StellarScience
Company: We're a small scientific software development company that develops custom scientific and engineering analysis applications in domains including: space situational awareness (monitoring the locations, health and status of on-orbit satellites), image simulation, high power microwave systems, modeling and simulation, laser systems modeling, AI/ML including physics-informed neural networks (PINN), human body thermoregulation, computer vision and image processing, high performance computing (HPC), computer aided design (CAD), and more. All exciting applications and no CRUD. We emphasize high quality code and lightweight processes that free software engineers to be productive.
Experience: Except for interns, we currently require a Bachelors degree in physics, engineering, math, computer science, or a related field. Masters or PhD is a plus. (Roughly 25% of our staff have PhDs.)
Technologies: Lots of C++23, Qt 6.9, CMake, git, OpenGL, CUDA, Boost, Jenkins. Windows and Linux, msvc/gcc/clang/clangcl. AI/ML and analysis projects use Python and C++. Web projects use Java and Typescript/React. We're a bit behind the curve on developer AI adoption, and we're okay with that.
Apply online: at https://www.stellarscience.com/careers/.
However, I'm surprised to see no data structures at all with O(log(N)) complexity. Surely there are some use cases for which that's desirable?
Company: We're a small scientific software development company that develops custom scientific and engineering analysis applications in domains including: space situational awareness (monitoring the locations, health and status of on-orbit satellites), image simulation, high power microwave systems, modeling and simulation, laser systems modeling, AI/ML including physics-informed neural networks (PINN), human body thermoregulation, computer vision and image processing, high performance computing (HPC), computer aided design (CAD), and more. All exciting applications and no CRUD. We emphasize high quality code and lightweight processes that free software engineers to be productive.
Experience: Except for interns, we currently require a Bachelors degree in physics, engineering, math, computer science, or a related field. Masters or PhD is a plus. (Roughly 25% of our staff have PhDs.)
Technologies: Lots of C++23, Qt 6.9, CMake, git, OpenGL, CUDA, Boost, Jenkins. Windows and Linux, msvc/gcc/clang/clangcl. AI/ML and analysis projects use Python and C++. Web projects use Java and Typescript/React. We're a bit behind the curve on developer AI adoption, and we're okay with that.
Apply online: at https://www.stellarscience.com/careers/.
To achieve high performance, any language would need to implement integer addition with a single machine instruction like 'ADD'. Languages can achieve more intuitive behavior by adding an operand check before the 'ADD', or by using an 'ADC' instruction and checking the carry bit afterwards. But adding branch statements to every add operation would slow computation significantly. Clever languages/compilers might deduce certain invariants and variable ranges that enable it to remove some of these branches to help in certain special cases.
Evidently Rust has an optional "safe add" that adds the branches to check for overflow. So newer languages offer more explicit options. But the core issue is more fundamental than language-specific.
Exactly! That's precisely the problem with it.
(Hint: think about your code when size = 0.)
Agreed, seeing that example briefly made me consider whether this blog post was a parody. Sure, it works for this exact example, by relying on i wrapping "down" to MAX_INT on the last iteration. But how long will it take the next developer who works on the code base to figure that out? Will they figure it out before or after committing changes that break it? Or worse yet, before or after shipping code?
Even beyond Stroustrup, Dijkstra, and Google, this whole panel of C++ luminaries agrees to prefer signed types and explains pretty clearly why:
- 12:12-13:08 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puio5dly9N8#t=12m12s
- 42:40-45:26 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puio5dly9N8#t=42m40s
- 1:02:50-1:03:15 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puio5dly9N8#t=1h2m50s
Company: We're a small scientific software development company that develops custom scientific and engineering analysis applications in domains including: space situational awareness (monitoring the locations, health and status of on-orbit satellites), image simulation, high power microwave systems, modeling and simulation, laser systems modeling, AI/ML including physics-informed neural networks (PINN), human body thermoregulation, computer vision and image processing, high performance computing (HPC), computer aided design (CAD), and more. All exciting applications and no CRUD. We emphasize high quality code and lightweight processes that free software engineers to be productive.
Experience: Except for interns, we currently require a Bachelors degree in physics, engineering, math, computer science, or a related field. Masters or PhD is a plus. (Roughly 25% of our staff have PhDs.)
Technologies: Lots of C++23, Qt 6.9, CMake, git, OpenGL, CUDA, Boost, Jenkins. Windows and Linux, msvc/gcc/clang/clangcl. AI/ML and analysis projects use Python and C++. Web projects use Java and Typescript/React. We're a bit behind the curve on developer AI adoption, and we're okay with that.
Apply online: at https://www.stellarscience.com/careers/.
So is it the future now?
