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Did you know that 01/21/20 was the 2 year anniversary of Covid 19 appearing in the USA? We have all now experienced the 3rd worst pandemic in the history of humanity. What long-term effects will the pandemic have on housing (and civilization on a whole?) 24 months later, we have: 1- Record low inventory. As of today, there are fewer than 1 million actively listed homes in the United States. 2 - Record high prices, with the average home price at $408,800, are projected to keep increasing by at least 16% in most markets for 2022. 3 - An all-time record of licensed real estate agents, as of today, 1.6 million. 4 - Mid-size and secondary markets have greatly benefitted by 'The Great Re-Shuffle', with people moving to more rural areas and away from urban centers. 5 - Even our language about houses has changed. Now we have Zoom Rooms, Peloton Rooms, and 'Cloffices' (closet offices). 6 - The number of homeowners who refinanced or are in the process has doubled in the past 24 months. 7 - In spite of record-low inventory, we had a record number of sales, topping out at 6 million closings. 8 - We had 17 months straight of double-digit price gains. 10 - Record inflation with no end in sight. 'The Great Reset' is happening now. Housing will continue to INFLATE in a meaningful way for at least the next 12-24 months and then level off to 3-6% per year. The point is, today's price will seem like 'a deal' in 12-24 months.  Reminder, you promised yourself you would become a HARRIS Coaching client. You are done wasting time and ready to follow a proven path. Now, while you are here make the next natural step and join the 1000s of other agents as a HARRIS Real Estate University coaching member. No more waiting or procrastinating. Join now. Here is the quick and simple enrollment.—-> YES, Enroll Me Now In Premier Coaching. I WILL make NOW my best year ever! https://timandjulieharris.com/real-estate-coaching-programs/premier-coaching.html What happens next? Will there be some sort of epic correction? Will interest rates cause that? A - Currently we have record LOW forbearance rates at less than 1.5% of mortgages and fewer than 1% of mortgages are in foreclosure. B - Fannie Mae has predicted that rising interest rates in 2022 will indeed affect housing demand, but only by 3.2% fewer loan applications, almost all of them being first-time buyers who are priced out, FHA and VA buyers. So far, even with rates inching higher, loan applications are up 8% this month. C - New Construction will come to the rescue on some level. Homebuilding has increased by 15.6% since 2020 with 1.7 million units set to be built this year. Keep in mind this is a mixture of single-family, townhome, condo, and multifamily. What should an agent do? 1 - Recognize that your number one job in your practice is to generate listing leads, contact them, prequalify, present, negotiate and close. The buyers will come. 2 - Recognize and embrace the fact that you will need to do more, know more, and make more contacts to meet or exceed your goals this year. More agent competition and fewer listings to go around. Be the one with the listings. 3 - Know about new construction, know how to work with builders and new build sales reps. 4 - Stop expecting a market correction or crash. It's not happening. 5 - Get involved in coaching so we can keep you educated, motivated, and in action! Question….did you download your fill-in-the-blank business and life plan yet? If not, no worries. We have done the hard work for you. Download your 2022 REAL ESTATE TREASURE MAP! Text HARRIS to 47372. It's that simple and takes 3 seconds. Text HARRIS to 47372 and when you do we will instantly text you back with a link to download. BONUS: For a limited time when you text HARRIS to 47372 you will also receive a Coaching Call! 4 Msgs/Month. Reply STOP to cancel, HELP for help. Msg&data rates may apply. Terms & Privacy: slkt.io/JWQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Show notes are another pillar of podcasting. Without it, it will be plain and dry.  Join us in discovering the different aspects of show notes, how it sparks interest, and make them worth listening to.     WHAT TO LISTEN FOR   6 sections of a show notes How can you attract your target audience? Persuade your audience to respond to your call to action The benefits of keeping it short, sweet, and simple Title formats that do not occupy space       RESOURCES/LINKS MENTIONED   Calendly  Buzzsprout Libsyn Podbean Captivate     ABOUT BRIAN NEWELL   Brian spent several years as a Commercial Apartment Manager and has over 14 years of expertise in the banking industry holding various roles in business operations, forecasting, risk identification & remediation. He has been a close friend of Adam's for several years and joined the Grow Your Show team in Mid-2020.     CONNECT WITH BRIAN  Calendly: Grow Your Show     CONNECT WITH US   Thinking about creating and growing your own podcast but not sure where to start? Visit GrowYourShow.com and Schedule a call with Adam A. Adams!

Stacy Haughey is from a small town on Michigan's Upper Peninsula -- it's the kind of place where family is everywhere and traditions run deep. Hunting was something Stacy inherited from her maternal side. "Grandma's Hunting Training Academy" is what they jokingly called it when time at Grandma's was synonymous with time in a tree stand. 2:00 Wild game Christmas basket exchange, ya'll 3:30 Small-town life on Michigan's Upper Peninsula ("the U-P" to Michiganders) 6:00 Learning to hunt through your family's maternal side, where grandma's in charge... aka "Grandma's Hunting Training Academy" 8:00 How a Depression-era mentality influences ethos about food security 13:00 The UP Habitat Work Group 14:00 When species conservation depends on private lands habitat  18:00 Building connections... it's a time investment that pays dividends 21:00 Want to connect with Michigan's DNR? It's 906-226-1330 24:00 Balancing a passion for the outdoors with raising kids... there is no mold of what it should look like 30:00 Michigan's Becoming an Outdoor Woman (or BOW) program 33:00 Artemis Ambassador applications are open through Feb. 7... if you care about seeing more women in the field and on the water, your time and expertise is needed. Please apply! Want more Artemis? Find our Facebook group for more great discussion. 35:00 Hunting with older cousins as an 8-year-old and being sworn to secrecy after one of them runs the rig into a fencepost 37:00 Learning to track 38:00 Volunteering at a deer check station (best place to see what's new in hunting... like the blaze-orange body suit) 41:00 Barefoot turkey hunting with Mary Lynn 43:00 Is there ever an ideal time to have a new dog? Mid-life rescue dogs and their "interesting" behaviors

The New Orleans Saints named Jameis Winston their starting quarterback ahead of the 2021 NFL season following his offseason QB competition with Taysom Hill. After that, all the narratives focused on which QB was the right choice, often times grounded in the projected failed either or both. Turns out, both quarterbacks would get starting time due to the enormously complicated season faced by the Saints. And in each of their own rights, Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill exceeded expectations. As for 2022, there's a chance that both Jameis and Taysom are back int he facility, or the Saints could target one of the big names that might become available via trade. Russell Wilson, Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo and others could all be options for New Orleans. And while they'll turn every stone and inspect every possibility over the offseason - all eyes will be on what's next for the Saints. What's the difference between unrestricted, restricted, exclusive rights, and street free agents? Mid-week fundamentals breaks down everything you need to know about free agent contract ahead of the offseason. Follow & Subscribe to the Locked On Saints Podcast on these platforms… 

Mid-western TV news anchor Jodi Huisentruit fails to show up to work one morning and police are called to a disturbing scene at her apartment complex. An investigation into her disappearance uncovers troubling details that has a small community on guard. LOOKING FOR MORE PATRICK AND ELLYN? JOIN OUR PATREON! At the $5 level you get 3 FULL BONUS EPISODES PER MONTH! Right now there are over 25 full bonus episode to download and binge right this second! Including our coverage of "Who The Bleep Did I Marry," "See No Evil", "Evil Lives Here", "Snapped", "Who the Bleep Did I Marry" and more!! CLICK HERE TO JOIN!

This week we sit down with Dimond Factory Racing's Chris Schroeder. We learn about Chris' transition from professional triathlon to that of a gravel racer. We also look at his decision to start a racing team versus continuing as a privateer. Dimond Factory Racing Instagram Join The Ridership Support the Podcast Automated transcription, please excuse the typos:   Hello and welcome to the gravel ride podcast. I'm your host Craig Dalton. This week on the podcast, we've got Colorado based professional gravel racer, Chris Schroeder. Chris is not only a racer, but he's also the manager of the diamond factory racing team. His path to gravel racing was from that of, uh, as a professional triathlete. Interestingly, I learned that the private tier model, as it's known. It's something that's quite prevalent. In the triathlon world. But Chris didn't really want to take that model forward. He really wanted to build. Uh, professional gravel racing team. So i thought it'd be interesting to get his perspective to hear about his experience in the gravel world thus far and more importantly hear about what his plans are for 2022 with his teammate. Before we jump in, I need to thank this. Week's sponsor athletic greens. Athletic greens is literally a product I use every single day. I've been an athletic greens user for many years prior to actually starting the podcast. I really didn't have the time nor inclination to take a bunch of pills and vitamins. To get some of my nutritional basis covered. So when I found out about ag one, was stoked about how convenient it was going to be for me. So what's in this stuff with one delicious scoop of athletic greens, you're absorbing 75 high quality vitamins minerals, whole food sorts, superfoods, probiotics, and APTA Jens. To help start your day. Right? The special blend of ingredients supports gut health, your nervous system, your immune system, your energy recovery focus and aging. All the things. This is particularly poignant at this moment, as I just got back from two back-to-back 90 mile days. Uh, riding down to Santa Cruz, California, and backup to my home in Marin county. Athletic greens. I brought one of their travel packs with me to take on Sunday morning as I got up and started my second big day. And when I got home, I blasted another one simply because I needed a little bit more. I knew I'd run the battery down pretty darn low with this weekends, riding and athletic greens all is gives me the confidence that I'm at least covering my baselines nutritionally. Build on top of that a healthy diet and you've got yourself a winning combination Athletic greens will cost you less than $3 a day. You're investing in your health and it's cheaper than your cold brew habit. Athletic greens as over 7,505 star reviews. And is recommended by professional athletes. Right now it's time to reclaim your health and arm your immune system with convenient daily nutrition. Especially in the middle of cold and flu season. It's just one scoop in a cup of water every day. That's it. No need for millions of different pills and supplements to look out for your health. To make it easy. Athletic greens is going to give you a free one year supply of immune supporting vitamin D and five free travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athletic greens.com/the gravel ride. Again, that's athletic greens.com/the gravel ride to take ownership of your health and pick up the ultimate daily nutritional insurance. Would that business out of the way. Let's jump right in to my interview with Chris. [00:03:15] Craig Dalton: Chris welcome to the show. [00:03:17] Chris Schroeder: Great to be here [00:03:18] Craig Dalton: Yeah, I'm excited when you reached out to me, I think this is going to be a really interesting discussion. The starting point for all my conversations is always to get a little bit of your background as a cyclist, how you came into the sport and how ultimately you started riding. [00:03:31] Chris Schroeder: So it's hard to say how I came into cycling. I came into cycling and triathlon at the same time. About 15 years old, my family relocated from Telluride, Colorado to New York city. And at the time New York city is has a giant cycling presence. Contrarians are a very big thing there. They do a lot of races in central park and the surrounding area. So as a way for me to find something to do when I was there, I started running of those, the local cycling club. It wasn't a race club. It was. A website or a form, or you just go on there and they say, right, we have a group ride every couple of mornings and you know, it was fun. I had a old road bike and then the same exact time I was getting into that, I also equally wanting to get into triathlon. So that was a great like way for me to start training and start preparing. And as that grew, I did a couple of bike races and at the same time training for triathlons eventually just kept going into triathlon and kept doing more of the. And at the same time, I was always a very big fan of cycling. I would always watch the races. I would always follow the riders and that was like a restaurant, but I was a fan of cycling. So I just kept coming up and triathlon. Eventually I went to college at university of Colorado here in Boulder, and Boulder is a great community for pro triathletes and cyclists of all kinds. It's just a Mecca for it. And I ended up eventually becoming a professional in, I believe 20. 15 though, like end of 2015, I went on and raised five years, professional triathlete, you know, I got a lot out of it. I traveled the world. I raised on like six different continents. I met amazing people like throughout the whole way, but at the end of the five years, I just, I wasn't content with where my career was and I wasn't really, I think it plateaued. I just wasn't moving. I wasn't getting the results. I needed to continue doing the sport. And I just stagnated and going into 2020, I had this mindset and I had signed up for, to just a way out. I was like, know, I'm going to finish this sport by dating my first full iron man. So I went to go, the plan was all right, I'm going to go do Ironman, New Zealand. And a couple months before that there was a race in Oklahoma called the Oklahoma gravel Gower at the time. And I kinda knew that I got this sport gravel. I really liked it because it reminded me a lot of the monuments in cycling, like cargo bay, the dynamic just of the just bad-ass like let's get out here and get dirty and strongest man wins kind of mentality. So I knew going into that race. Not really know anything. I was like, didn't have a gravel bag and laid that on my road bike with the biggest tires I could fit. And I ended up having a great race. So early on, I got a new move of Ted king. We went on for a while. Like I eventually got dropped. I got picked up by two guys behind and then ended up beating both of them in the sprint to finish second. So all of a sudden I had this hot iron. What I use then to go on to use, to create this transition to gravel. [00:06:48] Craig Dalton: Interesting. Yeah, for me, it's not super surprising that you had a great cycling experience in New York. It might've been. 10 years ago before I knew a bunch of people from New York and realized like how great the scene is there for a road racing. It's maybe a little surprising that you got into triathlons out of New York, but obviously there's a lot of great road running there and triathlon. There's a few good races in that neck of the woods. [00:07:14] Chris Schroeder: Yeah, we'll come back to that. When we started talking about diamond and stuff like that. But when I, because I had that result in Oklahoma, when I went on to do Ironman New Zealand, you know, the race went, it was a good way to end the closing. On my drunker and made me feel very contented, very like, all right. I did everything I could and I got what I got out of it. And then I'm probably the only person in the world who this positive came from. COVID where the world's shut down. As soon as like, before I even left New Zealand, the world's start shutting down. It's a miraculous, I even got able to leave the country, the roads shut down. All these triathlon races got canceled. All of a sudden the sport that I don't want to do isn't happening anymore. But I have all these sponsors that need me to do something. So when I was able to do with all my current sponsors to say, Hey, I can't race a triathlon because there was no triathlons. I can go do another gravel race where I already had this giant buzz, this giant pop and a good result or this year. So with that, I was able to just start doing gravel races with all my sponsors, still supporting me. They were just supporting me as they were and things just went well. And then. Mid 2020, we just started really committing to, we're just going to start a team. We're not going to have minimums or anything like that. We're just going to work at the end of the January 1st. We're announcing this team and it can be big, small, whatever, wherever we land, we're going to go with. You know, we were very fortunate in having Jared come on, board, our videographer, and he really is the only reason this team was able to exist in 2021. I did Belgium wall fried Cedar city September, 2020. He came out made. What I think still to this day is his best piece of work, which was a video covering my experience. There really just raw showing that experience. I was able to then all these sponsors I was talking to at the time that were like, eh, we don't really know. I was able to send them this video. And it was like talking to a different person. All of a sudden the conversation went my way and we were able to close a couple of deals with at the time Kenda tires and vision components, both of which were huge. I, we desperately needed both of those contracts. Eventually a hybrid clothing and Lin helmets came on board to help us out. And then we had. We had the support. We had the writers, we had a product, which was our video production and assets, and that kind of launched us into 2021. [00:09:48] Craig Dalton: That's a super interesting story about how athletes need to package themselves up in order to be successful in