Nick Cosentino

Microsoft

Currently at Microsoft:
I manage a very talented team of engineers in the routing, reverse proxying, and DDOS protection areas of M365 / Substrate.

Previously at Microsoft:
I work with and manage the awesome teams that are in charge of deploying changes for all of the M365 / Substrate services. We focus on going as fast as we can as safely as we can 🙂

In addition to my core role of managing two deployment teams, I also:
- Participate in early in career mentorship
- Teach sessions on C# development
- Provide mentorship to engineers outside my team

Principal Software Engineering Manager

Magnet Forensics

Magnet Forensics, Waterloo — Technical Manager
- Managed multiple agile teams while contributing to the codebase on different product domains
- Coached high-performing individuals on building confidence and becoming “multipliers” themselves
- Worked closely with project managers to help resource and strategize deliveries
- Designed foundations for most of the critical software solutions for Magnet Forensics Inc
- Filed for two additional patents for technology critical to Magnet products
- Led initiatives around sustainable test strategies, helping teams focus on different types of test coverage
- Constructed data ingestion systems for metrics analysis for both scrum and kanban teams
- Collaborated with engineering managers on continuous improvement of the engineering organization
- Effectively communicated complex systems, designs, and problem spaces to stakeholders in many different functions with varying - degrees of domain/technical expertise
- Provided technical guidance in strategic build/buy/partner scenarios

(Prior) Magnet Forensics, Waterloo — Team Lead (Manager)
- Managed agile teams (10+ people)  in a dynamic startup environment while contributing to codebase
- Worked with employees through performance improvement plans, mentorship, and career progression
- Evolved processes and tools for our agile teams as the company transitioned from startup to small-business phase
- Worked with engineering teams to ensure high-velocity and ability to pivot while ensuring quality in our digital forensics domain was paramount
- Received patents for targeted searches based on heuristics and cloud/remote-based digital forensics
- Created a mobile device acquisition tool Magnet Acquire, allowing in-house expertise & ownership
- Created the foundation for leveraging telemetry and reporting in our core products

Technical Manager, Software Engineering

ionGrid, Inc.

•	Created tablet-based annotation tools for a document viewer
•	Implemented binary space partitioning and bezier compression algorithms
•	Analyzed mobile device memory usage and cache performance
•	Manipulated 2D geometry with affine transforms
•	Worked with gesture input to improve user interactions
•	Implemented display mirroring on the first generation iPad

Software Developer

Phoenix Interactive

•	Developed TCP and UDP application programming interface
•	Implemented DirectShow video streaming application programming interface
•	Created graphical editor for ATM screen design
•	Demonstrated functionality of the graphical editor to engineering and services teams
•	Extensively used WPF and WinForms together
•	Designed generic object cloning algorithms
•	Developed software both independently and with a small team
•	Participated in requirements and implementation discussions of new features

Software Architect

Oasys Healthcare

•	Architected and implemented a client-server application for medical environments
•	Designed a network-controlled high definition video recording and playback device
•	Created functional abstractions for object-oriented software
•	Developed communication interfaces to various third party medical devices
•	Managed and co-ordinated with supplementary development team
•	Created and documented workflow processes
•	Designed code integration tests and end-user tests
•	Worked in a Rapid Application Development environment
•	Refactored code to suit changing software requirements
•	Actively used source control (Subversion) to manage revisions
•	Performed software demonstrations to end users

Engenuity Corporation

•	Designed embedded analysis code for analogue to digital systems
•	Researched code size optimization for embedded systems
•	Created a user interface for embedded systems
•	Implemented LCD display code for an embedded device
•	Utilized python scripts for pc based applications
•	Developed applications using a test driven approach
•	Worked in an agile programming environment
•	Built confidence pair programming and solo programming

Embedded Software Developer

Natural Data

•	Designed two applications which were able to speed up the rate that the sales department could process data
•	Tested for and reported bugs in an error log for software developers
•	Setup and monitored computer boards during their “Burn-In” process

Software Tester

subscribe.devleader.ca | Principal Software Engineering Manager @ MSFT

I'm a software engineering manager focused on helping software engineers level up.

