The pair-programming session that made me write tests first

Years ago, on my first day at a new company, I sat down for what I thought was going to be a normal pair-programming session. There was a story on the board — I no longer remember what it was, exactly. Some feature, a handful of requirements, the usual shape of a first ticket at a new job. I read the requirements, my mind raced ahead to how I’d build it, and I started talking through my approach. ...

July 18, 2026 · 8 min · Omar Crosby