Caktus Blog

Insights and strategies from a team recognized at Python and Django conferences worldwide since 2009. The Caktus Blog is your space for practical how-to’s, real-world solutions, and expert advice on building better user experiences, strengthening quality assurance, solving deep and complex Python/Django problems, and managing projects that deliver impact. Whether you’re refining a UI or prepping for launch, join us to learn, level up, and lead with confidence.

2021


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How Django Got Its Name

Pictured: From left to right, musicians Sebastian Peszko, Francisco Batista, and Filippo Dall’Asta in Berlin, Germany.

In early November, my husband and I celebrated a friend’s birthday with dinner and a show. The birthday boy has eclectic tastes and it’s always a treat to be included in his plans. Little did I know, however, that our night out in Berlin, Germany, would be related to my day job with Caktus, which is of course, based in Durham, North Carolina … As a side note, I’ve been working remotely from Berlin since August 2021.

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Caktus Clicks: October Link Roundup

October brought with it a (slight) change in the weather as well as the return of DjangoCon! In between our usual fall routines, here are some of the interesting things we have been clicking on — a nice mix of food for thought and actual food! Click for yourself and see what you think:

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Continuing My Sales Tech Career: A Promotion and Professional Development

Matti Thompson

This blog is a continuation of my last post about my professional background and transition to a new career at Caktus Group. As an update: I still dig it here.

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DjangoCon is Back and Free of Charge

Elizabeth Michalka

We’ve waited eagerly for DjangoCon 2021 since last year’s event was cancelled due to COVID-19. Not only is the event back, but it’s free to attend! DjangoCon will take place virtually on October 22 and 23 — it will be unprecedented since this is the first time the conference will be virtual.

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Caktus Clicks: September Link Roundup

We’re reviving a blog series from a few years ago in which we compile and share the things Cakti are clicking on — articles, videos, podcasts — whether it’s tech-related, an idea for social good, or just something interesting or amusing that caught someone’s eye. Have a look at this recommended reading and let us know what you think:

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How to Use Celery for Scheduling Tasks

Dan Poirier

There are multiple ways to schedule tasks in your Django app, but there are some advantages to using Celery. It’s supported, scales well, and works nicely with Django. Given its wide use, there are also lots of resources for learning more about it, and once learned, that knowledge is likely to be useful on other projects.

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Becoming a Sales Tech Sponge: Transitioning to My Dream Job

Matti Thompson

This is a blog post about where I come from and where I’m headed as a team member at Caktus Group. I’ll only be on my soapbox for a few paragraphs, pinky promise.

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Modern CTO Podcast Spotlights Caktus CTO Colin Copeland

Dorothy Famiano

In the July 16 episode of Modern CTO, Colin Copeland, Caktus Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer goes one-on-one with podcast host Joel Beasley. They discuss the:

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Highlights from PyCon US 2021

Dmitriy Chukhin

I had the opportunity to attend PyCon US, which was held entirely virtually. Though an in-person experience is impossible to replicate (the last time I attended PyCon in person was in 2018), I found that many aspects of the live conference were still available in an online format. Here are some of my highlights:

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Django Chat is Where it’s At

Elizabeth Michalka
Dorothy Famiano

Have you heard of the Django Chat podcast? With more than 90 episodes on all things Django, it’s full of informative interviews featuring some of the best and brightest in the industry.