What’s this?
This is a newsletter about simple system design for well-rounded engineers.
You’ll get two types of emails:
1-Case studies about popular apps and libraries
2-Essays about simple engineering
Both will help you build modern systems. The case studies will internalize design patterns, while the essays will empower you to resist complexity.
We believe system design is the new coding, and that good design depends more on removal than addition.
That’s why our content theme for 2026 is:
» Craftsmanship: Creating simple software in an increasingly complex world. «
You can see the quarterly subtopics along with recommended reading at https://www.fullstack.zip.
Who r u?
We’re the small, bootstrapped team behind Compass — a productivity app for software engineers. We’re always searching for the best ways to ship fast while maintaining our sanity. We figured we might as well share our notes as we go.
To learn more about us and what we believe in, check out our public handbook.
Sponsors
Reach the engineers building tomorrow’s systems.
See our Sponsorship options here: https://www.fullstack.zip/sponsors