this. I want to go back a little bit to that transition period. And as a quick side note, I also retired as a triathlete from Ironman, New Zealand, not professional, not fast, but it was my last iron man. And I agree. It's something, if you get into the sport of triathlon, regardless of the level, having that iron man experience is just it. I think it is very similar to these epic gravel events. We're just getting across the finish line can be such a magic. Thing in your history that everybody should try to do it. [00:10:24] Chris Schroeder: Yeah, absolutely. I I it's just like in the moment I was just miserable. Like I was. A lot of stuff, like just in my life and where I was my career, but I, because I finished it. I can just, I don't have to look back cause I'm just I'm so much more content than I would be. Had I not done that? [00:10:41] Craig Dalton: Yeah, a hundred percent. I'm also curious, you know, it sounds like the 72.2 distance was a strong suit of yours. Then you moved up to the Ironman distance. When you started going to these long gravel events, what kind of parallels did you see from the endurance and mental strength required to complete an Ironman or a long distance triathlon to what you were seeing at the gravel of. [00:11:04] Chris Schroeder: Well, it's hard. I don't think 70.3 is Ironman. You can draw a lot of parallel parallels, the 70.3 distance. Not as much because those races are dynamic. You are racing. An Ironman is a lot more similar in the sense you. Not raising, you're all just trying to finish. And one of you happens to finish before the others. Definitely the mental attitude that you have in an Ironman of when you're just trying to finish it. I've nothing else to do today. If always I keep putting one foot in front of the other, I will eventually cross the line. That's like the unfortunate gravel mentality for a lot of these 10 plus hour events or. Even the comment, I feel like 125 miles is the common distance for gravel. You're still looking at a seven hour day for the fast guys. Like it's a lot of time out there versus the 71 is really four hours. Most professionals go way under that now. So it's hard to say, like, I think honestly my biggest asset transitioning to gravel was just the amount of time has been being a fan of cycling and why. Professional races and just admiring the tactics. [00:12:09] Craig Dalton: Yeah, I think one of the things that has come up on a number of occasions and in my own personal experience with triathlon was just. Stuff's going to go wrong and you just gotta move forward and get on with it. And the events are long enough that you can have a really bad nutrition or hydration moment and come back around. If you just fuel the system in the right. [00:12:28] Chris Schroeder: absolutely. I think in gravel, The gravel, you can get a little more catastrophic with your failures. You're talking about just breaking everything is breakable on a gravel race tire wheel by Canterbury's yourself. Like it's all up in the air. In a triathlon you can bonk or you can get a flat like those. Those are really the two bad scenarios and the gravel is just, you just don't know what's going to go wrong. There's so many options. [00:12:50] Craig Dalton: Yeah, a hundred [00:12:51] Chris Schroeder: Like for Unbound with, you have to basically be able to rebuild your entire bike is rather than. [00:12:57] Craig Dalton: Speaking of Unbound. So 2020, you sort of get your gravel legs underneath you. You have the good fortune of having sponsors that are willing to pivot with you because gravel was going off more than the triathlon world was you fell in love with it 2021, you register from Unbound. And there's a great video of your experience there. So why don't you talk to us about your experience? What was your. Expectations and goals going in and how did it play? [00:13:22] Chris Schroeder: Unmanned was definitely a little emotional. Like it's a, like, it's a lot that goes into it. It's really very parallel to the Ironman world championships in terms of prestige And just the hype around it. I definitely went into it a little ignorant of just like what's about to happen. I made some just blatant mistakes, but ultimately I just wasn't trained properly for it. And completely just melted in the, it's hard to describe for people that haven't done Unbound it's 200 miles. I think the winter did like 10 hours and 30 minutes this year. So you, would expect this, the race to play out in something in a way that would, you know, relate to someone trying to pace themselves for about long race. In the beginning, like three hours of Unbound are just you're on the pace [00:14:20] Craig Dalton: Did you enter that race thinking I'm going to stick with the lead group? You know, this is going to be my tactic in those first three. [00:14:27] Chris Schroeder: yeah, I just didn't do a couple blatant things. I didn't preview enough of the course. I preview maybe the first like 20 miles and then like mile like 25, we entered this just ridiculous Doubletrack section. Bodies everywhere. And it's like, as a easy tactical error, I was 58 wheels back when we entered that section. And this is probably my biggest advice for anyone racing gravel is it's not ever the effort of being in the front group. That's going to get you. It's the effort of having to chase back onto the front group. That's going to kill you and having to do that twice. Cause there was two Doubletrack sections and both of those sections I wasn't prepared. I was out of. And then leaving them. I had to chase back on. And then those efforts are the ones that really take it out of you where you're doing 10, 15 minutes, just like everything you've got to try and chase back on. That's the effort you can't recover from. And that's also the same effort that you're burning. Very precious fuel. You're brewing your body's heating up, like, you know, the internal temperature and all that's just going up and to ever recover from that. Like you almost have to completely just start going easy to even recover from it. So that's like the thing that kind of like led to the, my, a larger downfall in that race was just those big efforts from just not being prepared with the course that resulted in just like catastrophic kind of blow up that I had. It's hard to say like 200 miles is a lot. It's a lot to train for, to being competitive. And I think that perhaps for 2022, I might actually pivot and race the a hundred mile and Unbound with the thought process of just being like at, in the 200, you know, what's realistic from results standpoint. You know, everything goes well, like my best day, where am I finishing? You know, perhaps on my best day, I'm finishing ninth in the laundry. That's a huge result. I think on an average day I could win the hundred. So from an athlete perspective and a business perspective, I'd have to think, all right, where's the optimal value right now? I'm seeing it in the a hundred, you know, the a hundred got a lot of press still. The winner was on a lot of the magazines are not, he's like the news articles that we came out about it. I think that I might be taking a step back from doing the 200 Unbound this year to refocus and prioritize the a hundred and really go after a result there. [00:17:04] Craig Dalton: Yeah, it is interesting, you know, a hundred is a lot more racing distance than a 200, as you said. I think the top men and women, like they know how to handle that a high-octane three hour, first, three hour of Unbound, and then go back to a more comfortable level and then race, you know, another six hours later. But at least [00:17:23] Chris Schroeder: Absolutely. I think that 200 miles, the thing is this, I think eventually Unbound will suffer from this is that it's not dynamic watching 200 miles race. Ironman has the same problem. It's not interesting watching any of our race because not enough is happening to keep you entertained. Unbound is the same thing. The last five hours of it, or even more boring than the first five we're watching the more boring Bard, because everyone's just dying at that point. And they're just dying in a direction towards the finish line. A hundred mile raising is completely different, you know, it's completely dynamic the whole entire time. You're because it's shorter. People are able to stay together longer and makes for more interesting race. And that's where I think the. I get the gravel has this mindset of like longer is more gravel or something along those lines, but there is a line where you need to just like adding miles for the sake of adding miles is just not like, what's it doing? I had this conversation with Jim Miller at BWR at Cedar city where this year they, it used to end where you do. Like a mile, like 105, you'd go from do like five miles of single track. And then you get on a bike path and it was like three months to finish line and they added like 17 miles of like, you face the thing on track and then just do 17 miles of like nothing gravel and an around like construction sites. Like you're on the road going through like neighborhoods, like you're on the road going through an industrial park. And I was just like, why did you add that? Like, it did nothing for the race. You have this beautiful. You know, you're struggling. You Google, these climbs, you get to the single track, just getting there is such an accomplishment. You've finished this very hard tangled, downhill, single track, and then you're on a bike path to the finish line. And that was like, when you think of a race and you're no, one's saying you have to have a certain distance, so you should just try and have the best race course you can. And by adding those extra miles, you didn't really do. You did the opposite. You made us all finish with the last hour of stuff that we saw. An airplane hanger and a construction site and utility soft. Like I just think that some of these race directors need to not have the mindset of longer is better. [00:19:42] Craig Dalton: Yeah, it's interesting. It's interesting to get your perspective as someone more towards the front end of the race, because I've got the mid pack perspective. And, but I tend to agree with you. Like, for me beyond a hundred miles just is not something I really can ever get fit enough for being, you know, a professional and a family man. Like that's just not happening in my world. So I'm not. Super pro those things and I can in talking to you definitely get it that you're not going to get a very dynamic race with 20 people battling it out. If it's 200 miles, because half of those people are going to drop out from mechanicals. Others are going to drop out through nutrition, and you're going to end up with this battle of attrition that maybe leaves it as we've seen in the last couple of years, two or three people duking out a little bit. Towards the end of the 200. And then maybe if you're lucky it's a sprint finish. [00:20:38] Chris Schroeder: Yeah, I'm the same way. Like I just visit logically like that a hundred mile to like a fast, 125 mile course. That's my sweet spot. And I think that, I don't know if I would say, like, it was a hard lesson to learn that I'm not in this current state of 200 mile racer. I'm a lot better at that a hundred, 1 25 kind of range. Yeah, accepting, like, look, I'm at a couple of these events, like take gravel worlds, for example, like it's just not, it's not great for me. I can do, you know, really well on a faster, less climbing, 125 mile course, but longer than that, I'm just not ready. Like I just don't have the years and miles of this intensity in the legs. Like, even though it triathlon. Obviously still very bike heavy. I don't have the intensity that these races are run out for that long a time. [00:21:29] Craig Dalton: Yeah. Yeah. So speaking of that, What, when you transitioned you talked about this a little bit, but how would you care to characterize your gravel skillset? Are you feeling technically strong or is that still like, you're a horsepower guy from your triathlon days? [00:21:46] Chris Schroeder: it's a hard one. It's definitely something I'm I work really hard to improve. Is my technical skills, not just like Unbound and it's a good example of well early stages. And I would say like the first 30 miles on a mountain, you are in a giant group and you need to be 10. We still don't have to move within that group in a very comfortable way. You need to be really comfortable, bumping elbows and shoulders. And I did a lot to help myself with that. I raised a lot of like criteriums on the local scene. I did a cyclocross this season, all with that in mind. Not only do I want to get better at it. I want to be known as someone who is very proficient at my handling and my positioning, because I think that's one of the biggest gaps in gravel where you can take advantage of is a technical skill, especially for descending. It's very hard. It's not like the road at all. Cause there's so many things going on in any given turn. So just getting better at that skill is something I really wanted to invest in, in the off season. And hopefully that kind of. Pays for itself, this coming season. [00:22:49] Craig Dalton: Yeah, that goes into another one of my sort of desires for the sport. I love when event organizers do throw in technical elements of the course. Cause I do think the best gravel racers that I want to see that I admire. They've got that full bag of tricks, right? They can go well when it's a basic gravel road or pavement, but they also can thrive in the technical elements of the sport. And you definitely see, and it sounds like you're very attuned to. The types of events that are going to suit you well, so maybe you're not going to a super single tracky event today, as you're continuing to build that skillset. [00:23:23] Chris Schroeder: And you're also not going to see me doing like I'm 63 and like 170 pounds. Like I'm not going uphills quick. Like you're not gonna see me a Toshar. I did that race this year and I was like, this is awful. This isn't for the big boys. So like knowing also like, what race am I realistically going to be competitive to that person? What race do I just not like, don't just, don't go do that. Like just don't do that race. You can just skip it. Like there's nothing wrong with skipping a race. So I think it's just a lesson where you have to just sit and go, let's take an honest look at things. This is what I'm good at. This is what I'm horrible at it. So we shouldn't go to races that have a big emphasis on stuff that I'm bad at. I. I definitely agree with you where I think that in gravel, every race should have like one call it feature of just ridiculousness. Like each racing I'll throw in a single track section, throw in some river crossings, you know, something like that. Just to I think it's always fun just to have that one kind of obstacle that race will then become known for. [00:24:20] Craig Dalton: Yeah, it's like a preeminent criteria. It just spices things up. And in this scenario you'd know about it. Right. You know, there's the technical, single track coming up and that it may create a, a. that might be someone's opportunity to take advantage of their particular skillset, knowing full well that, you know, they're less proficient in another discipline. I remember hearing pace and McKelvin talking about the rule of three and racing against the in Boswell. And he's like, you know, Ian's got me in so many different ways, but I did know when, as someone with a mountain bike background, when I hit that single track, it was going to be a huge advantage for me. And I could likely take that to the finish line. And that proved to be. [00:25:01] Chris Schroeder: Yeah, I think that, I think I've even listened to that. Pacing and Ian, where it does, it makes us it up, which keeps gravel interesting. It means that mountain biker has an advantage on the road cyclist. And you know, the flip side of that, of the road psychos has the advantage on the mountain biker and all these different sections. And it just it goes on like BWR, Kansas had like a cyclocross specific section, which favored a bunch of guys from that background. So it just it helps keep grappled fresh. Giving people from all these different disciplines, their chance to shine. [00:25:36] Craig Dalton: A while back, you mentioned your cycling team and the formation of it, the diamond factory racing team. I thought it was interesting as you and I were talking offline. Obviously the director. Professional attitude towards gravel racing is I'm going to become a private tier and I'm going to cobble together my own personal sponsors. And I'm going to overtly take that positioning. You've taken a different approach and you're looking to build a team. And I'm just curious to hear in your own words about that process and why team versus private two year. And what's the vision for the. [00:26:08] Chris Schroeder: That's a hard one to say, like triathlon. It's funny. We talk about private here so much in gravel. All triathlon is private here. That's all you do. So I private tiered for years, five years of private area. I loved it. But the thing when you're a privateer is you have nothing to point at and say like this won't all be gone tomorrow. If you're a privateer, you can wake up the next day. Every single sponsor you have could be gone. It, you know, it sucks to say like, and that's just the business I wanted to. And then when you're done racing, it's all gone completely. It's not coming back. You're if you're not racing, providing them what they want before. Your job's done. So part of the team was I really enjoy the business process of the sport, and I wanted to build something where I can actually transition from being a racer to just being the manager. So the goal was always this long-term vision of, I want to build a program. That's my career. I want my career to be building this team and I want it to be pursued that way. When I talk to people now, I say like the honest truth is I'm in the gravel business. I'm not in the gravel hobby. I'm not in the gravel fitness, I'm in the gravel business and everything I do has somewhat of a business perspective on it. Cause that's just the mindset I have to have for me to ever get this program where I want it to be. And I have, you know, call it a five-year vision board for this team. It's hard to map out because we just don't know what is going to look like every year. It's changing a little bit different regulations that UCI has coming in politics. Drama, it all kind of changes in affects the way that the outcome is going to be. But I know like deep down that I want this program five years from now to be the absolute forefront of this. On the professional scene. I want people entering the sport young age or any aspiration to always be looking to us as that