Shows
Managing UpThe Manager's CalendarIn an episode recorded in "the before times" that we feel is still relevant, Nick suggested we talk about what to do when you can't do it all. Nick, Brandon, and Travis discuss how the game of "Calendar Jenga" is symptomatic. What happens when your calendar is so full of "valuable" things that you have to choose between lunch or more meetings? Nick talks about using WIP limits to keep your calendar clean, and Travis talks about how designing your schedule is like designing teams.Notes:@catehstn tweet:https://twitter.com/catehstn/status/1231685231909974018Your calendar is...2020-09-3048 minManaging UpGetting Clarity in Times of ChangeTravis, Nick, and Brandon ask: what do you do when you have a sense that things are about to change? What about when your work evaporates due to a startup pivot or major organizational change? They talk about how to help maintain a team's composure and capability during times of uncertainty or lack of clear direction, including leaning on your own manager.
2020-09-0951 minManaging UpBreaking the Cycle of "Burnout Debt"Burnout is a very real problem right now, and is often aggravated in our jobs as managers, ironically in our work to help others avoid burning themselves out. Nick, Travis, and Brandon ask: how do you stop the cycle of overwork that led you to success in the first place? How do you take a break? Once you do, how do you come back to work? They discuss learning to set boundaries and say no, even to things we want. Travis compares burnout to technical debt. Nick explains how systemic thinking can alleviate the "trapped" feeling that can exacerbate...2020-08-1959 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatPenultimate WarriorIn this week's episode: David Lynch rules, Brandon went swimming, shooty stuff, and the logarithmic reward curve of software development gigs.Notes:Siege school YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsSNbAgLD2wzW3I_wJevUm2bgrCmhjgGI2020-08-0600 minCopy, Paste, RepeatHamilton Sucks, Give Us Roller Skating ViolenceChris and Brandon discover that re-acclimating to riding a bike isn't exactly like riding a bike in pandemic workouts. Brandon rediscovers drive-in movies and he and Chris ponder the creepiness of AirBnB for swimming pools. Chris recommends a documentary series (SPORTS WARNING) and Brandon gets Milkshake Duck'd so hard. Chris explains why you need to take your vacations even if it's weird and you're not going anywhere.Notes: Chris's cool-ass bike: Soma smoothiehttps://www.somafab.com/archives/product/smoothieBrandon's old-ass bike: 1998 Cannondale SuperV 1000 FRhttps://www.propertyroom.com/l/cannondale-super-v-1000-fr-mountain-bike/11924233Swimplyhttps://swimply.com/The Last Dancehttps...2020-07-3000 minCopy, Paste, RepeatMurder RugbyIn this week's episode, Chris and Brandon talk about their varied approaches to and appreciation for the notion of mastery as it applies in both video games and programming.The Great continues to be sohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_(2020_TV_series)Palm Springshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Springs_(2020_film)What we do in the shadows show https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_We_Do_in_the_Shadows_(TV_series)Documentary now!https://www.netflix.com/title/80010778Warzone update: Trolled by warzone updatehttps://thehardtimes.net/harddrive/call-of-duty-warzone-update-requires-100gb-a-little-bit-of-blood/RSA Animate: Drive from Dan Pinkhttps://www.youtube...2020-07-2300 minCopy, Paste, RepeatDavid Lynch's Chainsmoking MasterclassIt's summer in Austin, TX, AKA the surface of the sun, and Brandon's home waterpark solution is just... sad. Chris and Brandon are both stuck indoors and distracting themselves with pseudo-educational videos and PC games. Chris extols the virtues of piloting giant robots, and Brandon can't stop thinking about disassembling spaceships.Notes:Masterclass: Aaron Franklin Teaches Texas-Style BBQ - https://www.masterclass.com/classes/aaron-franklin-teaches-texas-style-bbqDavid Lynch does the weather - https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2020/5/18/21262370/david-lynch-videos-weather-bunker-twin-peaksPrey Mooncrash and the economics of immersive sims - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXm5zCdiNT0Why Prey...2020-07-1600 minCopy, Paste, RepeatResolved: Biscuits are NOT cakeIn this week's episode, Chris and Brandon catch up on video games and TV (and biscuits) before talking about The Matrix, The Hero's Journey, and the lies we tell ourselves about finding meaning through providing value.Show Notes:Japanese toasthttps://www.tastecooking.com/a-brief-history-of-toast-in-japan/Hardspace Shipbreaker OMGhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pbMymXsA3gTitanfall 2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanfall_2The Greathttps://www.hulu.com/series/the-great-238db0d4-c476-47ed-9bee-d326fd302f7dThe Favouritehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Favourite Jean Baudrillard: Simulacra and Simulationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacra_and_SimulationHero’s Jo...2020-07-0900 minCopy, Paste, RepeatFour-Dimensional Fast Food ChessBrandon introduces his son to the stomach-churning realities of Taco Bell. Chris continues to bat 1.000 on video game recommendations for Brandon. Chris and Brandon follow up from last week and discuss how "accountability" can disappear in blame-free cultures, but only if you're doing it wrong. Which nearly everyone does.Notes:Idtech Roblox Summer Camp - https://www.idtech.com/courses/virtual-roblox-game-design-coding-and-monetization#/reg-flow/product-availability?prodid=1589Noclip’s The Untold History of Arkane - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4kdqwdbZZ8Game Maker’s Toolkit: The Genius of Prey’s Gloo Cannon - https://www.youtube...2020-06-2500 minCopy, Paste, RepeatWayne Campbell’s PR ReviewBrandon finally realizes that Carolyn is lowkey the best character in Killing Eve. We get a videogame update, and Brandon is starting to get back into computer science learning via YouTube. Chris has an actual topic in the concept of "Stop Energy", for which Brandon feels quite called out. They discuss what this means and the unintended consequences of "working out in the open".Show Notes:What do when your child is a psychopathhttps://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/06/when-your-child-is-a-psychopath/524502/Girlfriend Reviews: Red Dead Redemption 2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29TkxM0sxPMTom Scott: The Basics...2020-06-1800 minCopy, Paste, RepeatI'm Burning Tarkov Daylight Right NowIn this week's episode, we talk Doctor Who, Call of Duty, Tarkov. Chris can't recommend Alien enough. Brandon talks about his actual favorite PC game.Doctor Who - Blinkhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blink_(Doctor_Who)Cities: Skylines getting started videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-7Mee2zMrcPreyhttps://www.theverge.com/2017/12/12/16766432/prey-game-of-the-year-20172020-06-0400 minCopy, Paste, RepeatLet's Build a Dyson Sphere Around the SunChris is back on his motorcycle! Brandon met a yak named Seth when his air conditioner died. Chris extols the virtues of Top Chef. Brandon and Chris notice the weirdly irresistible low-fi infomercial production of America's Test Kitchen. And games! Brandon and Chris discover the joys of plundering and shooting as a team! Brandon also discovers the joys of city-building games.Show notes:Drive thru zoo in Johnson Cityhttps://www.zooexotics.com/Top Chefhttps://decider.com/show/top-chef/America’s Test kitchenhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxAS_aK7sS2x_bqnlJHDSHwMilk Streethttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC...2020-05-2800 minCopy, Paste, RepeatThe Bone Zone's Initial Turnip OfferingIn this week's episode, Brandon chides Chris for holding out on him about Killing Eve before gushing about how great it is. After that, they catch up on their exploits in video games and commit to finding a game they can play together. Shoutout to Andrew Mason for saving our financial lives in Animal Crossinghttps://turnip.exchange/Jenn’s custom outfitshttps://nooksisland.com/designs?posted-by=Jennz0rHunt Showdownhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/03/11/how-hunt-showdown-creates-hot-dripping-tension/2020-05-2100 