My name is Nick, and I've had the pleasure of working with many brilliant software engineers at startups and within Big Tech. While I am a software engineer at heart, spending much of my personal time creating software solutions, my mission is to help other software engineers get better at what they do.

I enjoy creating and sharing content about software engineering in general as well as the C# / dotnet ecosystem. My content has a unique twist in that I try to include perspective from a software engineering manager wherever possible.

Check out my weekly newsletter:
https://www.devleader.ca/newsletter

And make sure you subscribe on YouTube for multiple full-length videos every week:
https://www.youtube.com/@devleader

Whether you're a skilled senior software engineer or you're just getting started in your software engineering journey, I hope that my experiences can help guide you along the way!

Software engineers shouldn't only grow through years of experience.

Just relying on time in role is too slow and passive.

You can grow much faster by focusing on:

- Taking on larger and larger projects
- Working with talented peers
- Finding mentorship

Time only helps so much, owning your growth is much more important.

The only book you need as a software engineer.

I asked ChatGPT for the advantages and disadvantages of the SOLID principles. I think this table ⬇ is pretty fair and balanced?

"Please note, though there may be potential disadvantages, the advantages often outweigh these when the principles are applied correctly and thoughtfully."

---> hard to disagree with this closing point 👍🏻 ...

The only time you shouldn't run Performance tests is if you don't care how your API works in production.

4 types of performance tests and what they tell you. 


The idea is to understand how your API will perform under real-world conditions.


1. Load Tests

This test checks the API under an expected load, the usual number of users or transactions it needs to handle. 

You will learn how many users or transactions it can support without degradation.

Load tests help you understand everyday operational performance.


2. Stress Tests

This test determines the limits of your API by increasing the load until it becomes unstable. 

This helps you understand how much your application can handle before it fails. But most importantly, how does your API recover from these failures?

Stress tests help you prepare for extreme conditions.


3. Spike Tests

This test examines how well the API handles sudden traffic increases.

If you are running any promotion, you should be using these tests.

Spike tests ensure your API can handle sudden bursts of traffic and can scale without problems.


4. Soak Tests

The idea is to check the API's performance under an average load extended over a long period.

It will show you issues that might not appear in shorter tests, like:
- memory leaks 
- slowdowns that develop over time
- resource depletion

Soak tests uncover long-term stability and performance issues.


Is your API delivering what your users expect?

Going from impostor one day to feeling like a superhuman the next day!

That's the feeling when you have been stuck on a coding problem and you wake up the next day and solve it very quickly in 10min!

The first feeling may be frustration, but remember, this is normal and it happens to all of us, no matter of seniority.

What you should do when you feel stuck:
- Embrace that coding can be challenging sometimes and that everyone gets stuck.
- Move away from the problem and when you get back you will feel refreshed.
- The second pair of eyes helps - pair programming does wonders.

There are a lot of UPs and DOWNs in engineering, but that's what makes it truly an exciting industry to be in!

SQL is easy to learn but challenging to master.

10 Free Resources to Learn SQL:


1. Coursera: Relational Database Implementation and Applications

2. Freecodecamp: PostgreSQL Course for Beginners

3. Udemy: Introduction to Databases and SQL Querying

4. Udemy: Advanced Databases and SQL Querying

5. Udemy: Oracle SQL: An Introduction to the most popular database

6. Udacity: SQL for Data Analysis

7. Sqlzoo: One of the best resources to learn SQL online, FREE.

8. Stanford University: Databases: Relational Databases and SQL

9. Khanacademy: Intro to SQL: Querying and managing data

10. Sqlbolt: Interactive lessons and exercises designed to help you learn SQL in your browser.


Stay learning!


