Toptal Blog
The Toptal Blog is the top hub for developers, designers, finance experts, executives, and entrepreneurs, featuring key technology updates, tutorials, freelancer resources, and management insights.
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A Deep Dive Into Entity Framework Performance When Using “Contains”
Entity Framework is a great tool, but in some cases its performance is slow. One such case arises when complex queries use “Contains.”
Join Toptal .NET Developer Anton Shkuratov in exploring how performance issues can be mitigated and finding the best approach to this type of complex queries.
Anton Shkuratov
Anton is a software developer and technical consultant with 10+ years of experience in desktop-distributed applications.
Words Matter: The True Value of UX Copy
Well-crafted words improve UX and provide people with decision-making clarity. We explore the true value of UX copy and provide sensible writing tips for greater user engagement.
Micah Bowers
Micah helps businesses craft meaningful engagement through branding, illustration, and design.
Getting to the Greeks: The Comprehensive Guide to Option Pricing
Stock options are widely used in public and private markets, both as malleable trading tools and for employee compensation. Yet many do not understand the components behind how they are priced. This guide discusses what drives the behavior of call and put options and how they can be deployed within portfolio management.
Nathan Krishnan S
During his two-decade career in Asia and the US, Nathan has consulted in strategy, valuations, corporate finance and financial planning.
Cause and Effect: Exploring Color Psychology
The use of color in design can affect the emotions and moods of the people. Using colors wisely can improve UX and induce desired behaviors in significant ways.
Cameron Chapman
Cameron comes from a design background and is the author of two web design books: Color for Web Design and The Smashing Idea Book.
AI Investment Primer: Laying the Groundwork (Part I)
Over the last few years, the world has witnessed an explosion of interest surrounding Artificial Intelligence. Nevertheless, there still exists a significant gap in understanding and knowledge about AI applications, particularly amongst the investor community. This article, the first of a two-part series on the topic, is a collection of thoughts and advice by Toptal Finance Expert Carolyn Deng, based on her experience having founded an AI startup as well as having worked as VC Investor.
Carolyn Deng, CFA
A Wharton MBA and CFA, Carolyn has executed 20+ VC/PE deals, managed a $700M portfolio and is a fundraising, growth and M&A specialist.
Ethereum Oracle Contracts: Solidity Code Features
Solidity is the programming language of choice for Ethereum and the de facto industry standard for smart contract development.
In the second article of our three-part series, Toptal Blockchain Developer John R. Kosinski takes a closer look at Solidity quirks and features, explaining how to make the most of it.
John R. Kosinski
As a full-stack dev for nearly two decades, John’s worked with IoT, Blockchain, web, and mobile projects using C/C++, .NET, SQL, and JS.
Option/Maybe, Either, and Future Monads in JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Swift, and Scala
If you’re searching for the holy grail of bug-free code in JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Swift, and/or Scala, look no further! This monad tutorial by Toptal Freelance Functional Programmer Alexey Karasev takes you from category theory to the practical implementations of the Option/Maybe, Either, and Future monads, plus a sample program—in all five languages.
Alexey Karasev
Alexey (MEcon) is skilled in several languages and prefers functional programming, particularly Scala, to lower time wasted hunting bugs.
Know Your User: UX Statistics and Insights (With Infographic)
Billions are lost by businesses due to poor UX. This article outlines key UX statistics and insights that stress the importance of “knowing your user” (with infographic).
Miklos Philips
Miklos is a UX designer, product design strategist, author, and speaker with more than 18 years of experience in the design field.
A/B Testing UX for Component-based Frameworks
UI components are about modularity and reusability. A/B testing can be employed very effectively during a lean product development process to test components that make up an application’s UI.
Stewart Pressney
Stewart has developed a user-centered design and prototyping workflow proven successful in healthcare, education, and eCommerce.
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The History of Remote Work, 1560-Present (with Infographic) (Updated)
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