Tech, data, programming and AI are your favourite subjects? Do you want to keep up to date in these areas and stay on top of the latest trends? Then you’ll be delighted to know that our developers have put together a list of all their favourite resources for you in this dedicated tech report.
Whether it’s books, websites or YouTube channels, we’ve got a range of formats to help you improve your knowledge. Whether it’s to keep you busy in the Tube, on your lunch break or even on the beach this summer, there’s nothing like a little time out to brush up on the classics or discover new useful informations. So, without further ado, here’s a list of 10 tech references!
Some of our favourite books
Clean Code by Robert C. Martin
Recommended by Catherine Gaudron
Catherine, our experienced Team Lead, recommends that you open (or simply re-read) this timeless book full of good development practices that will help you achieve efficient, clear and well-organised source code.
The world-renowned author, who is also a speaker and consultant, has a vast experience in the field of software development. A fervent advocate of technical excellence and continuous improvement, he demonstrates in his book the negative consequences that messy code can bring and provides a range of case studies and techniques to help developers improve their skills and achieve unrivalled code quality. With clean code, a developer new to a project will have a better understanding of it. In addition to this, the other key words that come to mind are extensibility and maintainability.
A really valuable resource for those who want to improve their skills!
Clean Architecture by Robert C. Martin
Recommended by Sylvain Lebleu
We continue our list of references with a second must-read by the same author, suggested by Sylvain, our Software – Technologies Manager. Written along the same lines as the previous one, this one focuses on architecture and goes into greater depth on the overall structure of software systems.
The author stresses the vital importance of breaking down software into independent parts (layers) to avoid complications. The logic here is independence! With respect to frameworks, the user interface, external libraries and the database, it ensures better understanding, facilitates automated testing and promises fundamental modularity and flexibility. In a rapidly changing and, above all, highly competitive technological environment, Robert C. Martin provides the keys to maintaining a stable solution that can evolve over time and be adapted in the event of future migrations.
A great complement to our first suggestion!
The Unicorn Project by Gene Kim
Recommended by Sylvain Lebleu
Sylvain takes us into a new register with this novel, a spin-off from the book The Phoenix Project, which follows the adventures of Maxine, a senior developer and architect, who becomes involved in a crucial project following a technical failure and is approached by a group of developers working to overturn the established order! Their aim: to restore the company’s ability to innovate so that it can survive and prosper in an economic environment that is as uncertain as it is competitive.
An original, gripping and well-crafted story that deals with a range of subjects, including technical debt, automation, modern development methods, the need for test environments, management and the importance of establishing a corporate culture in a large organisation. It’s a piece of fiction based on the world of new technologies that’s out of the ordinary, but which does a marvellous job of portraying the challenges faced by developers on a day-to-day basis. What’s more, it offers some useful lessons for implementing new practices and overcoming certain obstacles in the workplace.
Definitely a nice idea for a literary break during the summer holidays that are just around the corner!
Lean Startup by Éric Ries
Recommended by Julie Proteau
Now it’s Julie’s turn, our Software – Agility Manager, to recommend one of her favourite tech books. This widely recognised book in the field of entrepreneurship and business management presents lean startup, a methodology that reminds us of the importance of embracing and welcoming failure as an opportunity to improve and succeed.
The key idea is to rapidly validate the key hypotheses of a project and iterate on the basis of the feedback obtained. We focus on an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) vision, we test small increments in production to validate our hypotheses and we are ready to throw them in the bin and start again if necessary. Applied to development, the idea is to simplify processes and implement continuous deployment. This allows us to learn from our mistakes and adapt as quickly as possible to reduce the cost of error. It also demonstrates the importance of the pull system, where items ready to leave the system and older items are prioritised over new items that have not yet been started. This is how we manage to deliver small increments very often, by applying the pull-flow system, which is also the basis of the Kanban method.
Finally, with a view to continuous improvement, it is essential to rely on live metrics that are updated on a daily basis. To do this, all we need to do is identify the key KPIs to be monitored. This way, when we readjust our business processes, the metrics we track will enable us to measure our improvements or unsuccessful trials.
Websites to add to your favourites
Thoughtworks and its Radar technology
Recommended by Sébastien Richer
Founded in Chicago in 1993, Thoughtworks is a leading software development and consulting firm, recognized for its expertise in digital transformation and software innovation.