pinnacle of this is what it means to be like a true professional at the same way. Any of us is in cycling or was I guess now it's shuffled a little bit at the. top, but having that team where everyone wants to be on this team means that you've made. [00:28:32] Craig Dalton: So what's step one in that journey. What does 22 look like? [00:28:35] Chris Schroeder: Well, step one was the hardest one. Step one was Brittany and I and Jared coming together and saying, we're just going to start a team. And this was a back in when we first started the program going into 2021, I'm saying we, we decided the biggest thing that we had to put away in our minds was were we had this mindset of rolling to start this team. If we did. Filling the blank. We had to take that away and just say, we're starting a team, no matter what, and we're just going to go with it. So changing that is what led us to step one. And then in 2021, our big gamble, you could say it was, we ended up investing 80, 90% of our budget into content creation. We just said to Jared, and we want the absolute, highest quality possible consistent. I don't care about views. I'm here about likes. We just need consistent high quality content. And that's the investment we're going to make, because we think that's where the value is that we can show it's tangible. We can always point at it and say, here's a product. A sponsor comes, you know, we can show them. This is our asset. A lot of people don't understand when you're talking to sponsors, you need to have definable assets for them to understand for them to latch onto and create value. And that's where the party has been cycling and triathlon where the modern scope of what that is very different than it was five years ago, 10 years ago, simply going to a sponsor saying I raised 20 times a year and I post on Instagram every other week. Do you not really creating value? You're just there. You're just pack fire at that point. [00:30:21] Craig Dalton: Do you have a vision for the type of content that you're aspiring to produce? Is it giving people a closer look at what racing some of these big races is like? Or are you thinking otherwise. [00:30:34] Chris Schroeder: Well, our biggest asset is our series. It's called the equal rod. It's on my YouTube channel and the team's YouTube channel. And that's where we're diverting all of our budget and supporting to creating this series. And we just want it to be a YouTube series. And it's hard to say, like what it shows. We just say that it shows an honest look because you go to these races and everything will go different than you think it will. So we just tell Jared whatever happens, just film it. And it sucks when you're dying on the side of Unbound and you have to DNF and there's a camera in your face and you have to narrate your own misery. It's awful, but that's what we decided to go with it. And it just katelyn Andrew. And you know, there's the flip side of it. I don't know. I had a great race. I'm so happy to talk about it. So we never know what an episode's going to be. We just know it's going to be honest. It's going to be misery. It's going to be glory and everything in [00:31:30] Craig Dalton: gotcha. I'll point people to the YouTube link for that failure in 2021, because I do think it is interesting and it's so real it's truth, right? [00:31:39] Chris Schroeder: Yeah. And that's just the thing is that you have on one of these professionals that will have a bad race and they'll bury it, you know, they'll, they won't post anything about it. Then we'll talk about it. They'll post 10 other things about blah, blah, blah, motivation. And you're like, wait, I saw this build and all of a sudden there's just a gap. And now you're back on this train. Like what happened? Like I want to know, like, I'm following you for a reason. And that's the story. Like I'm not following you. Cause I think you're going to win. I felt like, cause I just want to see your story and your perspective. So we really want to be true to the audience and give them what really happened. [00:32:13] Craig Dalton: that makes sense. So the title sponsor, the team is a company called diamond by. And I wasn't familiar with them. And after doing a little research, I see that they were big in the triathlon world, but they do have a pretty impressive looking gravel bike. Do you want to talk a little bit about the company where it's based and the bike you'll be riding this year? [00:32:35] Chris Schroeder: It's quite the story of how diamond and I came together when I was back living in New York city as a kid at the time before I'd even done my first draft. Ironman hosted iron man, New York city, which was a gimmick. The entire triathlon took place in New Jersey. And then the finish line was in New York city and it was a joke, but I was a kid I volunteered the entire day. I was up at like 3:00 AM. I was just buzzing. I saw all this stuff. It was fantastic. I, you know, it was at the finish line start like, Hey, people that are swim bags and then everywhere I could go, I was, and then at the end of the day, I ended up at the finish line. And if anyone's ever done an Ironman or triathlon, you know that when you cross the finish line, give them more or less just collapse, emotionally, physically, however, they feel like it. So they have volunteers literally there to catch you and you stand in line and they're just young people come in and whoever's first in line catches them one. I was there and you know, this is just 15 year old kid. This pro called TJ Alex and came over in the line. I caught him. I think he finished fifth on the day. One of the coolest experiences of my life. You know, I'm a kid, I just touched a fro. And to me it was just the coolest thing in the world. You know, follow TJ, enjoyed that eventually, you know, a couple of years later I became a pro and then a couple years after that, I went and did a Ironman 70.3 in Argentina. It was in Berlo Chang. One of the prettiest towns I've ever been to. And these races, you know, what they do is they'll put you up and they'll just assign you a hotel room. And I happened to be assigned or hotel room with TJ. So we shared a room in Argentina and we just became friends through that story. And we ended up doing quite a few races together. We raced all over the country. I think TJ, we raised in Argentina, we raised in Peru, we first in the United States and then towards the end, he eventually retired from racing. I went on raised a couple more years, and then eventually I have stepped down from triathlon to gravel and we'd always come in contact. We've always been friends and it was a great relationship. And then he watched what we did in 2021. And then I went to see Otter and I went there pretty much from a business perspective of like, all my sponsors are here. I can sit down and crank out two months worth of emails in two days. Also just a great event, iconic. I highly recommended only considering going, doing that race says any race you want, they have it. And I went there and I saw DJ and it was great. You know, we bumped into there. He showed me the gravel by, we talked, you know, all was good. And we went our separate ways. And then a couple weeks later I kinda got a text from him saying, Hey, I got a idea for you. Let's chat. And six weeks of hardcore negotiating later, we ended with. A multi-year title, sponsorship deal with diamond, and it's become really the linchpin of this team now because of the ability where it guarantees our ability to grow, no matter what happens, we can grow going to 20, 23 now. And that's what this team needs. I need to always have a perspective of what's the next step. If I'm not looking to grow we're stagnating. So closing this deal and being able to have this. Guaranteed to athletes coming on, going to 23, 3, nothing else matters. Everything else can go with that. [00:36:02] Craig Dalton: Yeah, that's pretty unheard of level of security. I imagine for a lot of gravel rates. To put a little bit more color around the brand they're located in Iowa. Is that correct? [00:36:15] Chris Schroeder: Yeah. So this is an American brand, the factories in the morning. I, the bikes are made in Des Moines, Iowa. They're handmade. It's super bespoke, experiencing, if you go on their website, the first thing you're gonna to see is that just like actual diamonds, no, two diamond bikes look the same, every single diamond bike, you get a custom paint job. However you want it funky, traditional everything in between. You work directly with the owner, TJ when you're buying and ordering. And it's just a great experience. I think it's also just unique, you know? You're going to stand out with a diamond. Yeah. They've they launched their gravel and their road bike, their ground bike. The carbide is very new. They launched it mid 2020, and it was a it's interesting. I, when I first saw it, the diamond for the triathletes who are aware of the brand, they made make the fastest triathlon bike on the market. It's non-traditional, it's a beam bike. Pretty much the pioneer for that whole industry of the beam bikes. And when they came to gravel with anything that you said, all right, how can we be the forefront of this? And that's what went into the carbine and just the way that it's laid out the geometry, it's all race focused. Like this bike is a thoroughbred, it's there to win races. And I'm just the thing on top of it pedaling. So That's an interesting perspective. This is probably my first time where it's a lot to say this. I think that we're going to have the fastest bike in gravel. I think the way that our diamonds are built with visioning the mountains, it's weird to say, but I think we are going to have the fastest bike in the sport. [00:38:02] Craig Dalton: That's confidence inspiring. I'm sure. To look down and feel that way. Yeah. It's an interesting bike and I'll make sure to link to it in the notes as well, and fascinating to learn that there's another. Us carbon manufacturing brand out there. Cause there, you know, there's probably only a handful of them in existence in the United States. [00:38:22] Chris Schroeder: Yeah. it's a dynamic that you mainly hear about, like, you always hear like these legendary oh, Italian brands. Five bikes and they cost a million dollars. And I think that was the normal introduction than people think when they think small bear brands, but this one being American, it's just, it's very different. It's very American brand. TJ is American. He tries to be more flamboyant than he is, but he's just a hardcore American and he's a blue collar, hardworking dude. I it's weird. Like he's my boss now, but we've been, we were friends for so many years that it's hard to have. Transitional of like thinking of him as a boss. When I just think of him as like this guy I've traveled the world with, and then he's told me stories about everyone I can think of and you know, we'd sit down and he tells me about his kids and stuff like that. It's just, this guy, when I proposed my fiance and we had a business call and it was like right after I had. We talked, it was like an hour long heritage. We talked five minutes a visit and he, it was like 55 minutes of just mind shattering advice for marriage and life. Like it was these perspectives that just gave me this feeling of someone who really cares about me. He basically talked me into wanting to have a wedding when I really just didn't care. Like he just completely changed my perspective on it. And to have that relationship is really special. [00:39:44] Craig Dalton: Yeah, it sounds like it's going to be an amazing thing to have in your corner this year. And the fact that you guys are building something together confirmed over the next two years, they're just going to be great. It's going to be super interesting to see where it goes. Speaking of this year, what's your, what are your goals this year? Are there big events that you're really thinking about? [00:40:05] Chris Schroeder: It's a little bit up in the air. I just got confirmed for led boat. Like yesterday where I got my Leadville charge on the credit card. Cause that's how they tell you. So that's gonna be a major goal on down. We'll be a major goal in terms of like peak performances, fitness, every race I go to, I'm trying to, when I'm not going to races anymore, that I don't think we're gonna win. I'm gonna win some. Mid-South Unbound SBT, and then a fake sugar and Belgium welfare. I Kansas are all like my main events, but I'm also going to hit a lot of like local grassroots events. I'm starting off my season at gravel, Miami, which is a new event in Miami. And I'm really excited to do that one. It's a flat course, which I'm really excited about a hundred miles. I'm just excited for that race. They're putting us, it's sponsored by Miami brewing company and they rented like three rap video level mansions to house the pros in. [00:41:09] Craig Dalton: Only in [00:41:09] Chris Schroeder: And yeah, it was only in Miami. and it's, you know, it's the treatment that I always dreamed I would get it every race. So I'm going to be a little sad when I come back from it and I realized. Van life and all these events. And I'm really excited for that one. We do, we'll do a couple of other the robot do rendezvous is a hundred mile race in Scottsbluff, just some smaller ones. Like there's something in gravel that is special, that everyone jokes about dying. They call it the spirit of gravel. If you go to these small races, you'll experience that it's special. It's unique and it's weird, but it's still out there, but it's only in these small races. So for me, you know, if I go to Unbound, it feels the same as when I was a professional Ironman. Everyone is, you know, a little tense, a little uptight they're there, everyone's on their peak form. No one really wants to talk and hug and all that. But then you go to these smaller grass root events and it's the opposite of all that. It's, everyone's relaxed. Everyone's just there for the community and the experience and beer. It's great. So I really want to make sure I continue to have those in my schedule to keep me grounded into what I love about the sport. [00:42:23] Craig Dalton: Yeah. Yeah. I think those are there. It's a key thing that's going on in gravel that how races are changing and evolving and no one wants to lose that intimacy and camaraderie, but inevitably like as these races get bigger and more important to people's professional careers. It's undoubted bull that the tenor is going to change at the start line. So yeah, long live the community event. [00:42:48] Chris Schroeder: Yeah. exactly. That's just how it is. And we're actually trying one thing I do. From a business perspective as I try to pull from other sports and it's something, this is unique. And I think that's hopefully going to be a good success that we're going to be trying this year is that at certain races, we're actually going to have a diamond booth in the expo where we're going to have, you know, this year will be a little different cause there's just myself and Brittany and Jared we're in, you know, we're going to be there to try and interact as much as possible. We're going to have team bikes. We're even going to have some demo bikes come by. You can chat with us. And we want to grow that very similar to like motorcross or NASCAR, where people get the experience to come into the pits and they get to look at the garage and see the driver and the mechanics, all working. We wanted to bring that as a way for people to interact more of us on a personal level. And especially in a approachable way, you know, we've all been that fan boy at the expo that sees someone we want to talk to, but you know, they're walking around and they're doing their thing and we don't want to interrupt them. So we thought, how can we. Creative approachable environment that is friendly for the fans. And it's a great way for us to really talk to our fans of our sponsors and say, Hey, you know, this is our bike and you want to here's the demo one, go take it around the block, [00:44:05] Craig Dalton: Yeah. Yeah. [00:44:05] Chris Schroeder: Touch it. [00:44:06] Craig Dalton: I think that'll shine through if you set that intention, which is great. And I think based on this conversation, fans of the sport will have a great way to follow you and your team throughout the year on the video series, and hopefully be able to connect with you at some of these events. So I, Chris, I appreciate all the time today. That's a great conversation. I wish you best of luck and really do look forward to seeing your name up there at the front end of these events. [00:44:31] Chris Schroeder: Yeah, fingers crossed that it eventually gets to that. And for anyone watching, like you're going to see me at an event or two this year, come up, give me a hug. I want to interact with you guys as much as you perhaps wanna interact with me. So just don't be a stranger. [00:44:46] Craig Dalton: Right on. Thanks Chris. So that's going to do it for this week's podcast. I hope you enjoyed the conversation with Chris and I encourage you to follow the diamond factory racing team on social media. I know they've got big plans to show you behind the scenes about what it's like being a professional, gravel racer. In 2022. If you're interested in joining the conversation, I encourage you to visit the ridership. www.theridership.com. It's our free online community. Within the community, you'll find gravel, cyclists of all kinds, whether they be backpackers. Racers commuters, you name it. They're all in there. Everybody in the community shares a common goal and it's just to elevate one another. So, whether you're looking to answer some of those hard questions about what tire to buy or what equipment, what bike to buy, or just need some moral support, the community is there for you. I'm always impressed with the level of interaction and comradery that I see happening that I've got nothing to do with. It is also a great place to get in touch with me. So, if you have any feedback for the show, please just hit me up directly in the ridership. I found inspiration for many, a new episode from the questions that I've received. Through the ridership. So remember that's just www.theridership.com to get started. If you're interested in supporting the podcast. You can visit me at buy me a coffee. Dot com slash the gravel ride. I appreciate any and all support you can provide to my efforts. And hopefully the journey that I've been on as a gravel cyclist has been useful to all of you. Until next time. Here's to finding some dirt onto your wheels