minCopy, Paste, RepeatBlink-182 Saves the UniverseChris explains the weird connection between Blink 182 and purported Air Force evidence of alien spacecraft. Are humans nearing or past the Great Filter? Brandon got drunk and watched Pitch Perfect, as prescribed. PC UPDATE: 30 FPS IS TRASH but Deep Rock Galactic is great. Chris explains why World of Warcraft isn't just for 2005 anymore.Notes:The Pentagon's 'Real Men in Black' Investigated Tom DeLonge's UFO Videoshttps://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bvg8ea/the-pentagons-real-men-in-black-investigated-tom-delonges-ufo-videosUS Navy Officially Publishes Three UFO Videoshttps://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wxevmn/us-navy-officially-publishes-three-ufo-videosFermi Paradox & The Great Filterhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...2020-05-1400 minCopy, Paste, RepeatYou Should Just Delete Your Son's AccountIn this week's episode: BRANDON BUILT A PC!!!!! But before we get to that, we begin by discussing some recent news about issues with charging Mac, and then we talk about the devil's bargain Brandon had to make in order to be able to make his PC dreams come true.Notes:Here's why you should probably charge your MacBook Pro using the ports on its right sidehttps://www.imore.com/heres-why-you-should-probably-charge-your-macbook-using-ports-its-right-side2020-05-0700 minCopy, Paste, RepeatAccidental Horse PunchingFinally! A(nother) killer React framework! Chris and Brandon dive into the prolific podcasting of Jason Mantzoukis and how Red Dead Redemption's honor system is a Rorschach test. Brandon's building a PC, and wonders: what can't you overclock these days, including your $600 monitor? Brandon talks about how he overcame marital tension to do something wildly stupid.Show notes:Remix: OMG it’s happening againhttps://remix.run/Biden 4 Preshttps://twitter.com/biden4presJason Mantzoukas on Binge Mode: Accidental horse punching in RDR2https://www.theringer.com/2020/4/9/21214754/jason-mantzoukas-part-2-saga-the-good-place-and-moreJason Mantzoukas on Reply Allhttps://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/mehw2aC...2020-05-0100 minCopy, Paste, RepeatApologies to Matt DamonThis week, Chris and Brandon once again intend to talk about something tech related and instead talk about drinking, video games, and humanity.Fever Tree tonic waterhttps://fever-tree.com/en_US/products/premium-indian-tonic-waterBombay Sapphire ginhttps://www.thespruceeats.com/bombay-sapphire-gin-review-and-cocktails-760145Frozen Gin & Tonichttps://stressbaking.com/frozen-gin-and-tonics/Why You Should Ignore All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressurehttps://www.chronicle.com/article/Why-You-Should-Ignore-All-That/248366Red Dead Redemption 2: The Wacky Wild Westhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRWdv5asDlAApologies to Matt Damonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsczUFjhFWE2020-04-1400 minCopy, Paste, RepeatDrinking on an empty stomach does not fall under the self-care umbrellaBrandon and Chris discuss the ways kids have pushed their parents' sanity to the brink of destruction. Brandon discusses his third, and hopefully final serious hangover. Chris explains why working from home now is not like working remotely normally, and they do another link dump of their coping strategies. It's another cornucopia of wonderful stuff to check out if you need distractions and sundry entertainment!Show Notes:Escape From Tarkovhttps://www.escapefromtarkov.com/wtfmoses youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiydY4k5zj-JK5OImEuGcMPTxXnLIdywRWest of Loathing: OMG I’m obsessedhttp://westofloathing.com/Alton Brown: Pantry Ra...2020-04-0700 minCopy, Paste, RepeatModeration Is Not Really My Watchword At The MomentBrandon and Chris's wife become tour guides for their respective spouses to the wonderful world of anxiety. Chris has tofu takes and Brandon reveals the popcorn secrets of the stars. Then, ya boys are back with another super-dense set of links chock-full of their diversions, coping mechanisms, distractions, and indoor activities for your lockdown consuming pleasure. Plus, Apple releases promising new hardware in probably the worst-timed tech announcements since the Osborne II.Show notes:Lekue $20 silicone popcorn popperhttps://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/l-ku-popcorn-maker/1043744480Lodge 49https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WXS0OdYsrAZeroZeroZerohttps://www.youtube.com...2020-03-2400 minManaging UpRemote Teams, Coping, and Bringing Your Whole Self to WorkNick, Travis, and Brandon talk about the chaotic and downright scary state of the world and our own prior adjustments to remote work. They discuss ways to lead authentically in these times, and how remote work has helped them learn how integrate life and work (and also, paradoxically, how to keep them separate).Show notes:Bringing your whole self to work https://mike-robbins.com/work/CNN/BBC guy gets interrupted by childhttps://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2017/03/10/interview-interrupted-children-newday.cnn Career timeline exercisehttp://lanipeterson.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Career-Timeline-Exercise-01.2015.pdfBasecamp: Shape Uphttps://basecamp.com/shapeup Miro (formerly RealtimeBoard...2020-03-1858 minCopy, Paste, RepeatI Think We're Remote NowBrandon creates a cocktail that Chris names the "Visiting Tech Worker". They then wax poetic about The Good Place and the overall genius of Kristen Bell. In other news, seems like basically all of tech is remote now? Well that calls for a check-in on Brandon's journey from remote skeptic to remote... well, whatever he is now. We share some of the drawbacks of remote life and how we try to help create a sense of culture and cohesion on distributed teams.Show notes:Lord of the Rings Polygon articlehttps://www.polygon.com/2020/3/3/21161208/when-is-lord-of-the-rings-set-chronology-timeline-dateshttps://twitter.com...2020-03-1000 minCopy, Paste, Repeatthank u, nextBrandon and Chris talk about their new favorite movie after an important beverage update. They then discuss this week's question: Should you quit your job? How will you know it's time? When should you stick it out? Chris shares an extremely thought provoking question he was asked at work recently that has reshaped the way he thinks about this topic. Brandon reminds Chris about a work culture so toxic that it caused both of them to bring up gRPC in therapy. Brandon explains why managers should never give bonuses or raises.Show notes:Bob's Burgers: "oh...2020-02-2500 minManaging Up"Big Picture Strategists" vs. "Tactical Tornadoes"Travis and Brandon talk about the tendency of software developers to fall into an "overly strategic" or "overly tactical" style of thinking. How do you encourage individuals and teams to consider both near and long term impact in their day to day work? How does team design factor in? What can you do if external factors are causing or aggravating these challenges? Is there a way to achieve balance?Show notes:A Philosophy of Software Designhttps://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-Software-Design-John-Ousterhout/dp/1732102201/Pragmatic Programmerhttps://www.amazon.com/Pragmatic-Programmer-journey-mastery-Anniversary/dp/0135957052/ E myth revisitedhttps://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280/
