Hi, my name is Merlin Rebrović. Welcome to my place on the Web.

I love learning, books, and technology, and it’s been like this since my childhood. I use this website to write and share my thoughts on those topics and as an occasional personal journal. My professional career has spanned several roles and companies in tech, which seems like a symptom of my broad interests and curiosity. You can read more about me or follow me on LinkedIn and Twitter. I’m experimenting with Mastodon.

Latest blog posts

New channels: email, Mastodon, RSS

I decided to re-evaluate my involvement in some media channels while opening new ones that might foster more meaningful relationships and communication even at a smaller scale.
Do you need to test at the end of a design sprint?

The short answer is, yes.
Interaction 23

It’s been three and a half years since I attended an industry conference in person. I missed it.
Layoffs and life lessons

As I’m watching the tech layoffs situation unfold, I’m confirming random but related life lessons I gathered over the decades and for which I still carry scars as reminders.
Mass layoffs at Google

Following the recent trend among tech companies, Google announced mass layoffs, citing the current economic situation.

Selected essays and talks

Evidence-based learning methods I use regularly

Several learning methods that will help you learn more efficiently and effectively.
How I organize my work and keep my sanity

Like many knowledge workers, I operate in an environment where I have too many options to work on at any given moment. I have found a way of keeping on top of it, and I’m sharing it here.
The paradox of learning

Why struggling could mean you’re actually doing it the right way.
10 behaviors for more influence

I mentored several UX designers on improving communication and cross-functional influence. Similar topics started to surface with each person, so I decided to note them down.
The top work skills you need in the 21^st century

Instead of chasing trends and fads, wouldn’t it be better to focus on knowledge and skills that last for decades or even a lifetime? This talk introduced foundational work skills that cross industries and ways to identify and quickly learn core skills within an industry.

Older projects

WebGL cube (2015)

A WebGL experiment that responds to device rotation.
Focus.vim (2013)

A Vim plugin that removes clutter and makes working on a wide screen enjoyable.