We write code, but do not always question why.

Perhaps there is a problem to solve or a lesson to learn. That is the straightforward answer, but beneath the surface lie questions, such as:

• Why do we do certain ‘rituals’ to ship the code?

• How do we choose one tool or process over another?

• How do we influence code and how does the code influence us?

Many practices that we do daily are so ingrained and not questioned. Articulating the answers to these questions can help us make more informed decisions.

What is Code Anthropology?

Code Anthropology is a newsletter which considers the above questions, reviews old and new ideas, and suggests practical ways to make us better individual contributors and technology leaders. It fills the gap between the technical tutorials and engineering management advice.

Who are you?

You work in tech or are curious and want to understand the practices you use. You question ‘why’ or ‘can there be something better’, but the answers feel elusive.

Code Anthropology will try to give you the answers or practical ideas to try out something better.

Who am I?

My name is Julius Seporaitis. Family lore says that I wrote my first computer program when I was 3, sitting on my dad’s lap. I started to teach myself programming, for real, when I was 11, contracting when I was 15, and working professionally when I was 18. I worked at digital agencies, where the number of projects and rapidity allowed me to experiment with different ideas. I have worked at early stage and established startups, building prototypes and MVPs, or improving existing large scale systems. I have hired and led engineering teams, and I also had to have difficult conversations.

I have always been curious and questioned why we do what we do, never happy with the straightforward answer. Occasionally, I would read something completely unrelated to software engineering, and make a connection or get an idea to try something different. This newsletter is an outlet for those thoughts and ideas.