Pat
Hermens

I'm a software engineer and engineering leader based in Sydney, Australia. I've spent significant time in Europe (based in the Netherlands) running large multi-cultural and international development teams, and I've been writing code professionally for over 20 years - mainly Windows-based dev, leveraging C# .NET, but also Python, Node, and Typescript.

I started this blog in 2016, mostly to document things I was figuring out - Jekyll setups, Docker configs, AutoFixture patterns. Over time it became a place to think out loud about leadership and what it means to manage people who do technical work.

I care a lot about craft - the small decisions that make software easier to work with over time. I care equally about people - the small decisions that make teams healthier and more effective. The intersection of those two things is where most of my writing lives.

Work

I've spent most of my career in product companies working in .NET-heavy stacks. I've been an engineer, a tech lead, a team lead, an engineering manager, and a technical leader. I've sold work, staffed people, consulted & advised on implementation, & guided and led delivery. I've hired, I've let people go, I've restructured teams, I've shipped products, and I like to think I've primarily made people enjoy their day jobs.

Speaking

I've spoken at NDC, DDD, and various local meetups and conferences in Australia and Europe. Topics have ranged from practical .NET patterns to engineering culture and management philosophy. Check the speaking page for the full list.

Get in touch

The best way to reach me is on LinkedIn or via GitHub. If you want to be notified of new posts, there's an RSS feed.