guide to an increasingly vital product rol… Read More
2022-04-26 05:00
Want a risk management strategy that fosters resilience and reveals new opportunities? Shift your focus from predicting events to preparing for impacts Read More
2022-04-22 05:00
Many UX portfolios are poorly formatted and lack crucial information. Leverage these portfolio design tips from a UX recruiter to stand out and get hired Read More
2022-04-21 05:00
The tendency to “speak” more harshly from a keyboard than you would face to face—called online disinhibition—doesn’t just happen on Twitter. When it creeps into… Read More
2022-04-20 05:00
Innovations in tech and shifts in consumer behavior are changing the cosmetics and skin care business. Here’s how designers in beauty UI and UX are adapting to the new trends Read More
2022-04-20 04:00
How can product managers leverage the possibilities offered by the latest XR technologies? Industry veteran Eugene Ovcharenko presents use cases and best practices for an evolving field Read More
2022-04-18 07:00
Boundaries created by traditional jobs are holding businesses back, says Ravin Jesuthasan, author of Work Without Jobs. His case study of Providence Health & Services shows how a new wor… Read More
2022-04-13 04:00
Jira’s flexibility can make managing projects complicated if your setup isn’t optimized for success. Use these Jira workflow best practices to strengthen the efficiency and clari… Read More
2022-04-06 05:00
Insurance verification and prior authorizations eat up precious hours that skilled staff could be spending with patients. AI in healthcare can help Read More
2022-04-04 07:00
When a simple logo refresh turned into a full-scale rebrand process, Toptal designer Rehan Saiyed took inspiration from ancient concepts of the number three—and a colorful parrot Read More
2022-03-30 04:00
These case studies illustrate how data-driven product management can make a radical difference in how you solve large-scale product issues Read More
2022-03-29 05:00
Deciding on a language can be intimidating when you don’t have deep experience with the available options. This comparison explores the fundamental differences between C++ and Java, an… Read More
2022-03-25 05:00
As workers increasingly prioritize flexible working arrangements, Toptal finance expert John Lee suggests a strategy to help employers balance the potential risks and rewards of offering a W… Read More
2022-03-24 05:00
In the world of startup products, design resources are scarce. This four-step MVP process helps designers build and launch user-friendly products on time without blowing their budgets Read More
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