2020-02-201h 01Copy, Paste, RepeatVice President of Solving Rubik's CubesChris and Brandon talk about the Sonic the Hedgehog Cereal Party and then revisit some of their recommendations for each other and why they were so damn good. They discuss the slippery notion of "Accountability" and how it is used for good and evil, and why accountability works within teams and very very badly between multiple layers at a company. Show Notes:Andrea Savage followup:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Sorry_(TV_series)It’s Alivehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzDwiw7xIHESex Education (UK TV series)https://twitter.com/NewYorker/status/1226702460129075201Accountability is th...2020-02-1100 minCopy, Paste, RepeatDelete Your TestsIn this week's episode, Chris and Brandon celebrate their 50th episode by talking about how much testing sucks/rules. Also Brandon gives Chris the gift of telling him about Andrea Savage and her (hilarious) show "I'm Sorry".Notes:I'm Sorryhttps://www.trutv.com/shows/im-sorry/index.htmlAndrea Savage: A Grown Up Woman #buttholeshttps://andrea-savage-a-grownup-woman.simplecast.com/https://andrea-savage-a-grownup-woman.simplecast.com/episodes/mike-shinoda2020-01-2800 minCopy, Paste, RepeatWhiskey One on Ones are a Bad SignThis week, Chris and Brandon run down some of the best stuff they've found on YouTube. They also have an actual work topic from a listener suggestion: Most managers do one-on-one meetings, but they vary wildly in quality. What distinguishes a good "1:1 meeting" from a bad one? What do we wish our managers would ask? What have we learned about them so far in our respective roles as engineer and engineering manager?Notes:It’s Alive: Cured Egg Yolkshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp6F7jW5cmIWorth it (BuzzFeed)ht...2020-01-2100 minManaging UpSeasonality and Rhythms in Engineering TeamsNick, Travis, and Brandon talk about the seasonality of work and how that affects individuals and teams. They talk about how they work with low points in the cycle and how to capitalize on the high points, rather than fighting these cycles. How can you change the rhythm when things are flagging too much? What do you do when you can't move dates or deadlines around? When is it OK to ask the team for an "above and beyond push"?Notes:Shop Class as Soulcrafthttps://www.amazon.com/Shop-Class-Soulcraft-Inquiry-Value/dp/0143117467The Productivity Cyclehttps://alexsexton.com/blog/2014/1...2020-01-0841 minCopy, Paste, RepeatThe Moon is RightAfter Brandon refers to a weird internet Paul McCartney YouTube parody, he throws shade at egg nog. Then, Chris and Brandon offer up what is likely the greatest gift either of them will give this season: the best media recommendation list they've ever compiled. You can almost hear "my favorite things" playing in the background. They talk about why 80's/90's Christmas commercials are a pure narcotic hit of consumerism. Brandon is genuinely worried about the bloggers trying to "win" at alcohol on cruises.Show notes:The Moon is Righthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt0...2019-12-2300 minManaging UpCreating Self-Managing TeamsBrandon asks Nick about a piece of advice he doesn't even remember giving about teaching teams to manage themselves. Nick, Travis, and Brandon explore tough questions around self-managing teams: How do you know when to let go and when to step in? What is the job of a manager on a self-managing team? How do you deal with micromanagement from above? How do you dig out if your team can't live without you?
2019-12-2348 minManaging UpSupporting Early-Career Devs and Defining "Engineer"Travis and Brandon talk about how teams can support early-career developers and career changers. What environments are they a good fit for? How do you set expectations for newer folks? How can you help them get and stay productive? Is the cost of doing so worth it?They also talk about the surprising lack of definition around the space between "Entry-Level" and "Senior" engineers to define the main role that the rest are supposedly based on. They talk about the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition, how folks get stuck in "Advanced Beginner" stage, and how to help...2019-12-111h 06Copy, Paste, RepeatInside BaseballChris discovers that "winter wonderland" sometimes means yucky gray gravel-snow. Brandon and Chris both commit heresy by trashing In-N-Out and (*gasp*) Whataburger. Chris warns Brandon that he might not survive his cruise on the "K-Mart of the Seas". Chris and Brandon take the podcast meta AF and talk about the podcast on the podcast: How can we tell people to live their best lives and take care of themselves but what if podcasting isn't part of your best life? What if it goes against your own self-care? We hint at the stuff you don't get to hear....2019-12-1000 minCopy, Paste, RepeatMandatory FunIn this week's episode, Chris and Brandon discuss a listener question (and related tweet conversation) about the idea of companies as modern-day "villages".Notes:Knives Outhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knives_Out_(film)Companies as Families/villages: Listener suggestionCorporations as families. There was a really good tweet recently, impossible to find, talking about layoffs in the gaming community and how survivor’s guilt ties into the lack of community in our personal lives and our employer filling that void.From Anonymouse🐁https://twitter.com/Delafina777/status/11695076672046858241UP Eventshttps://1upevents.com/2019-12-0300 minManaging UpPersonality Conflicts and the "Us vs. Them" MindsetTravis, Nick, and Brandon discuss a tough-but-frequent listener question: "How do I coach senior developers and tech leads to work better with each other when they have opposing personality types or passions?" They explore the personality types of "ship it" vs. "perfect it". Brandon talks about what happens in the 1 out of 5 times when the conflict is ego- and control-driven rather than just slightly different values (hint: it's not great news). They discuss techniques to draw out the benefits of these personality differences to lower drama, build trust, and balance a team's ability to focus on outcomes with technical...2019-11-2749 minCopy, Paste, RepeatProgramming is bad and you should not do itBrandon upgraded his beverage situation significantly over the year of this podcast. Chris pitches the latest Bong Joon-Ho flick. Brandon catches Chris up on his NYC trip, and Chris lays out his COMPLETELY BALLER Thanksgiving week plan. They then dive into a listener question that winds up being controversial and difficult to answer:Do you think that tech stack choice really matters that much, when comparing the top two or three choices? e.g. Language A vs. language B, framework A vs. B.Notes:Parasitehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xH0HfJHsaYDoes tech choice...2019-11-2600 minCopy, Paste, RepeatThe Queen of Middle FingersIn this week's episode, Chris and Brandon catch up on a broad range of topics including TV shows (duh), parenting and swearing, books, and motorcycles. After that, they discuss a phenomenon they've both been thinking about recently where front-end teams end up being de facto QA for the entire product organization they work within.Parenting and swearinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMyPNWUS_Bg&has_verified=1Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenancehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and_the_Art_of_Motorcycle_Maintenance2019-11-1200 minCopy, Paste, RepeatI accept your blackmailIt's a throwback to Episode 1! Chris can't type because his fingers are so cold, while Brandon can't even get cold water out of the tap. Then... SUCCESSION. For a full hour, Chris and Brandon recap Succession (appropriate spoiler warnings ensue). Brandon explains why he loves it even though it makes him physically sick sometimes. They discuss the ending of the show, what it means, their fan theories about what happened, and why it might be the best comedic drama to ever happen to television.Notes:Successionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succession_(TV_series)Number One Boyshttps...2019-11-0500 minCopy, Paste, RepeatA vessel for 70 gallons of Kool-AidChris asks an anatomical Kool-Aid Man question, which Brandon makes him immediately regret. Brandon offers a hearty endorsement of Apple Arcade. They continue scheming to get Brandon a motorcycle, then dive into the question: "What if not job? What if none of it?" They dive into the weird states you get to when you take a leave of absence, and Brandon talks of his dreams of becoming a traveling BBQ connoisseur. Notes:Waypoint Radio podcasthttps://www.vice.com/en_us/topic/waypoint-radioVW California Camper vanhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJCyPVBJksEThe Chef Showhttps://www.netflix.com...2019-10-2900 minCopy, Paste, RepeatYour Empathy is Gonna Get So YokedChris gives us a motorcycle update and conspires with Brandon on how to convince his wife to let him get one. Brandon talks about his deep crush on Ken Burns. They talk about a tweet referenced by Brandon's friend Ashish and talk about why it's a great take. They talk about the BS marketing around "Clean