Podcasts about Codecademy

Amjad Masad is the co-founder and CEO of Replit, a programming environment for everyone that allows anyone to write and deploy code, regardless of experience. Replit has 34 million users globally and is one of the fastest-growing developer communities in the world.Before Replit, Amjad was a tech lead on the JavaScript infrastructure team (which he helped start) at Facebook, where he contributed to popular open-source developer tools. Additionally, he played a key role as a founding engineer at the online coding school Codecademy.0:00 - Intro4:31 - Utopia, Dystopia, and Life in a Post-AI World11:28 - Replit and Expressiveness in Computing17:01 - Balancing Accessibility and Control in Products19:53 - Is AI a Sustaining or Disruptive Technology?25:04 - Building With AI and the Future of Company Structure29:32 - The Shape and Defensibility of Software in a World of AI33:37 - The Nation State and Stagnation in the Physical World38:28 - Technology and Resilience41:54 - What Shouldn't Get Automated?43:54 - What Becomes Valuable in a Post-AI World?47:10 - AI Augmenting vs Competing with Humans51:51 - What Should More People Be Thinking About?

Replit is one of the most visible and exciting companies reshaping how we approach software and application development in the Generative AI era. In this episode, we sit down with its CEO, Amjad Masad, for an in-depth discussion on all things AI, agents, and software. Amjad shares the journey of building Replit, from its humble beginnings as a student side project to becoming a major player in Generative AI today. We also discuss the challenges of launching a startup, the multiple attempts to get into Y Combinator, the pivotal moment when Paul Graham recognized Replit's potential, and the early bet on integrating AI and machine learning into the core of Replit. Amjad dives into the evolving landscape of AI and machine learning, sharing how these technologies are reshaping software development. We explore the concept of coding agents and the impact of Replit's latest innovation, Replit Agent, on the software creation process. Additionally, Amjad reflects on his time at Codecademy and Facebook, where he worked on groundbreaking projects like React Native, and how those experiences shaped his entrepreneurial journey. We end with Amjad's view on techno-optimism and his belief in an energized Silicon Valley. Replit Website - https://replit.com X/Twitter - https://x.com/Replit Amjad Masad LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amjadmasad X/Twitter - https://x.com/amasad FIRSTMARK Website - https://firstmark.com X/Twitter - https://twitter.com/FirstMarkCap Matt Turck (Managing Director) LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/turck/ X/Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattturck (00:00) Intro (01:36) The origins of Replit (15:54) Amjad's decision to restart Replit (19:00) Joining Y Combinator (30:06) AI and ML at Replit (32:31) Explain Code (39:09) Replit Agent (52:10) Balancing usability for both developers and non-technical users (53:22) Sonnet 3.5 stack (58:43) The challenge of AI evaluation (01:00:02) ACI vs. HCI (01:05:02) Will AI replace software development? (01:10:15) If anyone can build an app with Replit, what's the next bottleneck? (01:14:31) The future of SaaS in an AI-driven world (01:18:37) Why Amjad embraces techno-optimism (01:20:36) Defining civilizationism (01:23:11) Amjad's perspective on government's role

In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, host Zoe Cunningham explores the challenges and opportunities for women career switchers in tech with Sasha Burgoyne and Esme Chant from Softwire. Join them as they discuss: Why women career switchers need additional support in tech Creating supportive workplace environments for career switchers The value career switchers bring to tech organisations The structure and benefits of the TechSwitch program About Guests Sasha Burgoyne is the co-founder of TechSwitch, an award-winning software development training programme for career switches looking to move into tech, as well as people looking to return to the workplace. She is also Head of Academy at Softwire which delivers training in DevOps and software development and has been part of Softwire's DEI Working Group since its inception. Esme Chant is the D&I Lead and a People Advisor at Softwire. She has played a key role in enhancing inclusivity within the company by implementing practical solutions, such as neurodiversity awareness training, facilitating reasonable adjustments, and creating a D&I calendar to ensure that various identities are recognised and celebrated. Episode Highlights: [00:00:01] Introduction and welcome [00:00:32] Esme's background and DE&I role [00:00:48] Sasha's role in TechSwitch program [00:01:11] Discussion on supporting women career switchers [00:02:30] Overview of TechSwitch program [00:06:49] Career switchers' value in the workplace [00:08:38] Softwire's workplace support initiatives [00:10:42] LevelUp program details [00:16:11] How to prepare for TechSwitch [00:17:30] TechSwitch application process Resources: TechSwitch- www.techswitch.co.uk Softwire - https://www.softwire.com/ Codecademy - https://www.codecademy.com/ Code Wars - https://www.codewars.com/

Amjad Masad is the co-founder and CEO of Replit, a browser-based coding environment that allows anyone to write and deploy code. Replit has 34 million users globally and is one of the fastest-growing developer communities in the world. Prior to Replit, Amjad worked at Facebook, where he led the JavaScript infrastructure team and contributed to popular open-source developer tools. Additionally, he played a key role as a founding engineer at the online coding school Codecademy. In our conversation, Amjad shares:• A live demo of Replit in action• How Replit's AI agent can build full-stack web applications from a simple text prompt• The implications of AI-powered development for product managers, designers, and engineers• How this might reshape companies and careers• Why being “generative” will become an increasingly valuable skill• “Amjad's law” and how learning to debug AI-generated code is becoming ever more valuable• Much more—Brought to you by:• WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs• Persona—A global leader in digital identity verification• LinkedIn Ads—Reach professionals and drive results for your business—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/behind-the-product-replit-amjad-masad—Where to find Amjad Masad:• X: https://x.com/amasad• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amjadmasad/• Website: https://amasad.me/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Amjad Masad and Replit(02:41) The vision and challenges of Replit(06:50) Replit's growth and user stories(10:49) Demo of Replit's capabilities(16:51) Building and iterating with Replit(25:04) Real-world applications and use cases(30:13) The technology stack(33:48) The evolution of Replit and its capabilities(39:36) The future of AI in software development(44:04) Skills for the future: generative thinking and coding(47:26) Amjad's law(50:36) Replit's new developments and future plans—Referenced:• Replit: https://replit.com/• Cursor: https://www.cursor.com• Aman Mathur on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aman-mathur/• Node: https://nodejs.org/en• Claude: https://claude.ai/• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/• Wasm: https://webassembly.org/• Figma: https://www.figma.com/• Codecademy: https://www.codecademy.com/• Hacker News: https://news.ycombinator.com/news• Paul Graham's website: https://www.paulgraham.com/• Jevons paradox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox• Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/• Open AI: https://openai.com/• Amjad's tweet about “society of models”: https://x.com/amasad/status/1568941103709290496• About HCI: https://www.designdisciplin.com/p/hci-profession• Taylor Swift's website: https://www.taylorswift.com/• Andrew Wilkinson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awilkinson/• Haya Odeh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haya-odeh-b0725928/• Amjad's law: https://x.com/snowmaker/status/1847377464705896544• Ray Kurzweil's website: https://www.thekurzweillibrary.com/• God of the gaps: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_the_gaps—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 2932: In this insightful continuation, Mrs. 1500 offers practical strategies for maximizing savings and finding financial freedom on any income level. From reselling thrift-store finds to leveraging free educational resources and simplifying everyday expenses, she emphasizes thoughtful decision-making. It's not about how much you earn but how wisely you manage what you have. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.1500days.com/you-dont-have-to-make-100000-a-year-to-retire-early/ Quotes to ponder: "You can make $40K/year and retire when you're 50. You can also make $120K/year and still have to work when you're 75. It's all about choices." "Don't fall for a beautiful face or a hot body. Look at their decisions and see if they are something you can live with." Episode references: MIT OpenCourseWare: https://ocw.mit.edu/ Codecademy: https://www.codecademy.com/ Treehouse: https://teamtreehouse.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 2932: In this insightful continuation, Mrs. 1500 offers practical strategies for maximizing savings and finding financial freedom on any income level. From reselling thrift-store finds to leveraging free educational resources and simplifying everyday expenses, she emphasizes thoughtful decision-making. It's not about how much you earn but how wisely you manage what you have. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.1500days.com/you-dont-have-to-make-100000-a-year-to-retire-early/ Quotes to ponder: "You can make $40K/year and retire when you're 50. You can also make $120K/year and still have to work when you're 75. It's all about choices." "Don't fall for a beautiful face or a hot body. Look at their decisions and see if they are something you can live with." Episode references: MIT OpenCourseWare: https://ocw.mit.edu/ Codecademy: https://www.codecademy.com/ Treehouse: https://teamtreehouse.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 2932: In this insightful continuation, Mrs. 1500 offers practical strategies for maximizing savings and finding financial freedom on any income level. From reselling thrift-store finds to leveraging free educational resources and simplifying everyday expenses, she emphasizes thoughtful decision-making. It's not about how much you earn but how wisely you manage what you have. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.1500days.com/you-dont-have-to-make-100000-a-year-to-retire-early/ Quotes to ponder: "You can make $40K/year and retire when you're 50. You can also make $120K/year and still have to work when you're 75. It's all about choices." "Don't fall for a beautiful face or a hot body. Look at their decisions and see if they are something you can live with." Episode references: MIT OpenCourseWare: https://ocw.mit.edu/ Codecademy: https://www.codecademy.com/ Treehouse: https://teamtreehouse.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's up everyone, today we have the pleasure of sitting down with Danny Lambert, Director of Marketing Operations at dbt Labs. Summary: Marketers often feel like they're battling a dragon when it comes to integrating data. We're overwhelmed by technical jargon, stuck with outdated methods, and facing roadblocks from data teams. Danny walks us through his journey of cautiously entering the data world and the role dbt can play for marketing teams. By learning just enough SQL, knowing what tools you need to get started with and leaning on dbt's tools, you can start small and gradually build a warehouse-first martech stack. The reward is more control over your data, flexibility to deploy personalized campaigns independently, and a competitive edge that no pre-packaged solution can match.About DanielDanny started his career at an event solutions company where he wore several different marketing hats including getting his first taste of marketing automation  He then worked in marketing ops at IZEA, at marketplace that connects brands with influencers before having a short stint at McGaw.io one of the leading martech and analytics agenciesHe then moved over to healtech at CareCloud where he led Demandgen and ABMHe then transitioned to Rev.com the popular transcription company where he started in marketing ops, then demand gen before being promoted to Director of Integrated MarketingAnd today Dan is Director of Marketing Operations at dbt Labs, the creators of the most popular software for data transformation used by data engineers at more than 20k companiesNavigating the Disconnect Between Marketers and Data TeamsMany marketers struggle to engage with data teams because they feel worlds apart. Danny points out that it's a lot like the early days of marketing's relationship with product teams. Before product-led growth (PLG) became a buzzword, marketers and product teams operated in separate silos. It took a concerted effort to break that wall, and the same shift is needed with data. Marketers often find the mechanics of data engineering and warehousing intimidating, and for good reason—they weren't trained for it. But it doesn't have to be that way.Danny recounts his time at CareCloud, where he was exposed to the concept of a data warehouse. The idea was gaining traction, and he attended a Snowflake event to grasp the essentials. After an hour of slides and schemas, he walked out just as confused as when he walked in. The issue wasn't the information; it was the delivery. Marketers need to see things in action. Theoretical talks don't cut it—practical, straightforward tutorials that walk you through the steps are what marketers crave. Installing tools like dbt and seeing data move can make it all click. It's the difference between hearing about a new tool and actually feeling it work in your hands.There's also a major gap in educational resources that cater to marketers. As Danny highlights, marketing professionals who want to embrace data often get lost in the flood of courses and jargon-heavy materials. It's a jungle out there—marketers want concise, actionable guidance, not a deep dive into tech theory. Without the right content, many opt to stay in their lane, using tools and methods they already know. It feels safer, especially when they're under pressure to perform quickly.Danny points out that this pressure to ramp up fast can discourage experimentation with a warehouse-first approach. New roles often come with tight timelines, and there's a tendency to lean on old habits. Shifting to something like data warehousing means slowing down, learning the ropes, and building enough belief in the new approach to back it up internally. But if you've spent years doing things differently, it's hard to develop the conviction needed to push for change. Confidence comes from exposure and understanding, but without that, the warehouse-first idea feels too foreign to champion.Key takeaway: Marketers often shy away from data teams because they lack practical, accessible education and feel pressured to stick with familiar methods. Building confidence through hands-on learning and real-world examples is crucial for integrating data and marketing in a meaningful way.Overcoming Barriers to Data Literacy in MarketingMany marketers hesitate to engage deeply with data, often because they don't see it as central to their roles. Danny explains that for most, data feels like a secondary tool—something meant to assist rather than dominate their day-to-day work. The challenge is that the pathway to becoming data-savvy isn't straightforward. Even among those who've made the leap, each person's journey looks different. Some take online courses, like those on Codecademy, learning SQL from scratch. Others find mentors who guide them through the maze of data management, or they happen to work in environments where they can lean on a data specialist nearby. But there's no universal roadmap, which makes the process feel daunting.Danny believes that the lack of a clear, predictable path to mastering data is one of the biggest hurdles marketers face. With so many options available—some technical, others more hands-on—marketers often struggle to identify which approach will actually get them the skills they need. For those with limited time, this uncertainty can be a dealbreaker. Without knowing if the investment will pay off, it's easier to focus on other areas of marketing that feel more familiar and essential. Danny points out that while resources like Udemy are improving the situation, marketers still need a straightforward, reliable way to become proficient in data.Another critical factor is the perceived opportunity cost. Marketers are often juggling multiple responsibilities, from staying up-to-date with industry trends to managing campaigns. For many, the idea of dedicating time to learning data—an area they may feel they have minimal expertise in—feels like too large a barrier. Why spend time learning about data warehousing when there are immediate, pressing marketing concepts to master? This fear of committing time and energy to an unfamiliar, complex area keeps many from taking the first step.Danny emphasizes that while the accessibility of learning tools is improving, there's still a significant gap. Even for those who want to upskill, the fear of the unknown and the lack of a guided pathway can make it feel like an insurmountable challenge. Until marketers can see a clear, accessible way to develop these skills, many will remain hesitant to dive into data, choosing to stick to familiar ground instead.Key takeaway: Marketers often shy away from learning data skills due to a lack of accessible, consistent learning paths and the fear of time investment without guaranteed outcomes. Creating structured, easy-to-follow resources is crucial to making data literacy a viable option for busy professionals.Unlocking the Full Potential of Data with dbtDanny describes the transformation dbt brings to the data landscape, making it accessible not just to engineers but also to marketing ops and other non-engineering teams. In the past, accessing and manipulating data was a highly specialized skill, often requiring a marketer to rely heavily on a single engineer. As Danny puts it, you needed to build a relationship with this “one person in a closet somewhere” to get any insight or change implemented. This old approach made data access exclusive, slow, and frustrating for teams trying to move fast.With dbt, Danny explains, the dynamics shift dramatically. It creates different roles and permission levels for everyone interacting with data, enabling a self-service model for marketers and operat...

In this episode of LitPM, we're thrilled to welcome our first-ever data scientist—Camelia, Head of Data Science at Black Crow AI. With a background that includes stints at Codecademy and Uber, Camelia shares her journey from mechanical engineering to data science, and how she partners with product managers to drive results. We dive deep into her experience with experimentation, A/B testing, and the evolving role of AI in e-commerce. Plus, Camelia gives us insider tips on what data scientists look for when interviewing PMs. If you're a PM (or aspiring to be one) looking to master collaboration with data scientists and understand the world of experimentation, this episode is packed with valuable insights! Time Stamps (1:52) Background and intro (6:52) Transitioning to Data Science from Mechanical Engineering (9:58) Experience working with PMs (14:00) Technical data skills required for PMs (19:36) Experimentation: how to set it up, when to experiment (30:38) Impact of AI for data scientists (34:56) What Data Scientists look when interviewing PMs

Codecademy is an online platform that offers classes on languages including Python, Go, JavaScript, C++, and many others. Zoe Bachman is the Senior Curriculum Director at Codecademy and designs courses for the platform. She joins the podcast to talk about her work there. Josh Goldberg is an independent full time open source developer in the The post Codecademy with Zoe Bachman appeared first on Software Engineering Daily.

Codecademy is an online platform that offers classes on languages including Python, Go, JavaScript, C++, and many others. Zoe Bachman is the Senior Curriculum Director at Codecademy and designs courses for the platform. She joins the podcast to talk about her work there. Josh Goldberg is an independent full time open source developer in the The post Codecademy with Zoe Bachman appeared first on Software Engineering Daily.

Join us as Tom Wilson from Seedcamp and Anthony Danon from Cocoa talk to Leng Lee, angel investor, co-founder & Chief Product Officer at Oui Therapeutics.Leng was previously the first employee at Codecademy where he was the Head of Product, before joining MongoDB as the Director of Product (Cloud). He later spent a year as a Research Fellow at the Columbia University Centre for Anxiety and Related Disorders, developing a virtual reality product for social anxiety.Leng is an Expert-in-Residence at Seedcamp, Europe's leading seed investor. He is an active angel investor through Seedcamp, and the accelerator program Pioneer, and is an advisor to a number of SaaS companies. He is also on the product advisory board for Cambridge University Press.Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview

Meet Shaundai Person

Meet  Alex Kallaway

In this episode, Jon Samp, head of product at Expo, shares his background in herpetology research and how he transitioned into programming. He discusses his experience developing the Codecademy app with Expo and the challenges he faced. John also talks about his other apps, including the Single Origin coffee timer and WordCheck for Scrabble. He emphasizes the ease of creating hobby apps with React Native and the importance of using native elements for good design. The conversation concludes with a discussion on EAS and how teams can work better together. Jon highlights the improvements being made to the onboarding experience and the Expo dashboard, and the focus on workflow improvements and release management. He also shares future plans for EAS, including enhancing team coordination and communication and improving device management and notifications.Learn React Native - https://galaxies.devJon SampJon Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonsampJon Website: https://jonsamp.devLinksExpo EAS: https://expo.dev/easTakeawaysReact Native and Expo make it easy to develop hobby apps without a large team or production process.Using native elements and animations in React Native apps can enhance the user experience and make the app feel more polished.EAS (Expo Application Services) simplifies the development and deployment process for React Native apps.EAS allows for side-loading apps on iOS and Android, making it easy to distribute apps for development purposes.The easiest way to distribute iOS apps is to use EAS device calling create, which generates a QR code that can be scanned to install a provisioning profile.EAS supports updates and over-the-air updates, allowing for easy distribution of app updates to users.EAS provides a faster and more convenient way to build and distribute private applications compared to using Xcode and Android Studio.Future plans for EAS include improving the onboarding experience, enhancing team coordination and communication, and adding features for release management and workflow improvements.

