Navigating the Tech Landscape: From Big Tech to Startups. Part 1 of 2 with Brian Feister.

Coding Chats episode 34 - John Crickett and Brian Feister explore the journey from working in big tech to building startups, the evolution of mentorship in tech, the challenges of balancing multiple roles, and the intricacies of test-driven development. They discuss cognitive differences in software development, the importance of clear requirements, and the role of AI in the future of software engineering. The conversation emphasizes the value of learning from each other and the diverse paths in the tech industry.

Chapters

00:00 Navigating Dual Roles: Tech and Entrepreneurship

03:12 From Mentorship to Startup: Building Together

05:56 The Challenges of Team Dynamics and Testing

08:40 Agile Development: Balancing Requirements and Flexibility

11:48 Function Size and Cognitive Load in Coding

14:18 The Art of Requirements Gathering

17:15 The Future of AI in Software Engineering

26:40 The Limitations of AI in Software Engineering

30:29 Learning from Each Other in Software Development

35:43 The Role of Domain Knowledge in Software Engineering

39:52 Education Paths in Software Engineering

BRIAN'S LINKS

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeister/

Meet Near Me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/meet-near-me

John's Links:

John's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncrickett/John’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johncrickettJohn's Twitter: https://x.com/johncrickettJohn's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/johncrickett.bsky.social

Check out John's software engineering related newsletters:

Coding Challenges: https://codingchallenges.substack.com/ which shares real-world project ideas that you can use to level up your coding skills.Developing Skills: https://read.developingskills.fyi/ covering everything from system design to soft skills, helping them progress their career from junior to staff+ or for those that want onto a management track.

Takeaways:

Brian is currently working at Salesforce while building a startup.

Mentorship has evolved into a community-driven project.

Balancing a day job and a startup is challenging.

Test-driven development has its pros and cons.

Cognitive differences affect how developers approach problems.

Requirements gathering is often more complex than coding.

AI is unlikely to replace software engineers due to communication challenges.

Learning from peers, regardless of experience, is valuable.

The tech landscape is constantly evolving, requiring adaptability.

Self-taught programmers face unique challenges in their learning journey.