Code". They identify Programmer A and Programmer B archetypes and the false dichotomy of "get shit done" vs. "measure twice, cut once" work styles.Notes:Ken Burns: Country Musichttps://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/Into the Infernohttps://en.wikipedia.org...2019-10-2200 minCopy, Paste, Repeat#SponsoredContentIn this week's episode, Chris and Brandon start by discussing the fervor around Gatsby.js before moving on to the broader topic of tribalism in tech.Gatsbyjshttps://www.gatsbyjs.org/blog/2019-09-26-announcing-gatsby-15m-series-a-funding-round/Tribalism in tech“I was wondering if you could say a little more about how you first noticed some of your "bad tribal habits" (with respect to the Open Source tribe)… And then also how you began to overcome them -- any specific techniques or strategies? Do you feel like you lost something valuable by reducing your feelings of tribalism (and that it was...2019-10-1500 minCopy, Paste, RepeatRefer 5 friends, get obscene panel gapChris considers Birkenstocks and we check in with Brandon's first 3 months as a remote employee. They discuss a listener suggestion and dive into the absolutely _wild_ Silicon Valley promotional stunt where a startup CEO announced he's giving away Teslas for engineering referrals. Brandon has _extremely_ hot takes about this combination of lottery psychology and monetizing relationships, not to mention the build quality of Tesla vehicles.Show notes:Punished by Rewardshttps://www.amazon.com/Punished-Rewards-Trouble-Incentive-Praise/dp/0618001816Envoy tweet: “refer 5 engineers, get a Tesla”https://twitter.com/lg/status/1170111304704507905https://www.techrepublic.com/article/want-a-tesla-model-3-find-5-engineers-for-envoy/2019-10-0800 minCopy, Paste, RepeatB.T.E.In this week's episode, the takes are coming in hot. Chris and Brandon talk about the prevalence of overengineering in software development, and the notion of technology as a pop culture.Darklanghttps://medium.com/darklang/unveiling-dark-e0be6f1e0b06Alan Kay - Programming is a pop culturehttps://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=10395232019-09-2400 minManaging UpSummer Vacations and Self-CareTravis, Nick, and Brandon talk about vacations after a summer full of them. When is it OK for managers to take vacations? How do you set things up to actually let yourself relax? What if something breaks while you're gone? Nick talks about the power of asking "When's the last time you took time off?" and how to clearly set the cultural expectations in "unlimited PTO" policies. The group discusses vacations as part of an overall self-care strategy.
Notes:
Nick's "self care" Twitter thread
https://twitter.com/nmeans/status/1161331494406840320
2019-09-1950 minCopy, Paste, RepeatBe on the supply-side of annoyanceIn this week's episode, Chris and Brandon gush about Succession before talking about the hegemony of the open office in modern work environments. Also they're maybe into Nerf guns now?
this Nerf gun tho
https://nerf.hasbro.com/en-us/product/nerf-elite-titan-cs-50-toy-blaster:91F8A4F5-9BA7-48C6-886E-AF3F2D36C880
2019-09-1000 minManaging UpShould I Care about "Manager READMEs"?There is a healthy and active debate in the management community around Manager READMEs. Are they self-indulgent excuses for asking people to "deal with" your shortcomings? Or an essential tool to guide future conversations? Nick and Brandon explore the nuance in there and how their views about Manager READMEs have evolved (and continue to evolve) as they're exposed to more examples of them in practice.
Notes:
Jay Desai's Indespensable Guide for the Modern Manager
https://firstround.com/review/the-indispensable-document-for-the-modern-manager/
Calmille Fournier's I Hate Manager READMEs
https://medium.com/@skamille/i-hate-manager-readmes-20a0dd9a70d0
2019-09-0430 minCopy, Paste, RepeatThe King of Mt. McDonald'sThe Music Episode. Chris talks about the brain's memory leaks in the completely bananas science behind Emotional Intelligence. They dig into why anxiety hijacks your brain. Chris introduces Brandon to the McDonald's Alignment Scale. They talk about high-school-age Brandon's embarrassing taste in music and Chris's anarchic, smoking-in-the-parking-lot high school music habits. They talk about programming music before circling back to applying the McDonald's alignment chart to their musical preferences.
Notes:
Please take our survey about future topic ideas!
https://forms.gle/CU6cNKBLzt2wqRwK8
Emotional Intelligence
https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-Matter-More-Than/dp/055338371X
Anxiety tweet
https...2019-09-0300 minCopy, Paste, RepeatWrapping the patriarchy in a shiny candy shellInspired by a listener recommendation and a...dril tweet? Chris and Brandon talk about the prevalence of, and problems with, "dad" culture in popular culture and, more specifically, in the tech world.
Tweet by Michael Foley that reminded us of this:
Dril: “The Proven Mental Health Benefits Of Calling Your Boss "Father"
https://twitter.com/m1foley/status/1160957903584366592
Sealioning
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealioning
2019-08-2700 minManaging UpThe Invisible Work of ManagementA thread on the "orange website" got Nick thinking: What are signs a manager is succeeding? What are red flags that they're on the wrong track? They ask the big question: How do you know when you are doing a good job? Are there any actual, useful measures you can use to know a manager is effective? And once you have an idea of what success looks like, how can we help scale that across an organization?
Notes:
The original HN thread about "What are the signs that you have a great manager?":
https://news.ycombinator...2019-08-2148 minCopy, Paste, RepeatYou can only code so fastChris introduces Brandon to the wonderful world of Bon Appétit on YouTube. They talk about the inevitable "Now what?" moment in a senior developer's career. Are you supposed to become a manager? Product manager? What tracks are available for people who want to stay technical? Chris talks about the types of companies that are appropriate for people at differing levels of technical ambition. They return to Freeman's first law of programming: All programming is bad programming. Chris notes Brandon's progress just in the year they've been podcasting together.
Notes:
Bon Appetit on YouTube
h...2019-08-2000 minCopy, Paste, Repeat10x or bust bay-beeIn this week's episode, Chris and Brandon answer a listener question about 10x engineers and use it as an opportunity to finally crack the lid on that 10x engineer tweet thread that everyone was talking about.
Spoiler alert: they are not fans of the concept.
Thanks for the suggestion Yi-Ning!
Listener question- can we talk about 10x engineers and how can someone become one?
https://twitter.com/LatteMiaow/status/1154882722407407617
Thanks Yi-Ning!
The inciting incident:
https://twitter.com/skirani/status/1149302828420067328
2019-08-1300 minCopy, Paste, RepeatI’m just new here, but this seems weirdChris and Brandon revisit some favorite movies from the early 2000s. They talk about why starting new jobs is the WORST. They talk about the difference in starting jobs for depth-first people and breadth-first people and the tradeoffs of showing up and "dunking on the engineering team". Chris explains how he comes up to speed at new jobs, and Brandon asks the question "When are you done being new?" and gives a hilariously depressing answer.
Show Notes:
OldBoy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldboy_(2003_film)
Napoleon Dynamite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...2019-08-0600 minCopy, Paste, RepeatI didn't know that I needed to come equipped with propsIn this week's episode, Chris and Brandon talk about how strange it feels to visit San Francisco as a tech worker before moving on to the topic of remote work. Brandon's got a new remote gig, he's got questions, and Chris has...answers? Maybe?2019-07-3000 minManaging UpBuilding Trust with TeamsNick, Travis, and Brandon explore trust as a pillar of successful teams. What does a high trust environment look like? How do you build trust? How do managers accidentally lower trust on their teams? How do you build (or rebuild) trust between a team and the rest of the organization? They relay the "marble jar" metaphor and explore what that means for teams.
