Happy Sunday and welcome to the final edition of The Human Engineer.

But what? What’s happening? Well, actually I’m not going anywhere, but this feels like the right moment to announce a reboot.

When I started this newsletter over four and half years ago, it was about software engineering with a social angle. Over time, though, I've realised that isn't quite what I'm writing about anymore.

I've been writing and reading more fiction, but more importantly I've been paying attention to the kinds of non-fiction I most enjoy reading. These books rarely tell me what to do. Instead, they offer me an insight into someone else's thinking. I come away not with answers, but with better questions.

And now, I've realised that's the kind of writing I want to do.

So rather than trying to explain something I've already worked out, I'd rather explore the ideas I can't stop thinking about. The questions that keep returning. The things I'm still trying to understand.

So from the next edition, this newsletter will be called Outside Edge.

It feels like a better description of where these pieces begin: somewhere just beyond what I already know.

The practicalities don't really change. You'll still hear from me here occasionally, and I'll still be sharing what I'm writing, making and learning from a writer’s perspective inside a technical context . I'll also be writing more regularly on my new Substack, and I'd love to see you there if that sounds like your sort of thing.

As a quick update, I'm currently working on two books. The first is the follow-up to Human Software, called One More Island, which is about 70% through its first draft and on track for early 2027. The second is a non-fiction book about returning to hands-on technical work after spending time in management and leadership, which I'm hoping to publish later in 2027.

I'll have much more to share about both soon and I'll almost certainly be looking for beta readers. Until next time!

A couple of new posts from me:

​Julian Barnes, Planes and Automobiles​

​What Made Me Code​