August 2020 Summaries

ReadMe has reimagined its technical interview process to focus on candidates, aiming to create a more supportive and engaging experience that allows candidates to showcase their best selves. The process begins with hiring managers understanding the role firsthand, followed by crafting job listings that highlight growth opportunities and provide clear expectations. During interviews, candidates are encouraged to bring their own projects, enabling them to demonstrate their skills in familiar contexts, which fosters deeper discussions and avoids traditional technical interview pitfalls. The approach emphasizes curiosity and empathy, seeking candidates who are naturally inquisitive and interested in understanding diverse roles within the company. By aligning their interview process with their values of usability and design, ReadMe aims to attract candidates who share these principles and may not thrive in conventional technical interviews. The final step of the process includes an offer accompanied by an Employee Handbook, giving candidates insight into ReadMe's culture and values.

Generating an OpenAPI description for an API, whether new or already in production, offers significant benefits such as maintaining synchronized documentation and adhering to standardized practices without redesigning the API. OpenAPI and Swagger prevent companies from creating unique standards, thus saving time. For APIs built with common frameworks like Falcon or Rails, tools like zero-rails_openapi and falcon-apispec can translate existing API descriptions into OpenAPI format. Using the oas module, developers can embed OpenAPI parameters as inline documentation within the code, which can then be compiled into a comprehensive YAML or JSON file, ensuring synchronization with the codebase. Additionally, tools like Optic can generate OpenAPI descriptions by listening to live API traffic, though this requires careful verification of coverage. For those preferring a hands-on approach, guides and templates are available to assist in writing OpenAPI descriptions manually, providing a thorough understanding of every line of the specification.