Show notes:
John Cutler's trust flowchart
https://twitter.com/johncutlefish/status/1144292646120120320
Turn the ship around
https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Ship-Around-Turning-Followers-ebook/dp/B00AFPVP0Y
No Hard Feelings
https://www.amazon.com/No-Hard-Feelings-Embracing-Emotions/dp/0525533834
...2019-07-1735 minCopy, Paste, RepeatCBaaS 2: Cultural BugalooBrandon talks about why Hamilton was a prescient badass, and Chris stops short of recommending Brandon watch Chernobyl. They bust out Calling BS as a Service on company culture versus company values, and Lord help them, they bring Gramsci back in to explain the relationship between the two.
Show Notes:
Freeman's cast iron pizza
https://twitter.com/15lettermax/status/1146199823042797570
Hamilton by Ron Chernow
https://www.amazon.com/Alexander-Hamilton-Ron-Chernow/dp/0143034758
Chernobyl (HBO show)
https://www.hbo.com/chernobyl
2019-07-1600 minCopy, Paste, RepeatWelcome To The MachineIn this episode, Brandon introduces the concept of "empathy for the machine" and sparks an entire conversation about the different meanings of "empathy" and its understated value in the tech industry.
Mechanical sympathy
https://dzone.com/articles/mechanical-sympathy
Emotional vs. Cognitive Empathy
https://lesley.edu/article/the-psychology-of-emotional-and-cognitive-empathy
Empathy for the Machine: Accidental Tech Podcast
https://atp.fm/episodes/115
2019-07-0900 minCopy, Paste, RepeatA.B.C. Always Be ConsultingIn this episode, Brandon and Chris talk about the consulting game. They discuss the difference between consulting and contracting, the challenges of running a consultancy as a business, and the notion of having a "consulting mindset" even when you're a full-time employee.
Us (movie)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNCmb-4oXJA
Booksmart (movie)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhd3lo_IWJc
John Mosesman (thanks for the question!)
https://twitter.com/johnmosesman
Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002MPQ230/
Test Double
https://testdouble.com/
2019-07-0200 minCopy, Paste, RepeatThe Bobby F***ing Fischer of M:TGChris and Brandon take a break from calling BS on the entire tech industry to talk about games, baby! Chris talks about staring into the eyes of his defeated foes while playing Magic: The Gathering and Brandon talks about the rich tapestry of childhood tragedy that broke his relationship to gaming in general. They explore the age-old question: why are programmers so hornt for board games?
Notes:
Magic: The Gathering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plr81gaUIr0
The Cones of Dunshire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfXfOCIIFcY
Werewolf
https://beziergames.com/products/one-night-ultimate-werewolf
Pandemic
...2019-06-2500 minCopy, Paste, RepeatDouble my engineering team? Weird flex, but okIn this episode, Chris and Brandon talk about the perils and contradictions of VC culture in the tech world.
The economics of open source
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO8hZlgK5zc
Financial instrument tweet
https://twitter.com/15lettermax/status/1112897563147919360
Zig-Zag episode on Zebras and VC culture
https://zigzagpod.com/2019/04/25/s4-ep02-an-alternative-to-silicon-valleys-unicorn-bullsht/
Patio11 / Paul Graham Twitter exchange
https://twitter.com/patio11/status/1131894561075150849
2019-06-1800 minManaging UpPerformance Reviews: When and How to Use ThemThis week, Nick, Travis, and Brandon respond to a listener's question about when and how to successfully use performance reviews. Nick shares the idea of using "pattern matching" as a basis for evaluating performance. They discuss whether to tie performance to raises, and how to gather and provide feedback outside the performance review process.
Notes:
Listener question:
I just had a fairly junior engineer ask in our 1:1 for something like a performance review. This is not something I - or my company - have done before. How do I provide good feedback for eager juniors and...2019-06-1236 minCopy, Paste, RepeatThe "No-Electrical-Fires" RuleBrandon didn't sleep because of his now-public job search, triggering latent insecurities. They parse the difference between "idiosyncratic workplace" and "broken-ass shitshow". Chris explains the process that gives him such high tolerance for workplace idiosyncrasies. Brandon explains why having a "no-asshole rule" is a red flag. Chris explains the economics behind prepaying to get shit-faced on your next cruise.
Notes:
Ashish Dixit on Twitter
https://twitter.com/tundal45
Make Good Art (Neil Gaiman's commencement speech)
https://jamesclear.com/great-speeches/make-good-art-by-neil-gaiman
Five Dysfunctions of a Team
https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Fable...2019-06-1100 minCopy, Paste, RepeatThe Chipotle King of New JerseyIn this episode, Chris and Brandon talk about the myths surrounding entrepreneurship in the tech industry. They start out by talking about the terms "entrepreneur" vs "business owner" and then go on to examine why those myths might exist in the first place.
Thanks to friend of the show Sam Selikoff for prompting this discussion with his followup questions.
Notes:
Sam's original tweet
https://twitter.com/samselikoff/status/1129009653021519873
The "demon dogs" approach
https://twitter.com/tehviking/status/967812859131564032
https://twitter.com/tehviking/status/261627304134983680
Antonio Gramsci
https://en.wikipedia.org...2019-06-0400 minManaging UpHow Do You Assess Technical Ability in Interviews?Nick, Travis, and Brandon explore how they've tried to improve at assessing the technical abilities of potential hires during the interview process. They talk take-home tests, pair programming exercises, and Nick shares a technique that has worked better for his teams than either of those.
Notes:
Yahtzee problem
http://codingdojo.org/kata/Yahtzee/
Trek Glowacki: "Tired: Engineering Interviews; Hired: Engineering Auditions"
https://medium.com/@trek/tired-engineering-interviews-hired-engineering-auditions-5f9f00147a57
Kevin Goldsmith: The right ingredients for your perfect team
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnCYxM9z1dEp
Kevin Goldsmith: Let's build a product development organization (workshop)
...2019-05-2940 minCopy, Paste, RepeatReferral Bonuses are BS, Change My MindBrandon and Chris get a little too hyped on the new Toyota Supra. Brandon got a bad recruiting email and wants to talk about bad recruiter tactics. Chris and Brandon draw on their crappy work experiences to remember that recruiters are actually human beings. Chris tries to change Brandon's mind about referral bonuses. Does he succeed?
Notes:
The new 2020 Supra: Basically a discount Z4
https://jalopnik.com/the-2020-toyota-supra-is-not-what-we-expected-but-it-is-1834624543
2019-05-2800 minCopy, Paste, RepeatYou're Asking the Wrong Question: Popularity in Open SourceIn this episode, Chris and Brandon discuss a listener question (hi Sam!) about why some OSS projects get popular while others go underappreciated (or unnoticed).
Drive to Survive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtJPe1ksS6E
”Listener question: Would love to hear your take on why some OSS projects get more popular than others. And what the lessons learned are for maintainers who want their projects to be more successful.”
https://twitter.com/samselikoff/status/1124439022548475904
ember-cli-mirage
https://www.ember-cli-mirage.com/
ember-cli-addon-docs
https://ember-learn.github.io/ember-cli-addon-docs/
tailwindcss
https://tailwindcss.com/docs/what-is-tailwind/
Full Stack Radio
http://www.full...2019-05-2100 minCopy, Paste, RepeatThanks for Burning Out, Here's a StatueBrandon can't move his arms. Chris and Brandon talk burnout. Not that either or both of them have recently experienced this. They discuss how you can uncover a mismatch in values at work, and what you can (and can't) do about it. Therapy is good.
