The Chainsaw and the Axe

The Chainsaw and the Axe

Most development teams right now have two types of developer: the ones polishing the axe and the ones ripping through forests with a chainsaw. The person paying for the tree to come down doesn’t care which tool you use.

March 27, 2026 · 10 min · 2101 words · Paul McIlreavy
Columbo and the Ideal Team Player

Columbo & the Ideal Team Player 🕵️

Have you ever wondered, as I have, what Columbo can teach us about being an effective Software Consultant? 🕵️ Yes? Then wonder no more. In this article, I explore the ideas in Patrick Lencioni’s The Ideal Team Player and show how Columbo embodies the traits of being humble, hungry, and smart. These traits can help create a productive environment, drive continuous improvement, and help build high-performing teams.

June 3, 2024 · 7 min · 1304 words · Paul McIlreavy
Readify Consultant Toolbelt

Readify Consultant Toolbelt

A curated list of open source .NET libraries and tools created by Readify consultants - from Autofac and Serilog to Octopus Deploy and GuardAgainst.

September 12, 2018 · 7 min · 1421 words · Paul McIlreavy