Appendix

Reading Routes

This is a field manual. You don't read it cover to cover. You use it when you need it.

How to Use This Manual

First time here? Read The Blank Terminal first: what this book is, what it claims, and how to read its claims. It is short on purpose. Then read The Body Plan: it is the book's own idea, and everything else connects to it.

Got a specific problem? Hit Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on Mac) to search. Find the section. Get the answer. Get back to work.

Want to learn a topic? Pick a route below. Read the chapters. Apply immediately.

Learn by story first? Read The Blank Terminal, then jump straight to The Reloading Lab and watch the landmarks in this book get used on one real project, from empty bay to first commissioned case-processing run. The project's code is browsable and downloadable from the first chapter on. Come back to The Body Plan and Parts 1 through 5 for the doctrine the story was using.

Mentoring someone? Point them to a route. Use the checklists as shared vocabulary.

Debating an approach? Use the frameworks. "What level of work is this?" "What are we trading off?" "Is this architecture or design?"

Routes by Role

New Engineer (First Week)

Build the foundation first.

  1. The Blank Terminal: What this book is; the skill of beginning
  2. The Body Plan: The book's own idea; can you draw it?
  3. Find Your Own Answers: Hierarchy of truth, 15-minute rule
  4. Communication: Declare status, ask questions

Then explore as needed.

On-Call Engineer

When you're carrying the pager, bookmark these:

  1. Debugging: The methodology
  2. Incidents: Response structure
  3. Quick Reference: Debugging: Checklist for 2 AM
  4. Quick Reference: Incidents: The response, compressed

Tech Lead

Making architectural decisions and growing others.

  1. Architecture vs Design: Know what's load-bearing
  2. P-Cubed: Prepare, Prove, Produce
  3. Technical Debt: Deliberate debt, payback triggers

Staff+ / Principal

Shaping how others work.

  1. Levels of Work: Problem, Initiative, Epic, Task
  2. Architecture vs Design: No best practices, only tradeoffs
  3. Teaching & Mentoring: Multiply yourself

Manager / Engineering Leader

Creating the environment where good engineering happens.

  1. P-Cubed: How work flows through teams
  2. Communication: Status, decisions, alignment
  3. Incidents: Response structure, blameless culture

Routes by Situation

"I'm stuck on a bug" → Debugging | Quick Reference

"I need to make an architectural decision" → Architecture vs Design | ADR Template

"Production is down" → Quick Reference: Incidents | Incidents | Update Template

"I'm reviewing code" → The Body Plan: can you draw what the change does to the creature?

"I'm onboarding someone new" → New Engineer route | Teaching & Mentoring

Quick References

Checklists, not essays:

Find your route. Get back to work.