Feng Yuan I just wanted to say: Congrats on reaching legendary meme status on the Internet! This has been circulating socials the past couple of days 😁

Looking for some reading on Design Patterns?


These articles should help cover a variety of topics that you might be interested in then:
https://lnkd.in/gpthZU-E

The BIG List:
https://lnkd.in/gXh7U2EW

Adapter:
- Intro: https://lnkd.in/gcmFSKzB

Builder:
- Using Extension Methods: https://lnkd.in/gWS2fDVC
- Intro: https://lnkd.in/g_iWctdN

Decorator:
- Implement With Autofac 1: https://lnkd.in/gUFPSdut
- Implement With Autofac 2: https://lnkd.in/g5r2exYN

Facade:
- Beginner Guide 1: https://lnkd.in/gTJ4FBud
- Beginner Guide 2: https://lnkd.in/gAMfS5tW

Factory:
- Intro: https://lnkd.in/g25nAXGg
- Examples: https://lnkd.in/g-X9MpWU

Mediator:
- Intro: https://lnkd.in/gqa56GBE

Observer:
- Examples: https://lnkd.in/gk39y42a
- Reactive Extensions: https://lnkd.in/eqPSYDkm

Plugin:
- Intro: https://lnkd.in/gtSR6ySf
- Example With Blazor Plugins: https://lnkd.in/gbXbTazZ

Strategy:
- Intro: https://lnkd.in/gDvPa25P

Visitor:
- Intro: https://lnkd.in/gtMytv3E

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Thanks, Microsoft TEALS Program!


It's been a pleasure to have volunteered at Glacier Peak High School this past school year! I'm passionate about helping others learn and start their software engineering journeys, so what better way than to help with TEALS!

It's great to see the progress the students make through the year and exciting to see their about to go right their final AP examination! 

Thanks to Vanessa Feliberti Bautista -- our awesome leader in Substrate & Office 365 -- who shared this opportunity that caught my attention. 

I've talked to a few other people getting ready to start their TEALS journey so there's more support on the way! 💪❤️

I've created over 215 full-length videos on software engineering and CSharp.


To be honest - I'm still not comfortable filming myself. But I do this because I want to share with you my experiences and lessons that I've learned in my journey.

While it's uncomfortable getting on camera, there's nothing quite as fulfulling as hearing something like "Thanks so much, this really helped me".

So in between the awkward thumbnails, silly titles, and the internet trolls... It's all worth it to be able to try and help.

If you'd be willing to let me share my software engineering experiences with you, check out my channel:
https://lnkd.in/g_ZtQBxP

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You don't want to hear it but Python is better than JavaScript.


But neither of them is better than Rust.

And you probably guessed it by now, but CSharp is better than all of those.

Combined.

Most of the folks starting off on their software engineering journey who reach out to me ask what the best programming language is to use.

I have to bite my tongue and not just blurt out CSharp.

It's the language I use and love. I post articles about it. I make videos on it. I sell courses on it. It's objectively the best.

But there's far too much context missing when people are asking this question.

Best for... what?

- Learning simple programming concepts?
- Whipping up scripts quickly?
- Building front-end applications with unlimited resources?
- Working with the 892349876234 AI projects out there?
- Missing discriminated unions?
- Being super duper fast?
- Developing on mobile devices?
- Developing web services?

Programming languages are tools, and like all tools, there's no single best tool for all scenarios.

Except maybe the spork. But sporks aside, we need to consider the right tool for the job. Unless you like using a hack saw to hammer nails into the wall or eating your cereal with a single chopstick.

But then another problem arises which is "Well I don't know what I want to make!"

And that's cool too. If you have literally no concrete goal in mind except just getting started, go pick any language you want and try it out for a bit.

It can't possibly be a waste if you don't even know what you want to build yet! So try a language and try building something with it.

Try something else if you want right after. Or give that first language another shot at your next project if you were enjoying it.

There's no universal right answer when it comes to the best language to start with.