Amjad Masad is the co-founder and CEO of Replit, an online platform designed for collaborative coding in multiple programming languages. Replit boasts over 30m users, has secured $200M in venture funding, and was recently valued at $1.2B. Before Replit, Amjad was a Software Engineer at Facebook, and a Founding Engineer at Codecademy. — In today's episode, we discuss: How AI is reshaping the software landscape Bridging the gap between ideas and software Why YC almost rejected Replit four times Replit's fundraising difficulties, and how Paul Graham helped The secret lever Replit pulled to scale ahead of its competition Replit's impressive distribution engine — Referenced: 7 Powers: https://www.amazon.com/7-Powers-Foundations-Business-Strategy/dp/0998116319/ Codecademy: https://www.codecademy.com/ Hacker News: https://news.ycombinator.com/ I Am a Strange Loop: https://www.amazon.com/Am-Strange-Loop-Douglas-Hofstadter/dp/0465030793 Mythical Man-Month: https://www.amazon.com/Mythical-Man-Month-Software-Engineering-Anniversary/dp/0201835959 On the Naturalness of Software: https://people.inf.ethz.ch/suz/publications/natural.pdf OpenAI: https://openai.com/ Paul Graham: https://twitter.com/paulg Python: https://www.python.org/ Read Write Own: https://www.amazon.com/Read-Write-Own-Building-Internet/dp/0593731387/ Replit: https://replit.com/ Roy Bahat: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roybahat/ Sam Altman: https://twitter.com/sama The Innovator's Dilemma: https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Technologies-Management-Innovation/dp/1633691780/ The Little Schemer: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Schemer-Daniel-P-Friedman/dp/0262560992/ Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/ — Where to find Amjad Masad: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amjadmasad Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/amasad — Where to find Todd Jackson: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddj0/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/tjack — Where to find First Round Capital: Website: https://firstround.com/ First Round Review: https://review.firstround.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/firstround YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstRoundCapital This podcast on all platforms: https://review.firstround.com/podcast — Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:31) Replit's origin story (08:24) Starting Facebook's JavaScript infrastructure team (10:36) Amjad's unique path to entrepreneurship (16:04) How Replit got its early users (17:00) Replit's fundraising difficulties (17:54) Why YC almost rejected Replit four times (20:23) Building Replit's distribution engine (22:08) Drivers of Replit's growth (27:41) What Silicon Valley gets wrong (30:09) Replit's monetization strategy (32:29) Integrating AI into the platform (36:18) The impact of AI on software engineering (39:40) Defining the new “software creator” role (41:43) How to keep up with developments in AI (46:24) Replit's goals for 2024 (48:11) Advice for founders: defy conventional wisdom (51:12) Amjad's 4 favorite books

Emil Michael was the Chief Business Officer at $UBER during its hyperscale period from 2013 to 2017. He's currently the CEO of DPCM Capital, and he's also a strategic advisor to a number of amazing companies, including Codecademy, GroupMe and Taser. On this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Emil cover everything from tech IPOs and Uber's stock performance to the future of AI, the relationship between Uber and Benchmark, and more. Emil shares insights into the reasons behind the delay in tech IPOs, the profitability of ridesharing companies, and the future for Uber and Lyft as they expand their food delivery businesses and explore new verticals. He also discusses the impact of higher interest rates on startups and the nuances of launching and operating marketplace businesses. Emil and Auren also have a candid conversation about Uber's relationship with Benchmark Capital and how it affected the trajectory of the company– Emil thinks Uber could have been 2 or 3 times as large as it is now. He offers key advice for founders on choosing your VCs and keeping execs and the board in alignment. To close out, Emil also shares some counterintuitive management advice and insights from conducting over 3,000 interviews at Uber.  World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Emil on X at @emilmichael. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Today's conversation revolves around the importance and challenges of goal setting within organizations. It highlights how identifying and articulating real problems can be transformative, turning abstract desires for growth into concrete plans for improvement. Host Victoria Guido and special guest Evan Hammer discuss the nuances of leadership and organizational self-awareness, emphasizing the need for honesty and a growth mindset when addressing weaknesses. They touch on Evan's role as an OKR Coach in fostering alignment, focus, and excitement around goals, particularly in small to mid-sized companies. Evan shares his enthusiasm for goal setting and believes his passion can inspire others. He points out the positive outcomes when employees engage with goals that address problems they care about. Victoria and Evan agree that success is not solely measured by hitting OKRs but also by engagement and alignment within the team. They discuss the ideal organizations for Evan's work, which include small to medium-sized companies seeking to improve focus and alignment, as well as start-up teams needing more straightforward goal statements and go-to-market strategies. Evan also recounts his experience as a Techstars mentor, noting that a common issue across companies is the lack of clear goals, and he emphasizes the power of focus as a lever for growth. Follow Evan Hammer on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhammer/) or X (https://twitter.com/evanhammer). Visit his website at evanhammer.com (https://evanhammer.com/). Follow thoughtbot on X (https://twitter.com/thoughtbot) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/). Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Giant Robots! Transcript: VICTORIA: This is the Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots podcast, where we explore the design, development, and business of great products. I'm your host, Victoria Guido. And with me today is Evan Hammer, OKR and personal goals coach. Evan, thank you for joining us. EVAN: Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here. VICTORIA: Wonderful. Me too. And I wanted to ask you first, before we dive into business, tell me a personal goal that you've achieved recently that you're most proud of. EVAN: I guess a couple of months ago, I did a 100-mile loop of Mount Rainier. So, it was a 10-day backpacking trip. My younger brother, I went with him, and it's the kind of thing he does more regularly. Yeah, it was something I was kind of excited to do but really unsure of, and worked super hard between the gear and the training and just, like, the mindset. But it was also just awesome being out in the woods for ten days. VICTORIA: I also love being out in the woods for long periods of time. I guess, like, how long did your brother plan this trip for? And how long were you involved before you decided to go? EVAN: You know, it was something he was planning to do since the spring. He won a lottery to be able to do it. And I was going back and forth for a few months. And I think it was just maybe in the end of June where I was like, okay, I'm doing this. I need to put together a gear list, figure out a training plan. I live in Fort Greene in Brooklyn. And it was a lot of, like, waking up early and going up and down the steps in Fort Greene Park, which is, like, you know, 6, 10 flights of steps, something like that outdoors -- VICTORIA: [laughs] EVAN: With a heavy backpack on for two to three hours, like on weekends. VICTORIA: Oooh. Wow. EVAN: Yeah, it was one of those things I was like, you know, you don't know when you do something like this how it's going to go until you're there doing it or how your body is going to respond. So, it was a little bit of, like, trying to train as much as possible but also being aware that I just have to deal with whatever will happen on the trip. VICTORIA: I love that, at first, it sounds sort of, like, fun. Like, "Oh, do you want to go on this trip with me?" And you're like, "Yeah, okay." And then you look at the training plan, and it's like, "We'll wake up at 6:00 a.m. every day and walk up and down ten flights of stairs [laughs] with a heavy backpack on," you know, like, "Oh okay, [laughs] a lot of prep work to have this trip." [laughs] EVAN: It's fun in that you're doing something amazing, and it's beautiful. And it was just one of the more beautiful places I've ever been. It was really interesting and meaningful to me to kind of be detached from everything that I normally do and just focus on being in the woods and hiking these mountains. But yeah, you don't know how it's going to go. So, it's like you're putting yourself in an extreme physical situation. I think that's anxiety-inducing, and it feels good and is healthy and protective to train for it. VICTORIA: I agree. Yeah, I mean, I totally relate to that. I'm a rock climber and hiker myself. And sometimes I spend all this time, you know, on gym memberships, climbing in the gym, running up and down hills. And then, I get all the way out to rock, and I'm about to start my climb, and I'm like, why am I doing this? [laughs] This is a lot of work to get to this point. But then it is all fun, and it's super worth it. And I always feel restored whenever I come back from being a long time in nature. It's really great. I think maybe to get towards, like, a metrics conversation that we talk about a lot in climbing is the type of fun something is. So, there's three types of fun levels. Have you heard this framework before, Evan? EVAN: I have not. VICTORIA: Okay, so there's three levels of fun. Level one fun is, like, you're having fun while you're doing it. We're, like, laughing and enjoying recording a podcast together. Like, oh my God, it's so much fun, super easy, not stressful. Maybe it was a little stressful for you, I don't know. [chuckles] It's a little stressful for me. Level two fun is it's a little difficult while you're doing it, but you're still looking back on it and having fun, but you're never really in any kind of intense danger, right? Like, you're going on a backpacking trip. It's relatively within your health expectations, and the trail is walkable. You're not, like, going to fumble and fall down a cliff. It's level-two fun. So, you're mostly enjoying it. Like, it's kind of difficult, and there's some effort involved, but it's still fun. Level three fun is when it's very dangerous, and you're really scared the whole time [laughs], and, like, you maybe, like, could have died. But looking back on it, it's fun. So, how would you rate your Mount Rainier trip? EVAN: It's funny because we actually...we didn't come up with the levels, but we spoke about how when you're hiking, often, in your head, you're just trying to figure out how much longer you have to hike as if the whole point was not to be hiking. And then you finish hiking for the day, and you're like, "Oh, that was so great. I'm so looking forward to waking up tomorrow and hiking some more." VICTORIA: Yeah [chuckles], exactly. EVAN: That fits the level two fun pretty explicitly. VICTORIA: That's great. Yeah, it's a very, you know, I've found it to be pretty useful. And, you know, as I get older, I tend to try to avoid level three fun more often [laughs]. Like, I don't really need to be frightened [laughs]. I have enough stress in my life. I don't need to also endanger myself too aggressively. But, you know, everyone has their own risk level as well, right? Like, someone else might think the type of climbing and hiking that I'm doing is level three fun, but, for me, it's more...and, like, there's other things like skateboarding and riding a bike where, for me, is level three. I'm scared and [laughs] -- EVAN: Right. And I think you also frame level three as, like, sort of physical safety. But, you know, people have different risk tolerances and classifications across the board. So, like, for me, I try to stay away from things that I would consider physically dangerous. But I'm very comfortable, like, taking financial or social risk, where I know other people have an inverted kind of spectrum where, like, social risk is, like [laughs], you know, is a terror to them when physical risk doesn't seem that scary to them, you know, so... VICTORIA: That's so interesting. And especially for me, I do a lot of networking. And I'm, of course, been really active in San Diego Startup Week this week. We're recording this in October. So, for some people, going to an event where there's going to be hundreds of people, you maybe have met some of them before, but you really don't have a buddy that you are coming to this event with. You're on your own. You're going to have to walk up to people, start conversations, figure out who is who, and, like, find your people. That's terrifying for a lot of people. And they're like, "Absolutely not." [laughs] EVAN: Well, it's interesting how, like, level one and level three can be inverted. I went to a conference last fall by myself, and I actually had some voice issues. So, I couldn't talk for a little bit before this, so it was like...or even that well, during, you know, it was kind of an environment that I think a lot of people might be feeling like, oh, that's level three social experience. And I just remember how much fun I had there. Like, for me, it was totally a level one thing. But, you know, there's definitely moments on this hike where I was like, oh, this is level three. This feels physically scary, even though most of the time it wasn't. VICTORIA: Yeah, no, I think it's helpful. So, maybe that helps us segue a little bit into telling me more about what you do and how you came to do what you do. What's your background? EVAN: What do I do? I'll give you, like, a list of the things that I do. I will say I help people focus and maybe communicate better. You know, the list is, like, I am an OKR coach, right? That's objectives and key results, coaching business leaders on how to set goals and get everybody aligned towards the same goals. I do personal goals coaching, and that's, like, helping individual people set goals that are meaningful to them and live more intentionally. I'm a Techstars mentor, where I mentor companies. And I also do, like, a fractional head of product role. And it's a little all over the place. I mean, it's something that, obviously, a lot of that is, like, business coaching but really focused around focus and how you can use goal setting to accelerate growth for a business or an organization or for yourself personally. VICTORIA: How did it get started? What led you to be the coach that you are today? EVAN: Yeah, you know, I get asked this question. And I feel like there's a story about how I kind of tested goal setting. I was a founder. I went to Techstars in, like, 2013. And I was running the company. So, I had to, like, mess around with goal setting and then ended up being at Codecademy and Vimeo. They were doing OKRs. And there were certain things I liked and certain things I didn't. And there was, like, this progression. But I think the truth is that I just really like systems and organizing things, and I think I've always been like that. And OKRs are a way of taking something that's really messy, which is, like, a group of people running together in some direction and saying, "Oh, well, what if we come up with, like, some agreed plan here, and some rules, and some guidance? And we can split this out between what, like, the company and the organization is doing versus what individual people are doing or what the department's doing." I think I just find that process comforting. It's just, like, gleeful for me to be working with people on how they're going to focus and organize themselves, and then also how they're going to communicate that focus to each other, which I think is, like, a key part of people staying on the same page. VICTORIA: I love that. And I really want to dig into some examples of OKRs and maybe even get some free OKR coaching for myself on this episode. But, you know, but with your background, I wanted to start with looking at the founder experience versus being someone in a larger organization. How do you bring in that context of where you are in your journey into how you think about setting goals for an individual? EVAN: I think it's a hard question for me because my viewpoint on how goal setting and strategy and achievement in organizations has changed over this whole time, right? So, I was a founder, then at these larger organizations. I think I've tried to synthesize some, like, through line rather than difference between them. So, let me start there. I think when you look at a founder, or a founding team, or a larger organization, the key thing to figure out is where you're going and coming up with really clear goals. And then, depending on the size of the organization, there's different tactics you can use, right? So, if you're a founder, it might be just sitting down with your co-founders once a week, having a clear Northstar metric, and having a clear goal, and then everybody's running, and that works. Zoom to a 100-person company, which is, like, I probably focus on, like, 20 to 100-person companies. And now you have a lot of confusion between departments because you have people who are working on very different parts of the business. So, I think OKRs, at that point, are really great because it is this, like...and we will talk more about OKRs. But it's this cascading goal-setting technique where you have company goals that everybody understands and agrees to, and then each department is carving out how they're going to support that, which is, like, less necessary for a small company. But I still think the key thing is to know what you want, what your biggest problem is in getting there, and what your approach is going to be in overcoming that problem, which is, you know, is, like, I guess, strategy 101. VICTORIA: I like that. And it's funny; it makes me think of a tarot card layout. That's a situation I'll come and approach. Anyways, I wanted to get, like, down to the basics. I think we said OKRs earlier, but what is an OKR, if you can define that? EVAN: Yeah, so objectives and key results. An objective is any goal you have, so that can be launch a feature, revamp your sales process, or achieve some sort of milestone or some capability, right? So, often, that's, like, build a new department, or come up not just with a specific feature but a new offering, like launch a whole product line. Anything that's important to you can be a goal. It should be clear and inspiring. And that's the objective piece. Key results answer the question: how will you know if you're successful in reaching that goal? That might be if you're building a new department, a certain number of hires. If you're launching a feature or want to have a new offering, that might be some KPI for the product team, like, you know, onboarding rates or retention rates. VICTORIA: Yeah, and let's maybe even go into a real example: myself, I'm a managing director here at thoughtbot. People who aren't familiar with thoughtbot...I'm sure everyone listening has [laughs] familiarity with what we do as a product and business consultancy. And our team at Mission Control, the goal was to innovate on our approach to how we were deploying and managing software. So, over 20 years, the trends and modernization of infrastructure was something we wanted to be a part of, and we wanted to enable and accelerate not just our own development teams but our clients' teams in deploying software securely and efficiently and meeting everything that we need to do. Like, it's an incredibly complex environment. And there's lots of choices to make. So, that's, like, the big vision of what we're trying to do at thoughtbot. It's a new service. It's touching not only our internal processes but also, like, the growth of our business overall. So, what I've done as a managing director I talk with my team. I work with the CTO of thoughtbot, Joe Ferris. He's my acting director [chuckles] on identifying what is our overall approach? What's our strategy? So, one of the things we do at thoughtbot, one of our strategies, is to put content out there. So, we want to build stuff that works for us, and we want to share and talk about it. And we believe that by putting good stuff out there, good stuff will come back to us [laughs]. So, really just increasing the amount of blog posts, increasing the amount of open-source contributions and [inaudible 13:03] people we talk to and hear about what their problems are. We think that that will be an indicator for us of whether or not we're being successful in growing this business. So, that's just, like, one small strategy, but I've got five other ones if you want to talk about them. EVAN: Yeah, I mean, you highlighted a large goal that you have, and then some of the, like, sub-objectives in reaching that goal. And you could imagine key results being metrics along number of blog posts, audience size, number of readers, engagement. I mean, all those have different values, depending on what your goals are. VICTORIA: Exactly right. Like, there's the overall leading indicators we have of, like, whether or not we're successful as a business [laughs], which is, like, revenue, and, like, margins of profit, which really aren't going to change. And as a company, we don't change our policies or things that often to where those costs are ultimately going to change. It's all about, like, are we bringing in new business? Are we retaining the clients we have? And are we able to sustain, you know, work that centers around this problem area? So, that kind of, like, makes our goal tracking, like, the numbers month to month somewhat easy. Although those individual strategies and how they all line up to meet, that is something I think I'm curious to hear about how you facilitate those discussions with teams. How would you, like, begin an engagement with a team where you have a company like thoughtbot [laughs]? How are you going to coach us to get better at our goals? EVAN: Well, one thing I do is I pull apart KPIs, Key Performance Indicators, from OKRs, which you actually implied. KPIs are metrics you use to judge the health of your business, when OKRs are the goals that are going to transform your business. They fit well together. But, you know, for a founding team, they're still trying to figure out, well, how do we actually measure if this is going well? What does that mean? And I have a whole technique for that. But for a larger company, something like thoughtbot, you probably have pretty clear KPIs for the business and for each department. And you can look each month to make sure that those are in a healthy band or each week. And then, when you go to set goals, one of the things you can say is, "Hey, what's not working well? Why are the KPIs not where they should be?" And there's other ways of coming up with good goals, but I do think that's one of the starting points for goal setting. Another one, and I'm curious if you all have this here, is, like, a sense of what's holding back your growth. So, if you have a clear goal of growing your business year over year; usually, people in different departments have a sense of what challenges they're facing in executing towards those growth goals. And, fundamentally, there's usually some sort of competitive or market conditions or customer conditions that are concerning to you as a business in terms of where you're currently at. So, do you all have that type of, I guess, angle on thoughtbot's growth at all? VICTORIA: You know, for me, it's my first year as managing director. And experiencing how thoughtbot does planning, I appreciated our approach this year was to ask each managing director more like a retro style, like, "What should we do more of? What do we like doing? What didn't really work, and what should we do less of? And what other things do we want to start doing?" So, it's kind of similar to start, stop, continue but, you know, just really reflecting on, like, what's working? What should we do more of? What doesn't work, and we should just stop [laughs], or change, or figure out how to improve? And then, what should we start doing? And what kind of new behaviors do we need to practice and learn to build a better system? Which I think when you talk about what's holding people back, I think it's difficult to understand in a complex organization of 100 people how all these departments work together and how they contribute and support teams. So, I'm curious, from your experience, and you like to come in and organize and get focused, so if you have that level of complexity in an organization, how do you start to get people organized and understanding how they all work together and what's working and what's not? EVAN: Yeah, that's a good question. I might punt that to the second half of my answer here and answer an earlier question [inaudible 17:08] how we get started. Because I think that actually comes up as, like, the second piece. I think the first piece is, like, when I start with an organization, I usually sit down with the CEO. Maybe there's a founding team. Maybe it's a leadership team. And I try to understand their vision for where the company's going and, one, how clear and actionable it is. So, does it feel like, oh, I get exactly how they're going from point A to point B to point C, or is it a little bit murkier? And trying to nail that down. And sometimes I do, like, a strategy workshop around that. But the next piece is understanding if they have a clear plan for the next quarter, next year. When I come into companies, I'm doing OKRs quarterly. So, even if they don't have a clear strategy, we still need to set goals for the next quarter. I then have them just kind of draft goals with not that much guidance here. I might do some sort of training so everybody, like, understands what OKRs are. And then, you know, I do...and this is a common thing, I think, like, my background is in product, is trying to understand the root cause of things. So, usually, there's some goal that I can ask. And, usually, there's a goal that's, like, something that seems very strategic, like a new offering, or changing how the business is organized, or it's very growth revenue-oriented. Those are, like, the two types of goals that people usually come up with. So, there's a lot of just, like, asking why this is valuable, and kind of going up the ladder, down the ladder asking why it's valuable, and understanding what their root motivation is for doing this. And then going the other direction and saying, "Oh, if we did this, then what would happen?" And trying to just understand how they're thinking of this goal and how it fits in a longer chain of events. And, usually, through that process, we shift the focus point. So, it's rare that somebody comes up with, like, exactly the right goal. I think when they start understanding what would the effect be of that goal, sometimes one of those things is the actual goal. Or if there's a root cause, it doesn't always mean that we go to the root cause, right? If somebody wants to, like, fix their onboarding, and that's really, like, their whole focus point, you know, when you say, "Why?" and they talk about helping a certain customer get more focused. And then you may say, "Well, why?" And they say, "Oh, well, you know, we have this revenue model that involves helping them, and we make money." And "Why?" "So we can grow our business at a certain clip." And that's the arc that we build. That doesn't mean we go to, oh, well, you're trying to make more money faster. That might not be really what the focus should be for the quarter. So, we have to always start just trying to, like, dial in with what the right angle is. That's both...I think you want to choose the thing that's the most fundamental to the business that still feels attainable and focusable, if that's a word, in the short term, right? That's like, oh, this is a good target for a quarter or a year, if you're doing it on an annual basis. So, that's, like, how I usually get started with folks, which, you know, depending on how much thought there is around strategy, like, it goes in different ways. Sometimes, the company has a very, like, clear strategy, and then everything I said works pretty smoothly. And you get to a goal very quickly that you kind of orient the company around. If the strategy is either not explicit or maybe the CEO has a different vision for it than, you know, CTO or the head of sales, then there's more negotiating between folks and getting on the same page. And I think that's a whole, like, can of worms that we can dive into, but that's, like, a different type of exploration. VICTORIA: Yes, I love all that. I have so many follow-up things I want to ask. Just to play it back a little bit, too, I really resonated with some of what you're saying around it's kind of better to draft it; just write it. Like, the act of planning is more valuable than the plan itself. Like, get as close as you can as fast as you can [laughs]. That makes sense. Like, something that feels, like, good enough and, like, kind of go with it and, like, see how it goes. You know, like, I think that's a mindset that can be difficult to implement in an organization, especially if there's been, like, past trauma with, like, not meeting your goals. And how does that flow down to the organization? EVAN: That's a hard thing. VICTORIA: And it makes me think of, like, what you started with, like, talking about getting to the root of what's happening. Like, what are the motivations of individual people? Like, what's happened in the past? Like, trying to take an approach that's...I prefer blame-aware to blameless. You can't get away from the tendency to blame people. So, you just have to accept that that happens and kind of move on and, like, quickly go past it [laughs] and just, like, really get to, like, what are the facts? What does the data say about this organization? So, anyways, I think that that was where I went to. I think -- EVAN: One thing I did...I started with a new company; I guess, two or three quarters ago around the OKR coaching. And, you know, I think there was this expectation. We've been doing OKRs. There's issues we need you to come in and solve and fix everything. And the tone I tried to set was, hey, I'm not here to set great goals for you. You're going to set the best goals you can. And I'm here to help support that process and teach you a lot about goal setting. And we're going to do this every quarter. And after two or three quarters, things are going to start becoming a lot easier. People are going to communicate better. Everybody's going to be on the same page. And it's going to feel like, oh, we're getting really good at goal setting. And then, like, I try to set that tone when I start working with the CEO of, like, the point here is to make your whole leadership team good at goal setting so that you have this skill as an organization, rather than set just the right goals with the right language in the right way right now, right? We want to timebox everything. So, we're moving forward using this tool to make progress throughout the quarter, and then each quarter, revisiting it and getting better. MID-ROLL AD: Are you an entrepreneur or start-up founder looking to gain confidence in the way forward for your idea? At thoughtbot, we know you're tight on time and investment, which is why we've created targeted 1-hour remote workshops to help you develop a concrete plan for your product's next steps. Over four interactive sessions, we work with you on research, product design sprint, critical path, and presentation prep so that you and your team are better equipped with the skills and knowledge for success. Find out how we can help you move the needle at tbot.io/entrepreneurs. VICTORIA: And I'm curious if there's anything else when you're evaluating whether or not someone might be a good fit for the work that you want to do with them. Are there, like, some red flag, green flag energy that you check for with executives when you're deciding whether or not to work with them? EVAN: Yeah, there are two flags that come up; one is, are they clear with what they're saying? I think a lot of leaders want to sound good. So, that doesn't mean that they need to be clear right off the bat. But in a conversation where someone says, "This is our vision," and you say, "Hey, I don't understand X, Y, and Z," or "This part didn't make sense to me. Can we dive into it?" And yeah, if someone through a conversation can be really clear about what's important to the company and where they're going, I think that's, like, key. Because if someone's talking around issues all the time and when you kind of bring up things they don't really address it, it's very hard to make any progress. It's like, you know, the lack of specificity ends up being a defense towards maybe dealing with some of the difficult conversations. But, like, at the end of the day, like, one of the major things that happens with goal setting that makes it, I think, feel exciting to people when it does—it always feels exciting to me [laughs]—when it feels exciting to other people is that they say, for the first time, "Oh, this is actually the thing holding us back. This is the problem. Yeah, we want to grow our business." But when you say, "Well, what are all the things you do to grow your business?" All of a sudden, you start talking through things, and someone says, "Hey, this is the real problem. This is why we're struggling to grow our business." And, you know, that transforms the conversation. People who are avoiding being specific, that can be really hard. That's one thing. And the other thing is around responding to feedback. And, you know, you can just...and this is a common interview question, right? You can ask somebody, "What do you think the weaknesses of your organization are?" And if somebody doesn't know, but they're, like, open to it, that's, I think, totally fine. But if it seems like they're constantly kind of, like, filibustering the answer there, it's like, hey, the main thing you're bringing me on to do is to make sure that you communicate the weaknesses of your organization to everybody else because that's what goals are about. They're about overcoming the weaknesses of your organization. So, those are two areas. And they also speak to, like, I think, rapport with the people that I'll be working with. VICTORIA: I agree. And I like that, you know, you're asking really for people, are you going to be honest about what's happening in your organization? Are you honest with yourself about where you're not doing well? And I think I also pay attention to the language people use to describe those problems. And are they really speaking with a growth mindset or a fixed mindset? Because that's a really hard thing to change [laughs]. Naturally, I think people who are good leaders and run successful companies have a growth mindset. So, I think that's usually there. But that would be some yellow-flag stuff for me. EVAN: You know, when people are looking to hire an OKR coach, they usually already are looking for improvement. And it's not like they're hiring a product manager, right? You have to be saying to yourself, hey, I believe that if we did better around goals, our company would grow better. We'd have better focus. We'd have better alignment. Like, there's already a belief that people have that is usually pretty self-aware of the limits of both the people there and the organization where it's at today, and they're looking for help. So, I think I come across what you brought up more in individual people on a leadership team that, like, feel more coachable or less coachable depending on how interested they are around expanding how they think about things and growing. And, you know, obviously, [inaudible 27:01] lots of opinions that are wrong, and I love the disagreement that comes up there. But you want to, you know, you want to be speaking to people that are generally open to learning through a conversational process. VICTORIA: Right. Yeah, I think it's like a confirming thing. Like, if they're reaching out to a goals coach, they probably do have a growth mindset. And if the top leadership does, then that means that there's an opportunity for other people to come along as well. So, I like opening it up that way and getting people to get specific about their goals as well. I think that's a real challenge. Like, it's either too vague or too specific, not inspiring enough. Some people still bring up SMART goals with me. I like to prefer HARD goals, but you probably need those. And I'm curious if you're familiar with those acronyms. I can spell them out. And I'm sure you've heard of both of these [laughs]. A lot of people are familiar with the SMART goals and the specific, measurable, actionable. I forget what the Rs and Ts are. But then HARD goals are heartfelt and more around, like, the big vision. And it's something that you want to get people excited about, which is something that you said earlier. Like, how do you get people excited? And some people would think of a corporate goal-setting event as a level three fun [laughter]. So, how do you make it more like a two or a one? EVAN: I don't know, a lot of what I hope I offer to folks...and I've gotten good feedback here is that I enjoy goal setting a lot. So, talking through all these problems, talking through challenges, doing workshops, having these conversations. Like, whenever I'm doing that, it's my favorite thing to be doing. So, I think, hopefully, some of my joy just rubs off on the people around me. Because I do think talking to somebody who's excited about what you're talking about is helpful. The other thing is, usually, at a decently small company, under 100 people, I'm working with the CEO and the leadership team; you know, people are there because they care about the company. They care about the mission of the company. They care about the people in the company, and they care about the growth of the company. So, I get why goal setting has, I think, can have a bad rap. But if you're fundamentally solving problems that people care about, there should be some, like, glee that comes in when people say, like, "Oh, yeah, I thought this was going to be about, like, how do we grow more? And that felt very generic to me." And it turns out when we actually think about how we grow more, and we talk through what's holding back our growth and what we can do to overcome that, and we have the top few ideas that we've all come up with, usually, those feel really relieving to people. And there's a company I'm working with now that I think is struggling to shift their target market a bit because...and there's awareness that the target market needs to shift, but there isn't so much knowledge around the new target market. There's a lot more knowledge around the old target market. And so, we're doing a bunch of research and talking to folks. And I know once we're able to say, "For this target market, we need to do X," there is going to be, like, a huge amount of excitement and relief at the organization because people will feel like, oh, we've crossed that bridge, that bridge that we were kind of in the middle of crossing and didn't really know where the other side was. We now can see that other side, and we're going there. So yeah, I think there can be a lot of excitement around this stuff when it's real, and it's important work that you're doing. VICTORIA: Right. Like, maybe there's a good factor of, like, how do you measure if what you've done with a company is successful? Is there a glee scale that you [laughs] use to evaluate? EVAN: You know, for me, it's still probably more subjective than I want it to be. You know, I'd love it to be like, what percentage of people's OKRs did I [laughs] hit each quarter? And when I work with them, it gets better. But I think that's, like, a pretty short-sighted view in terms of my role. So, you know, I'm looking for people who were maybe disengaged to be more engaged, people who didn't see the value of OKRs to see and be able to articulate how their daily work is different because of the OKRs we set. Yeah, and obviously, there's excitement when we're solving real problems. And we're changing the problems each quarter, and people are seeing growth increase. You know, like, all that stuff, I guess there's, like, a tangible excitement with. But I hope folks can, like, just connect the dots between the work, which can be tedious work around goal setting and negotiating with people. And often, it pulls you out of other day-to-day work that you're doing, especially for a small company, with the excitement towards the end of the quarter of reaching these goals and moving on to the next challenge. VICTORIA: I think that's great. I think that was a perfect answer. It's kind of not always easy to know what [laughs]...like, sometimes there's a sense of it, like, you have a feeling, and sometimes you can get data to back that up. And other times, you know you're doing the right thing by the people's faces around you at the end of the workshop [laughs]. So, I think that's great. And so, maybe my final question would be is, like, what would be the ideal organization that you would want to work with? Like, who's your ideal customer right now? EVAN: Yeah, I guess I have two ideal customers based on these, like, two things that I'm doing. In terms of the OKR coaching, I usually look for CEO or founding team of a company that's now, like, 20-plus people who's saying, "Oh, we have these departments," or "We have this leadership team. And we need to really get all on the same page at the beginning of the quarter because then everybody's going to consistently be talking to each other but has other people that they need to organize." That's definitely for the OKR coaching where, like, 20 to 30 people is where that starts. That probably goes up to 100 in terms of where I focus. For the other work I do as a Techstars mentor and the coaching I do through that, that's really for founding teams. And that's more focused on how do you take your vision and make that a clear goal statement, which is around, like, behavior change, usually, in a certain population you're targeting? How do you turn that into a go-to-market plan? How do you turn that into a product roadmap? So, for that, that's just much smaller teams. I actually think that work often needs to be done at larger organizations, too. That's, like, a common thing that comes up. And that can bleed into strategy at large organizations. But yeah, I know that's probably a pretty broad bucket, but groups of people that believe that focus is a key lever towards faster growth. VICTORIA: Thank you for that. And I guess I said that was my final question, but I'll add two more questions. Can you share an anecdote from being a mentor at Techstars that you think will be interesting for our audience? EVAN: I think I was struck the first time I did the mentoring. They do, like, a Mentor Madness. So, it's like, you know, six companies in a row, and every company they all have different challenges. But a lot of them, it's, like, helping them articulate what they're doing a little bit more clearly. And often, there's a question around sales and growth and maybe fundraising. So, there's just, like, a focus in that direction. And I found that every company, even though they had kind of different questions, I was giving the same answer to, which was, I don't think your goal is clear to you or to me. And so, there's this framework that I would use with each company that there was, like, this aha moment. And I picked this up from a person named Matt Wallaert. It was a book, "Start at the End." It's called a behavioral statement. And it's when population wants to motivation, and they have limitations, they do behavior as measured by data. And the kind of conceptual version is, oh, you're trying to get some group of people to change their behavior. And that's only going to happen if you can tap into a motivation that happens to them as frequently as the behavior you want to change. So, it's like a formalization of that. And each group, I'd like bring up the statement; we work on filling it quickly. And there was just, like, a clarity that would develop around what they were doing and how to orient themselves both on the growth and marketing side and on the product development side. I guess it just struck me how much that little framing was transformative to [laughs] accelerating both focus and alignment but, more importantly, like, getting somewhere that they wanted to get to. VICTORIA: It sounds almost like building a mental model of what you're trying to do [laughs], right? Like, it was a mental model that you referenced in your mind that helps you make decisions every single day. So, I really appreciate that. And we are about out of time. So, let me ask you, is there anything else that you would like to promote today? EVAN: Sure. Looking for a couple more OKR coaching clients for the new year, and just happy to chat with anybody who has questions around OKRs or goal setting for their organization. I also do personal goals coaching, which is a little different from the OKR coaching that I help individual people with their goals. But it's also similar. It's a lot of like...it's a lot more, like, reflection, and getting to know oneself, and coming up with goals that are really meaningful. And then the other half of, like, I think you alluded to this earlier around systems. Like, how do you take a goal that's important to you and actually act every day in ways that move you towards that goal? So yeah, interested in talking to people about both of those. I do some workshops as well, so people can reach out to me at evan@evanhammer.com. I can also put anybody on my mailing list. I do some workshops around both those things. VICTORIA: Wonderful. Thank you so much, Evan, for joining us today. You can subscribe to the show and find notes along with a complete transcript for this episode at giantrobots.fm. If you have questions or comments, email us at hosts@giantrobots.fm. And you can find me on Twitter @victori_ousg. This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot and produced and edited by Mandy Moore. Thank you for listening. See you next time. AD: Did you know thoughtbot has a referral program? If you introduce us to someone looking for a design or development partner, we will compensate you if they decide to work with us. More info on our website at tbot.io/referral. Or you can email us at referrals@thoughtbot.com with any questions. Special Guest: Evan Hammer.

