Why I Started a Tech Radar
i added a new section to my portfolio: a tech radar.
here's why.
what's a tech radar
the concept comes from thoughtworks: a visual representation of technologies you're tracking, organized by how much you've adopted or are exploring them.
think of it as a map of your technical interests and expertise.
my version
i organize technologies into rings:
- adopt: things i use daily and recommend
- trial: things i'm actively learning
- assess: things i'm watching with interest
- hold: things i've tried and moved away from
and into quadrants:
- languages & frameworks
- infrastructure & tools
- techniques
- ml/ai specific
why bother
1. forces reflection building the radar made me think about what i actually know vs. what i claim to know.
2. tracks growth i can look back and see what moved from "assess" to "adopt" over time.
3. helps others people ask me what to learn. now i can point to a visual.
4. portfolio completeness a blog shows my thoughts. the radar shows my skills.
what's on my radar (now)
adopt: python, pytorch, transformers, git, docker
trial: rust (slowly), various agent frameworks
assess: new deployment patterns, emerging architectures
hold: things that didn't work for me
the maintenance problem
a radar is useless if not updated. i'm committing to quarterly updates.
we'll see if i actually do this.
inspiration
thoughtworks publishes their radar publicly. many companies do internal versions.
for individuals, it's less common. but i think it's valuable for the same reasons.
try it
if you're a dev, consider making one. it's clarifying.
you don't need a fancy visualization. a markdown file works. the value is in the thinking, not the presentation.
updated my radar today. rust finally moved to "trial" after months in "assess." progress.