Just keep in mind that you're likely hearing from a limited subset of all tech CEOs.
"CEO Expresses Moderate Confidence that AI Can Enable Modest Productivity Gains" is not an article that gets written, because it would not generate clicks.
Company: We're a small scientific software development company that develops custom scientific and engineering analysis applications in domains including: space situational awareness (monitoring the locations, health and status of on-orbit satellites), image simulation, high power microwave systems, modeling and simulation, laser systems modeling, AI/ML including physics-informed neural networks (PINN), human body thermoregulation, computer vision and image processing, high performance computing (HPC), computer aided design (CAD), and more. All exciting applications and no CRUD. We emphasize high quality code and lightweight processes that free software engineers to be productive.
Experience: Except for interns, we currently require a Bachelors degree in physics, engineering, math, computer science, or a related field. Masters or PhD is a plus. (Roughly 25% of our staff have PhDs.)
Technologies: Lots of C++23, Qt 6.9, CMake, git, OpenGL, CUDA, Boost, Jenkins. Windows and Linux, msvc/gcc/clang/clangcl. AI/ML and analysis projects use Python and C++. Web projects use Java and Typescript/React. We're a bit behind the curve on developer AI adoption, and we're okay with that.
Apply online: at https://www.stellarscience.com/careers/.
Company: We're a small scientific software development company that develops custom scientific and engineering analysis applications in domains including: space situational awareness (monitoring the locations, health and status of on-orbit satellites), image simulation, high power microwave systems, modeling and simulation, laser systems modeling, AI/ML including physics-informed neural networks (PINN), human body thermoregulation, computer vision and image processing, high performance computing (HPC), computer aided design (CAD), and more. All exciting applications and no CRUD. We emphasize high quality code and lightweight processes that free software engineers to be productive.
Experience: Except for interns, we currently require a Bachelors degree in physics, engineering, math, computer science, or a related field. Masters or PhD is a plus. (Roughly 25% of our staff have PhDs.)
Technologies: Lots of C++23, Qt 6.9, CMake, git, OpenGL, CUDA, Boost, Jenkins. Windows and Linux, msvc/gcc/clang/clangcl. AI/ML and analysis projects use Python and C++. Web projects use Java and Typescript/React.
Apply online: at https://www.stellarscience.com/careers/.
Company: We're a small scientific software development company that develops custom scientific and engineering analysis applications in domains including: space situational awareness (monitoring the locations, health and status of on-orbit satellites), image simulation, high power microwave systems, modeling and simulation, laser systems modeling, AI/ML including physics-informed neural networks (PINN), human body thermoregulation, computer vision and image processing, high performance computing (HPC), computer aided design (CAD), and more. All exciting applications and no CRUD. We emphasize high quality code and lightweight processes that free software engineers to be productive.
Experience: Except for interns, we currently require a Bachelors degree in physics, engineering, math, computer science, or a related field. Masters or PhD is a plus. (Roughly 25% of our staff have PhDs.)
Technologies: Lots of C++23, Qt 6.9, CMake, git, OpenGL, CUDA, Boost, Jenkins. Windows and Linux, msvc/gcc/clang/clangcl. AI/ML and analysis projects use Python and C++. Web projects use Java and Typescript/React.
Apply online: at https://www.stellarscience.com/careers/.
Company: We're a small scientific software development company that develops custom scientific and engineering analysis applications in domains including: space situational awareness (monitoring the locations, health and status of on-orbit satellites), image simulation, high power microwave systems, modeling and simulation, laser systems modeling, AI/ML including physics-informed neural networks (PINN), human body thermoregulation, computer vision and image processing, high performance computing (HPC), computer aided design (CAD), and more. All exciting applications and no CRUD. We emphasize high quality code and lightweight processes that free software engineers to be productive.
Experience: Except for interns, we currently require a Bachelors degree in physics, engineering, math, computer science, or a related field. Masters or PhD is a plus. (Roughly 25% of our staff have PhDs.)
Technologies: Lots of C++23, Qt 6.9, CMake, git, OpenGL, CUDA, Boost, Jenkins. Windows and Linux, msvc/gcc/clang/clangcl. AI/ML and analysis projects use Python and C++. Web projects use Java and Typescript/React.
Apply online: at https://www.stellarscience.com/careers/.
Company: We're a small scientific software development company that develops custom scientific and engineering analysis applications in domains including: space situational awareness (monitoring the locations, health and status of on-orbit satellites), image simulation, high power microwave systems, modeling and simulation, laser systems modeling, AI/ML including physics-informed neural networks (PINN), human body thermoregulation, computer vision and image processing, high performance computing (HPC), computer aided design (CAD), and more. All exciting applications and no CRUD. We emphasize high quality code and lightweight processes that free software engineers to be productive.
