Episode description

"Most places are still very project and deadline focused. And most places see software developers as a liability and the software is the asset. But if there's one thing we've learned in the last 70 years of developing software, it's usually the other way round. The team is the asset and the software itself is a liability, particularly the code, it's going to cost you a lot of money." - Jason Gorman

Hey everybody! Welcome back to the Invisible Algorithms Podcast.

Today’s episode is with Jason Gorman.

Jason is the founder of Codemanship, where he trains and mentors software developers to learn how to evolve production-ready software rapidly and sustainably and ship it at any time. He’s also the founder of the original international Software Craftsmanship conference, an activist for proper long-term software developer apprenticeships, a one-time West End producer, and a world-famous guitarist in his own living room.

In this episode, Jason and I talk about:

- Jason's career shift and founding of Codemanship, focusing on mentoring and training in software development

- The evolution of the software industry, including growth trends, hiring practices, and the impact of economic cycles

- The importance of foundational skills and practical experience for software developers

- The concept of “Team as a product”

- Strategies for new and senior developers to navigate the industry, highlighting continuous learning, networking, and the value of diverse experiences

Grab a coffee, relax, and enjoy.

Listen out for:

00:00 Story of Codemanship
06:24 Status of the industry: tech bubbles, web, LLMs
11:12 Are companies hiring mainly ex-FAANG developers?
16:51 The 3 foundational skills for software developers
18:28 Software developers not focusing on the big picture
23:59 The “Team as a product”
29:42 Training VS Coaching
36:00 Why the industry doesn’t agree on best practices
42:55 Tips for new developers coming in the industry
51:00 Tips for companies related to new developers

References:

- “Team as a product” talk: https://youtu.be/izAcAOHsI-4?si=jTyOrXVbDfMYzDpD

Jason’s Bio:

Software developer, trainer and mentor based in London.

An Agile Software Development practitioner since before it had a name, he helped thousands of devs learn the essential technical disciplines needed to rapidly and sustainably evolve production-ready software that can be shipped at any time through his company Codemanship.

(Yes, *that* version of "agile". Not the version with the stand-up meetings and the burn-down charts and the Jira.)

Founder of the original international Software Craftsmanship conference, an activist for proper long-term software developer apprenticeships, a one-time West End producer, and a world-famous guitarist in his own living room.

Follow Jason:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasongorman/

- X: https://x.com/jasongorman

Codemanship:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/codemanship-ltd/

- Website: https://codemanship.co.uk/

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This podcast is hosted by Peppe Silletti:

- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/peppesilletti

- Twitter – https://twitter.com/peppesilletti