Happy New Year (for real)! Chris and Steph both took some end-of-year time off to rest and recharge. Steph talks about some books she enjoyed, recipes she tried, and trail-walking adventures with her dog, Utah. Chris' company is now in a good position to actually start hiring within the engineering team. He's excited about that and will probably delve into more around the hiring process in the coming weeks. Since they aren't really big on New Year's Eve resolutions, Steph and Chris answer a listener question regarding toxic traits inspired by the listener question related to large pull requests and reflect on their own. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (http://www.matthaig.com/books/midnight-library/) Tim Urban on Twitter (https://twitter.com/waitbutwhy/status/1367871165319049221) How to Stop Time by Matt Haig (http://www.matthaig.com/how-to-stop-time/) Do the Next Right Thing (https://daverupert.com/2020/09/do-the-next-right-thing/) Debugging Why Your Specs Have Slowed Down (https://thoughtbot.com/blog/debugging-why-your-specs-have-slowed-down) test-prof (https://github.com/test-prof/test-prof) Tests Oddly Slow Might Be Bcrypt (https://collectiveidea.com/blog/archives/2012/11/12/tests-oddly-slow-might-be-bcrypt) Transcript: STEPH: Hello and welcome to another episode of The Bike Shed, a weekly podcast from your friends at thoughtbot about developing great software. I'm Steph Viccari. CHRIS: And I'm Chris Toomey. STEPH: And together, we're here to share a bit of what we've learned along the way. So, hey, Chris, what's new in your world? CHRIS: What's new in my world? Well, spoiler, we actually may have lied in a previous episode when we said, "Hey, happy New Year," because, for us, it was not actually the new year. But this, in fact, is the first episode of the new year that we're recording, that you're hearing. Anyway, this is enough breaking the fourth wall. Sorry, listener. STEPH: [laughs] CHRIS: Inside baseball, yadda, yadda. I'm doing great. First week back. I took some amount of vacation over the holidays, which was great, recharging, all those sorts of things. But now we're hitting the ground running. And I'm actually really enjoying just getting back into the flow of things and, frankly, trying to ramp everything up, which we can probably talk about more in a moment. But how about you? How's your new year kicking off? STEPH: I like how much we plan the episodes around when it's going to release, and we're very thoughtful about this is going to be released for the new year or around Christmas time, and happy holidays to everybody. And then we get back, and we're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, we can totally drop the facade. [laughs] We're finally back from vacation. And this is us, and this is real. CHRIS: Date math is so hard. It just drains me entirely to even try and figure out when episodes are going to actually land. And then when we get here, also, you know, I want to talk about the fact that there was vacation and things, and the realities of the work, and the ebb and flow of life. So here we are. STEPH: Same. Yeah, I love it. Because I'm in a similar spot where I took two weeks off, which was phenomenal. That's actually sticking to one of the things we talked about, for one of the things I'm looking to do is where I take just more time off. And so having the two weeks was wonderful. It was also really helpful because the client team that I'm working with also shut down around the end of the year. So they took ten days off as well. So I was like, well, that's a really good sign of encouragement that I should also just shut down since I can. So it's been delightful. And I have very little tech stuff to share because I've just been doing lots of other fun things and reading fiction, and catching up with friends and family, and trying out new recipes. That's been pretty much my last two weeks. Oh, and walks with Utah. His training is going so well where we're starting to walk off-leash on trails. And that's been awesome. CHRIS: Wow, that's a big upgrade right there. STEPH: Yeah, we're still working on that moving perimeter so he knows how far he can go. Before then, he needs to stop and check on me. But he's getting pretty good where he'll bolt ahead, but then he'll stop, and he'll look at me, and then he'll wait till I catch up. And then he'll bolt ahead again. It's really fun. CHRIS: I like that that's the version of it that we're going for. This is not like you're going to walk alongside me on the trail; it's you're obviously going to run some distance out. As long as you check back in once every 20 feet, we're good; that's fine. Any particularly good books, or recipes, or talks with friends to go with that category? But that one's probably a little more specific to you. STEPH: [laughs] Yes. There are two really good books that I read over the holidays. They're both by the same author. So I get a lot of books from my mom. She'll often pick up a book, and once she's done with it, she'll drop it off to me or vice versa. So the one that she shared with me is called The Midnight Library. It's written by Matt Haig, H-A-I-G. And it's a very interesting story. It's a bit sad where it's about a woman who decides that she no longer wants to live. And then, when she moves in that direction to go ahead and end her life, she ends up in this library. And in the library, every time she has made a different decision or made a decision in life, then there is a new book written about what that life is like. So then she has an opportunity to go explore all of these lives and see if there's a better life out there for her. It is really interesting. I highly recommend it. CHRIS: Wow. I mean, that started with, I'm going to be honest, a very heavy premise. But then the idea that's super interesting. I would, actually...I think I might read that. I tend to just read sci-fi. This is broadly in the space, but that is super interesting. There's an image that comes to mind actually as you described that. It's from Tim Urban, who's also known as Wait But Why. I think he posts under that both on Twitter, and then I think he has a blog or something to that effect. But the image is basically like, all of the timelines that you could have followed in your life. And everybody thinks about like, from this moment today. Man, I think about all of the different versions of me that could exist today. But we don't think about the same thing moving forward in time. Like, what are all the possibilities in front of me? And what you're describing of this person walking around in a library and each book represents a different fork in the road from moving forward is such an interesting idea. And I think a positive reframing of any form of regret or looking back and being like, what if I had gone the other way? It's like, yeah, but forward in time, though. I'm very intrigued by this book. STEPH: Yeah, it's really good. It definitely has a strong It's a Wonderful Life vibe. Have you ever watched that movie? CHRIS: Yes, I have. STEPH: So there's a lot of that idea of regret. And what if I had lived differently and then getting to explore? But in it's A Wonderful Life, he just explores the one version. And in the book, she's exploring many versions. So it's really neat to be like, well, what if I'd pursued this when I was younger, had done this differently? Or what if I got coffee instead of tea? There are even small, little choices that then might impact you being a different person at a point in time. The other book that I read is by the same author because I enjoyed Midnight Library so much that I happened to see one of his other books. So I picked it up. And it's called How to Stop Time. And it's about an individual who essentially lives a very long time. And there are several people in the world that are like this, but he lives for centuries. But he doesn't age, or he ages incredibly slowly, at a rate that where say that he's 100 years old, but he'll still look 16 years old. And it's very good. It's very interesting. It's a bit more sad and melancholy than I typically like to read. So that one's good. But I will add that even though I described the first one, it has a sad premise; I found The Midnight Library a little more interesting and uplifting versus the other one I found a bit more sad. CHRIS: All right. Excellent additional notes in the reading list here. So you can opt like, do you want a little bit more somber, or do you want to go a little more uplifting? Yeah, It's a Wonderful Life path being like, starts in a complicated place but don't worry, we'll get you there in the end. STEPH: But I've learned I have to be careful with the books that I pick up because I will absorb the emotions that are going on in that book. And it will legit affect me through the week or as I'm reading that book. So I have to be careful of the books that I'm reading. [laughs] Is that weird? Do you have the same thing happen for when you're reading books? CHRIS: It's interesting. I don't think of it with books as much. But I do think of it with TV shows. And so my wife and I have been very intentional when we've watched certain television shows to be like, we're going to need something to cut the intensity of this show. And the most pointed example we had was we were watching Breaking Bad, which is one of the greatest television shows of all time but also just incredibly heavy and dark at times, kind of throughout. And so we would watch an episode of Breaking Bad. And then, as a palate cleanser, we would watch an episode of Malcolm in the Middle. And so we saw the same actor but in very different facets of his performance arc and just really softened things and allowed us to, frankly, go to bed after that be able to sleep and whatnot but less so with reading. So I find it interesting that I have that distinction there. STEPH: Yeah, that is interesting. Although I definitely feel that with movies and shows as well. Or if I watch something heavy, I'm like, great, what's on Disney? [laughs] I need to wash away some of that so I can watch something happy and go to sleep. You also asked about recipes because I mentioned that's something I've been doing as well. There's a lot of plant-based books that I've picked up because that's really my favorite type of thing to make. So that's been a lot of fun. So yeah, a lot of cooking, a lot of reading. How about you? What else is going on in your world? CHRIS: Well, actually, it's a super exciting time for Sagewell Financial, the company that I've joined. We are closing our seed financing round, which the whole world of venture capital is a novel thing that I'm still not super involved in that part of the process. But it has been really interesting to watch it progress, and evolve, and take shape. But at this point, we are closing our seed round. Things have gone really well. And so we're in a position to actually start hiring, which is a whole thing to do, in particular, within the engineering group. We're hiring, I think, throughout the company, but my focus now will be bringing a few folks into the engineering team. And yeah, just trying to do that and do that well, do that intentionally, especially for the size of the team that we have now, the sort of work that we're doing, et cetera, et cetera. But if anyone out there is listening, we are looking for great folks to join the team. We are Ruby on Rails, Inertia, TypeScript. If you've listened to the show anytime recently, you've heard me talk about the tech stack plenty. But I think we're trying to do something very meaningful and help seniors manage finance, which is a complicated and, frankly, very underserved space. So it's work that I deeply believe in, and I think we're doing a good job at it. And I hope to do even a better job over time. So if that's at all interesting, definitely reach out to me. But probably in the coming weeks, you'll hear me talk more and more about hiring and technical interviews and all of those sorts of things. I got to ramp myself back up on that entire world, which is really one of those things that you should always be doing is the thought that I have in my head. Now that I'm in a position to be hiring, I wish I'd been half-hiring for the past three months, but I'll figure it out. It'll be fine. STEPH: That's such a big undertaking. Everything you're saying resonates, but also, it's like that's a lot of hard work. So if you're not in that state of really being ramped up for hiring, I understand why that would be on the backburner. And yeah, I'm excited to hear more. I've gotten to hear some more of the product details about Sagewell, but I don't think we've really talked about those features here on the show. So I would love it if we brought some more of the feature work and talked about specifically what the application does. I am intrigued speaking of how much energy goes into hiring. Where are you at in terms of how much...like, are there any particular job boards that you're going for? Or what's your current approach to hiring? CHRIS: Oh, that's a great question. I have tweeted once into the world. I have a draft of a LinkedIn post. This is very much I'm figuring out as I go. It's sort of the nature of a startup as we have so many different things to do. And frankly, even finding the time to start thinking about hiring means I'm taking time away from building features and growing out other aspects. So it's definitely a necessary thing that we're doing at this point in time. But basically, everything we're doing is just in time compiling and figuring out what are the things that are semi-urgent right now? And to be honest, I like that energy overall. I've always had in the back of my mind that I like this sort of work and this space, especially if you can do it intentionally. It shouldn't feel like everything's on fire all the time, but it should feel like a lot of constraints that force you to make decisions quickly, which, if we're being honest, I think that's something that is not my strongest suit. So it's something that I'm excited to grow that muscle as part of this work. But so, with that in mind, at this point, my goal is to just start getting the word out there into the world that we are looking to hire and get people interested and then, from there, build out what's the interview process going to look like? I will let you know when we get there; I will. I will figure that out. But it's not something that I've...I haven't actually very intentionally thought about all of this. Because if I were to do that, it would delay the amount of time until I actually say into the world, "Hey, we're hiring." So I very purposely was like, I just need to say this into the world and then continue doing the next steps in that process. I'm prone to the perfect is the enemy of the good just trying to like, I want to have a complete plan and a 27-step checklist, and a Gantt chart, and a burndown. And before I take any first action and really trying to push back, I'm going to be like, no, no, just do something, just take a step in the right direction. There's actually a blog post that comes to mind, which is by Dave Rupert, who is a former guest on this podcast. It was wonderful getting to interview him. But he wrote a blog post. The title of it is Do the Next Right, which is a line from a song in the movie Frozen 2, I believe. He is like, all right, stick with me here. And I know this is a movie for kids, maybe. But also, this is a very meaningful song. And he framed it in a way that actually was surprisingly impactful to me. And it's that idea that I'm holding on to of you can't do it all, and you can't do it perfectly. Just do the next right thing. That's what you're going to do. So we'll link to that blog post in the show notes. But that's kind of where I'm at. STEPH: I love that. I'm looking forward to reading that because that has been huge for me. I used to be held back by that idea of perfection. But then I realized other people were getting more work done more quickly. And so I was like, huh, maybe there's something to this just doing the next thing versus waiting for perfection that is really the right path. So, how do folks reach out to you? Should they reach out to you on Twitter or email? What's best for you? CHRIS: Oh yeah, Twitter. This is all probably going to be said at the end of the show as well. But Twitter @christoomey. ctoomey.com is my blog. I'm on GitHub. I make it very easy to contact me because I haven't regretted that up to this point in my life. So basically, anywhere you find me on the internet, you will be able to email me or DM me or any of the things. I'm going to see how long I can hold on to that. I want to hold on to that forever. I want just a very open-door policy. So that's where I'm at right now, but any of those starting points. And bikeshed.fm website will somehow link to me in any of the various forums, and they're all kind of linked to each other, so any of those are fine. I will happily take inquiries via any of the channels. STEPH: Cool. Well, I'm excited to hear about how it goes. CHRIS: Me too, frankly. But in a very small bit of little tech news or tech happenings from my holiday time, this was actually just before I started to go on break for the holidays. I had noticed that the test suite was getting very slow, like very, very slow but on my machine. It was getting a little bit slow on CI, but the normal amount where we just keep adding new things. And we're adding a lot of feature specs because we want to have that holistic coverage over the whole application, and we can, so for now, we're doing that. But our spec suite had gotten up to six-ish minutes on CI and had a couple of other things. We have some linting and some TypeScript and things like that. But on my machine, it was very slow. So I hadn't run the full spec suite in a long time. But I knew that running any individual spec took surprising amounts of time. And in the back of my head, I was like; I guess I hadn't configured Spring. That seems weird. I probably would have done that, but whatever. And I'd never pushed on it more until one day I ran the specs. I ran one model spec, and it took 30 seconds or something like that. And I was like, well, that's absurd. And so I started to look into it. I did some scanning around the internet. There was a wonderful post on the Giant Robots blog about how to look through things from Mike Wenger, a wonderful former thoughtboter. Unfortunately, none of the tips in there were anything meaningful for me. Everything was as I expected it to be. So I set it down. And there were a couple of times that this happened to me where I'd be like, this is frustrating. I need to look into this a little bit more, but it was never worth investing more time. But I mentioned it in passing to one of the other developers on the team. And as a holiday gift to me, this person discovered the solution. So let me describe a little bit more of what we've got working on here. On CI, which in theory is less powerful than my new, fancy M1 MacBook, on