Brit Cruise creates educational videos, learning experiments, and other amazing things that "connect young people with their futures as young as possible." He's worked with Khan Academy, Codecademy,  Pixar, Disney, Unity, and more to conjure up magical educational experiences for kids.Shownotes:Brit Cruise's websiteStoryxperientialX in a BoxArt of the ProblemPixar in a BoxKhan Academy James Burke "Connections"

Join us for an insightful episode of Ruby for All, where Andrew and Julie have a discussion with special guest, Jerimie Lee, a Senior Product Designer at Codecademy. Jerimie shares his journey into the world of EdTech, and his experiences in the health tech industry. The conversation touches upon the evolution of design roles, the importance of understanding product mechanics, and the differing experiences of product and UI/UX designers. Jerimie also delves into the significance of accessibility in modern design, the iterations within the product design process, and the necessity of effective communication between designers and engineers. Listen in to learn more about Jerimie's tips for successful designer-developer collaborations and his take on evolving product design trends. [00:00:51] Jerimie introduces himself, describes his role and mentions his previous experience in health tech and marketing, and his previous role at Dispatch Health. [00:01:49] Andrew asks about the difference between a product designer and UI/UX designers. He explains that product designers focus on both user experience and the product development environment, and Andrew and Jerimie discuss the role evolution. [00:04:53] Julie asks what it takes to become a UX/UI designer/ product designer. Jerimie explains that there are many ways, and he shares how he came into design. [00:06:40] Andrew shares his background in graphic design and how it influences his work as a developer. They discuss the advantages of developers having design knowledge. [00:08:41] Julie appreciates Andrew's design input and discusses her challenges as a non-designer. Jerimie shares his opinion on learning design principles. [00:09:53] Jerimie suggests that understanding basic design principles can go a long way. He mentions the Nielson Norman Group's, “10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design,” as a helpful resource. Andrew and Jerimie discuss the 80/20 principle and the subjectivity of design. [00:11:50] Jerimie discusses the importance of designing for web and digital interfaces and how they more rules compared to print.  He mentions accessibility guidelines and how they influence design decisions, and he emphasize the value of building efficient systems and making things work from a usability perspective. [00:12:42] Jerimie and Andrew discuss the growing importance of accessibility in design and Jerimie mentions that Codecademy is working on accessibility tickets.  Andrew shares his experience with discussing HTML specs with designers and engineers.  [00:13:43] Jerimie emphasizes the importance of designers understanding semantic HTML and technical constraints. Andrew and Julie share their perspectives on designers and developers collaborating effectively. [00:16:35] We hear about some challenges of communication when engineers may not be fully aware of the design and product process. Jerimie shares an example of engineers providing negative feedback during the exploratory phase. Julie talks about the impact of such feedback on team dynamics. [00:18:29] Jerimie emphasizes the importance of open-ended and constructive feedback from engineers and discusses the need for soft skills in communication. [00:19:54] Jerimie mentions the value of understanding technical limitations and finding solutions that circumvent them. Andrew and Julie share their approaches to conveying technical limitations when collaborating with designers. [00:22:27] Julie acknowledges her lack of front-end technical knowledge and how she and Jerimie often compromise when discussing detail, and Andrew ends to explain technical details to designers to show respect and maintain clear communication. [00:23:15] Jerimie discusses how engineers should approach designers when struggling with their designs. He encourages engineers to seek help and not give up too easily. [00:24:15] Some great advice from Jerimie for designers on how to communicate with developers includes building technical competence and being open to iteration and simplification in the design process. [00:25:38] Julie and Andrew share their perspectives on the process of iterating, and Andrew shares his perspective on the importance of having a designer on the team. He highlights the role of designers in standardizing and improving UI and how collaboration with designers can enhance the developer's work. [00:28:20] Julie talks about how the absence of a designer negatively impacted their team's direction and development, but having a designer significantly improved their work. Jerimie expresses his appreciation for the collaboration with engineers at Codecademy, and Andrew discusses the importance of mutual respect and collaboration between designers and developers. [00:32:16] Why did Andrew chose to work with Rails over interaction design? He mentions that he has a quantitative brain, and that Rails offers better financial opportunities. [00:32:47] Jerimie encourages engineers to give feedback on design and emphasizes the value of shared ownership between designers and developers. Panelists:Andrew MasonJulie J.Guest:Jerimie LeeSponsors:HoneybadgerGoRailsLinks:Andrew Mason X/TwitterAndrew Mason WebsiteJulie J. X/TwitterJulie J. WebsiteJerimie Lee WebsiteJerimie Lee LinkedInCodecademy10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design-Nielsen Norman Group

