Toptal Engineering Blog

Companies are increasingly using M&A as a way to acquire valuable technology. Implementing a strong IT integration strategy from the beginning is the key to ensuring the desired benefits.

https://www.toptal.com/finance/mergers-and-acquisitions/ma-it-integration

Some AI initiatives cut costs and drive innovation—others waste company resources without much ROI. Toptal’s Artificial Intelligence Practice Lead describes an effective framework for evaluat...

https://www.toptal.com/executive-guidance/data-analytics-ai/value-of-ai-initiatives

Personalization is key to driving growth with Facebook and Instagram ads. Try these five effective targeting strategies to enhance your ad performance and connect with new audiences.

https://www.toptal.com/marketing/social-media/facebook-ad-targeting

Generative AI is revolutionizing how software developers write code. In this article, three Toptal developers share how they’re using Gen AI in their daily work and offer actionable advice for ...

https://www.toptal.com/software/increase-developer-productivity-generative-ai

Augmented reality is redefining how brands engage customers, and top brands are offering exciting immersive experiences. Explore current applications and what the future of AR in marketing might ...

https://www.toptal.com/marketing/digital/augmented-reality-marketing

Designing thumb-stopping ad creative is crucial for Meta’s social platforms. Experiment with these five marketing techniques to increase conversion on Facebook and Instagram.

https://www.toptal.com/marketing/social-media/effective-facebook-ads

Launching a new venture? Quickly and inexpensively validate your idea and focus on product-market fit before investing precious capital into your business.

https://www.toptal.com/finance/business-development/core-offering

Despite the importance of selecting SEO keywords, many companies still resort to intuition. This visual strategy guide clarifies keyword prioritization for content development, backlink campaigns...

https://www.toptal.com/marketing/seo/keyword-strategy

Posing good questions is a vital project management skill that impacts team trust, self-efficacy, and productivity. Follow this guide to learn best practices and questions for specific audiences.

https://www.toptal.com/project-managers/project-management-consultant/asking-questions

Standing out among crowds of online sellers can feel impossible. Maximize the success of your digital campaigns with this complete guide to e-commerce advertising for small businesses.

https://www.toptal.com/marketing/e-commerce/ecommerce-advertising

The global mental health app market is booming, and research suggests that using thoughtful UI design can give newcomers to the space a competitive edge. Here’s how.

https://www.toptal.com/designers/mobile/mental-health-app-design-for-families

Today’s business customers expect sophisticated and personalized buying journeys. Jeff Gangemi, Toptal’s Growth Marketing Practice Lead, explains how firms must leverage robust martech and da...

https://www.toptal.com/executive-guidance/growth-and-digital-marketing/future-of-b2b-marketing

With proper instruction, LLMs can be highly effective coding assistants. This step-by-step guide shows you how to generate a call to an external API using Python and the OpenAI API.

https://www.toptal.com/openai/create-your-own-ai-assistant

Effective use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT can help project managers boost workplace productivity. Follow this tactical guide to learn best practices, explore project use cases, and unders...

https://www.toptal.com/project-managers/project-management-consultant/chatgpt-for-project-management

How can designers draw people into your product’s virtual, digital, or physical world? Take UX to a new level with these expert perspectives on immersive experience design.

https://www.toptal.com/designers/immersive-design/immersive-experience-design

Security engineering is a fast-moving field, and getting left behind is not an option. This ask-me-anything-style Q&A covers compliance frameworks, security checks, and the importance of a DevSec...

https://www.toptal.com/cybersecurity/devsecops-cloud-security-questions

Successful project management depends on having the right people working on the right tasks at the right time. Follow this real-world example and optimize resource allocation for your teams.

https://www.toptal.com/project-managers/project-management-consultant/resource-allocation

Image labeling can be a tedious, time-consuming task, compounded by the sheer volume of data needed to train deep neural networks. This article breaks down large data set processing and explains ...

https://www.toptal.com/machine-learning/ai-image-labeling

UX writing should strike the right tone and be empathetic and persuasive. Create a frictionless user experience with these three best practices.

https://www.toptal.com/designers/ux/ux-writing

Connecting Monday.com with Jira can enhance efficiency, consistency, and communication. Explore the benefits and drawbacks of both native and custom approaches with this integration guide.

https://www.toptal.com/project-managers/monday/monday-com-integration

This practical guide to building a tech startup focuses on the necessary milestones for success, including defining a problem, validating your ideas, building an MVP, and scaling your product.

https://www.toptal.com/product-managers/lean/lean_startup_methodology

From accelerating innovation to enhancing consumer connections, DTC could reshape CPG. Toptal’s Digital Customer Experience Practice Lead Sara Kahlau and DTC Sales Lead Brennan Shanks explore s...

https://www.toptal.com/executive-guidance/digital-customer-experience/future-of-dtc-cpg

Poor SaaS design can cause customers to get frustrated and flee. Follow these best practices to create a seamless software experience that users will love.

https://www.toptal.com/designers/saas/saas-design

Security professionals are not as inaccessible as the headlines claim. Toptal’s Information Security Practice Lead explains new ways to engage the professionals you need.

https://www.toptal.com/executive-guidance/information-security/solving-cybersecurity-talent-shortage

Webflow can cut website design time in half—enabling designers to devote more attention to driving traffic and boosting conversions.

https://www.toptal.com/designers/webflow/webflow-best-practices

REST APIs have become a critical feature of software development, so understanding the fundamentals is essential for effective product leadership. This overview of key principles helps you master...

https://www.toptal.com/product-managers/api/understanding-rest-api

Conventional profit optimization methods could cause your company to miss out on opportunities to grow. This four-step approach will help your business make the most of its strengths to boost mar...

https://www.toptal.com/finance/business-consultants/optimizing-profit

Apache Spark is an analytics engine that can handle very large data sets. This guide reveals strategies to optimize its performance using PySpark.

https://www.toptal.com/spark/apache-spark-optimization-techniques

For product businesses, embracing the transformative power of AI means incorporating it in a robust, relevant, and sustainable way. Navigate the challenges of AI integration with this guide.

https://www.toptal.com/product-managers/product-development-consultant/ai-business-integration

Setting up authentication in an app with a disparate front end and back end is tricky. This tutorial proposes an innovative solution using JWT and GraphQL.

https://www.toptal.com/angular/angular-wordpress-graphql

Ideally, aesthetics and functionality would merge seamlessly in digital design, but that isn’t always the case. Here, we discuss when to prioritize one or the other for the optimal user experie...

https://www.toptal.com/designers/ux/aesthetics-vs-functionality

Despite Agile’s popularity, Waterfall remains prevalent across industries. Rediscover one of its foundational tools, the WBS, and align your team with a common language to improve project deliv...

https://www.toptal.com/project-managers/freelance/work-breakdown-structure

Next.js is best known for server-side rendering, but these innovative strategies can help developers configure web apps for more speed, reduced server load, improved SEO, and much more.

https://www.toptal.com/next-js/nextjs-rendering-types-page-speed-optimization

Whether you need to fix a roadblock or test a new idea, these insights from a former Formula 1 engineer can help speed your success.

https://www.toptal.com/finance/management-consultants/corporate-strategy

A suite of tools can empower nontechnical users to create mobile applications without writing a line of code. Discover whether these no-code options are right for your next product.

https://www.toptal.com/product-managers/product-management/no-code-application-development

For startups, no-code development tools mean faster and more flexible hypothesis testing at a reduced cost. Create your first product with this guide to the no-code approach.

https://www.toptal.com/product-managers/product-management/no-code-mvp-startup

Cognitive biases can skew user research, leading to design changes that don’t address your customers’ real needs. Build digital products that users will love by mitigating these common biases...

https://www.toptal.com/designers/user-research/cognitive-bias-in-user-research

Scarce funding is squeezing startup budgets, leading to smaller allocations for essential marketing functions such as web analytics, SEO, and email outreach. Discover how AI can enable companies ...

https://www.toptal.com/finance/growth-strategy/ai-marketing

When it comes to improving project outcomes, AI holds vast potential, but it can be difficult to know which tools to use and how to apply them effectively. This guide details what you need to kno...

https://www.toptal.com/project-managers/freelance/ai-project-management

Applying chatbot features to e-commerce search can increase user satisfaction while tackling the pervasive and costly problem of search abandonment. These chatbot UX best practices will help your...

https://www.toptal.com/designers/chatbot/chatbot-ux-best-practices

It’s a mistake to believe that internal controls are the enemy of growth. Learn how to design smart checks and balances that manage risk while positioning your company to thrive.

https://www.toptal.com/finance/business-process-optimization/business-controls

Don’t let inconsistent typefaces or subpar spacing impede accessibility or hurt your brand. These mobile typography guidelines will help enhance user experience and increase engagement.

https://www.toptal.com/designers/typography/typography-for-mobile-apps

When organizations scale or hybridize Agile, job roles and responsibilities often stray from textbook definitions. Address role overlap and achieve alignment on your product teams with this guide...

https://www.toptal.com/product-managers/product-management/agile-roles-and-responsibilities

The dynamism of AI-driven software development requires a specialized project management approach. This overview of the AI project life cycle details the key adaptations needed for success.

https://www.toptal.com/project-managers/technical/ai-project-life-cycle

Unclear expectations, stakeholder disagreements, and conflicting interests can lead to inferior products and unhappy customers. Apply design thinking concepts to your next project to boost alignm...

https://www.toptal.com/designers/freelance/solving-problems-with-design-thinking

This AI-informed framework is designed to fast-track code reviews, enhance software quality, and foster smart, cost-effective decisions in software development.

https://www.toptal.com/product-managers/technical/ai-quality-assurance-framework

In this ask-me-anything-style Q&A, leading Toptal cybersecurity expert Ilia Tivin responds to colleagues’ questions on AI in cybersecurity and provides data and network protection tips and best...

https://www.toptal.com/cybersecurity/questions-about-ai-cybersecurity

Boost customer satisfaction and loyalty by designing a safe, consistent, and user-friendly authentication system.

https://www.toptal.com/designers/ui-ux/user-authentication-system-design

Offshoring can help a company reduce overhead and minimize fixed costs. Whether you’re looking to open an overseas branch or outsource to cross-border contractors, here’s what you need to con...

https://www.toptal.com/finance/business-development/global-expansion

Gather, analyze, and prioritize the voice of the customer to unlock product design solutions that improve client satisfaction and boost revenue.

https://www.toptal.com/designers/ux/user-experience-voice-of-customer