Sources of burnout:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pressure-proof/201308/six-sources-burnout-work
Burnout inventory
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslach_Burnout_Inventory
Chris Krycho's burnout article
https://www.chriskrycho.com/burnout/
Jessie Frazelle’s Burnout Recovery tweet
https://twitter.com/jessfraz/status/1109141258201526272
Mark Berry’s Programmer Burnout tweet
https://twitter.com/markab/status/181452969391292417
2019-05-1400 minManaging UpWho's in Charge of Shipping?Travis, Nick, and Brandon talk about Rule #1 in running software teams: The Software Must Ship. How much of that is on you, the manager? They explore that question and talk about their experiences managing work backlogs, delivery cadences, and giving teams slack to help them go faster.
Ron Jeffries's tweet:
https://twitter.com/RonJeffries/status/1120486947569446914
Accelerate by Nicole Forsgren, et al.
https://www.amazon.com/Accelerate-Software-Performing-Technology-Organizations/dp/1942788339
2019-05-1337 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatCBAASChris and Brandon introduce Calling Bullshit As A Service (CBAAS), a new podcast segment to help you call bullshit early and often. The inaugural segment features a discussion of a common logical fallacy, "No True Scotsman" before leading into the broader concept of "moving the goalposts" as a tactic for manipulation.
No true Scotsman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman
Moving the Goalposts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_the_goalposts
2019-05-0700 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatThe Map Is Not The TerritoryIn this week's episode, Brandon FINALLY watches The Knick (and it's really good). After that, Brandon and Chris take their cue from a couple Copy, Paste, Repeat listeners and put their spin on the topic of how to grow your career as a software developer to Senior and beyond. Also Chris totally misquotes Sun Tzu without realizing it, though his point still stands.
The tweets that spawned this episode
https://twitter.com/tchen/status/1113494855320207362
https://twitter.com/_GarthM/status/1113514895377674242
Ryan LaBouve, inventor of the "Shitty Genie"
https://twitter.com/RyanLaBouve
"The map is not the...2019-04-3000 min
Managing UpPriorities, Impact, and Wrangling the "Manager's Calendar"Nick, Travis, and Brandon talk about the vast array of "priorities" that can overwhelm a manager. The group talk through strategies they use to wrangle the "manager's calendar" and reclaim control over your time. Nick talks about how useful procrastination can be as a signal, and the group talks about using focus to make an impact in the face of "busy-ness".
Notes:
Effective DevOps
https://www.amazon.com/Effective-DevOps-Building-Collaboration-Affinity/dp/1491926309
Managing Oneself by Peter Drucker
https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Oneself-Peter-Ferdinand-Drucker-dp-1633694836/dp/1633694836
Possible Minds by John Brockman
https://www.amazon.com/Possible-Minds-Twenty-Five-Ways-Looking/dp/0525557997
Deep Work by Cal...2019-04-2946 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatThe Core Team of the Internet (with Yehuda Katz)Yehuda Katz joins Chris and Brandon to regale us with tales from his programmer history. He addresses Chris's experiences moving between Ember and React for building webapps, and explains the tradeoffs between the two tools. Chris and Yehuda talk about what they think the next 5 years of software development looks like.
Notes:
EmberConf 2019 keynote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYwdBcmz6VI&list=PLE7tQUdRKcyYWLWrHgmWsvzsQBSWCLHYL
Exercism
https://exercism.io/
jQuery documentation
https://api.jquery.com/
Ember Octane
https://emberjs.com/editions/octane/
The "combinatorial explosion of React apps"
https://speakerdeck.com/tehviking/seven-months-in-react-the-perilous-art-of-swimming-upstream...2019-04-2300 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatLies, Damned Lies, and ArchitectureChris and Brandon discuss the perfect PokeRap and explore the difference between truth and facts. This leads to the age-old existential question: "What does a Software Architect do?" Chris takes on "strong opinions, weakly held."
The Perfect Poke Rap
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cT6ULpScZA
Brian David Gilbert & Every Sonic Game is Blasphemous
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwDGReApaB0
“Just because you deliver facts does not mean you deliver truth as the other person sees it. – Patty McCord
https://www.reboot.io/episode/76-powerful-way-working-patty-mccord/
We fired our top talent. Best deci...2019-04-1600 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatNo Gods, No ManagersChris and Brandon start out with a whirlwind conversation about naps, "fix-it week", and Harry Potter. After that, we get to the real stuff: Brandon has "kind of a saving people thing", much like Harry Potter, and we decided it was time to dig in on savior complexes, both as they relate to Brandon specifically as well as to managers in general. From there, they move on to talking about the inherent conflicts found in the role of a manager: who do they really represent? The employee? The employer? Both?! After that, we dig down...2019-04-0900 min
Managing UpWorking Alongside Product Teams: What We've LearnedNick, Travis, and Brandon talk about their successes and failures working alongside product teams. They discuss what keeps engineering teams from feeling empowered and how to avoid becoming an "onshore offshore" team. They talk about how to achieve collaborative, healthy tension between product, marketing, and design, and how this work is at the heart of good engineering management.
Show notes:
Lara Hogan's venn diagrams
https://twitter.com/lara_hogan/status/966837809603600386?lang=en
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE27GQKB3p0
https://larahogan.me/blog/team-leader-venn-diagram/
What would you say it is ya do here?
https...2019-04-0840 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatFeature Devs, Infrastructure Devs, and Fake Infrastructure Devs: A PrimerChris recaps the best moments of EmberConf 2019 and why conferences are so good for teams. Brandon and Chris talk about the archetypes of developer that prefer feature work or infrastructure work, and dive into why this happens.
Julia Donaldson: EmberConf keynote that talks as much about general software development as it does about Ember
https://twitter.com/username_juliaD
https://youtu.be/O3RKLHvpUAI?t=1152
Parsing RegEx with HTML
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1732348/regex-match-open-tags-except-xhtml-self-contained-tags
http://www.eeemo.net/
2019-04-0200 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatCode Nightmares and the Perils of Remote WorkChris calls Brandon out on being an angry coder. And for not sleeping enough. Brandon makes the case against "remote work" as a moral argument and lobbies for in-person collaboration.
Show Notes
https://m.signalvnoise.com/basecamp-doesnt-employ-anyone-in-san-francisco-but-now-we-pay-everyone-as-though-all-did/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDGKK6y8OtQ
2019-03-2600 min
Managing UpNew Manager, Existing Team: Where Do You Start?Travis, Nick, and Brandon respond to a thought-provoking question about jumping in to manage a team that's already established. They also talk about what to do when the team needs culture or performance improvements.
Amy Unger's question:
"Walking into a new to you but established team, whether you were hired into a job or you got a team as part of a re-org, how do you approach coming into an established dynamic as a person of formal authority, but little knowledge or informal influence?"
The coaching habit
https://www.amazon.com/Coaching-Habit-Less-Change-Forever/dp/0978440749/
Atomic habits
https://www.amazon...2019-03-1939 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatShipping is Political, and So Was Ben Franklin's Sex LifeChris and Brandon talk about React Hooks and ES6 Class haters. The gents also reminisce about the subtle humor of Paul Reiser, and then dive into when to engage in office politics and when to just ship. Or rather, when to do both. Lastly, you didn't want to think of Benjamin Franklin getting his freak on, but here you are.