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Lemon.io. Get access to Lemon Hire, a platform with more than 80,000 pre-vetted engineers that you can interview within 48 hours. Get $2000 off your first hire at http://lemon.io/hire today! Codecademy. Build the future you want to see with Codecademy. Codecademy Pro helps you learn everything you'll need to shape what comes next in the tech space. Try it free for 14 days. Visit Codecademy.com/TWiST NetSuite. Once your business gets to a certain size the cracks start to emerge.  Things you used to do in a day take a week. You deserve a customized solution - and that's NetSuite. Learn more when you download NetSuite's popular KPI Checklist - absolutely free, at NetSuite.com/twist * Today's show: Sunny Madra joins Jason to demo an AI-powered legal docs tool (6:46), detection tool (15:38), Google's workspace AI (35:15), and much more! * Time stamps: (0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason (6:46) Sunny demos Legal Now - AI-powered legal docs tool (10:01) Lemon.io - Get $2000 off your first hire at http://lemon.io/hire (11:10) Sunny demos Rows - Web-based Excel (15:38) Sunny demos Originality AI - AI detection tool (22:36) Codecademy - Try Codecademy Pro FREE for 14 days at http://codecademy.com/TWiST (24:02) Apple testing M3 MacBook Pros with 16 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores (31:32) Sunny demos Summarize.tech - Summarizes YouTube videos (33:57) NetSuite - Download your free KPI Checklist at http://netsuite.com/twist (35:15) Sunny demos Google Docs AI write (43:49) Sunny demos Google Sheets AI * Check out Legal Now: https://ai.legalnow.xyz/ Check out Rows: Rows.com Check out Originality AI: https://app.originality.ai/content-scan/6910415 Check out Summarize.tech: https://www.summarize.tech/www.youtube.com/watch?v=co_MeKSnyAo * Follow Sunny: https://twitter.com/sundeep Check out Definitive Intelligence: https://www.definitive.io/ Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Masterworks. The first company allowing investors exposure into the blue-chip artwork asset class. TWIST listeners can skip the waitlist by going to ⁠https://masterworks.com/twist⁠ and using promo code TWIST. Codecademy. Build the future you want to see with Codecademy. Codecademy Pro helps you learn everything you'll need to shape what comes next in the tech space. Try it free for 14 days. Visit Codecademy.com/TWiST LinkedIn Jobs. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Go to LinkedIn.com/TWIST to post your first job for free. Terms and conditions apply. * Today's show: Lon Harris joins Jason to discuss Apple's major push into Hollywood blockbusters (1:38), their anti-Netlix, “auteur” approach (4:27), updates on the WGA+SAG-AFTRA strikes (29:11), film recommendations (46:10), and much more! * Time stamps: (0:00) Lon Harris joins Jason (1:38) Apple's major push into Hollywood blockbusters (4:27) Apple's anti-Netflix, “auteur” approach (6:11) Why is this timely? Approaches to film marketing and releases (13:56) Masterworks - Skip the waitlist to invest in fine art at https://www.masterworks.com/twist (15:21) Breaking down the budget for Apple's Killers of the Flower Moon (18:13) Why is Netflix taking the opposite approach (20:12) Sequels and audience burnout (21:25) Movie budgets: Napoleon, Barbie, Oppenheimer (27:45) Codecademy - Try Codecademy Pro FREE for 14 days at http://codecademy.com/TWiST (29:11) Update on the WGA strike and AI's place in film (38:01) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist (39:31) Update on SAG-AFTRA negotiations (43:53) Understanding the "auteur" approach and the significance behind original IP (46:10) Film and Show Recommendations: Fall of the House of Usher, The Mill, The Diplomat, Mr. Inbetween, Past Lives, The Burial, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial * Follow Lon: https://twitter.com/Lons * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/fourApply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Codecademy. Build the future you want to see with Codecademy. Codecademy Pro helps you learn everything you'll need to shape what comes next in the tech space. Try it free for 14 days. Visit Codecademy.com/TWiST .Tech Domains has a new program called startups.tech, where you can get your startup featured on This Week in Startups. Go to startups.tech/jason to find out how! Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you're ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. * Today's show: Rewind CEO Dan Siroker joins Jason to discuss the new Rewind Pendant AI device that can record conversations (1:08), debate privacy and ethical concerns around covert recording (9:32), and much more! * Time stamps: (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:08) Dan breaks down the Rewind Pendant (8:05) Codecademy - Try Codecademy Pro FREE for 14 days at http://codecademy.com/TWiST (9:32) Privacy and ethical concerns around covert recording (20:42) .Tech Domains - Apply to get your startup featured on This Week in Startups at https://startups.tech/jason (21:47) Comparisons to products like Google Glass and Humane (24:15) Design considerations and the best use cases for Rewind Pendant (30:09) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist (31:32) The need for thoughtful development of personal AI and the value of open feedback * Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/dsiroker * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/fourApply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Supergut is the only nutrition brand clinically-proven to improve digestion, balance blood sugar, sustain energy, and manage weight. Save 25% on their delicious shakes, bars, and prebiotic mix at https://Supergut.com with code TWIST. Catalog. Stop wasting time and money with expensive design firms and unreliable freelancers! Get fast, 3-day turnarounds for a flat monthly fee with Catalog! Get $1200 off right now at https://trycatalog.com/twist Codecademy. Build the future you want to see with Codecademy. Codecademy Pro helps you learn everything you'll need to shape what comes next in the tech space. Try it free for 14 days. Visit https://codecademy.com/TWiST * Today's show: Jason kicks off the show discussing the reported talks  between OpenAI, Jony Ive, and Masayoshi Son to build the "iPhone of AI” (1:17), and the antitrust lawsuit against Amazon (9:45). Then, Roam Around CEO Shie Gabbai joins Jason to discuss the journey of doing a travel startup in the AI space (20:53), and much more! * Time stamps: (00:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:17) OpenAI in advanced talks with Jony Ive and Masayoshi Son, aiming to Raise $1 Billion for the "iPhone of AI” (8:13) Supergut - Get 25% off with code TWIST at https://supergut.com (9:45) The FTC and 17 states have brought an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon and Lina Khan's agenda (13:48) Quick recap of Lina Khan's results so far as FTC chair and the tactics used in the Amazon lawsuit (19:24) Catalog - Get $1200 off right now at https://trycatalog.com/twist (20:53) Roam Around CEO Shie Gabbai joins Jason (23:51) Shie demos Roam Around and explains the driving idea behind the app (27:23) The emergence of multimodal LLMs and other technological advancements (31:46) Business model, additional product features, and the path ahead (37:01) Codecademy - Try Codecademy Pro FREE for 14 days at http://codecademy.com/TWiST (38:21) The B2B side of AI and the travel industry's tension with Google * Follow Shie: https://twitter.com/Shie_eth Check out Roam Around: https://www.roamaround.io * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… CLA. Innovation takes balance. CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors can help you get from startup to where you want to end up. Get started now at https://CLAconnect.com/tech Codecademy. Build the future you want to see with Codecademy. Codecademy Pro helps you learn everything you'll need to shape what comes next in the tech space. Try it free for 14 days. Visit https://Codecademy.com/TWiST LinkSquares. Life for in-house legal just got a whole lot easier. From contract creation to execution and more, LinkSquares is the go-to for all your legal needs. Learn more at https://linksquares.com/twist Today's show: Grammarly CEO Rahul Roy-Chowdhury joins Jason to discuss his journey to Grammarly CEO (15:28), Grammarly's product features (26:20), Grammarly's AI integration (32:28), and much more! * Time stamps: (00:00) Grammarly CEO Rahul Roy-Chowdhury joins Jason (4:19) Rahul's start in tech and his time on the Google Chrome team. (8:57) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech (10:24) The Chrome team and Chrome OS (15:28) Journey to Grammarly CEO (19:29) Exploring applications and platforms for Grammarly (25:05) LinkSquares - The go-to for all your legal needs, learn more at https://linksquares.com/twist (26:20) The product roadmap and what draws people into Grammarly (35:04) Grammarly's business and enterprise offerings (37:32) Codecademy - Try Codecademy Pro FREE for 14 days at http://codecademy.com/TWiST (38:53) Product Features: Knowledge Share and Grammarly Goals (32:28) The addition of Grammarly Go and the LLM powering it (47:12) Controversial product features (54:17) When to use the native desktop application and extensions (57:13) Future integration of AI and the path ahead * Follow Rahul: https://twitter.com/rahulrc * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Nnenna Ndukwe is a seasoned software developer who profoundly understands the essence of community and its value in shaping one's career journey. In a world often dictated by individual prowess, Nnenna's story is a testament to the power of shared wisdom and the transformative capacity of communal learning in the tech industry. With a passion for continuous growth and a heart to impact others, her story reverberates the truth that one's journey can indeed inspire the journeys of many others.Nnenna placed the start of her journey in a tanning salon, where she spent her breaks and quiet time on Codecademy and FreeCodeCamp. From there, she spoke about her one-way ticket to Boston, how she immersed herself in communities and followed her insatiable curiosity. She talked about her boot camp and how she found a job. She discussed working in the open and how it led to her dev advocacy role.In this episode, Nnenna discusses her journey from curiosity to proficiency in the world of coding and how being part of tech communities played a crucial role in her growth. Her emphasis on skipping lessons that others have already learned, and the value of listening to the stories of others, offers profound insights into learning and career growth. She also touches upon the joy she derives from mentoring and the sense of fulfillment she gets from seeing newcomers progress in their tech careers.If you want to learn more about the influential role of communities in career development and get inspiration from Nnenna's incredible journey, tune in to this episode!Three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:Nnenna's journey into tech is inspiring, and it serves as a reminder that patience, persistence, and curiosity are vital elements to succeeding in coding and programming.Nnenna shares practical insights on the power of community engagement, mentorship, and self-advocacy in tech, which can guide newcomers in navigating their tech careers.The conversation offers concrete advice for overcoming common hurdles such as self-doubt, which could resonate with many individuals at different stages of their tech journey.Support the show

