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Joel Spolsky

Software developer and computing founder

A cofounder of Fog Creek Software and creator of Stack Overflow with Jeff Atwood. His original posts recommend software team practices and practical usability testing.

Technology Software

2Books recommended

Books Joel Spolsky recommends

2 books, each linked to the source where Joel Spolsky recommended it.

Retailer link

Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams

by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister

Joel Spolsky recommends that software managers read Peopleware regularly.

Recommended · Wording not verified Source: Joel on Software

Evidence details

Peopleware reading recommendation

Own influential-book account and explicit recommendation. Linked retailer third edition is later than the 2000 recommendation; no later-edition endorsement inferred. Catalog summary, no source excerpt copied.

This text documents what the source says, but it is not verified as a word-for-word quote.

Joel on Software · 2000-03-30 · accessed 2026-10-01

Article · Own reading recommendation

Own positive recommendation identifies the book and its practical value for software teams.

Bookshop.org

Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems

by Steve Krug · 2009

Joel Spolsky recommends Rocket Surgery Made Easy as a practical usability-testing guide.

Recommended · Wording not verified Source: Joel on Software

Evidence details

Rocket Surgery Made Easy

Own explicit reader-facing recommendation, not a claim that he authored the book. Catalog summary, no source excerpt copied.

This text documents what the source says, but it is not verified as a word-for-word quote.

Joel on Software · 2010-01-25 · accessed 2026-10-01

Article · Own reading recommendation

Own positive recommendation identifies the book and its practical value for software teams.

Bookshop.org