Search overlay panel for performing site-wide searches
Salesforce (Heroku) Named a Leader. Learn More!

Life

Samurai Duke and the Legend of OpenJDK

What is Duke? No one knows his species or genus. People say he’s a Java Bean or a Software Agent, but all we know for sure is that he reminds us of the more than twenty-year legacy of the Java language and its community. The Java community has such an affinity for Duke that designers have created surfing Duke, astronaut Duke, rockstar Duke, macramé Duke, and of course Heroku’s Samurai Duke. But how can all of these Duke variants exist without violating copyright or trademark laws? After all, Duke represents the language at the middle of one of the fiercest…

Pride Runs Deep

Pride is a word with many meanings. It can mean a job well done. It can mean satisfaction in who you are or what you stand for. For me, it is all of that and more. It is one of the values that runs deeply at Heroku and what keeps me here — pride in the work we do, pride in how we do it, and most importantly, pride in our people. One of the most moving things I have seen this past month is this Heroku Pride wallpaper on peoples’ screens all around the office. At this 50th anniversary…

On Making Work Less Remote: How the Heroku Team Works Together

At a rough estimate over half the team at Heroku are remote workers, including myself. We are affectionately called Remokai. We hail from a dizzying number of countries, communicating through email, video calls, and instant messages, from cities, towns, beaches, and parks—a few weeks ago I had a meeting while cycling through central London. It's an incredible mix of people, from a diverse range of backgrounds, living and working in ways that would have been impossible only a short time ago. “For the most remote place I’ve worked… I did try to stay focused on the VTO (volunteering) project I…

Finding Inspiration in Apps on Earth Day

Earth Day inspires millions of people around the world to take action on behalf of our beautiful planet. For some, this means getting out and volunteering for a day with an environmental group. For others, it’s about changing our daily habits to be more mindful about things like recycling, driving, or water usage. But a growing sector is taking earth-friendly action at scale. From nonprofits to NGOs to green businesses, visionary entrepreneurs are using modern technology to address Planet Earth’s very modern problems. I often work with Heroku customers to help them share their story with the world. Along the…

Subscribe to the full-text RSS feed for Joe Kutner.