Introducing thoughtbot's ongoing maintenance service. Need reliable support and maintenance for your software? Look no further. Our expert team handles upgrades, bug fixes, UI adjustments, and new feature development. And the best part? Our maintenance packages start at just 5k per month for companies of all sizes. From Ruby on Rails to Node, React, and, yes, even PHP, we've got you covered. Trust thoughtbot for top-notch support and optimized performance. To receive a custom quote, contact sales@thoughtbot.com. -- Brittany Martin is an Engineering Manager at Shogun, where she manages a team of Ruby and React engineers and is the Co-host of The Ruby on Rails Podcast. Victoria and Will talk to Brittany about the multitude of stuff she's interested in, including Roller Derby, and gives the story of how she found herself co-hosting the show. She says knowing what your brand is and what listeners should expect from listening to you is super important, and she gives her opinion on what it means to be in the Ruby on Rails Community. Shogun (https://getshogun.com) The Ruby on Rails Podcast (https://www.therubyonrailspodcast.com/) Follow Brittany Martin on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanyjmartin1/) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/BrittJMartin), or visit her website (https://brittanymartin.dev/). Follow thoughtbot on Twitter (https://twitter.com/thoughtbot) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/). Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Giant Robots! Transcript: VICTORIA: This is the Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots Podcast, where we explore the design, development, and business of great products. I'm your host, Victoria Guido. WILL: And I'm your other host, Will Larry. And with us today is Brittany Martin, an Engineering Manager at Shogun, where she manages a team of Ruby and React engineers. She is the Co-host of The Ruby on Rails Podcast, almost five years running. And she plays roller derby for Steel City Roller Derby under the pseudonym, catch this, Merge Conflict. She is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Brittany, thank you for joining us. BRITTANY: I am so thrilled to be on here. I have been listening to Giant Robots for years. So it's an absolute honor to be on the show today. VICTORIA: Yes, thank you so much for joining us. And I met you at RailsConf this year. And, at the time, you had a boot on your foot. So, I have to ask you, are you healed? Are you recovered? Are you walking around again? BRITTANY: This is such a good question. When I was between jobs in March, I was, you know, having these two weeks, I had a whole list of things that I was going to be doing. You know, I was going to train, like, running and whatnot. And I had roller derby practice that first week, and I broke my ankle. And, you know, going into it, I had no idea what a blocker it was going to be. I was like, oh, this is minor. It'll just take a couple of weeks to heal. No, it's been a long process. But I can gleefully tell the listeners that I am out of the boot. I am walking. I am hopefully getting into a sports program next week that will train me up to get back into CrossFit, running, and skating. Though the really funny part is that I currently have another injury which is golfer's elbow. [laughs] WILL: Oh, wow. BRITTANY: Yeah. So I have that from overusing my arms. So I'm a little bit of a mess, but, you know, getting myself back together physically so I can get back on my skates. WILL: So I know it's called golfer's elbow. But did you actually hurt it doing golf, or was it another sport you were playing? BRITTANY: It's so funny that you ask that, Will, because whenever people ask me how I broke my ankle, I can be glamorous and be like, "Oh, it was roller derby." WILL: [laughs] BRITTANY: Like, it's a sexy injury, you know. I have a friend who just broke their ankle because they were dancing down the stairs and broke it, not as glamorous of a story, right? WILL: [laughs] BRITTANY: Golfer's elbow. I literally have no idea how this happened. I've never golfed a day in my life. So [laughter] it's my non-glamorous injury at this point. WILL: Yeah, that's my background, sports medicine. BRITTANY: Oh, great. WILL: So it's interesting. Yeah, golfer's elbow, and I'm like, it's usually not golf that does it. So...[laughs] BRITTANY: Yeah. So I said something to my PT. I was like, "Am I the first person to ever get golfer's elbow from, like, you know, fixing another injury?" And she's like, "Yes. Yes, you are." [laughs] And I was like, oh. [laughter] I really was expecting to get some reassurance that it wasn't me. But hey, what are you going to do? WILL: There you go. BRITTANY: I love the fact that you do love my roller derby name. As you can imagine, it is a beacon for finding the other programmers out on the track because they find it very funny. Nobody else finds it funny whatsoever. And people call me Merge for short, and some people think it's Marge. And I just allow it at this point. [laughter] My number is 200, and its status code okay. When you hit me, I get up okay until, apparently, I break my ankle. So...[laughter] WILL: I love it. Because if you're a programmer, you're like, oh, she means business. BRITTANY: Exactly. WILL: Because merge conflicts...yeah, never fun. BRITTANY: Exactly. VICTORIA: I love that. I love finding other people who work in tech in other random activities. Like, I've recruited people from the climbing gym. [laughs] I'm like, oh, we're climbing together, and, oh, you're an engineer. That's interesting. [laughs] So it's great to, like, be with your community in different settings, so... And you're just so involved in the Ruby on Rails Community. And I'm curious what really got you started into podcasting. BRITTANY: Yeah, that's a really good question. So I'm a former product manager former MBA. So I didn't know how to code. I moved out to San Francisco because I thought that's what everyone did. If you wanted to be in tech, you moved out to San Francisco, and so I did that. And I realized very quickly that it was going to be hard for me to be a product manager without knowing how to code. And so I went to a bootcamp at night, and I became a Ruby on Rails developer. So I wish I had, like, just a really cool story for why I chose Rails. It's literally the framework that was being taught by the bootcamp. WILL: [laughs] BRITTANY: But I'm so glad that it was because I love this community so much. But, you know, when I moved out to San Francisco, I just had my current partner at the time and my dog. I didn't have any friends. And so it was really the perfect time to learn how to code just because I was really able to focus. And I ended up having a lot of long walks at night, like, getting to the train, getting to the bus, and that's really when I got into listening to podcasts. I'm not a huge music person, which is kind of weird. I really...I deeply love podcasts. And so I just kind of glommed on to a bunch of podcasts like Giant Robots, CodeNewbie, Bike Shed. I figured if I listened to all the things that I wanted to be, like, osmosis would just happen, and I would just start learning the things because I was actively learning about how to code. And I thought just listening to those concepts would really help. And really what ended up happening is those people that I was listening to, like, to me, they became celebrities to me. Like, I don't care about regular celebrities. [laughter] I care about people within these communities that I care so much about. And so, you know, a couple of years into that, I was still very much devoted to listening to podcasts. I trained for my first marathon listening to podcasts. And I was listening to The Ruby on Rails Podcast, and, at the time, Kyle Daigle had taken over the show. And he had decided, in order to spice things up on the show, he was going to bring co-hosts on that he was going to rotate through. So, every couple of weeks, you would come on as a co-host, and you would drive the conversation with things that were going on in your life. And, at the time, you know, there wasn't a lot of women, female representation in podcasts. I felt that I was doing interesting things. I was working at a non-profit doing ticketing for the Broadway Symphony and opera, like, in Rails. So I felt like I was always working in Rails, and I thought I could provide some useful insight. So I reached out to Kyle. I must have been very ambitious that day because I reached out and I said, "Hey, how about bringing me on as a co-host?" And he said, "Yeah, absolutely. Like, that would be great." And so I came on as one of the regular co-hosts on The Ruby on Rails Podcast, which I should have been flying high, right? Like, this is exactly what I wanted. I got to become like one of my own celebrities, right? Well, Kyle got really busy. At the time, I believe it's when Microsoft was acquiring GitHub. And Kyle still works at GitHub today. Kyle is amazing. He's their COO now. But the podcast kind of went dormant for a couple of months. It was my big opportunity. I really loved, you know, being on a podcast. I had done a couple of episodes. So I reached out to Kyle and said, "Hey, is there any chance you would give me the podcast?" And he said, "Absolutely." And he signed over everything to me, [laughter] which was really scary because I was taking over a podcast that had been around, at that time, it had been around for at least ten years, hundreds of episodes deep. It was on its own network. It was on the 5by5 Network at the time. So it had sponsors and expectations. And so, really, I had to learn everything from the get-go. Like, I made up my own episode plans. I made up my own questions, like, how to do ad reads, how to edit, how to upload to the hosting platform like; that was entirely on me. And, you know, we can talk more about how the podcast has evolved over those years. But yeah, long story now made short, that is how I got my start in podcasting. WILL: That's actually really amazing that that's how it got started and everything. Let's go back to when you first started. What was your feelings like? You say it was a lot to take on. Can you dig deeper in that and tell us more about that? Because I think I felt the same way. I think we've been doing this for about a year now. It's scary, let's be honest. It's scary jumping on a podcast and sharing who you are and what you're doing. So, can you tell us more about that? BRITTANY: Absolutely. I think one thing is just knowing what is your brand and, you know, what listeners should expect from listening to you because this is a podcast that had been around for ten years. You know, it had changed formats several times. It was an interview-style podcast at one point. At one point, it was a bunch of co-hosts that would just meet every week to talk out what was going on. And so I really needed to take a moment and kind of look over the metrics of the episodes. Like, I have that marketing background. I have that product background. So I wanted to know, like, what's actually working? Like, what do listeners want to listen to? And I also, like, kind of pored through all the reviews of the podcast. I'm like, did people even notice that this podcast went offline? Like, what's the current ecosystem? How many podcasts are out there in the Ruby and Rails space? And so what I started doing is I wanted to create, like, a safe environment in order to start the podcast over again. So what I did is I did interview-style podcasts with my friends, people that would tolerate me, you know, making mistakes, knowing that I was probably...I am a terrible editor. And so bringing those people on to have just genuine conversations with. And then really just tried to pick up the listenership of the podcast because I'm basically waving my arms saying, "Hey, folks. Like, The Ruby on Rails Podcast is back. I'm here as your host. And, like, we are here to stay. Like, I want this to be a mainstay in the community." VICTORIA: That's great. So you started to apply those concepts from your product background. And I'm curious what you found in how the business of the podcast really works. BRITTANY: Yeah, I learned a lot, and we can talk about the transition. So, when I came on to the 5by5 Ruby on Rails Podcast, at the time, this was back in 2018. The podcast was being managed by 5by5, which is, like, a long-standing podcast network. They're still around, but they're much smaller than they used to be. So, like, all of the sponsorship and the episode management was being handled by them. And so I didn't have a lot of insight into that part of the podcast. What I did have insight into is, like, what content is performing well? And what is the audience reaction to what we're putting out there? Like, how is the listenership coming back and whatnot? Now, one thing that did happen over the course of me managing The Ruby on Rails Podcast is we decided to take the podcast independent at one point, you know, 5by5 was starting to wind down. And so, back in 2021, I reached out to 5by5 and said, "Hey, I genuinely really love this podcast. I want to be able to take it to a different platform, you know, have it go independent. But it's really important to me that I'm able to hold on to the current subscribers that I have." I think we all know that, like, if you rebrand something and it's a totally different RSS feed, it's really hard to get people to move over, especially if they're using something that makes podcast listening really easy like Apple Podcasts, you know, you subscribe. You get new episodes, and you just hit play. And so they were extremely willing to work with me. And so, we ended up taking the podcast independent. 5by5 created the hosting platform Fireside. And so we moved the podcast over to Fireside, and that was, like, a very seamless transition. But it was a moment in time where, you know, I was kind of questioning. We're no longer 5by5. It was the 5by5 Ruby on Rails Podcast. What do we call it? And so I genuinely had that moment where I was like, I could be really clever with the name. But then I stepped back, and I was like, no, everyone already refers to it as The Ruby on Rails Podcast. I'm just going to go with it. And so I think that ended up being a good decision. We did change the logo of the show. We kept the same feed. And we had, like, the first episode on the new...we're not even on a network now; we're independent. The first episode of, like, the V2 of The Ruby on Rails Podcast is really what we called it. We just kind of explained the whole move. And I'm just deeply grateful all of our listeners just kind of followed along. And I will say the biggest boon to us moving is that we did get a professional editor. And so, like, the quality of the episodes went up, which is the best money that you can spend. Get yourself a professional editor. I cannot stress that enough. Or you get really good at it yourself. But I know my own skills, and it was never going to be that way. And so we took it independent. And I also decided to do a format change as well because it was a lot to do years of a podcast by myself. It was a lot. So I'm really glad Victoria and Will that you have each other. I think it's really great to have co-hosts. So I ended up moving the podcast. I now have a producing partner, and that's Mirror Placement. They do recruiting for Ruby on Rails, and they are wonderful partners. But I also have three co-hosts that rotate through. I have Brian Mariani, who's a recruiter and founder of Mirror Placement. I have Jemma Issroff, who works on Ruby at Shopify. And I have Nick Schwaderer, who works on Rails infrastructure at Shopify. And that's been great because I rotate through those co-hosts. And I always have fresh content from them. But I also do the interview-style episodes as well, which Victoria was on recently. VICTORIA: Yes. I agree 100%. Having a co-host like Will makes it so much more fun. And I cannot appreciate our editor Mandy Moore enough. And I agree on that advice. And I actually would add when people ask me if they should start a podcast, recommend having at least one other person [laughs] who you want to talk with about that topic for every week. But I wonder, if someone's thinking about starting a podcast, what would you have them consider as to whether or not it's worth it for them? BRITTANY: I recently joined the podcasting subreddit on Reddit just because I was interested to see what kind of questions there were out there. Because when I got into podcasting, I was, like, oh, you just need to have a microphone and a way to record, and you just put it out there, and people are going to listen. It feels very much...like, you remember when, you know, the iPhone came out, and the App Store was empty? And then any app that you made was, like, amazing. Everybody would download it because there was nothing to download. We're now getting to a point with podcasts; there's just a lot out there. My first bit of advice is, something that I said earlier, is make sure that you have an identity around your podcasts. Like, make sure that you are targeting a niche. It's fine if there are other people doing it, but do something that is uniquely you and do something that brings you joy. I really love talking to people in the Ruby on Rails Community. I have a special affinity for people who have never been on a podcast before. It's a lot of work. So it's definitely worth it. I've gotten to meet a lot of my programming heroes because of it. And there are times where I've been very tempted to take a break and be able to step away from it. But, as of right now, it has been a good experience. And what I often say whenever I open up my conference talks is the Ruby on Rails Community is my community contribution because I'm not someone who regularly contributes to open source. And so this is kind of, like, how I give back, and I get to meet a lot of amazing people. Mid-Roll Ad: VICTORIA: Introducing thoughtbot's ongoing maintenance service. Need reliable support and maintenance for your software? Look no further. Our expert team handles upgrades, bug fixes, UI adjustments, and new feature development. And the best part? Our maintenance packages start at just 5k per month for companies of all sizes. From Ruby on Rails to Node, React, and, yes, even PHP, we've got you covered. Trust thoughtbot for top-notch support and optimized performance. To receive a custom quote, contact sales@thoughtbot.com. VICTORIA: And with me here, I have Richard Newman, who's the Development Director on our Boost Team, to talk to me a little bit more about what maintenance actually looks like once you've built your software application, right? RICHARD: Hi, Victoria. VICTORIA: Hi, Richard. You have experience building applications. I wonder if you could describe to a founder who's considering to build an application, like, what should they consider for their long-term maintenance? RICHARD: Well, like you said earlier, part of what you're going for with that long-term maintenance is making sure the health of your project, of your application, is always there. And you don't want to be surprised as you're continuing to work with your users and so forth. And so a number of things that we pay attention to in maintenance are we're paying attention to keeping the application secure, providing security updates. We want to make sure that the ecosystem, basically, all of the tools and third-party services that are tied to your application, we're responding to those sorts of changes as we go along. And then part of it is, occasionally, you're going to find some smaller issues or bugs or so forth as your user group continues to grow or as needs continue to change. You want to be able to respond to those quickly as well. And so a lot of what goes into maintenance is making sure that you're paying attention and you're ahead of those things before they surprise you. VICTORIA: Because what can happen? Like, what are the consequences if you don't do that ongoing maintenance? RICHARD: Well, the security updates those happen across gems and in the platform sort of tools that are there. And so, if you're not keeping those up to date, your exposure, your vulnerability to being hacked, or having a bad actor come into your application start growing on you if you're not doing the maintenance. The other ones that can come up is there's new interfaces that these third-party services...they may be updating their APIs. They may be updating how you're supposed to work with their tool. And so those can occasionally break if you're not paying attention to what's going on or you're suddenly surprised by an upgrade that you have to make. And then, finally, there's this long-term sort of code change that just builds up over time if you're not keeping it refactored for the changes that are upcoming in a language or the gems that you work with. And then, suddenly, after a while, it suddenly gets to the point where you have a lot of work that you might have to do to rehabilitate the application to take on some of the newer features that are being released. And so that makes it that much more difficult, that much more friction about being able to deliver updates for your users or to be able to respond to changes that are happening out there in your application. VICTORIA: Right. So, if you don't have that ongoing maintenance, you could run into a situation where suddenly, you need to make a very large investment and fixing whatever is broken. RICHARD: Absolutely. It's going to be very tough to plan for if you weren't keeping up all the way along and, yes, absolutely ends up being much slower if you have to remediate it. VICTORIA: That makes sense. I wonder if you have any examples of a project you've walked into and said, "Wow, I wish we had been doing a little bit more maintenance." [laughs] And maybe you can share some details. RICHARD: Yeah. We had a fairly large application that involved a number of clinic services. So we had an application that users were going in every day and counting on our fast response. And, over time, we've got surprised by a database upgrade that had to happen. Basically, the database was going to be changed by our third-party hosting service, and that hadn't been tested. There hadn't been procedures in place when we discovered this need. And there was a very hard date that that change had to be done or else the entire application was going to go down. And it came at a very inconvenient time, at the end of the year around Christmas, that we had to respond to all of that. And had we been in front of it and just updated it every quarter and staying current with it, it wouldn't have been nearly the lift that it turned out to be. We were facing a pretty hard deadline [laughs] there to keep things going. It was very, very stressful and disruptive for the team and potentially for the clinics. VICTORIA: Right. And it always happens around a big holiday or something like that, right? When it all comes to a head. [laughter] RICHARD: Absolutely. You want to be in control of the timeframe and not have the timeframe be in control of you. VICTORIA: Right. And if you have a team like thoughtbot supporting you, you can go on your vacation with a little bit more knowledge that if something breaks, there's someone there who can respond and fix things, and you don't have to interrupt your very valuable time off. So... RICHARD: [chuckles] Absolutely. VICTORIA: Yeah. Well, thank you so much, Richard, for joining me today. I appreciate you coming here to talk with us. And we'll talk to you again soon. RICHARD: Yeah, it was a pleasure. Thank you. WILL: I have a question around your listeners. I just want to take a second and just thank everyone who listens to the podcast. We really appreciate you so much, so just thank you, thank you, thank you. Because if you don't have listeners, you don't have a podcast, like you said a second ago. And you went through so many changes. What's been your biggest win, and how do you continue winning with your listeners? And how do you engage with them? BRITTANY: This is a fun answer because, actually, thoughtbot comes into play there. They did not pay me to say this. But one thing that The Bike Shed used to do is they used to go to RailsConf and RubyConf, and they would record episodes during the conference with various Ruby heroes in the community. This is going back to me seeing these people as celebrities. I just thought that was, like, the coolest thing. And, at the time, I couldn't afford to go to conferences like that. So being able to listen to those podcasts and get to hear that kind of content was really important to me. And so, you know, eventually, that stopped being a thing at RubyConf and RailsConf. And two years ago, I reached out and said, "Hey, I really love those kinds of sessions. Is there any way that I could take the lead on bringing those sessions back?" And we did. So it took in the form of a podcast panel at these different conferences where we would bring in different podcasts in the community. And we would have a panel. We would answer listener questions. It was genuinely a lot of fun. So that is a proud moment for me. But it's a proud moment for me because it gave me the opportunity to reach out to podcasts in the community and say, "Hey, we're not competing here. We're friends. I want to record content with you. Like, please be part of my podcast community." And we have never been tighter. So, like, we guest on each other's podcasts. We promote each other's podcasts on like Mastodon and Twitter. And it is just the most lovely thing ever because now we say things like, oh, yeah, like, this podcast, like, that's our, like, sister podcast, or that's our brother podcast. Like, it's so cool that we, you know, rising tide raises all ships. That's exactly what's happening here in the Ruby podcast community. VICTORIA: I like that familial sense within the different Ruby on Rails podcasts, and maybe even Giant Robots is a part of that. Like, are we a cousin or an uncle? [laughter] Who knows? But I was actually there when you recorded the episode live at RailsConf in Atlanta this year. Was that your favorite moment at RailsConf, or was it something else? BRITTANY: Yeah, I would say that was my favorite moment at RailsConf. No matter how many times I meet Aaron Patterson, I am always, like, deeply intimidated by just how funny and intelligent he is. So having that excuse of reaching out to him and saying like, "Hey, will you please be on this podcast panel?" was so fun. I deeply adore Irina Nazarova, and so having her on the panel as well was fun. And then just doing the wildcard of having the audience, like, vote in who was going to be the third panel was truly a risky move, Victoria. [laughs] But it ended up paying off, and it ended up generating some really fun content for us. VICTORIA: That's awesome. And I'm curious, you know, to talk a little bit more about the Ruby on Rails Community. And what do you see is the biggest challenge that it's facing right now? BRITTANY: Oh, I have so many opinions on this. What a great question. [laughs] So I recently put together a talk proposal. It's currently waitlisted at a conference, but it is a talk that I very much want to give. But one project that I would really like to work on is...between, I would say, 2013 and 2015, Ruby on Rails was definitely the number one framework that was being taught in bootcamps. And I'm really curious about what happened to all those people. I'm one of them. I learned Ruby on Rails in 2014. I still believe that I'm in the Ruby on Rails Community, not only for the podcast, but I'm an engineering manager for a company that writes Rails. So I believe I'm very much in the community. I'm so curious. Those people had so much potential of being seniors, principals, staff engineers, founders, engineering managers, architects. What happened to them? And did they stay in our community? And then my second part of that is, what does it mean to be in the Ruby on Rails Community? Like, can you just listen to podcasts and be in the community? Do you need to actively write Ruby? I just find that whole thing very interesting. We're very obsessed with bringing new programmers into the Rails community, which I think is important. But what about the people who we taught Rails and left us? Like, is there an opportunity to bring them back? WILL: It's funny you say that because I wasn't in that year range. I was a little later, like, 2017. And I learned Ruby on Rails, and then I went to JavaScript, you know, React, React Native, but I'm slowly inching back towards Ruby on Rails. My current project, I'm actually able to do some Ruby on Rails. And I'm really excited about it because, like you, that was my first language style that I learned, and I still love it. It is weird, but you always love your first language; I do, at least. So it's interesting that you said that because, yeah, I can say, for me, I'm slowly coming back towards it. BRITTANY: Well, welcome back, Will. We're excited to have you. I know that Node was such a heavy hitter when it came out, and it made a lot of sense. Like, we're going to teach you JavaScript on the front end. Oh, hey, we're going to also teach you JavaScript on the back end. You know, from the business side, I'm so curious whether or not Rails is still, like, one of the top three solutions in order to get an MVP off the ground. I don't have my thumb on that, so I'm very curious whether or not that's true or not. VICTORIA: We certainly still tend to default to it at thoughtbot and to get MVPs off the ground. And we're still building a bunch of products every year with it. [laughs] So, Ruby on Rails and React together, especially if you're trying to iterate very quickly and test your assumptions about what you're building, I think that it's still a really fast and high-performing framework to use. And it's interesting because there's a coding school in San Diego, Codecademy, which is really heavily involved, [chuckles] of course, in the Ruby on Rails Community, and they still teach it in their bootcamp. And one of the reasons they said to me was because it's one of the frameworks that gives you that holistic view of how everything works. [laughs] Like, if you're new to tech, new to programming, in general, it's a very easy entry point to understanding. And I think that, of itself, when you're talking, like, the long-term viability of a framework, being able to hire people who can step in and understand what's going on in your codebase, that framework gives you a higher chance of that. [laughs] You know, that might point to your long-term success, too. BRITTANY: Now, that's a really good point. Going back to the podcast as well, I think one thing that is not very well solved is just being able to make it sustainable as well because there are only so many sponsors out there. And it's really hard to prove ROI from sponsoring a podcast, right? Like, you can put links in the show notes. And you can hope people click on them and they convert. And you can be able to say, "Hey, this podcast is the reason." But I've seen a lot of people start podcasts, and they think, well, if I put a bunch of episodes out and some people listen, then sponsors are going to knock down my door. I'm very lucky that I've had some long-term sponsors that have been able to keep the show sustainable. And I love seeing podcasts that come out of companies, you know, like thoughtbot, where you are being sustained by the company that, you know, is producing it. It's really hard to justify a podcast as a business unless you are already a major celebrity already, right? VICTORIA: Yeah, we certainly don't do it for the money it makes us directly off the podcast. We do not. [laughter] BRITTANY: We do not. VICTORIA: Yeah, I agree with that. And yeah, and even it's interesting as an advertising vehicle or marketing for your company. It can be great because, like, I feel with Giant Robots, we have so many listeners, like, loyal listeners over the years that we have this, like, direct way of communicating with a community that we care about. [laughs] But if you don't have...trying to, like, create that market and create that group of people from the ground up can be really tough. [laughs] And it takes a lot of time, a lot of investment, and a lot of effort, especially if you can't afford a professional editor. [laughs] BRITTANY: Agreed. There's just some cost that I believe, like, the longer I do this, that are just, like, non-negotiable. There are some things that you can definitely have as optional. You know, for me, like, you have to have a good microphone. You have to have a professional editor. I pay for, like, my calendar scheduling software because I want to make that really, like, slick for my guests. Like, I used to...oh, I used to do the emails back and forth of, like, I'm available at Thursday at 2:00 or Friday at 3:00. Like, would one of these work for you? No. [laughs] It's just...that's a rotten experience. For us, we do send, like, a thank you gift after being on the show, which has been, like, a nice add with having a producing partner that will back me on that. And I try to get to as many conferences as possible because I think it's a great vehicle to promote the podcast, but those end up all being optional. And all those things they do cost money. VICTORIA: They do. And it's funny, like, yeah, getting out to the conferences, it's still the number one way to grow things is by meeting people in person [laughs], like, being real and human. BRITTANY: Shocking, right? [laughs] VICTORIA: Yeah. And I'm just kind of curious, like, in terms of how you picture what success means for your podcast. Like, what does that look like in the next six months or even, like, five years of hosting this podcast for you? BRITTANY: Ooh, this is, like, the existential crisis question because I've been doing it for nearly five years. And I think the question is always going to be, you know, like, how long do I want to keep hosting the podcast? I will say the podcast is a positive influence on me in terms of making sure that I stay connected to people, that I keep writing code on the side so that way, I know what I'm talking about. I have this whole imposter thing of, like, what if someone finds out I'm not a Ruby on Rails developer day to day and that I'm, like, actually thinking about business problems; I was, like, an engineering manager? You know, I'm going to get found out, and people are going to unsubscribe. But in all seriousness, I think the success for this podcast is that it can go on without me. It's been around for that long already. And eventually, like, I want to have a succession plan where someones, I will say, like, multiple co-hosts to be able to take it over from there. It'll be rough to watch because, like, I really enjoy, you know, my current era because I feel like the podcast has gone through different eras. I really do enjoy it. But, at some point, it's just not going to make sense in terms of my professional goals. Do you feel the same? VICTORIA: Yes. But we're only a year in. So I feel like I'm still...[laughter] I feel like I'm still new to hosting. And I'm like, oh, I've already recorded, like, 30 episodes or something. [laughs] There's been a lot of change. And we're always thinking about, like, how do we make it better? What do we do? And trying to figure out how do we really get the most out of it for ourselves. But I feel the same way that it's just one of the more fun things that I do at thoughtbot [laughs]. And it gives me that chance to reach out to people and start conversations that I otherwise would not have had. So I really appreciate it. I don't know what you think, Will. WILL: No, I totally agree with you. I love meeting new people. And I love meeting the diverse group of people that we have on the podcast. I love that just, like, how did you get here? Like, what makes you keep at it? Like, you've been at it for five years. What makes you keep at it? Just those questions like that I really love. For me personally, I think that I'm still in the growing phase of podcast hosting. Like, I can get better at this. I can get better at that. What else can I get better at? So I think that's where I'm at in this phase. But, like Victoria said, that's only a year in. It's a different story when you're five years in. BRITTANY: [laughs] It is. And one thing that I will do to make it more sustainable is, you know, like when you're running, you can either be sprinting, or you can be doing, like, a long endurance race. So with the podcast, I will book a bunch of podcasts in one week and say, this is my week to be recording. Like, I'm going to be very heads down on the podcast. I have other things going on in my life, but I'm like, this is a podcast week for me. And so I will record a bunch of episodes. And that essentially gives me a couple of weeks where I can essentially take a break from the podcast. But guess what, listeners? Like, you're still getting new episodes. So you have no idea that I'm secretly taking a break. And I think that has also been a huge help. Odd fact is that the five years that I've been hosting The Ruby on Rails Podcast, I am only missing from one episode. And the reason for that is that when I broke my ankle, [laughs] I called my co-host and was like, "Hey, I'm going into surgery tomorrow. We have this great episode being recorded tomorrow. I need you to take it." [laughs] And so that is the one episode that I am missing from, but I think it was a good lesson for me to know that I can step away and good content can still happen. WILL: That's amazing. That's a pretty good record. [laughs] BRITTANY: Or it might be obsessive, Will. I don't know. [laughter] WILL: Let me ask you this, what does success look like for you personally - roller derby, your full-time job? What does success look like for you in those areas in six months or a couple of years? BRITTANY: Oh, that's a really great question. So I had stepped away from roller derby during the pandemic. And so I absolutely love fitness. I do CrossFit. I have a peloton. I have my own little home gym that I built during the pandemic that I absolutely adore. So, you know, success for me is continuing to invest in that self-care. I want to keep skating just because I'm that person. Everyone came to me, and they're like, "Oh, you broke your ankle. I bet you won't go back to a roller derby." And I was like, oh, you think I won't? You think I won't go back? [laughs] So I'm headed back, but I'm going to be very careful about it. Because I've seen that, you know, your body can break, and you need to give yourself some rest. But to answer, overall, like, I am an engineering manager now, and, you know, my goal is to eventually to get to that director level. And, in some ways, like, I can justify the podcast just because I do get the excuse to talk to people that have the job that I eventually want to have in my career. And so it helps in that regard as well. VICTORIA: I think that's great, and I agree. That's also why I started getting involved in my community a lot, maybe 5 or 10 years ago. I was just like, here's opportunities to show my leadership and see how connected I am with other leaders. [laughs] It helps in that way. And on blading, I actually bought rollerblades recently just to go around the neighborhood. BRITTANY: Yeesssss! VICTORIA: And I got heckled by a woman [laughs] who said...I think she was being sincere, but she was like, "Bend your knees, and it's going to be okay." [laughter] Like, "Wear wrist guards next time." [laughter] I was like, maybe just my face was very try-hard in that moment. Because I have a lot of respect for people who can roller derby and get around on skates that fast. [laughs] BRITTANY: Well, you know what's really funny? (I haven't even talked about this on my own podcast.) is that you know, I'm involved in the Roller Derby League. Obviously, I can't skate right now. And so I needed to find a committee so that I was able to still, you know, provide value to the league. And so, for some reason, I decided that skater resources would be a good idea. So I'm essentially one of the people who is, you know, human resources within the Roller Derby League. And so when there are disputes or questions, or people have hurt feelings, like, they're coming to me, which is, you know, really funny because I do some of that as an engineering manager. So, like, to your point, Victoria, like, you know, I can do growth because they're way more extreme through roller derby, as you can imagine. And, in some ways, it ends up being good practice. VICTORIA: Yes, that does sound like practice for higher-level management decisions, [laughs] so get ready. You're going to have issues and problems, and you're the one to solve it. So... BRITTANY: Yeah. It's not like their problems don't matter. But, in some ways, it's almost like playing with monopoly money because, like, you know, you're not dealing with somebody's, like, livelihood. You're dealing with a sport that they do for fun. Like, trust me, no one is being paid to play roller derby. [laughs] It's a very expensive sport. There's a lot of equipment involved. And, Victoria, yes, you want to wear wristguards. [laughter] VICTORIA: Yes. I learned my lesson. BRITTANY: You write code. You want to wear wrist guards. [laughter] VICTORIA: Right. And yeah, it's funny about things like that. Like, it's still very meaningful to people. Like, when I used to coach kids' climbing competitions, it's, like, the same thing. Like, it's rock climbing, everybody, but some people take it very seriously. [laughs] There's a lot of feelings involved. But, at the end of the day, it's nice to have that practice outside of the pressure of it being someone's livelihood and all of those details. BRITTANY: Agreed. VICTORIA: Well, let me ask you this question. It's one of our favorite ones. But if you could go back in time and give advice to your younger self, what would you say? And maybe it's at the beginning of the podcast or some other inflection point in your career. BRITTANY: That is...oh, what a gift because hindsight is 20/20, isn't it? When I was going through school, I ended up getting a marketing degree because I really enjoyed business. I really liked, you know, the mechanics behind marketing. But, at the time, I had taken a couple of computer classes, and this was back in 2006. And, you know, I thought about double majoring in computer science and marketing. And someone gave me the terrible advice that computer programming was going to go away [laughs], and so it would be a waste of time to get that double degree in computer science. And so, you know, I'm very much a second career developer. Like I noted earlier, you know, I was a PM. I was a non-technical product manager before I learned how to code, and so I learned how to code in my 30s. So I wish I could go back and get into programming way earlier. It would have changed the entire trajectory of my life. But part of me always wants to live out, like, that Black Mirror, like, what it would have been like if I had learned to code so much earlier. Would I have found Ruby? Maybe not. WILL: I totally agree with that because the same story. I remember growing up, and I had a cousin that lived next door. He used to program, and I was just, like, he was a celebrity because I was like, whoa, look what he's doing, and how can you do that? And then I went off to college. Well, I grew up in a small town, so we didn't really have many computer programs. I went to a college, and they said, "Hey, we have this one computer course you can either take it or test out." I was like; I'm not taking it; test out. I want to save that money. And I didn't realize how much I'll love computers and programming until later in life, late 20s, early 30s. And I wish I could have started early, so I totally agree with you about that. VICTORIA: Like, I wish I would have time now to learn how to code. [laughs] Like, I still need to learn it. No, I think that...oh, would I advise? I don't know. You know what's funny? A recent guest said that if that had happened, they still wouldn't have believed themselves [laughs], right? Like, would you really believe someone telling you what to do? Like, you know, you try to make the best decision that you can at the time. BRITTANY: I think it's fun to look back and see all the little things that happened that got you to where you are. So, like, two of, like, crucial things that happened for me. I was in school to become a genetic counselor, and I hated it. And so I had gotten an internship, and, like, that internship changed everything because it was like a day in the life as a genetic counselor, and I really did not like it at all. And so, I ended up dropping all my classes and moving into the business school. And so that was one thing that happened. And then the second thing is, you know, I was working at a cowboy restaurant. [laughs] It was ridiculous. And I was getting ready to graduate school and just absolutely terrified about not having a job. I ended up getting this table of this company that was, like, having a business meeting, and we ended up chatting, and they were so wonderful. And they left me their business card, and, like, that ended up being my first job. It's just the little micro-decisions that you make that, like, change your entire trajectory, which is really so cool. So you end up not really regretting anything, but you always just kind of look back and reflect, and you're like, what if I had given that table away? Or what if I hadn't been ambitious and, like, tried to get that internship? So just everything's an opportunity, right? WILL: Yeah, I totally, totally agree with that. So you do roller derby, CrossFit, marathons, coding, your podcast. So you do a lot of self-care, which I don't think, especially in the tech world, we do enough self-care. I know I don't. I am horrible at it, trying to get better. What's your wind in your sails for that? Like, how do you keep going? Like, how do you stay disciplined with that? BRITTANY: I think, for me, I feel better when I move my body. I make better decisions. I am more patient. I need to work out earlier in the day. Like, I am a morning person, and so it makes me feel good. And so then I go into work in a good mood. And I deal with people day to day, right? Like, I manage ten developers. And so it's also something that I can use to connect with my team as well. A lot of them also like to do physical things, and so that works out nicely. In terms of nutrition, I definitely could be better. But I will say my partner and I take turns meal prepping our lunches. We both work from home. And so being able to, like, in between meetings run over and grab a box of actually good food to be able to eat lunch. We do, like, a meal service at night as well. I don't know, like, you need to look out for you. Because while the belief is that other people are also looking out, nobody's going to look out for you like you are. And so you have to prioritize self-care and just making sure that you're getting those moments. And I agree with you, Will; sometimes, I'm absolutely terrible at setting up those processes so that way you don't fall through. VICTORIA: I think there's a book that makes me think of it called, like, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. [laughs] BRITTANY: Yes. VICTORIA: Yeah. BRITTANY: Yes. VICTORIA: Yep. And I think that's part of it, too. Like, there's a lot of pressure to be so high-performing and to do all the things for your family, and for your work and your personal life. But, at the end of the day, it's also okay to just sit around and do nothing [laughs] and, like, relax. BRITTANY: Yeah, I've watched a lot of Drag Race, a lot. [laughs] VICTORIA: Oh, awesome. Yes. What's your favorite season? BRITTANY: Oh, season six, I would say. Season six is just so good. Are you watching All-Stars? VICTORIA: I'm not right now. I'm actually...I usually binge-watch it at random times. So I'm not really caught up. But I have met a few of them at drag shows. I think I've met Milk. Is that [inaudible 44:27] BRITTANY: Oh, wow. What a queen to have met. VICTORIA: I know. BRITTANY: That's amazing. [laughs] VICTORIA: That was actually a very funny story. I'll tell you another time. [laughs] But yes. BRITTANY: But honestly, like, Drag Race actually relates to engineering management for me because, you know, at my last job, I had two developers that I was struggling to connect with. And I realized that after stand-up, they were staying behind to talk about Drag Race, and I wanted to connect with them. And I was like, oh, I'll check out a couple of episodes and became so deeply addicted [laughs] that, like, I surpassed them in how much I loved it. So, like, it is a fun, like, I've always thought about giving a conference talk where, like, each report that I have, like, one crazy thing that they do...well, not crazy but, like, one, you know, passion that they have and, like, trying it just to have something to relate to. Though I will say, I did manage somebody who really liked to jump out of planes, and that is just not in the cards for me. VICTORIA: I love that too. I like when someone is really passionate about something. I'm like, okay, I'll give it a chance, at least once, you know. But I have some friends right now who are into freediving, and I'm not convinced [laughs] that I want to go try to hold my breath underwater. BRITTANY: What in the world is freediving? VICTORIA: It's diving underwater without oxygen. BRITTANY: No. VICTORIA: Yeah. Yeah. BRITTANY: That's a big nope for me. VICTORIA: And, like, hunting fish. So, like, they catch tuna and stuff. They're down there pew-pew and making sushi when they get back. BRITTANY: Well, that actually sounds wonderful. But -- VICTORIA: Yeah, I'm like, I will eat this. I will eat [laughs] whatever you catch. BRITTANY: Yes, that's fair. VICTORIA: Yeah. Like, I'm into the results but not...I might try some of the, like... a lot of it is, like, training your breath and being able to hold your breath and to stay calm because that's really the biggest problem. [laughs] I do rock climbing. I think that's enough. Like, that's -- WILL: [laughs] BRITTANY: That's pretty badass. VICTORIA: Yeah. [laughs] WILL: Yes. BRITTANY: That is a very cool sport. VICTORIA: Yeah. And, actually, you're mentioning how it was, like, you worked at a cowboy restaurant, and that was how you got your first connection to your job. And, like, I would go up to, like, my college climbing wall and be, like, I'm a rock climber; you should hire me. And [laughs] through that connection, I got my first referral to my first job in DC. And so, basically, my whole life revolves around it. [laughs] Nothing would happen without these little connections that you make. I'm curious, Will, if you had a pivot point like that you can tell us about. WILL: It was probably getting to tech because it was more of a hobby, and sometimes it's still a big hobby for me. So I will say either getting into tech or working out. So I try to work out with friends. So I used to play football. Everything was a group workout. So after football, it was very hard for me to work out because it was always a group workout. So after many, many years of finally realizing that, I try to work out in groups, with friends, and stuff like that. So that's probably the biggest thing for me is, like, working out in a group and having someone to hold me accountable. BRITTANY: I love that. That's one reason...so I used to be a fitness instructor. I should reveal that as well. I used to be a BODYPUMP instructor. And the reason for that is just, like, again, I thought people that were fitness instructors were just, like, celebrities and absolute badasses. And so, I used to only go to group fitness class as well because I needed that accountability. And so, yeah, there's definitely days I wake up where I absolutely do not want to do anything. But having that accountability, it's just really awesome, and really, it makes sure that you follow through. VICTORIA: That makes sense how you've practiced your voice and why your podcasting voice is so strong [laughter] because you're a fitness instructor. That's what is starting to add up for me. [laughter] BRITTANY: You know what? The biggest challenge of being a fitness instructor is that they would send me the routines, and I would have to memorize them. And being able to memorize like, oh, I'm going to squat on the fourth count. And I'm going to do a clean and press on the eighth count. Oh my God, is that an algorithm -- WILL: Yes. BRITTANY: You know, for a pro...and I was like, is there any way that I could somehow automate? Like, part of me wanted to game it. I'm like, how do I game this so I don't have to spend so much time trying to memorize it? I mean, it was truly, truly challenging. And it was probably, like, the best brain teaser that I could have been doing because you're essentially putting on a live performance while working out. And everyone needs to be able to follow you and feel encouraged by you. It was just...it was a wild time. WILL: [laughs] VICTORIA: That sounds very demanding. Well, coming up to the end of our time here, is there anything else you would like to promote today? BRITTANY: Ooh, no. We're currently not hiring at my job. Normally, that is something that I would promote. I would say if you are interested in checking out my podcast, it is The Ruby on Rails Podcast. We have plenty of things on there that are not Rails-specific. We've had conversations about, like, what's it like to get stock options at a company? What does the recruiting landscape currently look like? And then we also have, like, deep topics about, like, what's currently being merged into Ruby Core? So, really, we have a wide variety of topics. So, if you find my voice somewhat pleasant, come on over; we'd be happy to have you. And, of course, you can listen to Victoria's episode, that will be linked up in the show notes. But this was such a pleasure. It was great spending time with you both, Will and Victoria. WILL: Yeah, it was great. Loved chatting with you. VICTORIA: Yes, thank you so much for joining. This was super fun. You can subscribe to the show and find notes along with a complete transcript for this episode at giantrobots.fm. WILL: If you have any questions or comments, email us at hosts@giantrobots.fm. And you could find me on Twitter @will23larry. VICTORIA: And you can find me on Twitter @victori_ousg. This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot and produced and edited by Mandy Moore. Thanks for listening. See you next time. ANNOUNCER: This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot, your expert strategy, design, development, and product management partner. We bring digital products from idea to success and teach you how because we care. Learn more at thoughtbot.com. Special Guest: Brittany Martin.