Their Technology Radar is an interactive tool for visualising and assessing emerging technology trends in our field. Presented in the form of a graph, it classifies technologies into four distinct categories: ‘adopt’, ‘evaluate’, ‘monitor’ and finally ‘avoid’. It’s an invaluable tool that will help you keep abreast of new technologies and upcoming developments. In concrete terms, it will help you to make informed decisions about which technologies to use on future projects or those you have in progress.
It really is the perfect tool for staying one step ahead of the technologies you need to adopt, and Seb won’t deny it!
Towards Data Science
Recommended by Sophie Gonzalez
Sophie, our artificial intelligence designer, recommends Towards Data Science, an indispensable website that deciphers tech from every angle. You’ll find a goldmine of information, articles, guides and tutorials on data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Written by experts and enthusiasts, the articles cover a wide range of subjects, from computer vision and data analysis to visualisation, machine learning and frameworks. The content offered by the platform is of a high standard, as well as being diverse, so you can expand your knowledge and keep up to date with the latest innovations. (Be sure to check your sources – anyone can post here, so the veracity of the content is not guaranteed!)
Enough to broaden your horizons and explore new ideas for your future projects!
A blog you don’t want to miss!
Webdevsimplified
Recommended by Mikaël LeBlanc
Webdevsimplified is an excellent online platform dedicated to various blog posts on the subject of simplified web development. You’ll find a ton of practical, accessible resources covering a wide range of technical subjects, as well as invaluable tips to help you solve the problems you encounter in your day-to-day work as a developer. The little extra? It focuses on the foundation technologies of the web (html, javascript, css…) so it applies no matter what framework you’re using!
Exploring the various blog posts will allow you to improve your skills step by step and explore the latest trends in web development. If you want to go further, there’s also an associated YouTube channel.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, there’s something for everyone!
And finally, our developers’ three favourite YouTube channels
James Montemagno’s YouTube channel
Unanimously recommended by all our developers
James Montemagno started out as a .NET developer at Microsoft and is now Principal Lead Program Manager, .NET Community. He has extensive experience in a variety of industries (video games, printing software, web services, etc.). He speaks at major technology events and runs workshops and training sessions around the world, in addition to the books he has published, the video content he creates, the Live Stream and the podcast he co-host
His ultimate goal? To guarantee a pleasant experience for developers using the .Net ecosystem to create C# applications for iOS, Android, MacOs and Windows. On his YouTube channel, he offers detailed advice and resources for those who want to master these tools.
A key source of inspiration for developers around the world in programming high-performance, cross-platform mobile applications!
The AI Explained YouTube channel
Recommended by Mikaël LeBlanc
Artificial intelligence, the technology that simulates human intelligence using machines and other computer systems, has been growing rapidly in recent months. However, it has been fascinating and frightening for much longer, with each new advance.
Do you want to discover all the facets of AI and get all the answers to your questions and concerns? Mikaël, our Team Lead I Full-Stack Developer, has just the YouTube channel for you, because it deciphers artificial intelligence. Every week, you’ll find the very latest technology and developments in the field of AI. At the moment, there’s quite a lot of content on generative AI (ChatGPT, midjourney, etc.), because it’s been all the rage for the last few months. But what Mika particularly appreciates are videos that really delve into the technical aspects and don’t just stop at the basics. For example, some videos may summarise research papers published the previous week and put them into context. To take things further, the channel also gives less technical and more socio-economic news from the field.
There’s no better way to conclude than by quoting verbatim the words of our Team Lead: “In short, when you Google ‘AI news’, you often find an amalgam of sensationalism and buzzwords, whereas this is very factual and tells the whole story!’’
Nick Chapsas YouTube channel
Unanimously recommended by all our developers
Nick Chapsas, software developer and Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professionals), is known for his expertise in C# and .NET technologies. He creates a wide range of educational content (videos, tutorials, blog posts, etc.) on these subjects with the aim of helping developers around the world get the most out of these technologies.
His YouTube channel is full of tips, advice and real-life examples that are useful for any developer looking to expand their knowledge and improve their skills. His content can help you optimise the way you code or guide you in solving problems you might encounter on certain projects.
A must on our list of favourite resources!
Conclusion
This list is not exhaustive, but we hope you like it and that it will give you plenty of tips to apply in your daily life as a programmer or technology enthusiast.
Enjoy your discoveries!