CI, we take about six minutes for the test suite. On my computer, it was taking 28 minutes and 30 seconds. So that's what we're working with. The factories are all doing normal things. We're not creating way too many database records or anything like that. So any thoughts, anything that you would inspect here? STEPH: Ooh, you've already listed a number of good things that I would check. CHRIS: Yeah, I took all the easy ones off the list. So this is a hard question at this point. To be clear, I had no ideas. STEPH: Could you tell if there's a difference if it's like the boot-up time versus the actual test running? CHRIS: Did that check; it is not the boot-up time. It is something that is happening in the process of running an individual spec. STEPH: No, I'm drawing a blank. I can't think of what else I would check from there. CHRIS: It's basically where I was at. Let me give you one additional piece of data, see if it does anything for you. I noticed that it happened basically whenever executing any factory. So I'd watch the logs. And if I create this record, it would do roughly what I expect it to. It would create the record and maybe one or two associated records because that's how Factory Bot works. But it wasn't creating a giant cascade or waterfall of records under the hood. If we create a product, the product should have an associated user. So we'll see a product and a user insert. But for some reason, that line create whatever database record was very, very slow. STEPH: Yeah, it's a good point, looking at factories because that's something I've noticed in triaging other tests is that I will often check to see how many records are created at a certain point because I've noticed there's a test where I think only one record is created, but I'll see 20. And that's an interesting artifact. But you're not running into that. But it sounds like there's more either some callback or transaction or something that's getting hung up and causing things to be slow. CHRIS: I love those ideas. I didn't even know those were sort of ideas in the back of my head. I didn't know how to even try and chase that down. There was nothing in the logs. I couldn't see anything. And again, I just kept giving up. But again, this other developer on the team found the answer. But at this point, I'll just share the answer because I think we've run out of the good bits of the trivia. It turns out bcrypt was the answer. So password-hashing was incredibly slow on my machine. What was interesting is I mentioned this to the other developer because they also have an M1. But there are three of us working on the project. The third developer does not have the M1 architecture. So that was an interesting thing. I was like, I feel like this maybe is a thing because we're both experiencing this, but the other developer isn't. So it turns out bcrypt is wildly slow on the M1 architecture, which is sort of interesting as an artifact of like, what is password hashing, and how does it work? And in normal setups, I think the way it works is Devise will say by default, "We're going to do 12 runs of bcrypt." So like take the password, put it into the hashing algorithm, take the output, put it back into the hashing algorithm, and do that loop 12 times or whatever. In test mode, it often will configure it to just run once, but it will still use the password hashing. Turns out even that was too slow for us. So we in test mode enabled it so that the password hashing algorithm was just the password. Don't do anything. Just return it directly. Turn off bcrypt; it's too painful for us. But it was very interesting to see that that was the case. STEPH: Yeah, I don't like that answer. [laughs] I'm not a fan. That is interesting and tricky. And I feel like the only way I would have found that...I'm curious how they found it because I feel like at that point, I would have started outputting something to figure out, okay, where is the slow process? What's the thing that's taking so long to return? And if I can't see tailing the test logs, then I would start just using a PUT statement to figure out what's taking a long time? And start trying to troubleshoot from there. So I'm curious, do you know how they identified that was the core issue? CHRIS: Yes, actually. I'm looking back at the pull requests right now. And I'm mentioning that this was related to the M1 architecture, but I don't think that's actually true because the blog post that they're linking to is Collective Idea blog post: Tests Oddly Slow? Might be bcrypt. And then there's a related Rails issue. They used TestProf, which is a process that you can run that will examine, I think the stack trace and say where are we spending the most time? And from that, they were able to see it looks like it's at the point where we're doing bcrypt. And so that's the answer. As an aside, my test suite went from 28 minutes and 30 seconds to 1 minute and 30 seconds with this magical speed up. STEPH: Nice. That's a great idea, TestProf. I don't know if I've used that tool. It rings a bell. But that's an awesome sales pitch for using TestProf. CHRIS: Similarly, I don't think I'd ever use it before. But it truly was this wonderful holiday gift. Because the minute I switched over to this branch, I was like, oh my God, the tests are so fast. I have one of those fancy, new fast computers, [laughs] and now they're so fast. STEPH: Wait, you had to switch to a branch? I figured it was something that you had to do special on your machine. So I'm intrigued how they fixed it for you, and then you switched to a branch and saw the speed increase. CHRIS: So they opened a pull request. And that pull request had the change in the code. So it was a code-level configuration to say, "Hey, Devise, when you do the password hashing thing, maybe just don't, maybe be easy for a moment," [laughter] but only in the test configuration. So all I had to do was check out the branch, and then that configuration was part of the Rails helper setup, and then we were good to go from there. I added an extra let me be terrified about this because the idea of not hashing passwords in production is terrifying. So let me raise...I put a couple of different guards against like, this should only ever run in test. I know it's in the spec support directory, so it shouldn't. Let me just add some other guards here just to superduper make sure we still hash passwords in production. STEPH: Devise has a bcrypt chill mode. Good to know. [laughs] And I like all the guards you put in place too. CHRIS: Yeah, it was really frankly such a relief to get that back to normal, is how I would describe it. But yeah, that's a fun little testing, and password hashing, and little adventure that I get to go on. Mid-roll Ad And now a quick break to hear from today's sponsor, Scout APM. Scout APM is leading-edge application performance monitoring that's designed to help Rails developers quickly find and fix performance issues without having to deal with the headache or overhead of enterprise platform feature bloat. With a developer-centric UI and tracing logic that ties bottlenecks to source code, you can quickly pinpoint and resolve those performance abnormalities like N+1 queries, slow database queries, memory bloat, and much more. Scout's real-time alerting and weekly digest emails let you rest easy knowing Scout's on watch and resolving performance issues before your customers ever see them. Scout has also launched its new error monitoring feature add-on for Python applications. Now you can connect your error reporting and application monitoring data on one platform. See for yourself why developers call Scout their best friend and try our error monitoring and APM free for 14 days; no credit card needed. And as an added-on bonus for Bike Shed listeners, Scout will donate $5 to the open-source project of your choice when you deploy. Learn more at scoutapm.com/bikeshed. That's scoutapm.com/bikeshed. STEPH: So I have something that I've been wanting to ask you, and it's not tech-related. But we can make this personal and work however we want to tackle it. But there is a previous episode where we read a listener question from Brian about their self-diagnosed toxic trait being large pull requests. And Brian was being playful with the use of the term toxic trait. But it got me thinking, it's like, well, what is my toxic trait? And it seems like a fun twist on you, and I aren't really big on New Year's Eve resolutions. And in fact, I think you and I are more like if we're interested in achieving a goal, we'd rather focus on building a habit versus this specific, ambiguous we're going to publish ten blogs this year. But rather, I'd rather sit down and write for 15 minutes each day. And it seemed like a fun twist instead of thinking about what are my toxic traits, personal, at work? Large pull request is a really fun example. So I'll let you choose. I can go first, or you can go first, but I'm excited to hear your thoughts on this one. CHRIS: I think I've been talking too much. So let's have you go first at this point/ also, I want a few more seconds to think about my toxic trait. STEPH: [laughs] All right, I have a couple. So that's an interesting point start there [laughs], but here we are. So I was even bold because I asked other people. Because I'm like, well, if I'm going to be fully self-aware, I can't just...I might lie to myself. So I'm going to have to ask some other people. So I asked other folks. And my personal toxic trait is I am tardy. I am that person who I love to show up 5, 10, 15 minutes late. It's who I am. I don't find it a problem, but it often bothers other people. So that is my informed toxic trait. That might be a strong term for it. But that's the one that gives people the most grief. CHRIS: Interesting. I do find the framing of I don't find my own tardiness to be a problem as a really interesting sort of lens on it. But okay, it's okay. STEPH: I see it as long as I'm getting really good quality time with someone; if I'm five minutes late, I'm five minutes late. I think the voice going high means I'm a little defensive. [laughs] CHRIS: But at least you're self-aware about all of these aspects. [laughs] That's critical. STEPH: I am self-aware, and most of the people in my life are also self-aware, although I do correct that behavior for work. That feels more important that I be on time for everything because I don't want anyone to feel that I am not valuing their time. But when it comes to friends and family, they thankfully accept me for who I am. But then, on the work note, I started thinking about toxic traits there. And the one I came up with is that I'm a pretty empathetic person. And there's something that I learned that's called toxic empathy. And it's when you let people's emotions hijack your own emotions, or you'll prioritize someone else's physical or mental health over your own. So, for example, it could be letting another person's anxiety and stress keep you from getting your current tasks and responsibilities done. And there's a really funny tweet that I saw where someone says, "Hey, can I vent to you about something?" And the first person telling it from their perspective they're crying in the middle of a breakdown. And they're like, "Yeah, sure, what's up?" And I felt seen by that tweet. I was like, yeah; this seems like something I would do. [laughs] So over time, as something I'm aware of about myself, I've learned to set more boundaries and only keep relationships where equal support is given to both individuals. And this circles back to the book anecdote that I shared where I had to be careful about the books that I read because they can really affect my mood based on how the characters are doing in that book. So yeah, that's mine. I have one other one that I want to talk about. But I'm going to pause there so you can go. CHRIS: Okay, fun. [laughs] This is fun. And it is a challenging mental exercise. But it is also, I don't know, vulnerable, and you have to look inside and all that. I think I poked at one earlier on as we were talking, but the idea of perfect is the enemy of the good. And I don't mean this in the terrible like; what's your worst trait in a job interview? And you're like, "I'm a perfectionist." I don't mean it in that way. I mean, I have at times struggled to make progress because so much of me wants to build the complete plan, and then very meticulously worked through in exactly the order that I define, sort of like a waterfall versus agile sort of thing. And it is an ongoing very intentional body of work for me to try and break myself off those habits to try and accept what's the best thing that I can do? How can I move forward? How can I identify things that I will regret later versus things that are probably fine? They're little messes that I can clean up, that sort of thing. And even that construing it as like there's a good choice and a bad choice, and I'm trying to find the perfect choice. It's like almost nothing in the world actually falls into that shape. So perfect is the enemy of the good is a really useful phrase that I've held onto that helps me. And it's like, aiming for that perfection will cause you to miss the good that is available. And so, trying to be very intentional with that is the work that I'm doing. But that I think is a toxic trait that I have. STEPH: I really like what you just said about being able to identify regrets. That feels huge. If you can look at a moment and say, "I really want to get all this done. I will regret if I don't do this, but the rest of it can wait," that feels really significant. So the other one that I wanted to talk about is actually one that I feel like I've overcome. So this one makes me happy because I feel like I'm in a much better space with it, but it's negative self-talk. And it's essentially just how you treat yourself when you make a mistake. Or what's your internal dialogue throughout the day? And I used to be harsh on myself. If I made a mistake, I was upset, I was annoyed with myself, and I wouldn't have a kind voice. And I don't know if I've shared this with you. But over time, I've gotten much better at that. And what has really helped me with it is instead of talking to myself in an unkind voice, I talk to myself how someone who loves me will talk to me. I'm not going to talk to a friend in a really terrible, mean voice, and I wouldn't expect them to talk to me. So I channel someone that I know is very positive and supportive of me. And I will frame it in that context. So then, when I make a mistake, it's not a big deal. And I just will say kind things to myself or laugh about it and move through it. And I found that has been very helpful and also funny and maybe a little embarrassing at times because when pairing, I will talk out loud to myself. And so I'll do something silly, and I'll laugh. I'm like, "Oh, Stephanie," that was silly. And the other person hears me say that. [laughs] So it's a little entertainment for them too, I suppose. CHRIS: Having observed it, it is charming. STEPH: It's something that I've noticed that a lot of people do, and we don't talk about a lot. I mean, there's imposter syndrome. People will talk about that. But we don't often talk about how critical we are of ourselves. It's something that I will talk to people who I highly admire and just think they're incredibly good at what they do. And then when they give me a glimpse into how they think about themselves at times or how they will berate themselves for something they have done or because they didn't sit down for that 15 minutes and write per day, then it really highlights. And I hope that if we talk about this more, the fact that people tend to have such a negative inner critical voice, that maybe we can encourage people to start filtering that voice to a more kind voice and more supportive voice, and not have this unhelpful energy that's holding us back from really enjoying our work and being our best self. CHRIS: That's so interesting to hear you say all of that for one of your traits because it's very similar to the last one for myself, which is I find that I do not feel safe unless (This is going to sound perhaps boastful, and I definitely do not mean it as boastful.) but unless I'm perfect. I guess the standard that I hold myself to versus the standard that I hold others to are wildly different. Of course, for other people, yes, bugs will get into the code, or they may misunderstand something, or they may miss communicate something, or they may forget something. But if I do that, I feel unsafe, which is a thing that I've slowly come to recognize. I'm like, well, that shouldn't be true because that's definitely not how I feel about other people. That's not a reasonable standard to hold. But that needing to be perfectly secured on all fronts and have just this very defensible like, yeah, I did the work, and it's great, and that's all that's true in the world. That's not reasonable. I'm never going to achieve that. And so, for a long time, there have been moments where I just don't feel great as a result of this, as a result of the standard that I'm trying to hold myself to. But very similarly, I have brought voices into my head. In my case, I've actually identified a board of directors which are random actual people from my world but then also celebrities or fake people, and I will have conversations with them in my head. And that is a true thing about me that I'm now saying on the internet, here we are. STEPH: [laughs] CHRIS: And I'm going to throw it out there. It is fantastic. It is one of my favorite things that I have in my world. As a pointed example of a time that I did this, I was running a race at one point, which I occasionally will run road races. I am not good at it at all. But I was running this particular race. It was a five-mile January race a couple of years back. And I was getting towards the end, and I was just going way faster than I normally do. I was at the four-mile mark, and I was well ahead of pace. I was like, what is this? I was on track to get a personal record. I was like, this is exciting. But I didn't know if I could finish. And so I started to consult the board of directors and just check in with them and see what they would think about this. And I got weirdly emotional, and it was weirdly real is the thing that was very interesting, not like I actually believed that these people were running with me or anything of that nature. But the emotions and the feelings that I was able to build up in that moment were so real and so powerful and useful to me that it was just like, oh, okay, yeah, that's a neat trick. I'm going to hold on to that one. And it has been continuously useful moving forward from that of like, yeah, I can just have random conversations with anyone and find useful things in that and then use that