Join us in this episode of Earned Wisdom! as we delve into the fascinating world of leadership, uncovering the barriers that often hinder talented women and underrepresented individuals from realizing their true potential in the workplace.  Our special guest, Koma Gandy, brings a wealth of experience as a former Naval officer turned VP of Curriculum at Codecademy. She opens up about her remarkable journey as a successful leader and coach of the men's rugby team in the US Navy, shedding light on valuable insights and strategies to conquer imposter syndrome and seek support in the face of challenging work environments. Notably, Koma made history as the first woman to be permanently stationed aboard a ship, defying expectations and breaking down barriers. Join us as we explore Koma's story of resilience and perseverance, uncovering the inspiration and wisdom necessary to unlock your full potential in the workplace and beyond. Tune in and embark on a transformative journey towards achieving greatness.

This week the tables are turned on Ruby for All, as our friend of the show, Drew Bragg, interviews Julie J. This was originally on Code and the Coding Coders Who Code it Podcast. If you haven't checked it out, please go smash the subscribe button. Today, Drew asks Julie J his 3 questions: What are you working on? What's blocking you? What's something cool you want to share? What are Julie's answers? Guess you'll have to listen to find out. Hint, they talk about her cool side project, Ruby for All, Rails upgrades, and some of the confusion that still exists around assets in Rails. Hit download now to find out more! [00:01:21] Julie tells us she's working on a work-related project and a side project. At work, she's been struggling to keep track of her tasks and notes so she decided to build an app called, Today app, which is a Rails/ERB views app that consolidates all her tasks, questions, standup notes, meeting details on one page, and a note section for previous discussions.[00:07:19] She started working on this project for a couple of months and has found Chat GPT helpful for quick syntax references and learning new concepts. She also uses it to quiz herself and simplify complex explanations.[00:13:00] What does Julie work with right now at work? She primarily works with Rails but has a desire to focus more on front-end development to enhance her skills in both areas, and she's been doing some React Typescript and React Native.[00:14:07] Julie tells us Codecademy is set up with a mix of front-end, full stack, and back-end. [00:14:41] Drew explains in his current work, they primarily use ERB templates and some Stimulus for their JavaScript sprinkles. His new project is transitioning to using Turbo and Hotwire for interactivity and reactivity. [00:15:56] Drew's been heavily involved in upgrading their Rails version at his job, starting from v4.1 and currently on v6.1.  He's gained experience and learned through trial and error during these upgrades. [00:18:44] Julie expresses her interest in participating in Rails upgrades at her job, as her team is currently on Rails v6.0 and Ruby v2.7. Drew gained experience and learned through trial and error during these upgrades. [00:22:21] We hear Drew's approach of limiting his to-do list to three tasks, and Julie mentions how she further limits hers to just one task in her Today app. They discuss the value of limiting tasks and the mental health benefits it may provide. [00:24:29] What kind of blockers does Julie run into? She shares how she used ChatGPT to overcome JavaScript related issues in her Today app and get unstuck. She mentions struggling with integrating JavaScript and explains how she received guidance from ChatGPT. [00:28:00] Drew discusses the confusion and complexity surrounding asset management in Rails, particularly with JavaScript. Also, it can be overwhelming for junior or early career developers trying to learn Rails since there are three different ways to manage assets.[00:32:25] RubyConf in San Diego is coming up and Julie and Drew will be attending. [00:34:20] What is something cool Julie's discovered? She tells us she spent two months learning about OAuth and OpenID connect. She also mentions using ngrok to solve the issue of testing Apple SSO locally by redirecting the local host to a ngrok URL. [00:36:41] Drew explains that ngrok is commonly used to tunnel local development environments and allows testing over HTTPS.  [00:37:34] Julie and Drew briefly discuss the deprecated gem, Paperclip, which was used for file uploads before Active Storage became the preferred open in Rails.Panelists:Julie J.Drew BraggSponsors:HoneybadgerAvo Admin for RailsLinks:Andrew Mason TwitterAndrew Mason WebsiteJulie J. TwitterJulie J. WebsiteDrew Bragg TwitterCode and the Coding Coders who Code it Podcast with Drew BraggCode and the Coding Coders who Code it- Episode 17: Joe Masilotti ngrokActive StorageRuby ConferencesRubyConf 2023 (San Diego) 

Wesley and Kim talk to guest Gilberto Hernandez about both definitions of the word respect. All three share stories of an experience that many underrepresented folks share, unfortunately: their boss tends to micromanage or question them more than their peers who aren't underrepresented.Gilberto is a Lead Developer Advocate at Snowflake. His unconventional career path eventually led him into tech. An electrical engineering and education double major, Gilberto started his career in transmission planning for the city of Houston, before transitioning into the public sector as a 7th grade math teaching in Houston's Fifth Ward. His passion for impacting education at scale led him to tech (Codecademy, MongoDB, Plaid, Snowflake), where's he's since been combining his passion for education with his love for data and developer infrastructure. In his free time, he likes to BBQ (he is based in Austin, Texas, after all), grow spicy peppers, jog with his dogs, and spend time with his family.