Experience: Except for interns, we currently require a Bachelors degree in physics, engineering, math, computer science, or a related field. Masters or PhD is a plus. (Roughly 25% of our staff have PhDs.)
Technologies: Lots of C++23, Qt 6.9, CMake, git, OpenGL, CUDA, Boost, Jenkins. Windows and Linux, msvc/gcc/clang/clangcl. AI/ML and analysis projects use Python and C++. Web projects use Java and Typescript/React.
Apply online: at https://www.stellarscience.com/careers/.
A year or two ago Visual Studio added a pop-up that parses such lengthy compiler messages into a clickable tree list. I found it annoying at first, until I discovered I could dock it to the side, ignore it 98% of the time, but still go look at the details when relevant. This is an idea other compilers should copy.
Maybe ships should copy this approach too: issue fewer warnings, but provide a list of warning details for review when necessary.
slow growth is terrible
Rapid growth feels like you're constantly plugging holes in the dike or putting out fires.
Like you I've had brief moments of jealously seeing a company that started after mine and grew faster. But when I think rationally, I just wish them well, and realize I'm happy with any pace of growth that's not negative.
git clone --branch v6.10.1 https://code.qt.io/qt/qt5.git .
They do require a login to download precompiled binaries, but what self-respecting Hacker News reader wants those?!
Ok, I'll admit, I've done it. And yes, I received Qt marketing at that email alias for a while, but they've stopped.
And remember, Qt has an LPGL license too, not just Commercial and GPL.
EDIT: Ah, ranger_danger pointed out that https://download.qt.io/archive/qt/6.10/ hosts binaries with no login required as well!
// translate will replace all instances; only need to run it once
// Replace all symbols
String replaceAllSymbols() {
Company: We're a small scientific software development company that develops custom scientific and engineering analysis applications in domains including: space situational awareness (monitoring the locations, health and status of on-orbit satellites), image simulation, high power microwave systems, modeling and simulation, laser systems modeling, AI/ML including physics-informed neural networks (PINN), human body thermoregulation, computer vision and image processing, high performance computing (HPC), computer aided design (CAD), and more. All exciting applications and no CRUD. We emphasize high quality code and lightweight processes that free software engineers to be productive.
Experience: Except for interns, we currently require a Bachelors degree in physics, engineering, math, computer science, or a related field. Masters or PhD is a plus. (Roughly 25% of our staff have PhDs.)
Technologies: Mostly C++23, Qt 6.9, CMake, git, OpenGL, CUDA, Boost, Jenkins. Windows and Linux, msvc/gcc/clang/clangcl. AI/ML and analysis projects use Python and C++. Some projects use Java or Typescript/React.
Apply online: at https://www.stellarscience.com/careers/.
This is a very common sort of wishful thinking that lets people bypass hard decisions. You create a company that loves its customers and employees and vice versa because you want to run a company that way. There are plenty of examples showing it's possible to run a sustainable business that way, and also plenty of counter-examples. There's no guarantee that it leads to business success or maximizes profits, it's just a choice you make.
I'm personnally sad that now we have to consider banning Firefox for company use, because it's hard to verify that we've disabled every AI "feature" that might funnel our data to remote servers.
C++23 added std::tracktrace, but until it includes stacktrace from arbitrary exception, we're sticking with Boost.
Our small company has been encrypting all emails by default with S/MIME for 15-20 years. A company can generate its own certs for free from a company root cert, use a provider like Sectigo for $20/year, or get US Government ECA certs for about $100/year.
You can read encrypted emails on company-managed mobile devices that have Knox chips to secure access to the certificate. We're careful to back up all our old keys so we can always read old emails.
Some drawbacks are:
- Email "search" features only see the subjects, not the contents, of encrypted emails.
- You can't read encrypted emails via web email.
- Few others have S/MIME certs. Most major government contractors seem confused when we ask about encrypting emails with them...
Johnny may not encrypt, but every business really can.
But my pessimism may be unfounded or based on ignorance. At some point AI will probably get better at these things as well, either with better LLMs or by augmenting LLMs with outboard spatial reasoning modules that they can interact with.
Of course that's true of both sides of this discussion too.
I really value DRY, but of course I have seen cases where a little duplication is preferable. Lately I've seen a steady stream of these "duplication is ok" posts, and I worry that newer programmers will use it to justify copy-paste-modifying 20-30-line blocks of code without even trying to create an appropriate abstraction.
The reality of software is, as you suggest, that there are many good rules of thumb, but also lots of exceptions, and judgment is required in applying them.