to feel better about how I'm working. STEPH: I so love this idea. And I'm now thinking about who to put on my board of directors. [laughs] CHRIS: I'm telling you, everybody should have one. As I'm saying this, there is definitely a portion of me that is very self-conscious that I'm saying this on the internet because this is probably one of the weirdest things that I do. STEPH: [laughs] CHRIS: But it is so valuable. And it's one of those like; I like getting over that hump of like, well, this is an odd little habit that I have, but the utility that I get from it and the value is great. So highly recommend it. It's a fun game of who gets to go on your board. You can change it out every year. And it is interesting because the more formed picture that you have of the individual, the more you can have a real conversation with them, and that's fun. STEPH: So, as I'm working on forming a board of directors, how do you separate? Is it based on one person is running work and one is finance? How does each person have a role? CHRIS: So there are no rules in this game. [laughs] This is a ridiculous thing that I do. But I find value in it's sort of vaguely the same collection of individuals. Some of them are truly archetypal, even fictitious characters. As long as I can have a picture in my head of them and say, "What would they say in a situation?" If you're considering, say, moving jobs? What would Arnold Schwarzenegger have to say about that? And you'd be surprised the minute you ask it in your head; your brain is surprisingly good at these things. And it's like, let me paint The Terminator yelling at you to get the new job. STEPH: [laughs] CHRIS: Not get to the chopper, but get the new job. And it's surprisingly effective. And so I don't have a compartmentalized like, this is my work crew, this is my life crew. It's a nonsense collection of fake people in my head that I get to talk to. I'm saying this on the internet; here we are. [laughs] STEPH: That makes sense to me, though, because as you're describing that situation, I do something similar, but I've just never thought about it in these concrete terms where I have someone in mind, and it's a real person in my life who are my confidence person. They're the one that I know they are very confident. They're going to push for the best deal for themselves. They're going to look out for themselves. They're going to look out for me. They're going to support me. I have that person. And so, even if I can't talk to them in reality, then I will still channel that energy. And then I have someone else who's like my kind filter, and they're the person that's going to be very supportive. And you make mistakes, and it's not a big deal, and you learn, and you move on. And so I have those different...and in my mind, I just saw them as coaches. Instead of board of directors, I just see them as different things that I don't see as strong in my character. And so I have these coaches in those particular areas that then I will pull energy from to then bolster myself in a particular way or skill. This was fun. I'm so glad we talked about this because that is very insightful to you, and for me as well, and to myself. CHRIS: Yeah, we went deep on this episode. STEPH: No tech but lots of deep personal insight. CHRIS: I talked a little bit about bcrypt. [laughs] You can't stop me from talking about tech for an entire episode. But then I also talked about my board of directors and the conversations I have with myself, so I feel like I rounded it out pretty good. STEPH: It's a very round episode. CHRIS: Yeah, I agree. And with that roundedness, should we wrap up? STEPH: Let's wrap up. CHRIS: The show notes for this episode can be found at bikeshed.fm. STEPH: This show is produced and edited by Mandy Moore. CHRIS: If you enjoyed listening, one really easy way to support the show is to leave us a quick rating or even a review on iTunes, as it really helps other folks find the show. STEPH: If you have any feedback for this or any of our other episodes, you can reach us at @_bikeshed or reach me on Twitter @SViccari. CHRIS: And I'm @christoomey. STEPH: Or you can reach us at hosts@bikeshed.fm via email. CHRIS: Thanks so much for listening to The Bike Shed, and we'll see you next week. All: Byeeeeeeeeee!!! Announcer: This podcast was brought to you by thoughtbot. thoughtbot is your expert design and development partner. Let's make your product and team a success.

Roman Reigns said the N word on Smackdown. Yep he definitely did. We detail why he did and why it's honestly different for him after we shout out Rick Camp and Steve the Lyft driver. We also cover Big E's first title reign and what we expect and we deep dive on why a weak Mid-card is bad for all wrestling business on this weeks #FBCPod

The Basketball Buds, Zach Harper, Jay King, Tray Edwards and Mo Dakhil. Rundown:  — KD's knee scare and how the Nets hold it together  — LaVine's knee scare and how the Bulls hold it together  — Memphis surging — Mavs are streak busters  — Mid-season awards (MVP, ROY, DPOY, and Coach) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I have just failed a workout due to (I think) fatigue, and I am unsure how to continue in my plan. I have just started a new base block, and figured Id give high volume a try. I have some extra time nowadays and figured I would use it. The first week went well. I felt super tired after my sunday workout, and took monday off (some light yoga). Today (Tuesday) comes around and I'm still feeling tired. I put the workout off as long as I can, but get on the bike nonetheless. Sweet Spot is on the menu. I get the first block done, but muscles just werent there today. Mid block 2, my brain convinces me I need to rest. My question is, how should I continue? My proposed solution is to cut out all of the extra mileage I did last week and try to do barebones high volume plan (I added just under 2 hrs of free riding to the first week because I was feeling really good after a couple of free weeks). Another solution, one that I would like to not resort to but I will if need be, is to do mid volume and add endurance as I feel that I can. My background. 26yo, 5'11" (180cm), 155lbs (70kg), 229ftp. Started structure in Feb after not riding for a long time. Did Sweet Spot base. Trying to do yoga/core 1x weekly, and do more running as I am terrible at it. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/evoqbike/support

layout: podcast title: Creating a school kids are dying to attend with Andrew Marotta Transformative Principal 464 comments: true date: 2022-01-16 categories: middle, student driven learning, mindset, permalink: https://jethrojones.com/podcast/episode464 Social Media: Do your teachers want the information or do they want the inspiration? via @andrewmarotta21 Andrew Marotta is an energetic and enthusiastic leader who has put his positive imprint on his beloved Port Jervis HS, in Port Jervis, NY. With the release of his first book, “The Principal: Surviving and Thriving”, Andrew is expanding his impact on the education leadership community.  The 2nd edition, The School Leader, Surviving & Thriving was released in November 2020. Surviving & thriving a keep rolling mindset, & the power of storytelling ADHD is not a disability, it's a superpower. Moving from High School to Middle School. Change is good. Right move for me to have a different challenge while staying in the same district. The kids are amazing. Extremely impressionable. Kids rally around excitement. The importance of direction. How the power of impressionable kids matters If we're not pushing out fun things on social media, the kids will pay attention to the other stuff. Amazing after school experience. Amazing school culture happens 30 seconds at a time. School's gotta be fun. That kid's going to learn to love it when they have real audiences. Still trying to get kids back into the school. Mid-lesson checkins to help know where kids are at. Do your teachers want the information or do they want the inspiration? Always working on just one move in wrestling. Only looking at it as a weakness. Mikey the wrestler story. When your weakness becomes a strength. How to be a transformative principal? Spend time investing in your staff. Now, more than ever, teachers need our support. ## Sponsors ### [Transformative Principal Mastermind](https://transformativeprincipal.com) Lead a school everyone can be proud of. Being a principal is tough work. You're pulled in all kinds of directions. You never have the time to do the work that really matters. Join me as I help school leaders find the time to do the work they became principals to do. I help you stop putting out fires and start leading. Learn more at [https://transformativeprincipal.com](https://transformativeprincipal.com) ### [John Catt](https://us.johncattbookshop.com) Today's Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt's mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today's and tomorrow's schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - _[The Coach's Guide to Teaching](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/products/the-coach-s-guide-to-teaching?_pos=2&_sid=0405c747f&_ss=r)_ by Doug Lemov - [_The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education_](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/collections/frontpage/products/the-feedback-pendulum-a-manifesto-for-enhancing-feedback-in-education) by Michael Chiles - _[Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/products/putting-staff-first-a-blueprint-for-revitalising-our-schools?_pos=1&_sid=7dc3400e3&_ss=r)_ by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley - _[10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right)](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/collections/frontpage/products/10-things-schools-get-wrong-and-how-we-can-get-them-right)_ by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott - _[Let's Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/collections/frontpage/products/let-s-talk-about-flex-flipping-the-flexible-working-narrative-for-education)_ by Emma Turner - _[A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/products/powerful-teaching-a-guide-for-parents?_pos=1&_sid=7bf6ec56e&_ss=r)_ by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: [SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves](https://us.johncattbookshop.com/collections/frontpage/products/schoolx-how-principals-can-design-a-transformative-school-experience-for-students-teachers-parents-and-themselves) Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt's research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors

It's our 2022 themes episode. We reflect on how our themes worked out last year, and look ahead to what we're going to be concentrating on in ZOZZ. (Or 2022 as some call it.) But we start something very serious: our very first Mid-faith Crisis Ministerial Scandal. Resign! Support the podcastContact the podcast through your email machineThe Mid-Faith Crisis week at Lee Abbey - Book Now!Cortex: Your ThemeTheme System JournalEpisode 142: Own Your NicknessEpisode 98: Your new year's theme

Steph tells a cute story about escape artist huskies, and on a technical note, shares a journey in regards to class variables and modules inheritance. Chris talks about how he's starting to pursue analytics and one of the things that he's struggling with that he's always historically struggled with is the idea of historical data. He's also noticed a lack of formalization of certain things and is working with his team to remedy that. This episode is brought to you by ScoutAPM (https://scoutapm.com/bikeshed). Give Scout a try for free today and Scout will donate $5 to the open source project of your choice when you deploy. Mike Burns: How to Skim a Pull Request (https://thoughtbot.com/blog/a-smelly-list) RSpec Documentation (https://rspec.info/documentation/) Don't Let the Internet Dupe You, Event Sourcing is Hard (https://chriskiehl.com/article/event-sourcing-is-hard) Datomic (https://www.datomic.com/) timefora_boolean (https://github.com/calebhearth/time_for_a_boolean) Sentry (https://sentry.io/) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of The Bike Shed! Transcript: CHRIS: Hello and welcome to another episode of The Bike Shed, a weekly podcast from your friends at thoughtbot about developing great software. I'm Chris Toomey. STEPH: And I'm Steph Viccari. CHRIS: And together, we're here to share a bit of what we've learned along the way. So, Steph, it's an entirely new year. What is new in your new year? STEPH: Well, the year is off to an interesting start because we helped rescue a husky. CHRIS: Rescue as in now this is your dog or rescue as in the dog was trapped in a well, and another dog told you about the dog being trapped in a well, and then you helped the trapped? [laughs] Which of those situations are we working with? STEPH: [laughs] I'm really wishing it was the second version [laughs] where there's a dog that tells me about another dog trapped in a well. No, this is a third version where there was a husky that was wandering around the gym that we go to. And so Tim, my husband, called and said that "There's this husky, and he's super sweet, but he seems very lost." And our gym is located near a major road, and so we were worried that he was going to wander about and get hit. So I hopped into our car and took a crate and a leash, and he hopped right in. Clearly, he belonged to somebody; he'd just escaped. So he hops right in, and then we bring him home. But I put him in the backyard because I want to keep him separate from our dog, Utah, just because I don't know this dog, and I want to keep him safe. And I go back inside to grab a few things. I come back out, and the husky is gone. And I'm like, well, shit. [laughs] Now I'm starting to understand why this husky is missing or why this husky seemed lost. So then I started looking for the husky, and Tim comes home. He's helping me look for the husky. And it was one of those awful moments where we live near...it's not a major road, but people tend to speed on it. And the husky and I happen to see each other across the road. And so the husky was like, oh, human friend and starts coming across the road towards me. And there's this large SUV that's also coming from the other direction. I'm like, oh, this is it. This is my nightmare. This is becoming real. This dog is about to get hit. Thankfully, the driver saw the husky and stopped in time, so everything was fine. And the husky just finished trotting across the road to me, brought him in, kept him in the kennel in the garage. We didn't have any backyard adventures after that. The husky then thanked us by howling most of the night. [laughs] So this poor husky has had an adventure. We've had an adventure. And then, around 4:30 in the morning, I go out because I'm checking on the husky and going to let him out. And I'm scrolling on the app called Nextdoor. And I see that someone posted a picture of this exact husky that's like, "Please help me find my dog." And I was like, yes. Because we were going to have to take him to a county shelter or at least go see if he had a chip so then we could return him. But thankfully, we found the owner. I found out the husky's name is Sebastian. And then we had him for a few more hours, and then we had a wonderful husky and human reunion. CHRIS: That story had everything. It had ups; it had downs; it had huskies. It had escape artist huskies, in fact. I have...this is only through Reddit because that's how people learn about things in the world, but huskies are a rather vocal dog breed. So when you say the dog was howling, huskies have a particular way of almost singing, and it kind of sounds like yelling rather than more traditional dog sounds. Was that the experience you had? STEPH: Luckily, it wasn't too bad. His howling was more just; he didn't want to be in the crate. He seems like an indoor dog. So he's like, what am I doing outside in the garage? I should be indoors. And so he wasn't too loud. It was more he was just bemoaning his situation. But our dog Utah could hear him upset in the garage. And so that was also getting Utah upset because he didn't understand why there was a dog so close. And that was what led to the sleepless night because we couldn't get both of them to calm down. Because then, as soon as one of them calm down, the other one would get the other one riled. CHRIS: As it so often happens. STEPH: I'm so grateful that it turned out to be a happy story, though. That part was wonderful. And if we see the husky again, now we know his name is Sebastian and that he'll just come home with us. [chuckles] And we'll know how to return him since he seems to be an escape artist. CHRIS: And we were best friends forever. STEPH: On a more technical note, I have quite the journey to share in regards to class variables and modules inheritance. But before I dive in, I'm curious, what's new in your world? CHRIS: Oh. Well, I'm excited to dig into that story. But I've got two smaller things in my world this week that are top of mind. I don't really have answers on them. I have more questions. One is we're starting to pursue analytics. We want to try and understand our system a little bit better. What is the experience of our users? How are they coming into the system? What are they doing? How long does it take them to do the things that we want them to do? All those sorts of questions you want to be able to answer about your application. And one of the things that I'm struggling with that I've always historically struggled with is the idea of historical data. So data changes over time, and often we actually want to know about those transition points. We want to know about the different states that a user or any record in the system has been in. And I'm finding myself feeling the same pain that I felt many times and starting to think again about the relevant options out there in the world. To give a slightly more pointed example of what we're dealing with, users come in, and then there are a few steps for them to actually sign up for the application. And so their user record or their application, if you will, will go through a couple of different states. So they can be basically approved directly, and now they're an active user of the system, that's one option. But they can also end up in a state where they're pending review. And then eventually, depending on the outcome of that review, whether it's manual or someone intervenes or what have you, then eventually they can transition to either being denied or being accepted. And then they'll again be an active user. And so there's a question now of how many of the users that end up in that pending state end up transitioning into active. And as I looked at the database, I was like, I do not have this information right now. I know their current state. And the logs could tell me all of this. We don't have proper log archiving right now. And I also don't have a system for, like, let me pull down gigabytes of logs and try and sift through that to understand the answer, especially for something domain level like this. But this is one specific example that represents a category of things in my mind. The stuff that I've looked at in this space otherwise is Event Sourcing. So the idea that rather than having a discrete representation of the state of your application, you store every event as an individual log, essentially of like user did X, thing happened, Y occurred. And then, at any given point, you need to know about the state of your system; you just reduce all of those events through some magical reducer that produces the current state. I also very recently read an article called Event sourcing is Hard. So I have that in my head as a counterpoint. This seems like a thing that is non-trivial to do, makes sense for a certain scale. But of course, like anything else, it has its trade-offs. Another thing that I've looked at and never really pursued mostly because it's in a different ecosystem, is Datomic, D-A-T-O-M-I-C, which I think I've mentioned before. But it's a database that actually stores data in this historical format. And so you can ask for the current value, but then you can also ask for what are all the states that this user has been in? And what are the timestamps of those changes? One small thing that we do have that I really like...so this is one example of us; I think leaning into wanting to have more information, higher fidelity information, is often we want to know something like was this ticket paid? Did someone pay for this ticket? And so paid is a BooleanProperty on this ticket record within our system. So the ticket can be held for a little while and eventually gets paid. And now, yes, it has been paid for. It is good. You can use it. But often, we want to know not just that it's paid but when it was paid. And so there's a gem that we are using on the project called timeforaboolean by former thoughtboter, Caleb Hearth. And it does a wonderful job of basically instead of storing a Boolean value in the database, you store a timestamp. But then the Boolean can be inferred. If there is a value, if there's a timestamp for that record in the database, then there are a bunch of helper methods that get introduced that say, like, paid? That's now a method that I can ask, and it will tell us that. But we can also find the paidat, paid_at value. And so we have this higher fidelity data when we need it, but we can also collapse it down to the simpler representation. Because most often, all we need to know is, have they paid for it? Cool, then they're good. They can come into the concert, that sort of thing. But yeah, this is a broader question that I don't have a great answer to. I think Postgres and Rails and just the nature of how we approach these applications pushes us in a certain direction. Another thing I'm exploring is downstream analytic systems. What if I send a bunch of events to them, and they act as a half-event sourcing type thing? But yeah, this is going to be, I think, an open question for me for a while. STEPH: Yeah, you said a lot of really good options. When you're talking about in our ecosystem, we get pushed in one direction or the other that makes me think of the projects that I've been on. Typically, what they'll reach for first is something like a Papertrail. So then, that way, they can check for the historical versions of an object and how it was changed and see who changed it. That's one way to track the logs. I like the idea that if you can outsource it and send all of those events to a logging system and then essentially ask for that data back as you need it. You made me think of a recent project as well where we needed to track the state. So it was a patient matching system. And we really needed to know when a patient match was created or disconnected and then who did that and perhaps for what reason. And to ensure that we had as much information as possible, we took that opportunity to just create a record for it. So we had a patient match record or...I forgot the name of the other one where we created where a patient did not have a match. But we were creating a record every time someone did that. Granted, probably that's not going to happen nearly as often as someone paying for an event or the situations that you're describing. This was ideally infrequently that someone was going to unmatch a patient because it meant that our system had matched people that shouldn't be matched, and then a human had intervened. But yeah, it's interesting the space that you're in. And you listed all the good things that I would have thought of. CHRIS: I think you listed Papertrail, which is one that I hadn't actually thought of yet for this particular instance. This only came up earlier today also. So this is new in my head that I'm really being pushed in this direction. But I think Papertrail could be a good solution for where we're at. But it is one of those where you often don't know the thing you want to know. And I'm terrified of losing data of like; I had the data. I knew it at one point in time, but now I can't reknow it in the future because I didn't write it down. That's one of the things that I just don't want to happen in the world. And so finding those ways of like, how can we architect a system so that we can do the normal, straightforward, boring things most of the time but then when we need to expand out the analytics dimension of the system that we're working on...and trying to thread that needle and find the ideal optimization on both sides is a tricky one. But yeah, I'll definitely take another look at Papertrail and see if that...at a minimum, I think that's a good solution for where we're at now. And then this is going to be a thought that's going to roll around in the back of my head for a while. So if I come up with anything else, perhaps a grander solution, I'll certainly bring that back to The Bike Shed. But yeah, what else is up in your world? I want to hear the story of the class variables. STEPH: Well, it is quite a journey. So I hope you're ready. Specifically, I was pairing with Joël, who was working on fixing a test that had been marked as being skipped for a while. We weren't really sure why. We figured maybe because it's flaky. But then, as Joël had restored that test, he realized it was actually failing consistently. So it was a test that was failing for a reason folks maybe didn't understand, but they decided to cancel or to skip that test. But they didn't actually want to get rid of it because it seemed like a pretty important test based on the description. So Joël saw it and got excited because it seemed very relevant to some of the work he was already doing. So then, he is now investigating why this test is failing consistently. So in this story, we have four main characters: we have a class, two modules, and a class variable. So enter the class stage left. All right, so this class defines a class variable which I have to say is not something I work with very much in Ruby. So class variables kind of felt a bit novel and diving back into like, oh yeah, these are a thing. So the class defines a class variable that's called cache and assigns this variable to an instance of a cache. So then this class includes two modules who we'll call Module A and Module B. And we'll enter them stage right. And both of these models look to see if cache is already set. And if it's not, they also set the cache class variable. So with that information, in our test, we don't want to exercise the real cache just because then if other tests are reading from that cache, which is proving to be a source of flakiness for these tests, then they are overriding each other's expectations, and it's causing some of the tests to flake. So instead, we want to use a fake cache, just like an in-memory cache. So the test and its setup is already overriding. It's setting that class variable to say, hey, I want you to be a fake cache, just be in-memory. However, while executing that test, one of the modules is checking to see if that cache is set, which is being set in our test setup. So test setup sets the value. We're running the test but then in the module, the model checks to see if it's set, and it's suddenly nil instead of using the cache that we had set. So now it's defaulting back to say, "Oh, it's unset. So let me go back and set it to the real cache," which is exactly what we're trying to avoid. So then the question became, if we're setting the class variable in our class, why is it being populated in one of the modules but it's not being populated in the other module? So one of them has it set to the in-memory cache, but the other one does not. So I'm going to gloss over some of the details because this stuff is pretty tangling. But essentially, when the test is running, and it's loading the class, and we are overriding that class variable, it's getting shared with one of the modules because as soon as one of the models does set that class variable, there's a bidirectional link that gets set between the parent class which is the module in this case, and the class itself. And as soon as that module sets the class variable, then they're going to talk to each other, and they're going to reference the same value. However, this only seems to happen for one of the parents. You can't do this for both. So if you have two parents that are trying to share a class variable with the same class, that doesn't work. So that's a particular bug that we were running into. I do have some good news because if anybody is very nervous about the situation that I'm describing, I feel you. The good news is that in Ruby 3, they actually warn when this is happening and have introduced an error. So you don't have this inheritance confusion that can come out of the fact that these parent classes are also trying to share a class variable with this child class. So in Ruby 3, if you are writing a class variable in that class but then you try to overwrite that class variable in the parent of that class or by the module that's being included, then an error is going to be raised. So it's going to warn you if you're creating this bidirectional link between those two class variables and that you shouldn't be overriding the child's ownership of that class variable. Instead, if you're going to use class variables, which, one, is not my cup of tea, but if you're going to use class variables, it should be defined in the parent class, and then it can be shared downstream in the inheritance versus trying to go upstream and then having your ancestors essentially override some of those class variables. So all of that is to say we were on a very interesting journey of understanding how class variables work, how the inheritance works, how that bidirectional link is getting established, and then how Ruby 3 comes in to warn us if something funky is happening. CHRIS: Oh, that is interesting. And I'm now going to catalog that as a piece of information that my brain will retain for roughly the amount of time that we are recording this podcast and then immediately forget. STEPH: As you should. [laughs] CHRIS: It's one of the reasons that I try to avoid inheritance. And I try to avoid class variables as much as possible because of this category of problem, a very subtle bug that you have to try and really hone in. And you have to be very smart to debug this sort of thing. I don't want to be that smart. I want to code in a way that I can be less smart on any given Thursday. That's my goal in life. I will ask one other question, though. So there's just a cache that this class and pair of modules are hanging around with, and then you want to swap it out for in-memory. This sounds remarkably like the Rails cache. Is this cache distinct special? Could it not just be backed by rails.cache, THE cache within the rails context, which can be backed by Memcached, or Redis, or in-memory when you're in tests, or the NullStore, which I think is the default in development is probably how that goes? Is there a particular reason? Is this a special cache? Is there additional behavior that this cache has beyond the normal thing? Or is it just like, at some point, someone's like, oh, I need a cache. I'm just going to use a class variable, that'll be easy, which it definitely is, but then you run into complexities. And caches are one of those hard things to get right. So it's one where I would immediately be like, whoa, whoa, I would love to not make up our own cache here. So I'm wondering, is there a distinct reason, or is it just this happened, and here we are? STEPH: So I think we are using a custom cache that we are pointing to. So it is another service. It's not a Rails cache or an abstraction that we can point to and use. It is a different cache that we are using. And I'm trying to think back to the exact code. But there is a method that essentially checks to say, hey, should I use the real cache? Should I use the in-memory cache? And that is something that we've explored to find a way to make this more global for the test suite because we really want to control this for all the tests. Because it's very easy to not realize in the test that you should avoid using that shared global cache. And so that way, the tests don't interact with each other but instead always use an individualized cache for each test to make sure that it is self-sufficient and independent. But we haven't gotten that far yet in figuring out how we can take a more global approach with this. CHRIS: Gotcha. So I don't know the details. I assume there are reasons here. But just to play this out, if we find ourselves saying we have a reason to have a distinct cache, to have a special cache over here, but it's a cache...and caches fundamentally, that word always will raise my attention. It will be like, okay, this is a place that bugs will come and aggregate. And we need a distinct one that has special behavior as an external service, or that is just something like in... There's a wonderful blog post that Mike Burns wrote at one point that was about...I think it was something like things that will make me look at your pull request in more detail. And I really loved it because it did capsulate all of these like, yeah, there are good reasons to do everything on this list. But if you do any of them, I will look at your pull requests and be like, oh, that's interesting. Why are we doing that, though? Do we have to do that? Are you sure? Are you triple sure we have to do that? And this is definitely one of those things where caches automatically catch my attention. Even if we're using the built-in cache, I'm like, do we need to? Is that a definite thing? And then all the more so when we're using a custom bespoke one. Again, I assume that there are reasons that there's something special that's going on here. Perhaps the caching behavior is distinct from just it's Redis, and we throw data. And if it falls out the backside, that's fine. Maybe you need entirely different behavior here. But it is something that I would poke at a bunch. STEPH: Yeah, you're asking a lot of good questions. I will have to go back and look at some of the code because we spent enough time in Ruby specifics that I didn't pay as much attention to the cache. Because right now, as we are working on these tests, we're trying to fix just the test without changing the application code, one, because that feels like a safer space. And if the test is flaky, we're just trying to change the test first. But some of these tests we're starting to realize I'm not sure we can fix the test without also changing some of the application code, or the way that we do have to fix the test is really an incentive to back up and say maybe now's the time that we look at some of the application code. Because another question that comes to mind is why use a class variable, and does this need to be shared by the class and the modules? And there's a part of me that suspects that maybe some of this logic was extracted to a module, but then it wasn't cleaned up in the other places. And so that's why we still have a reference. And it's essentially then being shared and set and unset and reset in those different places. So I think you ask some good questions, and I have some more questions of my own when we have time to revisit that portion of the test and application. As another example of some of the tests that I've been working on, one of the tests that I...because we have a list, we can usually tell some of the tests that are flaky. So one of the ones that I was investigating was a similar issue where there was a shared resource, and someone had tried to mock it out. So they had taken the time to say, hey, I don't actually want to use that real resource that's over there; instead, I want to just return the scanned value. But instead, they'd accidentally stubbed out a class-level method instead of the instance-level method. And so it was running, but it wasn't actually stubbing anything else since that's the method that's not getting called. So that was just an oversight for that test. So I fixed that test. But I noticed that we were using allow any instance of, so then I did take the time to go through that file and change and move away from the use of allow any instance of. And for folks that are less familiar with allow any instance of, RSpec has some really great docs that talk about how it's very helpful for dealing with legacy code. But essentially, it is a code smell that you're using; allow any instance of because you are saying that my test is or my code is so complex that I can't really mock out the specific instances that I want to and then return specific behavior. So instead, I'm having to use this more global approach to say, hey, any instance of this method, I want you to mock it out versus this very specific instance that I know that I'm working with. But we can include a link in the show notes because there's a nice write-up that talks about some of the reasons that allow any instance of is not recommended. So that's been kind of fun. There's been a little bit of joy to get to refactor away from that and actually stub out a specific instance. Part of the work, too, that I'm noticing as Joël and I are going through these tests is leaving breadcrumbs for other developers as well because they have a very large team. And they're very junior friendly, which is just incredible. I love that so much about this company. And because they do hire a lot of juniors, then it is a tough codebase. It's a fairly old codebase. So as these juniors are coming in, they're seeing a lot of these