On Manuel Lima's website, he mentions “a celebrated voice on UX design and data visualization who has spent the past 15 years leading design teams and building cutting-edge digital experiences at companies like Google, Codecademy, Microsoft, Nokia….”. His first three books were breathtakingly beautiful. If you like data and visualisations, then you are more than likely familiar with one or all of his books. A number of months ago, Manuel sent me an advance of his latest book, The New Designer and it instantly felt different. I could sense a sea change had occurred and in this conversation that you are about to hear, we discuss the reflective process that Manuel took in the creation of this book. It's an awesome book - that is perfectly timed. Many of us are questioning our roles in the creation of service that perpetuate social structures and norms. This book is not just for you, but it's for everyone you know who is on a journey of self-discovery and purpose. This was a lot of fun to record and hope you enjoy it! https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262047630/the-new-designer/ https://www.mslima.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mslima This is HCD Links Coaching and Mentoring https://www.thisishcd.com/coaching-mentoring-for-innovators-change-makers Video Courses Service Design : https://www.thisishcd.com/courses/video-on-demand-introduction-to-human-centered-service-design-using-journey-mapping Visualisation Methods for Change Makers: https://www.thisishcd.com/courses/visualisation-methods-for-change-makers Service Blueprint Essentials: https://www.thisishcd.com/courses/service-blueprint-essentials Journey Mapping Fundamentals: https://www.thisishcd.com/courses/journey-mapping-fundamentals Stakeholder Mapping Essentials: https://www.thisishcd.com/courses/stakeholder-mapping-essentials Become a Patron (Ad-Free Stream) https://www.thisishcd.com/become-a-patron Join our newsletter https://www.thisishcd.com/community/stay-up-to-date-with-this-is-hcd Free email guides 7 Days of Awesome Journey Map Tips: https://www.thisishcd.com/landing/7-day-killer-journey-mapping-tips Our partner links Webflow is our web partner https://webflow.grsm.io/o6ox60tdryl2 Descript powers out production https://www.descript.com/?lmref=eXj7zA CastUp edits our shows http://app.usecastup.com/podcaster-school I prepare notes with Speechify https://share.speechify.com/mzuLDOo All music on this podcast is from our pro level Artist account - and we love them for it! https://artlist.io/Gerry-292475 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you a CTO, Chief Product Officer or Tech leader? Then this one's for you:If there was one tool that would help you learn best practices and avoid top mistakes so that you can achieve your goals, would you consider that tool?If you answered "yes," this is the tool you've been looking for.Debbie Madden is a serial tech entrepreneur.She is well known for helping teams scale in ways that result in measurable outcomes paired with a strong culture. She is the founder & chair of Stride, a national agile software development consultancy. Stride helps the world's top brands like SeatGeek, Spotify, Codecademy, and Casper get high-quality products to market while modeling the way for tech and product best practices that upskill and enable tech teams.Episode after episode, you'll hear top tech leaders and experts in their fields sharing first-hand successes, failures, and lessons learned about the topics that are a high priority for today's tech teams. Let the technology leaders of our time share first-hand stories of successes, failures, and lessons learned as they lead and grow their teams amid an ever-changing landscape.

Amjad Masad is the Founder and CEO @ Replit, whose mission is to bring the next billion software creators online. With Replit, Amjad has raised over $100M from the likes of Peter Thiel, a16z, Coatue and Addition, to name a few. Before founding Replit, Amjad was a tech lead on the JavaScript infrastructure team at Facebook. Before Facebook, Amjad was #1 employee at Codecademy. In Today's Episode with Amjad Masad We Discuss: 1.) From Troublemaker Child in Iran to Silicon Valley Founder: How did Amjad make his way into the world of tech and Silicon Valley having grown up as a misbehaving child in Iran? In what ways did Amjad show early signs of exceptionalism? Why does he always look for this in people he is hiring for Replit? What does Amjad know now that he wishes he had known when he started Replit? 2.) The Future: A New World with AI at the Centre: Why does Amjad believe we will see thousands of billionaires created from the innovation in AI? Why does Amjad believe AI will lead to 100 more Elon Musks? If Amjad were CEO of Facebook, what would he do? Why and how do they have to invest in AI? Will TikTok be banned in the US? How will this be resolved? Why does Amjad believe that 300 people control the future of AI? Is that not concerning? 3.) The Future of Society, Employment and Wages: Why does Amjad believe in 10 years, 1 engineer will be able to do what 100 do today? What will happen to the real wages of engineers? How does Amjad see the inclusion of universal basic income in the future? Is Amjad concerned about societal and civil unrest with wealth disparity widening further? 4.) Building the Replit Army: Why does Amjad believe that so many in tech have gotten too soft in the last few years? Why does Amjad release a "Why You Should Not Join Replit" page and share it with all candidates? How can a founder know if they have good company values or not? Why does Amjad feel we need a spiritual reform in company building? Why are startups and religion the same?

Jon Prosser and Sam Kohl make their appearance at the Genius Bar this week to talk the latest WWDC news...including a fascinating new invitation. Sam is CONVINCED there will be hardware at the event (and Jon is pretty sure too). Plus, a look at the latest Apple news, including new pride bands, AR/VR headset updates and flat Apple Watch leaks. This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to http://hellofresh.com/genius16 and use code genius16 for up to 16 free meals plus 3 free gifts! This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com! Use promo code "GENIUS" to get a special offer that includes a 4-week trial PLUS free postage and a digital scale. Just go to http://stamps.com, click on the Microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in GENIUS. This episode is sponsored by Keeper Security. Named password manager of the year by PCMag, start your free trial today at http://www.get-keeper.com. This episode is sponsored by Codecademy. Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to http://codecademy.com and use promo code GENIUSBAR. Follow Genius Bar Genius Bar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/geniusbarcast Genius Bar on YouTube: https://youtube.com/geniusbar Sam on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/iupdate Jon on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/frontpagetech Sam on Twitter: http://twitter.com/iupdate Jon on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jon_prosser

Jon Prosser and Sam Kohl are joined this week at the Genius Bar by Ross Young, the CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC). He knows EVERYTHING about Apple's future products, and even alludes to new hardware coming at WWDC. You won't want to miss a second of this revealing episode. This episode is sponsored by ChiliSleep. Head over to chilisleep.com/GENIUS for a special offer on a new sleep system. This episode is sponsored by Mack Weldon! Find your perfect look this spring and SAVE 20% on your first order at mackweldon.com/GENIUS and enter promo code GENIUS. This episode is sponsored by Codecademy. Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to http://codecademy.com and use promo code GENIUSBAR. Follow Ross! https://twitter.com/DSCCRoss https://www.displaysupplychain.com Follow Genius Bar Genius Bar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/geniusbarcast Sam on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/iupdate Jon on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/frontpagetech Sam on Twitter: http://twitter.com/iupdate Jon on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jon_prosser

On this episode of ARN, Arn and Paul continue their journey through the first half of JCP 1988, as we revisit May '88! Topics include Arn and Tully's continued run as NWA World Tag Team Champions, Dusty Rhodes being reinstated by the NWA, Barry as the newest Horsemen, continued feud with Lex Luger, and more! SHEETZ - Energy drink or Milkshake? Imagine getting your favorite energy-bursting G fuel flavors whipped, iced, and milkshak-ified! Go to www.SHEETZ.com and grab a Focus Freak Milkshake for 3.99 or less! Use offer code ENERGIZE to save $1 when you order on the SHEETZ app!  CODEACADEMY - Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to Codecademy.com and use promo code ARN. BLUECHEW - Bluechew gives you confidence in bed every time. Visit BlueChew.com and get your first order free when use promo code ARN. Just pay $5 shipping! GEICO - Do you own or rent your home? Sure you do! And it's hard work. But you know what's easy? Bundling with GEICO. Go to GEICO.com, get a quote, and see how much YOU could save. It's GEICO-easy!  SAVE WITH CONRAD - If you have credit card debt or in a 30 year loan? Well, we can help you get out of that pinch and save money at the same time! Head over to SaveWithConrad.com for a quick quote.  GOLIATH LIFE - GoliathLife.com streamlines the life insurance purchase process by allowing you to get quotes from more than twenty carriers all at the same time and at the same place: GoliathLife.com.

Jon Prosser and Sam Kohl are thrilled to sit down this week at the Genius Bar with Jonathan Morrison of TLDToday: a prolific tech YouTuber, newfound musician and dude "trying to make cool things." The trio has a lengthy discussion about Apple, Jonathan's choices as a reviewer and the perils of content creation in this must-watch episode. Plus, Sam wages war on GregsGadgets, a nobody YouTuber beefing with Genius Bar. This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to http://hellofresh.com/genius16 and use code genius16 for up to 16 free meals plus 3 free gifts! This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com! Use promo code "GENIUS" to get a special offer that includes a 4-week trial PLUS free postage and a digital scale. Just go to http://stamps.com, click on the Microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in GENIUS. This episode is sponsored by Codecademy. Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to http://codecademy.com and use promo code GENIUSBAR. This episode is sponsored by Policygenius! When it comes to insurance, it's nice to get it right. Head to http://policygenius.com to get started right now. Follow Jonathan! Twitter: https://twitter.com/tldtoday YouTube: https://youtube.com/tld Follow Genius Bar Genius Bar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/geniusbarcast Genius Bar on YouTube: https://youtube.com/geniusbar Sam on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/iupdate Jon on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/frontpagetech Sam on Twitter: http://twitter.com/iupdate Jon on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jon_prosser

On this episode of My World, Conrad and Jeff are covering how Double J returned (again) to the WWE, his Hall of Fame induction, his memories from that, and how eventually he would return to the WWE in 2019. AIN'T WE GREAT LIVE - World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famers and current podcasting superstars ‘Double J' Jeff Jarrett and Brian James aka “Road Dogg” are getting the band back together for a live stage show, meet and greet and VIP fan experience as part of the ‘Ain't We Great Tour 2022.' Grab your tickets now at www.DoubleJLive.com ROCK AUTO - Rock Auto is a family business, serving auto parts customers online for 20 years. Go to RockAuto.com to shop for auto and body parts from hundreds of manufacturers. Type MYWORLD in their “How did you hear about us?” box so they know we sent you.  CODEACADEMY - Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to Codecademy.com and use promo code JEFF. SHEETZ - Energy drink or Milkshake? Imagine getting your favorite energy-bursting G fuel flavors whipped, iced, and milkshak-ified! Go to www.SHEETZ.com and grab a Focus Freak Milkshake for 3.99 or less! Use offer code ENERGIZE to save $1 when you order on the SHEETZ app!  GEICO - Do you own or rent your home? Sure you do! And it's hard work. But you know what's easy? Bundling with GEICO. Go to GEICO.com, get a quote, and see how much YOU could save. It's GEICO-easy!  CHILISLEEP - ChiliSleep makes customizable, climate-controlled sleep solutions that help you improve your entire wellbeing. Head over to chilisleep.com/MYWORLD to learn more and check out a special offer for a limited time!  BLUECHEW - Bluechew gives you confidence in bed every time. Visit BlueChew.com and get your first order free when use promo code MYWORLD. Just pay $5 shipping! SAVE WITH CONRAD - If you have credit card debt or in a 30 year loan? Well, we can help you get out of that pinch and save money at the same time! Head over to SaveWithConrad.com for a quick quote.  GOLIATH LIFE - GoliathLife.com streamlines the life insurance purchase process by allowing you to get quotes from more than twenty carriers all at the same time and at the same place: GoliathLife.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of ARN, Arn and Paul continue their journey through the early parts of JCP 1988, as we revisit April '88! Topics include feuding with Barry Windham and Lex Luger, regaining the Tag Team Championship, Midnight Rider, Barry turning on Lex and joining the Horsemen, and much more! SHEETZ - Energy drink or Milkshake? Imagine getting your favorite energy-bursting G fuel flavors whipped, iced, and milkshak-ified! Go to www.SHEETZ.com and grab a Focus Freak Milkshake for 3.99 or less! Use offer code ENERGIZE to save $1 when you order on the SHEETZ app!  CHILISLEEP - ChiliSleep makes customizable, climate-controlled sleep solutions that help you improve your entire wellbeing. Head over to chilisleep.com/ARN to learn more and check out a special offer for a limited time!  SAVE WITH CONRAD - If you have credit card debt or in a 30 year loan? Well, we can help you get out of that pinch and save money at the same time! Head over to SaveWithConrad.com for a quick quote.  ROCK AUTO - Rock Auto is a family business, serving auto parts customers online for 20 years. Go to RockAuto.com to shop for auto and body parts from hundreds of manufacturers. Type ARN in their “How did you hear about us?” box so they know we sent you.  GEICO - Do you own or rent your home? Sure you do! And it's hard work. But you know what's easy? Bundling with GEICO. Go to GEICO.com, get a quote, and see how much YOU could save. It's GEICO-easy!  CODEACADEMY - Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to Codecademy.com and use promo code ARN. BLUECHEW - Bluechew gives you confidence in bed every time. Visit BlueChew.com and get your first order free when use promo code ARN. Just pay $5 shipping! GOLIATH LIFE - GoliathLife.com streamlines the life insurance purchase process by allowing you to get quotes from more than twenty carriers all at the same time and at the same place: GoliathLife.com.

Jon Prosser and Sam Kohl visit the Genius Bar this week to discuss Elon Musk's bid for Twitter (for only part of the episode, we promise). The duo also takes on new iPhone 14 leaks, Apple Watch Series 8 rumors and gives you the rundown on Apple's M2 Mac lineup. Plus, we answer more of your voicemails...of which you can leave us one by calling (512) 200-2454! This episode is sponsored by Mack Weldon! Find your perfect look this spring and SAVE 20% on your first order at mackweldon.com/GENIUS and enter promo code GENIUS. This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to http://hellofresh.com/genius16 and use code genius16 for up to 16 free meals plus 3 free gifts! This episode is sponsored by Codecademy. Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to http://codecademy.com and use promo code GENIUSBAR. Follow Genius Bar Genius Bar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/geniusbarcast Genius Bar Clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt53CkmnlJDSPE3gJNFTHjQ Genius Bar on YouTube: https://youtube.com/geniusbar Sam on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/iupdate Jon on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/frontpagetech Sam on Twitter: http://twitter.com/iupdate Jon on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jon_prosser

On this episode of My World with Jeff Jarrett, Jeff and Conrad go back 15 years to revisit the events surrounding TNA's Lockdown 2007 from April 15 at the Impact Zone! The guys discuss replacing the NWA name, Elevation X, WWE‘s Battle of the Billionaires, Johnny Fairplay, Chris Sabin vs. Jay Lethal for the TNA X Division Championship, a main event between Team Angle vs. Team Cage, and much more! AIN'T WE GREAT LIVE - World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famers and current podcasting superstars ‘Double J' Jeff Jarrett and Brian James aka “Road Dogg” are getting the band back together for a live stage show, meet and greet and VIP fan experience as part of the ‘Ain't We Great Tour 2022.' Grab your tickets now at www.DoubleJLive.com IPVANISH - If you care about the security of your online activity, IPVanish VPN is a quick and easy way to start protecting yourself. Go to IPVanish.com/myworld and use promotional code MYWORLD and claim your 70% off their yearly plan with a 30 day money back guarantee. SHEETZ - Energy drink or Milkshake? Imagine getting your favorite energy-bursting G fuel flavors whipped, iced, and milkshak-ified! Go to www.SHEETZ.com and grab a Focus Freak Milkshake for 3.99 or less! Use offer code ENERGIZE to save $1 when you order on the SHEETZ app!  GEICO - Do you own or rent your home? Sure you do! And it's hard work. But you know what's easy? Bundling with GEICO. Go to GEICO.com, get a quote, and see how much YOU could save. It's GEICO-easy!  CODEACADEMY - Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to Codecademy.com and use promo code JEFF. CHILISLEEP - ChiliSleep makes customizable, climate-controlled sleep solutions that help you improve your entire wellbeing. Head over to chilisleep.com/MYWORLD to learn more and check out a special offer for a limited time!  BLUECHEW - Bluechew gives you confidence in bed every time. Visit BlueChew.com and get your first order free when use promo code MYWORLD. Just pay $5 shipping! SAVE WITH CONRAD - If you have credit card debt or in a 30 year loan? Well, we can help you get out of that pinch and save money at the same time! Head over to SaveWithConrad.com for a quick quote.  GOLIATH LIFE - GoliathLife.com streamlines the life insurance purchase process by allowing you to get quotes from more than twenty carriers all at the same time and at the same place: GoliathLife.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CLIPS CHANNEL! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt53CkmnlJDSPE3gJNFTHjQ Jon Prosser and Sam Kohl are deeply concerned about the future of iOS...and the fact that iOS 16 is rumored to NOT have a redesign (even after all this time). The good news is they talk about this! The bad news is that this is essentially ALL the news that they discuss. This may or may not be due to an informal powerpoint presentation by Sam about his past week went. Oh, and they answer your voicemails! This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to http://hellofresh.com/genius16 and use code genius16 for up to 16 free meals plus 3 free gifts! This episode is sponsored by ChiliSleep. Head over to chilisleep.com/GENIUS for a special offer on a new sleep system. This episode is sponsored by Codecademy. Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to http://codecademy.com and use promo code GENIUSBAR. This episode is sponsored by Policygenius! When it comes to insurance, it's nice to get it right. Head to http://policygenius.com to get started right now. Follow Genius Bar Genius Bar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/geniusbarcast Sam on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/iupdate Jon on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/frontpagetech Sam on Twitter: http://twitter.com/iupdate Jon on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jon_prosser

On this episode of ARN, Arn and Conrad wrap up their journey through JCP 1987, as we revisit December '87! Topics include Arn and Tully's continued run as NWA World Tag Team Champions, JCP business following Starrcade, Bunkhouse Stampede, continued feud with The Road Warriors, "Dr. Death" Steve Williams, Dusty Rhodes, and much more! CHILISLEEP - ChiliSleep makes customizable, climate-controlled sleep solutions that help you improve your entire wellbeing. Head over to chilisleep.com/ARN to learn more and check out a special offer for a limited time!  COMETEER - Cometeer brings you the best coffee on the planet. And we've got a special deal for you: Save $20 off your first order when you sign up at: cometeer.com/ARN MAGIC SPOON - Go to magicspoon.com/ARN to grab a custom bundle of cereal and start your New Year off right! And be sure to use our promo code ARN at checkout to save five dollars off your order! SAVE WITH CONRAD - If you have credit card debt or in a 30 year loan? Well, we can help you get out of that pinch and save money at the same time! Head over to SaveWithConrad.com for a quick quote.  GOLIATH LIFE - GoliathLife.com streamlines the life insurance purchase process by allowing you to get quotes from more than twenty carriers all at the same time and at the same place: GoliathLife.com. SHEETZ - Energy drink or Milkshake? Imagine getting your favorite energy-bursting G fuel flavors whipped, iced, and milkshak-ified! Go to www.SHEETZ.com and grab a Focus Freak Milkshake for 3.99 or less! Use offer code ENERGIZE to save $1 when you order on the SHEETZ app!  STEVEN SINGER - Finding that person you want to spend the rest of your life with is great, but hate all the pressure of what's next. Skip all the hassle and head directly to the experts at IHateStevenSinger.com CODE ACADEMY - Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to Codecademy.com and use promo code ARN.