... Except for CSharp.

(Kidding aside: go build stuff in whatever you want because you can always try another language after)

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Principal Software Engineering Manager at Microsoft

Looks like it's time to rewrite all of your code again... If only there was a better way...


The answer is of course... refactoring!

I compiled useful refactoring techniques into this 5 hour course to help you improve in your ability to refactor. As I walk you through code examples on how to refactor, I also share my unique perspective as a software engineer and engineering manager. It's critical to consider how the codebase itself will be affected while balancing business priorities and time constraints.

I helped take a startup to a $1.8B acquisition and my lessons in refactoring are captured in this course.

Check out the course on Dometrain:
https://lnkd.in/gYU788RS

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dometrain.com • 1 min read

Dev Leader Course

Senior to Principal Engineer in Big Tech - Interview With Bhavana Hindupur


In this interview, Bhavana Hindupur enlightened me with some different perspectives about the challenges going through tech. She explained how cultural background and expectations from society can create additional barriers when navigating how to progress in the workplace.

One of the great points that Bhavana brought up was about her turning point in her career going from senior to principal level -- You need to be the one driving the change!

Thanks for the awesome chat, Bhavana!

If you enjoy content like this, remember to subscribe to my channel!

X- Space 🚨

We talk about deploying stuff on K8s ALL THE TIME...let's change it up and talk about building apps, in C# and getting them into Kubernetes. 

JOIN US this Friday 26th April, w/ Nick Cosentino our special guest.

Space 🔗
https://lnkd.in/gH7WwQdx

⏰ 10 AM EST | 7:30 PM IST | 4 PM CET

Lets chat 💬 

- Intersection of K8s with C# and the exciting history behind it.

- Best practices in C# development to harness K8s scalability 

- K8s native apps using C# which are safe & reliable? 
Much more..

See you there 😻

There are SO many design patterns but these ones have a special place in my code...


Here are some of my favorite design patterns that I use regularly:


Repository:
I use repositories as the API to my data access and data store. This provided me with a consistent way to interact with an external system, such as a SQL database, document store, or even just a file. I try to abstract away what the implementation of the data store is so that my application using the repository can remain decoupled.

That's the goal, at least! It's not always a perfect solution... But it helps reduce the surface area of issues.


Decorator:
The decorator design pattern allows us to wrap things just like we might wrap a present! We can put another implementation around something that exists and have it meet the same API.

The most common way that I use this is to introduce a caching mechanism. This is most often the case where I couple it with the repositories that I mentioned above!


Plugins:
If you've seen me posting then you know I love talking about plugins. I use a plugin design pattern probably more than I should, but it aligns really well with how I think about software design. I need to be cognizant of this when working in teams as to not over-engineer solutions.

I use plugins to provide extensibility, flexibility, and isolation. They allow me to create new code that I can drop in to add or change functionality, without having to touch other existing code!


Facade:
One thing that I tell software engineers regularly is that writing perfectly clean code all the time everywhere is unrealistic. There are going to be parts of an application that end up being home to some of the complexity. As we keep abstracting things away, *something* needs to do the dirty work.

That's the facade. I put facades in front of the logic that does the dirty work so that callers have an easier time with it... Like putting it in front of all of the plugin access so that nobody knows I'm dynamically loading features from different assemblies.


👇Which design patterns do *YOU* leverage frequently? Let's hear!👇

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Good software engineers don't need feedback.


This was one of the big things I had to unlearn early in my management career.

Prior to Microsoft, I worked at a small company -- roughly 8 people when I started.

I became a manager a couple of months into my career fresh out of university. However, I was still responsible for being an individual contributor writing code AND managing engineering teams.

I did that for roughly 8 years at that company. Fortunately for me, I had some amazing software engineers reporting to me during that time.

I used to think that the awesome engineers that I had reporting to me didn't need feedback.

