My Stack, My Rules: Looking Outside of Work to Build Better Software

When tech professionals discuss their “stack”, they typically highlight tools, frameworks, and core technologies. But for Neil Cossor, Senior iOS Engineer at Frollo, some of the most valuable practices sit outside typical industry conventions. Neil’s approach to staying sharp and creative relies on two distinct habits: proactive technical experimentation and active community involvement.

1. Proactive Technical Experimentation

Rather than waiting for project requirements or formal mandates to learn new tools, exploring upcoming changes early helps maintain adaptability. Neil suggests looking ahead to emerging technologies before they become strictly necessary.

He notes that exploring new language versions or tools early allows developers to test ideas thoughtfully without immediate deadline pressure.

In fast-moving environments, flexibility remains key. Being open to experimenting with newer patterns or tools helps build confidence when larger shifts eventually happen across the industry.

2. Community Engagement and Skill Sharing

To sharpen those skills without production-level stress, Neil advocates for building outside of your day job.

Neil suggests engaging with broader professional groups, such as local developer meetups (e.g., CocoaHeads for Apple developers) or open-source initiatives. Participating in community discussions provides broad exposure to real-world approaches used across different teams.

These environments offer practical avenues for professional growth. Giving a talk or sharing an open-source project helps refine communication skills, practice presentation delivery and build meaningful networks across the field.

3. The Unexpected Hack: Non-Tech Volunteering

Perhaps Neil’s most unique productivity insight comes from stepping away from technology entirely. Whether it’s helping at a local sports club, reading assistance programs or giving blood, Neil views community volunteering as a secret weapon for engineering focus.The benefits are multifold:

• Broader Perspective: Engaging in non-tech community activities has helped him appreciate  broader insights from  diverse user groups and communities, freshening his ideas and ways of working when at work.
• Mental Reset: Focusing on completely different tasks provides Neil with a helpful mental reset, supporting clearer focus when returning to primary engineering challenges.
• Positive Engagement: Contributing to community efforts has brought its own personal satisfaction whilst also equipping him to bring his own  constructive, supportive outlook within collaborative team environments.

Overall, Neil has found maintaining broad interests and an open, community-minded perspective has helped him keep his technical skills relevant whilst also  enhancing his long-term focus and collaborative approach when working with others.

What unconventional habits or community practices have shaped your technical approach? Share your thoughts with us or reach out to join the discussion.

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