Thoughts & Insights

Exploring leadership, technology, and personal growth

Welcome to My Digital Home

I'm Derek Neighbors, a technology leader, mentor, and community builder passionate about creating high-performing teams and innovative products.

Here you'll find my thoughts on software development, leadership, personal growth, and building strong communities. I share insights from my experiences as a serial entrepreneur, software executive, and angel investor.

Whether you're interested in technology trends, team dynamics, or personal development, I hope you'll find something valuable to take away from these posts. Feel free to reach out if you have thoughts to share.

Why Clean Test Output Matters: A Developer's Guide to Noise-Free Testing

Why Clean Test Output Matters: A Developer's Guide to Noise-Free Testing

Tech , Code

Clean test output isn't just about aesthetics, it's about developer productivity, debugging efficiency, and maintaining code quality. When your test suite runs quietly and only speaks up when something's wrong, you can focus on what matters: building great software.

Read more
Stop Chasing Balance. Start Chasing the Edge.

Stop Chasing Balance. Start Chasing the Edge.

Growth , Leadership

Everyone wants greatness until they realize what it demands. The edge isn't found in comfort, it's in the obsession, discipline, and relentless focus that transforms potential into reality.

Read more
The Return Is the Resistance

The Return Is the Resistance

Growth , Leadership

It's not about the run or the miles. It's about returning to the place where your resolve gets sharpened, your personal forge where growth happens through resistance.

Read more
Intent-Aware, or Nowhere: Building for Cognition in the Age of AI

Intent-Aware, or Nowhere: Building for Cognition in the Age of AI

Tech , Innovation , Code

Everyone's racing to build Model Context Protocols, but they're solving the wrong problem. You're not building for operators—you're building for agents that interpret, decide, and act.

Read more
Broken Windows Don't Fix Themselves. Neither Do Broken Coders.

Broken Windows Don't Fix Themselves. Neither Do Broken Coders.

Code , Tech , Leadership

You're in the file. You see the broken code. If you walk past it without fixing it, you're not just part of the problem, you are the problem.

Read more