They didn't need as much hands-on guidance or help because...
- They're rockstars!
- They're already doing good!
- What the heck am I going to tell them to improve?

It turns out: That's absolutely horrible advice.

While it probably doesn't make sense for me to try and interfere -- which is often a poor strategy in general -- it still requires that I ensure top software engineers are engaged.

I need to equally invest time and effort into them so that they're engaged, motivated, challenged, and growing. That's fundamentally my mission as a software engineering manager.

The reality is that top engineers need just as much -- and sometimes MORE -- time investment than those who might be low performers.

It's just that it's easier to see where you can drive improvements with low-performers. It's harder to gauge how you can drive impact with people already doing a great job.

That took a lot of growth as an engineering manager to learn.

What's one of your biggest learnings in your career so far?

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Here are 6 tips for improving soft skills as a software engineer:


# 1 - SELF AWARENESS

Different types of feedback and assessments can be useful tools to build self-awareness. Consider feedback from your mentor(s), peers, your manager... or even mentees if you have them! Have you considered checking your Myers Briggs or your DISC profile? Check these out!


# 2 - COMMUNICATION

Clear and effective communication is crucial for success in software development. Effective communication requires active listening and a clear understanding of the message being conveyed.
- Break down complex information
- Use appropriate methods of communication
- Consider your audience and tailor info accordingly


# 3 - ACTIVE LISTENING

Active listening is an essential part of effective communication. It involves hearing and understanding the message being conveyed. 
- Ask clarifying questions
- Make eye contact with the speaker
- Summarize what was said based on your understanding
- Provide your thoughts and feedback on what is being shared
- Pause for a full second or two before speaking if you keep jumping in


# 4 - BUILD EMPATHY

Empathy is the ability to understand and feel the emotions of others. Building empathy with users and customers can help you understand their needs better.
- Perform user research
- Put yourself in their shoes!
- Review customer feedback to understand
- Use analytics and observe customer behavior


# 5 - COLLABORATION

Effective teamwork is vital to the success of software development projects. Even if you’re the only developer, you’ll need to collaborate with other stakeholders!
- Embrace diversity!
- Foster a collaborative culture
- Focus on building trust and respect
- Set clear expectations with one another
- Take responsibility and be open with “failures”


# 6 - ADAPTABILITY

Being open to changing priorities and adjusting to new requirements can lead to improved outcomes. I can’t promise you many things, except that priorities will change.
- Accept that change is inevitable
- Balance flexibility with business needs
- Being open to feedback and constructive criticism 
- Focus on ways to succeed and not dwell on obstacles

♻️ Reshare to help other software engineers

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Looking for some videos on Design Patterns?


I have a nice little playlist setup that you can bookmark for tutorials on design patterns:
https://lnkd.in/ghB2mvFQ

Here are some examples:

Decorator:
- Example in ASP.NET: https://lnkd.in/gJnHqw6G

Facade:
- Example: https://lnkd.in/gf_M_J-3

Mediator:
- Intro: https://lnkd.in/gcU5eq2R
- Using Mediatr: https://lnkd.in/g3NF-DgM

Observer:
- Event-Based: https://lnkd.in/ggZHuC-y
- Basic: https://lnkd.in/gu9UtY9P
- Reactive Extensions: https://lnkd.in/ggZHuC-y

Pipeline:
- Basic: https://lnkd.in/gHSMBvw9
- Auto-Create Experiment: https://lnkd.in/gSEi8atW

Plugin:
- Autofac: https://lnkd.in/gf8UxzNM

Singleton:
- Using the Singleton to Refactor: https://lnkd.in/gWpU7Ry2

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Have you heard of the factory design pattern?


The factory pattern is one of the most basic patterns that we have in software engineering. It's helpful for creating objects, especially when we're looking for consistent creation of what could be more complicated objects.

In this article, I walk through the factory pattern using examples in CSharp to help illustrate how it works!

Read the article:
https://lnkd.in/g25nAXGg

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