Show Notes:
Mad About You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOLMbV3VHyA
React Hooks vs Classes: https://itnext.io/why-reacts-hooks-api-is-a-game-changer-8731c2b0a8c
Benjamin Franklin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin
Statecraft: https...2019-03-1200 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatThe Ballad of the Sin EaterChris introduces and dives deep on his concept of the software team "sin eater." The gents discuss why we don't acknowledge "sin" in software. Brandon tells how he's working to dig out of the "sin eater" trap and how teams can happen to software development, rather than letting software development happen to them. Also, Brandon discusses his 10-year-old son's newfound vegetable-free vegetarian lifestyle.
Show Notes
Sin Eater: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin-eater
The Order: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Order_(2003_film)
Crunch all you want, we’ll make mo...2019-03-0500 min
Managing Up"Being the Bull": What to Do When Words Have WeightNow that you're a leader, you may be surprised to find that your words sometimes carry weight that you didn't intend, feeling like the proverbial "Bull in a china shop". Nick, Brandon, and Travis share stories about this, and discuss power dynamics and how to shift power to the people who can actually do the work.
Show Notes:
Transforming the Difficult Child
https://www.amazon.com/Transforming-Difficult-Child-Nurtured-Approach-ebook/dp/B079DT5TXT/
The Power of Moments
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Moments-Certain-Experiences-Extraordinary/dp/1501147765
2019-03-0429 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatLSD, Conference Panels, and Other Merry PranksWe kick off with a recommendation fiesta before Brandon and Chris dive into what's wrong with the current state of tech conferences, why "talking heads" are overrated, and how well-constructed panels could breathe some fresh air into the conference scene. They also reimagine Jackass in the 70's on acid.
Notes:
The Right Stuff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Right_Stuff_(book)
Into The Inferno: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_Inferno_(film)
Sour Grapes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sour_Grapes_(2016_film)
Nathan For You: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_for...2019-02-2600 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatTales of Horror: Engineering InterviewsChris and Brandon discuss why their Twitter blew up in one weird afternoon during leadership training. Afterwards, they talk about the pain of interviewing, both as a candidate and as a hiring manager. And heaven help them, they attempt to offer solutions.
Show Notes:
Foundryside: https://www.amazon.com/Foundryside-Founders-Robert-Jackson-Bennett/dp/1524760366/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1550113889&sr=8-1
Tired: Engineering Interviews; Hired: Engineering Auditions. : https://medium.com/@trek/tired-engineering-interviews-hired-engineering-auditions-5f9f00147a57
2019-02-1900 min
Managing UpEstimation: Where Everything is Made Up and the Points Don't MatterEstimation is the bane of many software developers' existence. Nick, Travis, and Brandon discuss (and argue) about why estimation can be valuable, whether it's too expensive, and what you can do to help your team deliver consistent value whether or not you're expected to estimate software.
We estimated this episode should last about 30 minutes, so naturally it's just over 50.
John Cutler on twitter: Hybrid Kanban board
https://twitter.com/johncutlefish/status/1080740227092639744
Scrum Guide (It's actually good and a quick read)
https://www.scrumguides.org/docs/scrumguide/v2017/2017-Scrum-Guide-US.pdf
Dave Thomas: Agile is Dead (Long Live...2019-02-1852 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatReact and the Paved Cow SuperhighwayChris and Brandon reminisce about their misadventures in React land, and Chris brings Brandon up to speed on what's changed in the last 2 years (hint: quite a bit). Brandon explains how Ember is both the Apple Macintosh and Topeka, Kansas.
Sleeping programmer couple meme
https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/1izngb/being_in_a_relationship_with_an_engineer/
Swimming upstream talk: Brandon and Chris's prior misadventures in React
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWH3UNIKFeg
Create React App
https://facebook.github.io/create-react-app/
Next.js
https://nextjs.org/
2019-02-1200 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatQuitting Your Way to a Better FutureChris and Brandon talk about Brandon's terrible beverage choices and then cut off any future possibility of a Blue Apron sponsorship. They then discuss how and why the tech industry makes it so much easier to quit your job than to get a promotion, and call out software managers who aren't doing their jobs.
Mealime
https://www.mealime.com/
@jessfraz thread on "quitting vs promotions"
https://twitter.com/jessfraz/status/1081786711888281600
Source article: "The real reason women quit tech (and how to address it)
https://medium.com/tech-diversity-files/the-real-reason-women-quit-tech-and-how-to-address-it-6dfb606929...2019-02-0500 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatWe Love You Open Source, Now Get Your Shit TogetherWe discover the true meaning of Flux Density and review the Bumblebee movie. Then, Chris and Brandon volley increasingly hot takes on open source sustainability, entitlement, and monetization strategies.
Flux Density
https://www.goudsmitmagnets.com/en/wiki/66/flux-density-magnetic-flux-density-b
Bumblebee Movie: doesn't suck!
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bumblebee
Tweet thread by the creator of Vue: "Because doing design by community (especially early, experimental ideas) is ineffective and doesn't necessarily lead to better results."
https://twitter.com/youyuxi/status/1084542336930119680
Andrew Clay Schafer: "business model advice: sell some things for...2019-01-2900 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatBro, Do You Even Hoist Vars?Chris and Brandon make salacious innuendo about Capri Sun, talk about recent video game adventures, and lay out a metaphor connecting weightlifting to programming.
Show notes:
Charles Shaw wine: "Two Buck Chuck"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Shaw_wine
House wine
https://originalhousewine.com/
Spider Man PS4
https://www.polygon.com/game/spider-man-ps4/39981
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
https://www.polygon.com/game/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild/8645
2019-01-2200 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatPomp and CircumstanceChris and Brandon talk about some actually good Christmas music, Brandon's upcoming RubyTapas guest episode, building your personal "BRAAAAAND", losing their enthusiasm for programming as a hobby, and graduating from the guilt of not learning and doing programming with every spare moment.
Apologies for the audio quality of our backup recording, we're back on track next week!
Buffalo Trace Bourbon
http://www.buffalotrace.com/
Yuletide Bangerz by Jonwayne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLzC8WDcjsw
Sufjan Stephens Songs for Christmas: O Holy Night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZlb-FL1cN0
Sufjan Stephens...2019-01-1500 min
Managing UpOvercoming Crappy Leadership and the Illusion of ControlWith Travis out this week, Nick and Brandon discuss a strongly-worded Twitter thread calling out bad leaders, what they've done that has and hasn't worked, and how listening and vulnerability play into more effective leadership (and parenting).
Simon Wardley's Twitter thread calling out bad leadership
https://twitter.com/swardley/status/1083124264142815233
Accelerate by Nicole Forsgren, PhD, Jez Humble, and Gene Kim
https://www.amazon.com/Accelerate-Software-Performing-Technology-Organizations/dp/1942788339
Leadership and Self Deception by the Arbinger Institute
https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Self-Deception-Getting-Out-Box/dp/1523097809
The Power of Vulnerability by Dr. Brené Brown
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23500254-the-power-of-vulnerability
2019-01-1431 min
Copy, Paste, RepeatBillions and Billions... of DollarsChris and Brandon inaugurate this bad programming podcast by talking about the TV show "Billions" instead of programming. Mostly. Also we envision Brandon's wife standing atop a mountain of skulls.
