Jack Reichert

Fullstack Philosopher

On Breaking Glass

The past two years have had a shadow hanging over them. Every happy moment has had an asterisk. Ever since we heard news of the kidnappings on October 7th, it was impossible to experience anything as purely good. How can you experience joy, or enjoy yourself, when you know that your family is in a…

November 19, 2025
Wikipedia: The Price of Centralized Knowledge

Wikipedia is a brilliant invention. Granting power to the hive mind of the world to collect all of human knowledge is one of the greatest feats of the past couple decades. Unfortunately, that means that today we’re living in a world where every piece of human knowledge flows through a single filter. A world where…

November 17, 2024
Lead your team like a Jazz band

I can’t stay away from New Orleans for very long. It’s a city that gets under your skin — it drips with creativity. It’s a city where music and art is everywhere. There are music venues on almost every block; there are art galleries, and art fairs everywhere. The food is creative in New Orleans,…

March 12, 2024
Another trip around the sun

Last year I started a project to list 42 things I have learned until now. I had hoped to get through the list. In reality I got through a little more than 1/4 of my list. Things happened, and I didn’t feel that my list would be appropriate to continue under those circumstances. I was…

December 1, 2023
How I did it

How I got a job in tech after getting laid off. I was laid off in May along with 20% of Shopify and this past week I signed an offer letter with an exciting startup. The startup upscribe.io is early stage, which excites me. I love startups, and never worked at one at this stage.…

July 25, 2023
AlgoExpert and Technical Interviews

I wrote previously about my approach to technical interviews. I think there’s a lot of value in catering your interviews towards the needs of the job. I once interviewed a candidate who choked on a relatively simple algorithm. Because someone had referred them, we did a second technical interview which focused more on the specific…

June 23, 2023
On Self Care

I was laid off two week ago from Shopify along with 20% of the company. I previously talked about what I was doing to find my next position. But I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about what I’m doing to take care of myself. Getting fired is one of the more stressful things…

May 14, 2023
What I want to do next

After sharing that I was laid off this past week along with 20% of Shopify I was asked what I want to do next. TLDR I’m eager to build and lead a team as a software engineering manager or technical lead in a company that embraces experimentation, best development practices, and empowers people. My goal…

May 9, 2023
Today I was laid off with 20% of Shopify

Update: Some people have asked what I’m looking to do next. * As a philosophy major and self-taught engineer, getting hired by one of the highest regarded companies for its technical innovation has been a dream. I made it through the first round almost a year ago, where 10% were laid off. Unfortunately this time…

May 4, 2023
16. Everything Has its Place

This essay is part of my 42 Deep Thoughts project. If you ever want to have a luxurious cooking experience pre-prepare all of the ingredients in advance in bowls so that while you’re cooking you have each ingredient ready when it’s needed. In French this preparation is called mise en place — everything put in…

April 12, 2023