Robby has a chat with Ben Halpern, the creator of Dev.to and a Co-Founder of Forem, a platform that Dev.to is based on. Ben shares from his experience, that well-maintained software needs to have a clear purpose and context that’s available as one is reading it and within the documentation as needed while also being flexible for future evolution. When it comes to dealing with the common challenge of naming variables and functions when we write, Ben says a glossary is fundamentally important. He ...
Apr 18, 2022•48 min•Ep. 119
Robby has a candid conversation with Avdi Grimm, a software developer, consultant, coach, speaker, and author of the books, “Confident Ruby” and “Exceptional Ruby” He is also the creator and head gardener of Graceful.Dev . Avdi’s opinion on well-maintained software is that it’s more about teams than code and the fact that more attention need to be paid on documentation. He emphasizes the value of useful commit messages and conveying the why over the how. He also shares examples of executable doc...
Apr 11, 2022•44 min•Ep. 118
Robby has a chat with Aran Khanna, the Co-Founder, and CEO of Archera, a company that helps organizations find cloud solutions that fit their companies. Aran starts off by sharing that great functional decomposition, brevity, and simple but high coverage tests are, from his experience, the three common characteristics of well-maintained software. He then shares his wisdom on the importance of brevity in code and documentation, when and where copy/paste is appropriate, and how to get a better han...
Apr 04, 2022•44 min•Ep. 117
Robby has a chat with Jerod Santo, the Managing Editor and Partner of Changelog Media. Jerod helps lead and co-host Changelog’s flagship podcast, The Changelog, and builds all the cool stuff that makes Changelog awesome. Jerod shares his journey from being a typical networking engineer (Infosec) to the experienced programmer that he is today and his programming wisdom from the trenches. Tune in as he highlights the undeniable importance of automated test suites and code readability, describes th...
Mar 28, 2022•54 min•Ep. 116
Robby speaks with the Founder and CEO of Solo.io , Idit Levine about scenarios where rewrites are appropriate so that you can pivot your technology startup, why cleaning up technical debt early-and-often is vital, and fostering collaboration within your open source community. Additionally, Idit introduces us to tools such as Istio for managing your Service Mesh. Helpful Links Idit's Twitter Idit's LinkedIn Solo.io and on twitter Idit's Github Idit's Book Recommendation: The Hard Thing About Hard...
Mar 21, 2022•43 min•Ep. 115
Robby speaks with Emily Giurleo, Senior Software Developer and co-founder/organizaer of WNB.rb. In this episode, Emily shares the importance of software communicating its purpose, the differences between maintaining open source versus propritary software projects, and community building. Additionally, they discuss Emily's experience of being a paid maintainer of MongoDB's Ruby client library, the importance of useful CHANGELOGs, debugging tips for Rubygems, when to and/or not to use mocks. Helpf...
Feb 07, 2022•48 min•Ep. 114
Robby speaks with Jean Yang, Founder and CEO of Akita Software. In this episode, Jean discusses why software needs to be more honest with itself, recruitment tactics at small startups, and why we should be careful before doing what the big organizations are doing, what developer influences advocate versus what real developers do day-to-day. Helpful Links Jean's Twitter Jean's LinkedIn Akita Software Akita on Twitter Book Recommendation: Sick in the Head by Judd Apatow Subscribe to Maintainable o...
Dec 13, 2021•49 min•Ep. 113
Robby speaks with Shaundai Person, Senior Software Engineer at Netflix and creator of TypeScript for JavaScript devs. Shaundai brought a treasure trove of insights, starting from her fascinating transition from sales to tech, straight into the heart of what makes code maintainable. She's a fan of making things simpler (think Legos, not knitted castles), and her take on the modular build of software components is something every developer should hear. Did you know that your past experiences, no m...
Nov 29, 2021•51 min•Ep. 112
Robby speaks with Chris Birchall, author of Re-Engineering Legacy Software and Lead Software Developer at 47 Degrees. They cover how to identify both dead and zombie code in your software, approaches to consciously taking on technical debt, and when rewrites might be appropriate. Helpful Links 47 Degrees Re-Engineering Legacy Software Follow Chris on Twitter Book Recommendation: Sherlock Holmes Series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Subscribe to Maintainable on: Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Or sear...
Nov 22, 2021•40 min•Ep. 111
Robby speaks with Swizec Teller, Senior Software Engineer at Tia and author of Serverless for Frontend Engineers . In this conversation, Swizec shares his thoughts on how startups need to learn how to leverage technical debt effectively, an introduction to his book, and the traits of a Senior Engineer Mindset . Helpful Links Swizec on Twitter Swizec on LinkedIn Serverless for Frontend Engineers The Senior Mindset Series Tia Blog post: How to rewrite your app while growing to a $100,000,000 serie...
