🪅 Heap Heap Hurray Ed. #312

You've made it halfway through - happy Wednesday!

#Cloud-Kitchen-Reality - Interested in knowing about the behind-the-scenes about running a cloud kitchen? A user on LinkedIn has shared their experience of opening and managing a cloud kitchen for 6+ years - and it’s not all rosy.

#Threads - The two year app is now nearing the same number of Daily Active Users (DAUs) as that of Twitter / X. Remarkable feat, especially since BlueSky felt like the better, privacy-safe option.

#Google-Gemini - Watch out! Your WhatsApp conversations may not be out of grasp of Google anymore. Starting today, Google is implementing a change that will enable its Gemini AI engine to interact with third-party apps, such as WhatsApp, even when users previously configured their devices to block such interactions. Users who don't want their previous settings to be overridden may have to take action.

Epic Games Wins Settlement Against Samsung In App Store Dispute
Epic Games sued Samsung over a feature that blocks its app store. The company had sued Google and Apple for blocking its Fortnite app. The parties have settled the case just days before Samsung unveils its new phones.

Microsoft Teams - Adds Threaded Conversations, Multiple Emoji Reactions, Improved Slash Commands

Meta Edits - Save audio within Ideas, leave sticky notes on audios, mark stickies as done, and filter stickies by status or sort by last edited, date created, or color.

WhatsApp - Introduces threaded message replies feature to help organize conversations.

Bluesky - Introducing granular notification settings, activity notifications, and repost notifications.

Microsoft Edge - Achieves Global First Contentful Paint (FCP) below 300ms, Boosting Browser Responsiveness and User Experience.

Writing Effective Release Announcements For Software Users
In this article, you will learn the key elements of crafting engaging release announcements that inform and excite software users. You will understand the difference between release notes and release announcements, and how to focus on the user's experience when announcing new features. You will also learn how to highlight impactful changes, avoid jargon, and effectively use screenshots to illustrate new features. By the end of this reading, you will be able to write clear and compelling release announcements that showcase the value of new software releases to your users.

Mastering The Art Of Communicating Your Impact
As we approach mid-year performance reviews, it's essential to effectively communicate your impact to leadership. A clear and actionable framework can help you showcase your accomplishments and climb the corporate ladder. The 5 levels of communicating your impact provide a structured approach to convey your achievements. By understanding and applying these levels, you can transform your impact statements from mediocre to exceptional.

AI Adoption Mistakes
CEOs and executives are under a lot of pressure to adopt AI tools fast enough. The result is that engineers everywhere are pressured to ship faster, adopt the latest tools, and become ‘AI first’