Maintainable

Robby speaks with Khaled Souf, Software Crafter and Software Coach at Zenika Montreal. They discuss the importance of tracking down dead code and deleting it, the benefits of a reliable automated test suite, and Khaled's journey of becoming a coach.Helpful LinksKhaled on TwitterKhaled on LinkedInKhaled's WebsiteArticle: Working Effectively with Legacy Code, Michael C. Feathers[Book Recommendation] Thinking in Systems, by Donella MeadowsSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Adrianna Chang, Software Developer at Shopify. They discuss the benefits of using SOLID principles. Adrianna also shares how Shopify has been turning a Ruby on Rails monolith into a module monolith, along with an overview of Shopify's Dev Degree Program and her experience through it.Helpful LinksAdrianna on TwitterAdrianna on LinkedInArticle: Refactoring Legacy Code with the Strangler Fig Pattern [Book Recommendation] The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal PerformanceSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Mark Downie, Program Manager at Microsoft. They discuss the benefits of frameworks and approaches to making your open source project accessible and welcoming to new contributors and users. Mark also shares how Visual Studio's workflow for navigating customer requirements and getting early feedback, along with an introduction to what a Program Manager role is responsible for on the Visual Studio team.Helpful LinksMarkon TwitterMark's Blog[Book Recommendation] The Customer-Driven PlaybookSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Glenn Vanderburg, Executive Director of Software Development at RE/MAX. They discuss what types of documentation should go in the repository vs external content tools and the importance of acknowledging how helpful older code was to get you to here. Glenn also shares the benefits of hiring developers who had made a career change prior to becoming a developer, along with the challenges for software engineers and organizations during COVID with everyone being distributed.Helpful LinksGlenn on TwitterGlenn’s Website[Book Suggestion] Style: Lessons in Clarity and GraceSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercast

Robby speaks with Suzan Bond, Leadership Coach. They discuss how to advocate for your growth within your existing teams and the responsibilities of the individual and the organization. Suzan also shares how COVID is resulting in the fear of burnout and indicators that you might be nearing it yourself, along with advice to managers and developers on how to approach their next one-on-ones.Helpful LinksSuzan on TwitterSuzan’s Website[Book] Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes, William BridgesSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Nicolas Carlo, Senior Tech Lead at BusBud. They discuss the tradeoffs when testing out new features and the benefits of using feature toggling/flags to keep code getting merged into main branches. Nicolas also shares how Busbud has quarterly sustainability weeks to work on improving things, along with advice for listeners who might feel like they are at a loss for how to get stakeholder buy-in on dealing with technical debt challenges.Helpful LinksNicolas on TwitterNicolas's WebsiteSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Brittany Martin, Engineering Lead at TextUs. They discuss the mistakes that developers make when discussing technical debt with stakeholders and why it is important to write automated tests against a live/production API. Brittany also shares how she became the host of the 5by5 Ruby on Rails podcast, along with her recent journey of changing jobs and passing technical knowledge over to peers and a future replacement.Helpful LinksBrittany on TwitterBrittany's website5by5 Ruby on Rails podcastSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Luke, experienced software developer and consultant. They discuss the challenges of being an iOS developer and what effective user stories should look like. Luke also shares how he is navigating the world of looking for full-time employment after a decade of freelancing. For interview practice, Robby asks Luke an interview question that Planet Argon asks prospective Ruby on Rails developers — hear his response!Helpful LinksLuke on TwitterLuke's WebsiteSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Hampton Lintorn Catlin, CEO at Veue. They discuss how to reframe technical updates as investments and lessons learned from collaborating in open source. Hampton also shares how why he avoids the phrase "technical debt", along with his first-hand story of how he helped invent the open-source projects Haml and Sass.Helpful LinksHampton on TwitterHampton's websiteVeueHampton's Wikipedia[Book] Cryptonomicon[Book] Snow CrashSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Pat Kua, Advisor, Mentor, and Coach at Patkua.com. They discuss good documentation and the consequences of the hero culture. Pat also shares how he transitioned from an individual contributor to his current role, along with the benefits of finding mentors and seeking advice from people in other fields.Helpful LinksPat on TwitterPat on LinkedInPat's WebsiteLevel Up NewsletterCourses[Book] Drive[Book] Thinking in SystemsSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Aaron Blohowiak, Senior Software Engineer at Netflix. They discuss mistakes teams make when refactoring too much before finding a product-market-fit and how Netflix deals with technical debt. Aaron also shares some early era Ruby on Rails stories, along with reasons why developers might be intimidated to apply at top-tier organizations like Netflix.Helpful LinksAaron on TwitterAaron on LinkedIn[Book] Radical Candor[Book] Thinking in SystemsSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Magda Miu, Squad Leader Developer at Orange. They discuss the benefits of a healthy pull-request & review process and the unique challenges of mobile device app development. Magda also shares how she transitioned from being a day-to-day code contributor to team leader, as well as her strategies for keeping her technical skills sharp when she is not coding on a regular basis.Helpful LinksMagda on TwitterMagda on LinkedInMagda's WebsiteMagda on dev.toMagda on Medium[Books] Why Motivating People Doesn't Work . . . and What Does: The New Science of Leading, Energizing, and EngagingPractices of an Agile Developer: Working in the Real WorldSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Gant Laborde, CIO of Infinite Red. They discuss the unique challenges of maintaining React Native apps and the importance of sync points in an asynchronous work environment. Gant also shares an overview of the types of projects that Infinite Red focuses on and his experience being an open-source maintainer.Helpful LinksGant on TwitterInfinite Red on TwitterGant's WebsiteAI-FYI Website[Book] The War of ArtSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Karen Lee Rigg, Engineering Lead at Permutive. They discuss being a good guest in another team's code base and dealing with imposter syndrome. Karen also shares how she moved from the consulting world to a startup working on a product, along with her journey from being a code contributor to a team lead.Helpful LinksKaren on TwitterKaren on LinkedIn[Book] How to Win Friends & Influence PeopleSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Gianluca Arbezzano, Sr Staff Software Engineer at Packet. They discuss the value of consistent documentation (and why deciding where to document something is so difficult for developers!), how Gianluca began contributing to open source projects early in his career, and share tips for those who are intimidated about the idea of contributing to open source.Helpful LinksFollow Gianluca on TwitterGianluca's websiteConnect with Gianluca on LinkedIn[Book] Obsessed: Building a Brand People Love from Day One by Emily HeywardSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Ali Spittel – podcast host at Ladybug Podcast, writer, and Faculty Lead at General Assembly. They discuss mentoring Junior Developers, how she built a community around her written content and daily coding puzzles, how to build your writing as a developer, and her experience being a digital nomad.Helpful LinksFollow Ali on TwitterFollow We Learn Code on TwitterAli Spittel's websiteZen of ProgrammingLadybug PodcastFollow General Assembly on TwitterWhat Productivity Looks like to MeSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