Nov 08, 2021•42 min•Ep. 110
In this episode of Maintainable, Robby Russell chats with Heidi Waterhouse, Transformation Advocate at LaunchDarkly and contributor to " Docs for Developers ." Heidi shares her insights on the crucial role documentation plays in software maintenance, how to manage documentation debt, and why "the best diff is a red diff." Episode Highlights [00:00:53] Heidi's Take on Maintainable Software : Discussing the characteristics of well-maintained software, with a focus on modularity and context-aware d...
Nov 01, 2021•47 min•Ep. 109
Robby speaks with David Heinemeier Hansson (aka DHH), Creator of Ruby on Rails and CTO of Basecamp / HEY. Disclaimer : Robby sat down with DHH in early March 2021 about ~5-6 weeks before Basecamp's policy changes were announced and the significant impact that had within our community. It's quite likely that some of Basecamp's internal software engineering processes have since changed. In an enthralling episode of Maintainable, host Robby is joined by David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH), the original ...
Oct 04, 2021•53 min•Ep. 108
Robby speaks with Matt Wynne, who is currently a co-lead of Cucumber Open and a BDD Advocate at SmartBear. They cover an introduction to Cucumber and how it fits into a software team's toolbox, the importance of reliable tests and speedy tests for quick feedback loops, and why teams struggle to introduce TDD into existing software applications. Helpful Links Cucumber Smartbear Gherkin Technical Debt vs Technical Waste Follow Matt on Twitter Matt's blog Book Recommendation: Zen and the Art of Mot...
Aug 02, 2021•41 min•Ep. 107
Robby speaks with Tom Granot, Solution Engineer at Lightrun. They discuss producing content for technical (and non-technical) audiences, why consistency in your communication style matters, and the importance of good bug reporting and resolution. Helpful Links: [Book Recommendation] The Hacker's Diet by John Walker Follow Tom on Twitter Tom's website Lightrun Monica CRM Async http client Subscribe to Maintainable on: Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream yo...
Jul 19, 2021•46 min•Ep. 106
Robby speaks with Andrew Watkins, VP of Engineering at Buildops. They dig into what it means to be "easily testable", the downsides to being allured by new technology, and why rewrites are really, really tough. Helpful Links Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn Follow Buildops on LinkedIn [Book Recommendation] Heroes Die Subscribe to Maintainable on: Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts. Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Su...
Jun 28, 2021•47 min•Ep. 105
Robby speaks with Rodney Cobb, Principal DevOps Engineer at Remine Inc. They discuss the three verticals of maintainable systems, the importance of mental health days, why all work needs to be visible and tracked, comparing DevOps to Hip Hop culture, and taking time to ask yourself, "when do I take the time to level up?" Helpful Links Rodney on LinkedIn Book Recommendation: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B Cialdini PhD Subscribe to Maintainable on: Apple Podcasts Overcast Spot...
Jun 21, 2021•45 min•Ep. 104
Robby speaks with Dr. Michaela Greiler, Founder and Trainer at Awesome Code Review Workshops. They discuss the importance of taking time to revisit past technical decisions, what is/isn't technical debt, as well as the distinction between protecting the quality of the code and expanding the knowledge of what is changing in a software codebase. Dr. Greiler also talks about some mistakes that engineers make when conducting code reviews. She also shares helpful tips on how to provide meaningful fee...
Jun 14, 2021•41 min•Ep. 103
Robby speaks with Mark Kilby, Distributed Agile Guide and Founder at K5 Labs. They discuss the benefits of healthy and reliable automated tests, symptoms of when things are not working, challenges that teams may face in different types of remote working scenarios, and what effective communication looks like amongst team members. Mark also gives advice on things to consider as an Agile coach and how to build your Agile toolbox. Helpful Links Mark's Website Mark on Twitter [Book Recommendation] Th...
May 24, 2021•53 min•Ep. 102
Robby speaks with Kevin Stewart, VP of Engineering at Harvest. They discuss fighting ideological battles, why time-to-deploy is one of the most valuable metrics to measure and improve, and why teams should be revisiting their technical stack decisions. Kevin also gives advice to developers and shares some approaches to running internship programs. Helpful Links Kevin's Website leaddev.com Kevin on Twitter Kevin on LinkedIn Careers at Harvest [Book Recommendation] The Hard Thing About Hard Things...
May 19, 2021•51 min•Ep. 101
Robby speaks with Ken Fogel, College Instructor, JCP EC member, and Java Champion. They discuss the benefits of unit testing, how Dawson approaches internship placement, and the importance of code documentation. Ken also talks about how software is about more than just getting things to work, and why it's important to focus on the long-term impact of coding decisions. Helpful Links Omnijava.com Ken's Twitter Dzone Article Subscribe to Maintainable on: Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Or search "M...