Whiskey Sour
https://www.thespruceeats.com/whiskey-sour-recipe-761273
Austin Public Library: One of TIME Magazine's best places on earth
http://time.com/collection/worlds-greatest-places-2018/5359176/austin-central-library-texas/
Freeman's first law of programming
"All programming is bad programming"
Billions (TV Show)
https://www.amazon.com/Billions-Season-1/dp/B019ZUZ3RU
Gale Boetticher (Wags) sings the elements song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2QjhOVKqpc
2019-01-0800 min
Managing UpTransitioning into Management with Blithe RocherBlithe Rocher, Engineering Manager at Fastly joins Nick, Brandon, and Travis to discuss how and when to transition to management, what to expect, and what advice she'd give her past self as she started managing her peers.
Blithe Rocher
https://twitter.com/blithe
If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look On My Face?
https://www.amazon.com/Understood-Would-Have-This-Look/dp/1524781924
Harrison Metal: General Management Course
https://www.harrisonmetal.com/classes/foundations-general-management
2019-01-0745 min
Managing UpFearless Politics and Eiffel's TowerTravis and Brandon talk with Nick about his recent Lead Developer talk about Gustav Eiffel, the story of his iconic tower, and how that led to learning to fearlessly and authentically engage in "politics" to accomplish great things in your career.
Eiffel's Tower by Nick Means
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RslVT-L2A40
You Can Negotiate Anything by Herb Cohen
https://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Negotiate-Anything-Negotiator/dp/0553281097
Controversial tweet by Jason Fried
https://twitter.com/jasonfried/status/1058816651284623361
Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
https://www.amazon.com/Daring-Greatly-Courage-Vulnerable-Transforms-ebook/dp/B007P7HRS4/
2018-12-1739 min
Managing UpEngineering Ladders and Growing Developers with Sean Massa and Trek GlowackiEngineering leaders Sean Massa and Trek Glowacki join Travis, Nick, and Brandon to discuss what they've learned from their research on engineering ladders and growth tracks across dozens of companies.
Hosts:
Nick Means
https://twitter.com/nmeans
Travis Swicegood
https://twitter.com/tswicegood
Brandon Hays
https://twitter.com/tehviking
Guests:
Sean Massa
https://twitter.com/endangeredmassa
Trek Glowacki
https://twitter.com/trek
Show notes:
Rent the Runway engineering ladder
http://dresscode.renttherunway.com/blog/ladder
Medium's skill point based engineering growth framework
https://medium.com/s/engineering-growth-framework
2018-12-0349 min
Managing UpHow Technical Should A Manager Be?Travis, Nick, and Brandon discuss the technical requirements of being a manager, the cultural impact of a manager's technical skills, and why hiring engineering managers is so difficult.
Notes:
DevOps Transformation/ DevOps Handbook:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M9ASFQ3/
The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F1WZGNC/
2018-11-2033 min
Managing UpOne on Ones: The BasicsNick, Travis, and Brandon discuss the purpose of one on ones, how to help get the most from them, avoiding common pitfalls, and share resources on improving them for you and your team.
Show notes:
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Kim-Scott/dp/B01KTIEFEE/
Questions for your first 1:1
https://larahogan.me/blog/first-one-on-one-questions/
87 Questions great managers ask
https://getlighthouse.com/blog/one-on-one-meeting-questions-great-managers-ask/
2018-10-3033 min
Managing UpCTO vs. VP Engineering: What's the Difference?Travis and Brandon welcome new co-host Nickolas Means, Engineering Manager at GitHub, to talk about the tracks in engineering management, and the differing roles and responsibilities of the CTO and VP of Engineering.
Show Notes:
Eric Brooke: Software Engineering Leadership
https://ericbrooke.wordpress.com/2018/09/16/software-engineering-leadership/
Camille Fournier: The Manager's Path
https://www.amazon.com/Managers-Path-Leaders-Navigating-Growth/dp/1491973897
Lara Hogan: Engineering Ladders at Meetup
https://medium.com/making-meetup/engineering-ladders-at-meetup-caacbea4916e
Camille Fournier: Rent the Runway's Engineering Ladder
http://dresscode.renttherunway.com/blog/ladder
2018-10-1538 min
Greater Than Code097: The Job of a Manager with Brandon Hays00:43 – Brandon’s Superpower: Helping Other People Discover Their Own Superpower
02:04 – Maintaining Relationships When People Change Jobs So Frequently
04:31 – Climbing The Corporate Tech Ladder and Strategizing Career Growth
10:25 – Mentorship and Power Disparity
19:00 – Management and Leadership Skills
The Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change
10 Traits of a Great Manager, According to Google's Internal Research (Project Oxygen)
23:22 – Solving Problems Regardless of Job Title
27:50 – Preservation of Context
31:01 – Becoming a Manager…and Being Bad at it!
32:58 – The New Manager’s Toolkit
Radical...2018-09-1247 min
Managing UpHow do I become a better coach?Travis and Brandon discuss how central coaching is to quality management, the 2-way nature of coaching, and the critical role listening plays in becoming a better coach.
HBR: The 9 Skills of Great Coaches
https://hbr.org/2018/08/managers-think-theyre-good-at-coaching-theyre-not
listening
questioning
giving feedback
assisting with goal setting
showing empathy
letting the coachee arrive at their own solution
recognizing and pointing out strengths
providing structure
encouraging a solution-focused approach
Mindset by Carol Dweck
https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322
f I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My...2018-08-2742 min
Managing UpThe Manager's Job: Applying Google's 10 TraitsIn this super-sized episode, Travis and Brandon discuss what makes a great manager, using 10 skills and traits developed by Google's Project Oxygen and updated over the last 10 years.
What is the job of a manager?
We discuss the role of a manager with this Google-developed evaluation framework as a guide:
https://www.themuse.com/advice/10-behaviors-make-great-google-manager
https://rework.withgoogle.com/guides/managers-identify-what-makes-a-great-manager/steps/learn-about-googles-manager-research/
Carol Dweck, fixed vs growth mindset
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/
Travis’s magic question: “How would you like me to help with...2018-07-301h 04
Managing UpMeasure what Matters: An Intro to OKRsTravis and Brandon introduce the podcast, discuss the book Measure what Matters by John Doerr, and talk about the value that OKRs can bring to a team.
Notes:
Measure What Matters: https://www.amazon.com/Measure-What-Matters-Google-Foundation-ebook/dp/B078FZ9SYB/
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205
Radical Focus: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Focus-Achieving-Important-Objectives-ebook/dp/B01BFKJA0Y
ATX Web Show http://atxwebshow.com/
Mark Rickmeier (CEO of TableXI) https://twitter.com/markrickmeier?lang=en
2018-07-1434 min
Tech Done RightEpisode 002: Career Development With Brandon Hays and Pete BrooksDescription
Brandon Hays and Pete Brooks join the Tech Done Right podcast to discuss career development. We'll discuss some career development questions like: What makes somebody a senior developer? How do you acquire senior developer skills? What can you do to prepare yourself for a lifetime career and ensure that you are properly valued?
Show Notes
Pete Brooks: Software Developer at Table XI. Author of "How I landed my first programming job"
Brandon Hays: “My friend” and line-level developer at OJO Labs
02:07 - Classifying Yourself as a Developer
- The Conjoined Triangles of S...2017-01-2540 min
JavaScript Jabber112 JSJ Refactoring JavaScript Apps Into a Framework with Brandon HaysThe panelists talk about refactoring JavaScript Apps Into a Framework with Brandon Hays.Special Guest: Brandon Hays. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/javascript-jabber/donationsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/javascript-jabber--6102064/support.2014-06-1159 min