Meet the Writer: Contributor Nicolas Fränkel, Head of Developer Advocacy on Apache APISIX

I’m Nicolas Fränkel, Head of Developer Advocacy working on the [Apache APISIX](https://apisix.apache.org/) project. \ Before this, I worked on (mainly Java) projects for 17 years in different positions: developer, team leader, software architect, and solution architect. During these years, I accumulated a lot of frustration regarding my work. Most, if not all, projects are aimed at solving organizational issues with technical solutions, which is indeed not the most efficient way. \ I decided to move to Developer Relations; fortunately, I was already an experienced content creator through [my blog](https://blog.frankel.ch/) and [conference speaking](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0EuBuKK-s1EL-K3okpYwR0QZbAPRVmEG), so the switch was not that hard. ## Interesting! What was your latest Hackernoon Top story about? I wrote two related stories: [How to Move Away From Twitter](https://hackernoon.com/how-to-move-away-from-twitter) and [Having an Immutable Mastodon Handle](https://hackernoon.com/having-an-immutable-mastodon-handle). \ The current situation got many Twitter users about Mastodon. ## Do you usually write on similar topics? If not, what do you usually write about? I opened my Twitter account in 2009 and have accrued around 13k followers. \ I’m a bit “invested” in Twitter; thus, I’m pretty worried about the current situation. I usually have more “technical” interests, such as programming languages, DevOps, and software architecture, but I wanted to find an alternative to Twitter. ## Great! What is your usual writing routine like (if you have one?) When I have a blog post idea, I write it on a GitLab board, along with a couple of details. \ When I’m not busy traveling around, here’s how I write a blog post: * I get the idea that seems the most attractive to me from the board * Most of my content requires code. In general, I write the demo first * I then write the content * I aim to publish a blog post a week. Hence, I may write more than exactly one post per week. When it happens, I “store” the post until I need it - everything is in Git on my side. * It allows me to review the post before publishing. Sometimes, I notice that it’s not adequately structured or that I miss an additional explanation. * If I wrote the article as part of my job, I ask my colleagues to review it * Finally, I use Grammarly to help me write correct English, as it’s not my native language ## Being a writer in tech can be a challenge. It’s not often our main role, but an addition to another one. What is the biggest challenge you have when it comes to writing? The main issue when writing a new blog post is to find **the** idea. Thus, I read a lot of other blog posts and watch a couple of videos to help me get them. In general, I’m trying to highlight how to solve a problem. ## What is the next thing you hope to achieve in your career? To be honest, I’m delighted with my current position. I write posts, speak at conferences, meet wonderful people, etc. When (if?) the time comes when I’m bored with it, I’ll probably think about the next step, but I don’t think it will happen anytime soon. ## Wow, that’s admirable. Now, something more casual: What is your guilty pleasure of choice? None that I can tell in public 😉 ## Do you have a non-tech-related hobby? If yes, what is it? My work is relatively sedentary; I compensate by practicing sports. At the moment, it includes running (which I can do nearly anywhere), biking (when I’m at home and it’s neither too hot nor too cold), and playing squash (when my friends are available). I also enjoy taking pictures of the places I visit and recently started to play board games regularly. ## What can the Hacker Noon community expect to read from you next? My next two blog posts will be: 1. A review of the book [API Design Patterns](https://www.manning.com/books/api-design-patterns?utm_source=frankel&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=affiliate&a_aid=frankel) 2. Some pain points of the REST architectural style ## What’s your opinion on HackerNoon as a platform for writers? It has improved a lot! I especially like the new v3 editor. ## Thanks for taking time to join our “[Meet the writer](https://hackernoon.com/tagged/meet-the-writer)” series. It was a pleasure. Do you have any closing words? Thanks for having me!

Meet the Writer: Contributor Nicolas Fränkel, Head of Developer Advocacy on Apache APISIX

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