On this episode of Something To Wrestle, Bruce and Conrad go back 20 years to revisit WrestleMania X8, which took on March 17, 2002 at the Skydome in Toronto! In it, we'd see the famous "Icon vs. Icon" match between "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock! And boy, what a spectacle that was. Other topics include Scott Hall vs. Steve Austin, rumors of Sting, APA at Tim White's Friendly Tap, Jericho vs. Triple H, and much more! WWE 2K22 - Experience the new WWE 2K22 like never before with striking graphics, massive roster and new gameplay. Go to store.2K.com and grab your copy today! WWE 2K22...It Hits Different!  CHILISLEEP - ChiliSleep makes customizable, climate-controlled sleep solutions that help you improve your entire wellbeing. Head over to chilisleep.com/WRESTLE to learn more and check out a special offer for a limited time!  BLUECHEW - Bluechew gives you confidence in bed every time. Visit BlueChew.com and get your first order free when use promo code WRESTLE. Just pay $5 shipping! GOLIATH LIFE - GoliathLife.com streamlines the life insurance purchase process by allowing you to get quotes from more than twenty carriers all at the same time and at the same place: GoliathLife.com. CODE ACADEMY - Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to Codecademy.com and use promo code WRESTLE. SHEETZ -Energy drink or Milkshake? Imagine getting your favorite energy-bursting G fuel flavors whipped, iced, and milkshak-ified! Go to www.SHEETZ.com and grab a Focus Freak Milkshake for 3.99 or less! Use offer code ENERGIZE to save $1 when you order on the SHEETZ app!  ROCK AUTO - Rock Auto is a family business, serving auto parts customers online for 20 years. Go to RockAuto.com to shop for auto and body parts from hundreds of manufacturers. Type WRESTLE in their “How did you hear about us?” box so they know we sent you.  INDEED - Get started RIGHT NOW with a FREE $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to upgrade your job post at INDEED.com/WRESTLE. Offer valid through JUNE 30TH. Terms and conditons apply SHOPIFY - Shopify gives small business owners the ability to level up their business by making sales fast and easy! Go too Shopify.com/wrestle for a free 14 day trial today! FUZZY - Fuzzy is offering our listeners a FREE 7-Day Trial plus $20 off your first purchase of vet-recommended pet meds, supplements, treatments and more. Go to YourFuzzy.com and use promo code WRESTLE to get started." AURA - Aura provides digital security protection to keep your online finances, personal information, and tech safe from online threats. It's all-in-one protection from identity theft, financial fraud, malware, scam sites, and so much more. For a limited time, Aura is offering our listeners up to 40% off plans when you visit AURA.com/WRESTLE. SAVE WITH CONRAD - If you have credit card debt or in a 30 year loan? Well, we can help you get out of that pinch and save money at the same time! Head over to SaveWithConrad.com for a quick quote. 

On this episode of Something To Wrestle, Bruce and Conrad go back 20 years to revisit WrestleMania X8, which took on March 17, 2002 at the Skydome in Toronto! In it, we'd see the famous "Icon vs. Icon" match between "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock! And boy, what a spectacle that was. Other topics include Scott Hall vs. Steve Austin, rumors of Sting, APA at Tim White's Friendly Tap, Jericho vs. Triple H, and much more! WWE 2K22 - Experience the new WWE 2K22 like never before with striking graphics, massive roster and new gameplay. Go to store.2K.com and grab your copy today! WWE 2K22...It Hits Different!  CHILISLEEP - ChiliSleep makes customizable, climate-controlled sleep solutions that help you improve your entire wellbeing. Head over to chilisleep.com/WRESTLE to learn more and check out a special offer for a limited time!  BLUECHEW - Bluechew gives you confidence in bed every time. Visit BlueChew.com and get your first order free when use promo code WRESTLE. Just pay $5 shipping! GOLIATH LIFE - GoliathLife.com streamlines the life insurance purchase process by allowing you to get quotes from more than twenty carriers all at the same time and at the same place: GoliathLife.com. CODE ACADEMY - Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to Codecademy.com and use promo code WRESTLE. SHEETZ -Energy drink or Milkshake? Imagine getting your favorite energy-bursting G fuel flavors whipped, iced, and milkshak-ified! Go to www.SHEETZ.com and grab a Focus Freak Milkshake for 3.99 or less! Use offer code ENERGIZE to save $1 when you order on the SHEETZ app!  ROCK AUTO - Rock Auto is a family business, serving auto parts customers online for 20 years. Go to RockAuto.com to shop for auto and body parts from hundreds of manufacturers. Type WRESTLE in their “How did you hear about us?” box so they know we sent you.  INDEED - Get started RIGHT NOW with a FREE $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to upgrade your job post at INDEED.com/WRESTLE. Offer valid through JUNE 30TH. Terms and conditons apply SHOPIFY - Shopify gives small business owners the ability to level up their business by making sales fast and easy! Go too Shopify.com/wrestle for a free 14 day trial today! FUZZY - Fuzzy is offering our listeners a FREE 7-Day Trial plus $20 off your first purchase of vet-recommended pet meds, supplements, treatments and more. Go to YourFuzzy.com and use promo code WRESTLE to get started." AURA - Aura provides digital security protection to keep your online finances, personal information, and tech safe from online threats. It's all-in-one protection from identity theft, financial fraud, malware, scam sites, and so much more. For a limited time, Aura is offering our listeners up to 40% off plans when you visit AURA.com/WRESTLE. SAVE WITH CONRAD - If you have credit card debt or in a 30 year loan? Well, we can help you get out of that pinch and save money at the same time! Head over to SaveWithConrad.com for a quick quote.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of 83 Weeks, Eric and Paul look back at Sting's 1998 in WCW! Topics include starting the year as World Champion, being stripped of the title, winning it back, becoming a member of the Wolfpac, disappearing after Halloween Havoc, and much more! SUPER SHOW LIVE *DALLAS* - WWE Hall of Famers Jeff Jarrett and Eric Bischoff joined by host Conrad Thompson and special guest JEFF HARDY and WILLIAM REGAL are heading to Dallas WrestleMania weekend for a SUPER SHOW like no other! Join the guys at the legendary Gilley's for a surprised packed LIVE show that will make you laugh and keep you on the edge of your seats. Get your tickets now at SUPERSHOWLIVE.com before they're all gone! SHEETZ - Energy drink or Milkshake? Imagine getting your favorite energy-bursting G fuel flavors whipped, iced, and milkshak-ified! Go to www.SHEETZ.com and grab a Focus Freak Milkshake for 3.99 or less! Use offer code ENERGIZE to save $1 when you order on the SHEETZ app!  WWE 2K22 - Experience the new WWE 2K22 like never before with striking graphics, massive roster and new gameplay. Go to store.2K.com and grab your copy today! WWE 2K22...It Hits Different!  CHILISLEEP - ChiliSleep makes customizable, climate-controlled sleep solutions that help you improve your entire wellbeing. Head over to chilisleep.com/83WEEKS to learn more and check out a special offer for a limited time!  CODE ACADEMY - Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to Codecademy.com and use promo code WEEKS FEALS - Feals is a better way to feel better. Our premium CBD will keep your head clear and help you feel your best. CBD has been proven to greatly reduce anxiety, pain, and sleeplessness. Shipped direct to your doorstep in only a few days, Feals is the new natural, healthy, better way to feel better. Become a member today by going to Feals.com/83WEEKS and you'll get 50% off your first order with free shipping. FUZZY - Fuzzy is offering our listeners a FREE 7-Day Trial plus $20 off your first purchase of vet-recommended pet meds, supplements, treatments and more. Go to YourFuzzy.com and use promo code 83WEEKS to get started." STEVEN SINGER - Finding that person you want to spend the rest of your life with is great, but hate all the pressure of what's next. Skip all the hassle and head directly to the experts at IHateStevenSinger.com GOLIATH LIFE - GoliathLife.com streamlines the life insurance purchase process by allowing you to get quotes from more than twenty carriers all at the same time and at the same place: GoliathLife.com. SAVE WITH CONRAD - If you have credit card debt or in a 30 year loan? Well, we can help you get out of that pinch and save money at the same time! Head over to SaveWithConrad.com for a quick quote. 

On this episode of 83 Weeks, Eric and Paul look back at Sting's 1998 in WCW! Topics include starting the year as World Champion, being stripped of the title, winning it back, becoming a member of the Wolfpac, disappearing after Halloween Havoc, and much more! SUPER SHOW LIVE *DALLAS* - WWE Hall of Famers Jeff Jarrett and Eric Bischoff joined by host Conrad Thompson and special guest JEFF HARDY and WILLIAM REGAL are heading to Dallas WrestleMania weekend for a SUPER SHOW like no other! Join the guys at the legendary Gilley's for a surprised packed LIVE show that will make you laugh and keep you on the edge of your seats. Get your tickets now at SUPERSHOWLIVE.com before they're all gone! SHEETZ - Energy drink or Milkshake? Imagine getting your favorite energy-bursting G fuel flavors whipped, iced, and milkshak-ified! Go to www.SHEETZ.com and grab a Focus Freak Milkshake for 3.99 or less! Use offer code ENERGIZE to save $1 when you order on the SHEETZ app!  WWE 2K22 - Experience the new WWE 2K22 like never before with striking graphics, massive roster and new gameplay. Go to store.2K.com and grab your copy today! WWE 2K22...It Hits Different!  CHILISLEEP - ChiliSleep makes customizable, climate-controlled sleep solutions that help you improve your entire wellbeing. Head over to chilisleep.com/83WEEKS to learn more and check out a special offer for a limited time!  CODE ACADEMY - Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to Codecademy.com and use promo code WEEKS FEALS - Feals is a better way to feel better. Our premium CBD will keep your head clear and help you feel your best. CBD has been proven to greatly reduce anxiety, pain, and sleeplessness. Shipped direct to your doorstep in only a few days, Feals is the new natural, healthy, better way to feel better. Become a member today by going to Feals.com/83WEEKS and you'll get 50% off your first order with free shipping. FUZZY - Fuzzy is offering our listeners a FREE 7-Day Trial plus $20 off your first purchase of vet-recommended pet meds, supplements, treatments and more. Go to YourFuzzy.com and use promo code 83WEEKS to get started." STEVEN SINGER - Finding that person you want to spend the rest of your life with is great, but hate all the pressure of what's next. Skip all the hassle and head directly to the experts at IHateStevenSinger.com GOLIATH LIFE - GoliathLife.com streamlines the life insurance purchase process by allowing you to get quotes from more than twenty carriers all at the same time and at the same place: GoliathLife.com. SAVE WITH CONRAD - If you have credit card debt or in a 30 year loan? Well, we can help you get out of that pinch and save money at the same time! Head over to SaveWithConrad.com for a quick quote.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of ARN, we continue our journey through JCP 1987, as we revisit November '87! Topics include Arn and Tully's continued run as NWA World Tag Team Champions, Texas Death match vs. Barry Windham, 8-man tags with The Midnight Express, Starrcade 1987 vs. The Road Warriors, WWF Survivor Series, and much more! CODE ACADEMY -Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to Codecademy.com and use promo code ARN . SAVE WITH CONRAD - If you have credit card debt or in a 30 year loan? Well, we can help you get out of that pinch and save money at the same time! Head over to SaveWithConrad.com for a quick quote.  CHILISLEEP - ChiliSleep makes customizable, climate-controlled sleep solutions that help you improve your entire wellbeing. Head over to chilisleep.com/ARN to learn more and check out a special offer for a limited time!  GOLIATH LIFE - GoliathLife.com streamlines the life insurance purchase process by allowing you to get quotes from more than twenty carriers all at the same time and at the same place: GoliathLife.com. SHEETZ - Energy drink or Milkshake? Imagine getting your favorite energy-bursting G fuel flavors whipped, iced, and milkshak-ified! Go to www.SHEETZ.com and grab a Focus Freak Milkshake for 3.99 or less! Use offer code ENERGIZE to save $1 when you order on the SHEETZ app!  BLUECHEW - Bluechew gives you confidence in bed every time. Visit BlueChew.com and get your first order free when use promo code ARN. Just pay $5 shipping!

We are deep onto WrestleMania season and what better way to prepare for the grand daddy of them all than listening to Bruce and Conrad break down some epic Manias from the past. On this episode of Something To Wrestle, the guys take a deep dive into WrestleMania 7 through 11. LIGHTSTREAM - The online application is so easy – you can apply right from your phone! The ONLY way to get this discount is to go to LIGHTSTREAM.com/WRESTLE Subject to credit approval. Rate includes 0.50% AutoPay discount.  CODE ACADEMY -Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to Codecademy.com and use promo code WRESTLE . ROCK AUTO - Rock Auto is a family business, serving auto parts customers online for 20 years. Go to RockAuto.com to shop for auto and body parts from hundreds of manufacturers. Type WRESTLE in their “How did you hear about us?” box so they know we sent you.  KEEPS - If your ready to take ACTION and prevent hair loss, go to KEEPS.com/WRESTLE to receive your first month of treatment for FREE! WWE 2K22 - Experience the new WWE 2K22 like never before with striking graphics, massive roster and new gameplay. Go to store.2K.com and grab your copy today! WWE 2K22...It Hits Different!  SHEETZ - Energy drink or Milkshake? Imagine getting your favorite energy-bursting G fuel flavors whipped, iced, and milkshak-ified! Go to www.SHEETZ.com and grab a Focus Freak Milkshake for 3.99 or less! Use offer code ENERGIZE to save $1 when you order on the SHEETZ app!  FUZZY - Fuzzy is offering our listeners a FREE 7-Day Trial plus $20 off your first purchase of vet-recommended pet meds, supplements, treatments and more. Go to YourFuzzy.com and use promo code WRESTLE to get started." SAVE WITH CONRAD - If you have credit card debt or in a 30 year loan? Well, we can help you get out of that pinch and save money at the same time! Head over to SaveWithConrad.com for a quick quote.  AURA - Aura provides digital security protection to keep your online finances, personal information, and tech safe from online threats. It's all-in-one protection from identity theft, financial fraud, malware, scam sites, and so much more. For a limited time, Aura is offering our listeners up to 40% off plans when you visit AURA.com/WRESTLE. GOLIATH LIFE - GoliathLife.com streamlines the life insurance purchase process by allowing you to get quotes from more than twenty carriers all at the same time and at the same place: GoliathLife.com. BLUECHEW - Bluechew gives you confidence in bed every time. Visit BlueChew.com and get your first order free when use promo code WRESTLE. Just pay $5 shipping! BETTER HELP - I want you to start living a happier life today. As a listener, you'll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/bradshaw Join over 1 million people who have taken charge of their mental health. CHILISLEEP - ChiliSleep makes customizable, climate-controlled sleep solutions that help you improve your entire wellbeing. Head over to chilisleep.com/WRESTLE to learn more and check out a special offer for a limited time!  MAGIC SPOON - Go to magicspoon.com/WRESTLE to grab a custom bundle of cereal and start your New Year off right! And be sure to use our promo code WRESTLE at checkout to save five dollars off your order!

We are deep onto WrestleMania season and what better way to prepare for the grand daddy of them all than listening to Bruce and Conrad break down some epic Manias from the past. On this episode of Something To Wrestle, the guys take a deep dive into WrestleMania 7 through 11. LIGHTSTREAM - The online application is so easy – you can apply right from your phone! The ONLY way to get this discount is to go to LIGHTSTREAM.com/WRESTLE Subject to credit approval. Rate includes 0.50% AutoPay discount.  CODE ACADEMY -Get 15% off your Codecademy Pro membership when you go to Codecademy.com and use promo code WRESTLE . ROCK AUTO - Rock Auto is a family business, serving auto parts customers online for 20 years. Go to RockAuto.com to shop for auto and body parts from hundreds of manufacturers. Type WRESTLE in their “How did you hear about us?” box so they know we sent you.  KEEPS - If your ready to take ACTION and prevent hair loss, go to KEEPS.com/WRESTLE to receive your first month of treatment for FREE! WWE 2K22 - Experience the new WWE 2K22 like never before with striking graphics, massive roster and new gameplay. Go to store.2K.com and grab your copy today! WWE 2K22...It Hits Different!  SHEETZ - Energy drink or Milkshake? Imagine getting your favorite energy-bursting G fuel flavors whipped, iced, and milkshak-ified! Go to www.SHEETZ.com and grab a Focus Freak Milkshake for 3.99 or less! Use offer code ENERGIZE to save $1 when you order on the SHEETZ app!  FUZZY - Fuzzy is offering our listeners a FREE 7-Day Trial plus $20 off your first purchase of vet-recommended pet meds, supplements, treatments and more. Go to YourFuzzy.com and use promo code WRESTLE to get started." SAVE WITH CONRAD - If you have credit card debt or in a 30 year loan? Well, we can help you get out of that pinch and save money at the same time! Head over to SaveWithConrad.com for a quick quote.  AURA - Aura provides digital security protection to keep your online finances, personal information, and tech safe from online threats. It's all-in-one protection from identity theft, financial fraud, malware, scam sites, and so much more. For a limited time, Aura is offering our listeners up to 40% off plans when you visit AURA.com/WRESTLE. GOLIATH LIFE - GoliathLife.com streamlines the life insurance purchase process by allowing you to get quotes from more than twenty carriers all at the same time and at the same place: GoliathLife.com. BLUECHEW - Bluechew gives you confidence in bed every time. Visit BlueChew.com and get your first order free when use promo code WRESTLE. Just pay $5 shipping! BETTER HELP - I want you to start living a happier life today. As a listener, you'll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/bradshaw Join over 1 million people who have taken charge of their mental health. CHILISLEEP - ChiliSleep makes customizable, climate-controlled sleep solutions that help you improve your entire wellbeing. Head over to chilisleep.com/WRESTLE to learn more and check out a special offer for a limited time!  MAGIC SPOON - Go to magicspoon.com/WRESTLE to grab a custom bundle of cereal and start your New Year off right! And be sure to use our promo code WRESTLE at checkout to save five dollars off your order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices