Bytes In Balance

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Episodes

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Bytes In Balance

Developing software can be total chaos! Dan and Demian, with 35+ years of combined experience, share their journey from junior developers to principals. This isn't just tech talk — it's about people and fighting entropy. Think digital-age group therapy (minus actual therapists). We tackle stress, burnout, and growth pains through war stories, advice, and guest perspectives. Join our virtual seesaw as we navigate the world of software! New episodes monthly(ish). Visit https://bytesinbalance.com to follow, learn more or connect with us as mentors.

Episodes

Ep09 - Legacy Systems (why they suck, but are not as bad as you might think)

In this episode, we talk about legacy systems: we explore what makes a system "legacy", why engineers often avoid working with them, and what strategies help to effectively work with these systems. We share our thoughts on how legacy systems have evolved throughout our careers, what is there to learn from them (and operations in general), and why some of these systems are actually very successful systems worth respecting. We also offer some practical advice to make incremental improvem...

Mar 10, 2025•37 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 08 - The Future of Work: Remote, Office, or Something Else?

Inspired by recent corporate mandates for return-to-office, in this episode we explore the landscape of remote work and its impact on software engineering careers. We talk about our experiences transitioning in-office to remote work during the pandemic, looking at how collaboration, meetings, and productivity changed in unexpected ways. From our experiences with both models, we analyze challenges and benefits of remote work (as well as in-office), from managing distractions to improved work-life...

Feb 19, 2025•42 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast

Bonus Ep 1 - 2024 retrospective and thoughts for 2025

In this episode, we take a step back and reflect on our podcast journey and personal experiences in 2024. We discuss the process of launching and growing our podcast, including our evolving approach to recording, editing, and content creation. We share our personal and professional highlights from the year, including mentoring experiences, exploring new skills (like learning to fly airplanes), and our goals for the podcast and work life in 2025. It's a candid, behind-the-scenes look at our o...

Feb 03, 2025•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 07 - Let's talk about the Software Design Process

In this episode, we explore the software design process as a key element of engineering culture. From concept to delivery, we share insights on creating designs that deliver value quickly while keeping teams aligned and engaged, without getting lost in unnecessary complexity. Drawing from our different perspectives and roles across our careers, we discuss how to make design processes work, focusing on practical value rather than bureaucracy, and highlighting the importance of clear communication...

Jan 10, 2025•43 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 06 - Let's talk about Engineering Culture!

In this episode, we dive deep into the complex world of engineering culture. We explore what defines culture in an engineering organization, how to identify areas that need change, and strategies for influencing and transforming team dynamics. Drawing from our experiences at Amazon and other companies, we discuss the challenges of cultural transformation, the importance of mechanisms, leadership principles, and the delicate balance between pushing for change and avoiding burnout. We share practi...

Dec 17, 2024•41 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 05 - Burnout!

In this episode, we discuss the challenging issue of burnout that many engineers face in their careers. We share our personal experiences with burnout and offer strategies for identifying and managing it based on what has worked for us and others we've spoken with. The conversation covers causes, symptoms, and how to approach difficult situations in a realistic way while maintaining self-awareness and avoiding self-punishment.

Nov 15, 2024•48 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 04 - Exploring Mentorship in Software Engineering

In this episode, we explore mentorship in the world of software engineering. We share our personal journeys of going from Amazon to coaching and mentoring, and compare notes on our different strategies and techniques. We also reflect on our own experiences as mentees and the impact it's had on our own careers.

Oct 08, 2024•52 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 03 - Career Growth

In this episode, we try to answer the question "how do I grow in my career?" We discuss career tracks and leveling, promotions, individual contributor roles vs. people management, and other related topics.

Aug 21, 2024•39 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 02 - Interviewing

Technical interviewing is a hotbed of differing opinions, but its importance has loomed larger in recent years due to the challenging job market. In this episode, we explore software interviewing from both a candidate and employer perspective, debunk common misconceptions, and generally try to shed some light on a complicated topic.

Aug 21, 2024•49 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast

Ep 01 - What Makes a Good Engineer?

In our first episode, we introduce ourselves and explain the goals of the podcast. Then we dive into our first topic: exploring the skills and traits we've observed in good software engineers, why they matter, and how to cultivate them.

Aug 21, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast