Remote work is here to stay. Whether you’re firmly in the return to office camp or die hard distributed, the cat’s out of the bag for the industry.
The Distributed podcast, from Tuple, deconstructs how world-class engineers and their teams navigate the challenges (and opportunities) remote work creates.
Host Jack Hannah uncovers stories of teams and individuals overcoming technical challenges, working through interpersonal dynamics, and battling their own distractions.
Through these conversations, we’ll unpack the practical side of how folks work together in this new normal, and dig into the social emotional piece so often overlooked in programming.
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Antony Marcano is the founder of RiverGlide and an engineering leader known for building teams that reach the Elite tier of the DORA metric for software delivery performance. In this episode of Distributed , host Jack Hannah talks with Antony about what distinguishes those teams and how AI is reshaping software delivery. Antony explains why AI-augmented coding often amplifies existing team dynamics, accelerating work upstream of bottlenecks and sometimes harming end-to-end performance. He discus...
In this episode of Distributed , Jack Hannah speaks with Scott Jones, Head of Engineering for Service Delivery at Stash, about building complex systems in a remote-first environment and why real-time collaboration matters more than ever. Scott reflects on helping build Stash’s core banking platform in just one year, breaking down what building a bank actually means from an engineering perspective. He explains how the work was structured across teams, why individual heroics fall apart at scale, a...
In this episode of Distributed , host Jack Hannah sits down with Andrew Stellman, a longtime software engineer, author, and engineering leader who has written multiple widely used software engineering books published by O’Reilly. Andrew reflects on how being forced into remote work after September 11th shaped his thinking about teamwork, what high-performing teams get right about alignment and mission, and why listening carefully is still central to building useful software. The conversation the...
What does craftsmanship look like in an async-first, remote company? In this episode of Distributed , host Jack Hannah sits down with Steve Schoeffel, co-founder of Whimsical, to talk about async-first work, craftsmanship, and the tradeoffs of running a fully remote company. Steve shares how Whimsical creates momentum without constant meetings, why quality lives in the details, and how async-first work shapes both the product and the company culture. Steve also reflects on the harder, more perso...
Why does so much software still feel broken, even after years of new tools and processes? On this episode of Distributed, host Jack Hannah sits down with Scott Hanselman, Vice President of Developer Community at Microsoft, to explore how fear-driven development, speed-first incentives, and short-term thinking continue to shape modern software. Scott reflects on why craftsmanship has become rare, how some teams still manage to do quality work, and how today’s engineering systems influence the out...
On this episode of Distributed , host Jack Hannah sits down with Ivett Ördög, a 35-year software veteran and creator of Lean Developer Experience (aka Lean Poker), to talk about what it really takes for engineers to grow their impact. Ivett argues that communication, continuous delivery, and delivering value early are not soft add-ons but essential engineering skills that determine how far developers can go. Together, they break down how remote work can create better environments for deep focus ...
In this episode of Distributed , host Jack Hannah talks with Jesse Wilson, a longtime open-source contributor and Cash App engineer, whose work underpins much of the Java and Android ecosystem. Jesse shares why some of the most rewarding engineering work comes from doing things the right way, even when it’s the hard way. Their conversation dives into the story behind Okio, the I/O library for Android, Java, and Kotlin that’s been downloaded >50 billion times, and what it revealed about crafts...
As AI reshapes how software is built, what does it actually mean to be a good engineer? Chelsea Troy, who leads Machine Learning Operations at Mozilla and teaches computer science at the University of Chicago, argues that the future of engineering isn’t about typing faster but thinking better. In this episode of Distributed , Chelsea joins host Jack Hannah to unpack the three skillsets that matter most in the age of AI: investigative, evaluative, and innovative thinking. She explains why AI tool...
Charity Majors is a writer, speaker, and the co-founder and CTO of Honeycomb , an observability platform for debugging and optimizing distributed systems. In this episode of Distributed , Jack Hannah talks with Charity about the realities of leading and scaling a distributed company. From why remote work is not best for every situation to the communication tax of distributed management, Charity shares what she has learned about building effective teams, fostering trust, and staying connected in ...
