I read. A lot. And I share the five best things I read every week. This week’s topics include US immigration, sub-atomic particles, thoughts on checklists, series-A funding and as usual a cartoon that hit home for me.
1. Obama’s executive order on immigration
2. Subatomic particles found at CERN
3. James Christie expanding on checklists
4. Surviving a series A crunch
5. Math for grown-ups [cartoon]
My notes:
1. Obama’s executive order on immigration
I started Qxf2 after my H1-B visa expired in 2012. So any news on US immigration perks my interest. US president Barack Obama recently issued an executive order to make immigration a little easier for highly skilled tech workers. I read this linked PDF with interest along with some 15-20 news articles on the topic. There are hints that whatever final form the executive order will help students, H1-B holders, their spouses and entrepreneurs.
2. Subatomic particles found at CERN
I am certain that CERN is going into the history books for revolutionizing physics. The time we live in mirrors the advancements that physics made in the early 20th century. Scientists at CERN found two more subatomic that were predicted by a couple of Canadian particle physicists. Two things caught my attention. One, we suck at naming. The particles were called Xi_b’- and Xi_b*-. Sigh – we need this service. Two, there is a Syracuse University connection! One of the scientists (Steven Blusk) that analyzed the data to discover the particle is an associate professor at Syracuse University.
3. James Christie expanding on checklists
James Christie has been leading a thoughtful and persuasive crusade against ISO-29119. I have seen some people assume that folks who oppose ISO-29119 are in favor of the exact opposite ideas that ISO-29119 represents. James Christie is a former auditor, which makes his arguments so much more nuanced. In this post, he clarifies his position on checklists and does a fantastic job of explaining the “beware of prescriptive process” position.
4. Surviving a series A crunch
Jason Freedman, the founder of 42Floors writes well. Here is another good post on Series-A rounds. I learnt what a top-up round means.
5. Math for grown-ups [cartoon]
We have a new math star who has redefined addition. Addition works like this. I swear.
I want to find out what conditions produce remarkable software. A few years ago, I chose to work as the first professional tester at a startup. I successfully won credibility for testers and established a world-class team. I have lead the testing for early versions of multiple products. Today, I run Qxf2 Services. Qxf2 provides software testing services for startups. If you are interested in what Qxf2 offers or simply want to talk about testing, you can contact me at: [email protected]. I like testing, math, chess and dogs.
![Math for grown-ups [cartoon]](http://i.imgur.com/sP6zFZ2.jpg){kind=link}