The mic is turned around on Robby for this special episode of Maintainable. Robby is interviewed by guest host Kayla Reopelle, a Ruby on Rails Developer at Planet Argon. They discuss the need for more conversations about improving existing code in the community, learning to manage client expectations as a consultant, and when he learned he was a mender, not a maker.Helpful Links:Robby's Maintainable Rails email coursePlanet Argon's Rails Upgrade service[Book] Never Split the Difference by Chris VossOh My ZshFollow Robby on TwitterAbout Robby RussellConnect with Robby on LinkedInConnect with Kayla on LinkedInSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Ryan Cromwell, Technical Director at Sparkbox. They discuss the importance of simplifying deployments, technical debt in the client-services industry, and the traits to seek when hiring software engineers for client-services based work.Helpful LinksFollow Ryan on TwitterSparkbox[Book] Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOpsMichael Feathers on Maintainable[Book] Working Effectively with Legacy CodeSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Camille Fournier, Head of Platform Engineering at Two Sigma and author of The Manager's Path. They discuss the importance of avoiding overly clever code, onboarding developers to existing software projects and teams, and how to start approaching mentoring others and be a good mentoree. They also discuss topics from her book, like determining if a path toward management is right for you and navigating career growth in a technical role.Helpful LinksFollow Camille on TwitterCamille on MediumThe Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and ChangeCamille's Blog: Elided Branches[Book] What Got Your Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter97 Things Every Engineering Manager Should Know: Collective Wisdom from the ExpertsSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Robby speaks with Gonçalo Silva, CTO at Doist. They discuss embracing continuous improvements, having a healthy level of skepticism about rewrites. Gonçalo also shares how Doist onboards new engineers to their team, along with the challenges of hiring remote junior developers.Helpful LinksGonçalo on TwitterLaws of software evolution DoistDoist's blogOpen positions at DoistTwist App[Book] Atomic Habits[Book] The Art of LearningSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.