This episode features Rosa Gutiérrez, a Principal Programmer at 37signals, who details her team's unique operations, focusing on security, infrastructure, and performance. She explains 37signals' distinctive writing-first, asynchronous communication culture, highlighting its benefits for deep focus and flexibility, as well as the challenges of potential loneliness. Rosa also discusses why the Shape Up framework isn't suitable for her team's reactive work and shares personal strategies for managing a varied workload and setting healthy remote work boundaries.
How do you keep a massive, distributed engineering organization with 80,000 employees aligned and actually understanding one another? In this episode of Distributed , host Jack Hannah sits down with Ian Varley, Principal Architect at Salesforce, to talk about how he helps their thousands of engineers across global teams stay informed and connected. Their conversation explores why clear communication is the backbone of great engineering, practical ways to disseminate knowledge across distributed ...
In this episode of Distributed, host Jack Hannah speaks with Jori Lallo , co-founder of Linear , to unpack how he and his co-founders shaped one of the most opinionated products in software. They discuss why the team built a product before a business, the principles behind the Linear Method, and how feedback and work trials define Linear’s culture. The conversation also explores the realities of running a team split across Europe and the U.S., the role of in-person meetups, and how AI is reshapi...
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah talks with Jeff Langr , a software coach, author, and longtime XP advocate. Jeff has helped teams across dozens of companies navigate Agile, pairing, and collaborative programming practices. Jack and Jeff dig into the surprising downsides of traditional agile software development and how mob programming offers a more inclusive and sustainable way to work. Jeff also shares what works (and doesn’t) about return-to-office efforts and why ...
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah sits down with Woody Zuill, the programmer, coach, and speaker best known for popularizing mob programming. Rather than rehashing the basics of mob programming, Woody talks about what it means to focus on effectiveness instead of productivity and what management gets all wrong. Woody shares insights from decades of experience coaching teams around the world and explains how to create environments that allow real collaboration to flouri...
In this episode of Distributed, host Jack Hannah talks to Chris Lucian and Austin Chadwick, the creators of the Mob Mentality Show and longtime engineering leaders at Hunter Industries. Chris, Director of Global Software Development, and Austin, Distinguished Engineer, reflect on mob programming and how practices spread. They open up about what it takes to protect team culture while growing, discuss lessons from their 300+ videos on mob programming and agile, and how AI is just another member of...
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah is joined by Benji Weber, Cofounder & CTO at Geordie AI, to discuss leadership and autonomy in engineering teams. Benji shares his unique perspective on how managers can empower teams to take control of their work. They explore how the paradox of giving control plays out in practice and what it means for team ownership and performance. Highlights: - How managers can create environments that foster ownership - The challenges of bala...
How do you drive change in large engineering teams? In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah talks with Ed Gibbs, Software Engineering Tech Lead at Cisco Meraki, about his journey from physics to software engineering and how he’s championed better development practices over the years. Ed shares insights on navigating remote work, driving incremental adoption of engineering improvements, and fostering collaboration in large-scale teams. Ed also discusses the role of experiment...
On this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah talks with James Simone, Principal Engineer at Salesforce, about how he went from no development experience to principal engineer in 7 years at a Fortune 500 and the effects of collaborative programming. James shares what things are like inside the agile org at Salesforce and how they approach remote work, including how they prioritize reflection and team agreements to foster productive and happy work environments. Highlights: James's ...
Obie Fernandez, a 6x founder and Shopify Principal Engineer, shares his journey from early Java and Ruby/Rails adoption to entrepreneurship. He discusses his role in driving Rails adoption at ThoughtWorks, the dynamics of the Ruby community, and his path through multiple startups including Andela and Olympia. Obie also delves into his current work at Shopify using AI to enhance developer experience and reflects on the evolution and future of pair programming in an AI-assisted world.