May 10, 2021•48 min•Ep. 100
Robby speaks with Murray Steele, Engineering Manager at CLEO AI. They discuss approaches to tracking down unused code in your system, working as a consultant vs within a product company, and why technical debt is good. Murray also talks about why we need to be cautious when we discuss prototypes and the importance of community sharing experiences of helping co-organize London Ruby User Group. Helpful Links Murray's Website Murray's Twitter Murray's LinkedIn London Ruby User Group CLEO IA job ope...
Apr 26, 2021•59 min•Ep. 98
Robby speaks with Dr. Felienne Hermans, Author and Associate Professor at Leiden University. They discuss the importance of building mental models, the difference between short-term and working memory, and how to take control of your own onboarding by confirming assumptions and asking effective questions. Dr. Felienne also talks about steps to understand a new-to-you codebase, as well as exercises to improve how you read code. Helpful Links Dr. Felienne's Website Dr. Felienne's Twitter The Progr...
Apr 19, 2021•49 min•Ep. 97
In this episode of Maintainable , Robby Russell sits down with Bertold Kolics, Software Quality Manager at mabl , to discuss the critical role of automated testing, the challenges of maintaining legacy code, and the art of pruning dead code from your software projects. With a focus on enabling teams and fostering maintainable software, Bertold provides practical insights into how developers and testers can work together to keep codebases lean, healthy, and efficient. Episode Highlights [00:05:32...
Apr 12, 2021•52 min•Ep. 96
Robby speaks with Kent C. Dodds, software engineer and teacher. They discuss the benefits of duplication, Kent's journey to becoming an educator, and what it's like managing a community of engineers. Kent also talks about flipping the test pyramid upside down and focusing on fewer, longer tests. Helpful Links Kent's Podcast Kent's Twitter Kent's LinkedIn https://epicreact.dev/ https://testingjavascript.com/ https://kentcdodds.com https://kentcdodds.com/discord https://kentcdodds.com/podcast http...
Apr 07, 2021•47 min•Ep. 95
Maintainable Nails: Bonus Episode 06 Robby speaks with Mark Adams, who is known by his friends and family as, "Mark." On this episode, he shares his lessons from having attended Burning Man several times, taking care of your infant's nails, and bridging the gap when two people move-in together and need to intermix their nail tools. Subscribe to Maintainable on: Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts. Join the discussion in the Maintainable Disc...
Apr 01, 2021•16 min
Maintainable Nails: Bonus Episode 05 Robby speaks with Amy Michelle Sorensen, former NedX speaker and self-described "nails for life" coach. Amy digs into her research findings from a several year study on wine and nails, long-term care, supplements, and navigating remote nail coaching during a global pandemic. Helpful Links Twitter LinkedIn Subscribe to Maintainable on: Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts. Join the discussion in the Maintai...
Apr 01, 2021•16 min
Maintainable Nails: Bonus Episode 04 Robby speaks with Logan Luke Tyler Tanner, acclaimed motivational life coach, author, and speaker. Logan Luke Tyler shares his rationale for why it's important to focus, first, on clean nails and then to focus on the additional layers, overcoming nail biting, and the future of keyboards. Helpful Links Bio LinkedIn Subscribe to Maintainable on: Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts. Join the discussion in th...
Apr 01, 2021•19 min
Maintainable Nails: Bonus Episode 03 Robby speaks with Erica Tafavoti, food blogger, beverage temperature conisseur, and podcast host. Erica shares her perspective on maintenance before sporting, those awkward, tender...moments, mental health during before and during a global pandemic, getting the perfect hand photo, and discuss her new podcast. Helpful Links Bio LinkedIn Podcast: Unwell with Erica Subscribe to Maintainable on: Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Or search "Maintainable" wherever yo...
Apr 01, 2021•21 min
Maintainable Nails: Bonus Episode 02 Robby is joined by eccentric billionaire inventor and voice actor Duncan Thorpe, broadcasting from a secret island off the coast of Northern Europe. Together, they take listeners on a deeply unhinged (yet disturbingly logical?) journey into the tyranny of mammalian nail maintenance and the radical future of nail replacement. 🔍 Episode Highlights [00:00:00] Welcome and Introductions: Robby introduces Duncan Thorpe and sets the tone for a conversation that qui...
Apr 01, 2021•22 min
Maintainable Nails: Bonus Episode 01 Robby speaks with Shannon Jackson about existing in the life you have vs the one you want, long-term maintenance, the benefits of stickers, remote consultations, frito dust, and gutter nails that don't belong to you. Helpful Links Bio LinkedIn [Book Recommendation] Untamed, Glennon Doyle Subscribe to Maintainable on: Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts. Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Comm...
Apr 01, 2021•19 min