Jack Hannah speaks with Raycast co-founder Thomas Paul Mann the day after launching their iOS app. They discuss the overwhelming reception to the launch, how Raycast engages deeply with its community, its unique approach to prioritizing user feedback over metrics, their bi-weekly shipping cadence, remote team structure, step-function hiring, and the challenges of scaling leadership while maintaining quality.
How does the future hold for software development with remote collaboration? In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah chats with Tim Ottinger, aka the Agile Otter, about how to manage and organize the work. Among other things, Tim is a Senior Consultant at Industrial Logic, contributor to the book Clean Code, and active presence online. Jack and Tim explore various ways to work in teams instead of solo and the various benefits they offer. Highlights: Rethinking solo work to b...
In this episode of Distributed, host Jack Hannah speaks with Emily Bache, a technical coach and the creator of Samman Coaching, about her work helping teams improve their development practices. Emily shares her experiences with test-driven development and refactoring, and explains how these practices can transform both code quality and team dynamics. Highlights: The impact of test-driven development on software quality How to introduce new practices in a resistant environment Why collaborative c...
In this episode of the Distributed podcast, Jack Hannah sits down with Matt Wynne, staff software engineer at Mechanical Orchard and a longtime advocate for Agile and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD). Matt shares his journey from working with legacy systems to co-founding Cucumber Ltd., offering a firsthand look at how testing, pairing, and social programming create more effective teams. Matt also discusses the challenges of modernizing outdated infrastructure, the role of ensemble programming ...
In this latest episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah interviews Colin Sidoti, Clerk Cofounder & CEO, to discuss what’s allowed them to grow so rapidly and deliver such an incredible developer experience for users. Colin reflects on how limited process fosters growth and allows his team of engineers and designers to excel. Colin also provides insight into the nontraditional ways Clerk streamlines work, including their hiring practices and unique team dynamics. Highlights: Under...
Ryan Bergman shares his experiences with extreme programming (XP) and agile practices, detailing how these methodologies rescued a struggling startup and continue to shape software development at John Deere. He emphasizes the importance of pair programming, behavior-driven development (BDD), and building trust across distributed teams through open communication and shared technical vision. The episode also explores practical tactics for effective collaboration, managing remote teams, and maintaining a human-centric approach to technology.
Anthony Eden, founder of DNSimple, discusses building a remote-first, asynchronous company since 2010. He shares insights on fostering a thriving tech culture, the challenges faced, and the adoption of Shape Up to improve team productivity and trust. The episode also explores remote work norms, asynchronous communication tools, and the importance of building emotional connections in remote teams.
Trust, collaboration, and adaptability define the best engineering teams. In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah sits down with Pavel Hubich, Software Engineer at Spotify, to explore the realities of remote and hybrid work. Pavel shares his journey navigating career shifts, relocations, and the challenges of distributed collaboration. He opens up about why he prefers working in person, how hybrid work can create communication bubbles, and what teams can do to foster trust d...
How do you foster connection and collaboration in a remote-first world? In this episode of the Distributed podcast, host Jack Hannah sits down with Nick Cash, Senior Vice President & Head of Technology at Jam City, to explore the unique challenges and opportunities of leading a hybrid team across the globe. Nick shares insights into Jam City’s hub-and-spoke organizational structure, the importance of reducing friction in communication, and the value of synchronous collaboration. He also disc...
What happens when a fully remote team prioritizes speed, flexibility, and customer feedback? In this episode of the Distributed podcast, Host Jack Hannah talks to Sumeet Jain, Head of Engineering at Sublime Security, about how they manage one-week development cycles to stay agile and responsive to their customers’ needs. Sumeet shares how the team’s reliance on Slack and Notion streamlines workflows and minimizes friction, helping engineers stay connected even across time zones. They also discus...
How do you transition from a solo founder to leading a thriving remote team? In this episode of the Distributed podcast, Host Jack Hannah sits down with Chris Oliver, Founder of GoRails and Host of the Remote Ruby podcast, to discuss his journey from working solo to building a successful three-person remote team. Chris shares a candid look at how he overcame the challenge of scaling a business, the importance of asynchronous communication, and how he created a system that fosters remote collabor...