patterns. And they're propagating these old patterns that aren't necessarily the best patterns to propagate. But they're doing their best, and then they are reusing what they're seeing. So part of the work as we are revising these tests, my hope is that people will see some of these newer patterns and use those instead of following some of the older patterns. CHRIS: I can only imagine that you're writing borderline novels in your pull request descriptions and commit messages there. I do wonder, is there an index of those that you're collecting? So there's like, here's the test remediation examples list, and you're slowly adding to them. This was a weird one with a class variable. And this was a weird one that had flakiness due to waiting or asynchronous behavior. And gathering examples of those, but specifically from the codebase. I could see that being a really useful artifact because I happily traverse through git blame all the time. But I don't know that that's always a thing. And frankly, I have to work for it sometimes. So if there is that list of here are pull requests that specifically did X, Y, and Z, I think that could be super useful. STEPH: Yeah, that's a great idea. And yes, they have some shared team documentation that speaks to specifically flaky tests because they're aware that this is a problem. They are working together to address this. And they have documentation that states ways to avoid flaky tests. If you encounter a flaky test, here are some of the ways that you can triage to find out what's wrong. So as Joël and I have been finding good examples, then we've been contributing to that document. And they also have team meetings. So our plan is to attend some of those meetings and be like, "Hey, this is just some of the stuff that we've seen this week, some of the things that we improved and changed," and share the progress that we're making. Since everyone is aware that there are these developers that are working hard to improve the test suite, but then share that information with the rest of the team so they too can feel...one, they can just see the changes that are taking place. But they too can also benefit and apply those strategies themselves when they see a flaky test. Oh, but you did just remind me of a thing. So one of the tests that I was going through...I'm very intentionally going through and making the smallest change possible. So I will do the gross, ugly fix whatever it is to get something to pass, and then I will commit it. And then I'll think about okay, well, how can I make this better? So essentially, I have the fix, whether it's pretty or not. And then, after that, I start to have other commits that make it prettier. And so, I had a pull request that had four commits that told the story that I was very happy about and progressed along in a more positive direction. And I issued that, and I discovered that Gerrit, when it sees four commits, it split all of them into their own change request. And so, instead of having what I thought would be this nice story, now got split across these four change requests. And I thought, well, that's less helpful. So I ended up squashing two of them, but I still kept three of them because they stood alone, and each told a story. But that's something that I've learned about Gerrit. CHRIS: Always so interesting how our tools shape our work. STEPH: And it made me think back to the listener who asked the question about ensuring that CI runs for each commit. Well, here you go, Gerrit. [chuckles] Gerrit does it for you. It ensures that every commit gets split into its own change request. CHRIS: I mean, as you said earlier, not my cup of tea but... [laughs] STEPH: Yeah, I'm still lukewarm. I'm still discovering Gerrit and how we get along. Mid-roll Ad And now a quick break to hear from today's sponsor, Scout APM. 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And as an added-on bonus for Bike Shed listeners, Scout will donate $5 to the open-source project of your choice when you deploy. Learn more at scoutapm.com/bikeshed. That's scoutapm.com/bikeshed. What else is going on in your world? CHRIS: In my world, we keep adding new users to the system. We keep doing more stuff. These are all wonderful things, the direction you certainly want to be heading. But as we're doing that, I've recognized that we had a lack of process and a lack of formalization of certain things. And a lot of the noise of the work was just coming to me because I was the person that everybody knew. I can ask a question; Chris will know the answer, et cetera. And then there were things that we needed to keep an eye on. But because it was everyone's job, it was no one's job. So we've introduced the idea of a point person on the engineering team. So this is a role that will rotate each week. I think you and I have worked on a handful of projects that had something similar to this. There was a team that we worked with that had an ad hoc list, which were just little tasks that needed to be done by developers. So there was one person who would run with that. I've heard it called captain before, the sprint captain. We're not really doing sprints. So for various reasons, that title didn't work for me. But point person is what I went with here. And so the idea is rather than having product management or anyone else in the organization just individually reaching out to developers, we want to try and choke that off, have a single point of communication. And so just today, I introduced into Slack, a group, but it's a group of one person. So @pointdev is technically the handle for this person. It's a group in Slack. And each week, we'll rotate who the members of that team are. And technically, you could add multiple, but the idea is this is just one person. So we'll rotate the person. And what ends up happening is if anyone...say the product manager says, "@pointdev, what's the status on..." blah, blah, blah, that will notify the person who is the point person that week. So that's a nice feature in Slack so that we can condense it down and say rather than asking individuals, ask this alias. We're introducing one layer of abstraction in our communication tools, much like we do in our software. So I'm drafting now the list of like, here's all the stuff that I think this person...because we're trying to push all of the quote, unquote, "other work" the non-product feature development work into this person's purview for a given week. So it's monitor Sentry for any new errors as they come up, triage them, and figure out what we want to do. Ideally, and this is perhaps aspirational, I would like to keep inbox zero in Sentry. I know how you feel about that more generally and perhaps even more specifically within the world of errors, but that's my dream. We're going to see how it goes. STEPH: I don't know if people know I am the opposite of inbox zero. This is the life that I'm living. CHRIS: What about with errors, though? What about something like Sentry? STEPH: I want to say that I would be a better human with my email. But I'm going, to be honest [laughs] and say that I would probably have the same approach where I am not an inbox zero person. I've come to terms with it. I used to really strive and think I needed to change. But I have reached a point of comfort with this is who I am. There are many like us, so shout out to all y'all. CHRIS: Oh yeah, by far the more common approach, I think. So specifically with the errors, I struggle a bit with it because what ends up happening is we are implicitly ignoring the errors. And if we're doing that, I would rather just sit around and have a conversation and be like, let's just explicitly ignore them. There's a button in the UI. We can ignore them. If this is not a real error, we can add it to the list of things that we do not report on. We can ignore that error. We can ignore it for a week and add a card to Trello that has a due date that says, "Hey, we got to work on this." But let's take that implicit indifference to that particular error mode of our application and make it explicit. Let's draw that line in the sand such that when I see a new error pop up, I'm like, oh, that seems like something I should do something about. I really want high signal-to-noise when I'm seeing errors coming. And so I'm willing to work for that. But it is a trade-off, and it does take effort. And it's noisy, especially browser extensions, and whatnot, just fighting the page. Facebook showed up one day. I don't know how Facebook got in there. Someone was browsing our website from within Facebook's browser, which I didn't know was a thing, but they had their own thing. And it fires a bunch of events, and Sentry was just like, let me slurp all of those up. Those seem fun. That was noisy. So we had to turn those off, but we explicitly turned them off. STEPH: I do like the approach that you're taking where it's one person, and then it's a rotating shift because I think that makes it more reasonable for someone's who's like, hey, this is going to be noisy for a week. And then you're going to look through these emails and check all these errors, and then either silence them because you don't think that they're interesting or mute them for now. Or if you're going to convert it into a ticket, set a due date, whatever the triage approach is going to be. But that feels more achievable versus inbox zero for life is just exhausting. But I feel like if you're doing it rotating week by week, that seems like a nice approach and also easier to keep it at inbox zero because that way, you are keeping up with all the errors. Because I agree; otherwise, what's the point of tracking all the errors if you're just going to ignore them? CHRIS: Yeah, definitely the rotating, I think, is critical. I think the other thing that's been critical specifically on the error front is we've had now a handful of meetings where we triage the backlog together, the backlog of errors. So like, what all is coming into Sentry? What's going on? And we go through the process of determining is this a real thing? Should we fix this? Should we ignore it? And we do that together so that it becomes not just one person's intuition about whether or not this is important or not or what the source of it might be but a shared intuition such that now any one of us, when it's our week, can ideally represent the team in that way and be like, never mind, never tell us about this again because it's very easy to silence things in Sentry that you would actually like to know about when they become real. But right now, we have this edge case that is an ignorable version. So trying to get there that's been fun. But yeah, once again, Sentry, that's one of the things on this person's list. There are ad hoc support tickets for our operations team. So anything that needs to happen on a user's behalf that currently needs a developer to console, let's funnel all of those to this one individual, respond to any new questions. So this is where that Slack handle will be useful. Check for any stuck jobs in Sidekiq. So is there anything that's been retrying for a while? Because it probably shouldn't. Maybe one or two retries is cool, but past that, something has gone wrong. And we should either get in there and fix it or just kill that job because it's never going to succeed, which is quite often the case but go in there and keep an eye on those and then look for anything. We're starting to use due dates within Trello, which is currently our project management system. We'll see. Someday we're definitely going to grow out of that. But for now, it's good enough and checking for anything that's overdue or coming up in the next week in terms of due dates and just making sure that we're being responsive to that. And so, I really like the idea of having this be a named set of things and a singular focus for one individual. Because again, that idea of like, if it's everybody's job, it's nobody's job. Or if it's nobody's job, then it's my job, and I don't want it to exclusively be my job. [chuckles] So I'm trying to make it not exclusively my job and to share the knowledge about it and make sure that these are skills that we all have and ideas and et cetera. But also, I would be fine to answer fewer questions in Slack each day. STEPH: I have to admit, as soon as you were telling me that you had established this role, I was quietly congratulating you on helping delegate some of these responsibilities to the team. Because like you said, you are then the person that takes on all these tasks. CHRIS: There's a laziness to that. Like, it's easy for me to just answer the questions. It's harder for me to put up a wall and say, "No, no, we have a process for this." And quite possibly, what's going to happen behind the scenes is that questions are going to come in to whoever is this point person. They're not going to know the answer. They're going to reach out to me, and then that conversation is still going to happen. But even by doing that now, now that person will see that answer, will understand the thinking or the background, the context that I have. And so it's that weird thing of like, it would be so much easier for me to just answer one question. But to answer all the questions, well, I can't do that. And so I'm working to try and do more of the delegation to try and hand things off when they're in a known state and to identify this sort of stuff so that the team broadly can be stronger and better able to support everyone else in the organization. So that's the dream. We'll see how it goes. STEPH: Yeah, I love that approach. I'm also thinking how interesting this role is because I'm imagining a mix between someone who is like the front point person at like an ER. So like, things are coming in, and they're in a tragic state and need help and need to be diagnosed. But at the same time, you mentioned they're going around. They're checking Sidekiq. They're looking at some email errors. So they're also that night shift guard that's walking around with a flashlight just poking in each room. So it seems like a very stressful and low-key role all at the same time, all mixed up into one week. That person probably needs a beer at the end of the week. CHRIS: There is a version of the story in my head that is...I wouldn't say this feels like a failure mode, but I would rather this not have to exist at all. I would rather things to be calmly humming along and not require a dedicated person each week to deal with the noise. I don't think that's realistic, certainly not as early on as we are in our organization. But I do wonder, is this a crutch? Is this something that we should be paying more attention to? And I know in teams that you and I have worked with in the past that has been a recognition of like, this is a crutch. But it's a costly crutch. Like, we're taking an entire...in our case, it's not requiring the entirety of a developer's week. They're able to do this pretty easily and then still get a bunch...like, 75% of their time is still feature work. But we're just choking down who's the person that will be responding to questions when they pop up so that fewer individuals are interrupted? But I have seen organizations where this definitely filled an entire week and spilled out more than. And then there was the recognition of that and the addition of another person that comes along and tries to fix stuff along the way as opposed to just responding. And so I want to make sure this isn't a band-aid but is, in fact, a necessary layer that we then try and shore up, you know, we should have fewer errors. That feels true. Okay, cool. Let's fix the bugs in the app. And these ad hoc things that an admin needs to have done can that be a button in the UI? Can they actually self-serve in those cases? And we're slowly moving towards those. Ideally, fewer jobs get stuck in Sidekiq. And so, my hope is that this isn't a job that gets harder and harder over time. It's a job that potentially, if we're being honest, probably stays about this hard. I don't think it's ever going to be just like, nope, nobody needs to do anything. The app just runs, and it's great. And it never has bugs. But that is a question in my mind as I start to embrace this thing of like one person is dedicated for a week to this. And if right now it's only 25% of their time, okay, that's probably fine. But if suddenly it's 50% of their time or 75% or 100% of their time for that whole week, that becomes too high of a bar in my mind. And I want to keep a close eye on it and make sure it's not trending in that direction. And I will be one of the people on the rotation. So I'll get to be in the trenches. STEPH: I appreciate all the thoughtfulness that you're putting into it. And I'm thinking back on a project where we had a similar rotation because we had an issue Slack channel. And so anytime there was an issue, then it would get posted in there. And before, it was going out to everyone, or there was one particular person that was always picking it up and then trying to delegate it to others as they needed to. But then we started a similar rotation. And one of the key benefits that I found from that is it signaled to the team, hey, this person might get pulled away. They can pick another ticket or two, but we need to give them lower priority tickets because there's a chance that they're going to get pulled away to work on something else. And that's okay, and we're going to plan for it. Versus without this role in mind, then you had people all taking on high priority tickets, but then someone had to be the one that's like, well, I'm going to punt on my high priority and feel stressed about the fact that I've got this other thing to deal with. But then, I didn't actually do the work that I planned for. So I feel like you're helping introduce calmness into the week, even if it is a stressful role. But then there's the goal that this becomes less of a stressful role, and if you see it trending in the opposite direction, then that's something to investigate. But I also feel like triage and communication is such an important part of being a developer that it also feels very relevant upskilling for the whole team to go through. So there's also that benefit of where this approach also empowers the rest of the team to also experiences, build empathy, look for additional fixes, and then also build these important skills. Overall, I really applaud your thoughtfulness. And I think it's a really good idea. And it will be interesting to see which direction that this role trends if it gets easier or if it's getting harder over time. CHRIS: Well, thanks. I appreciate that. And I'll certainly report back as we develop this but hopefully, it stays about where it is. That feels right. And I think I'll probably...that's one of those things that I will monitor. And if I feel it moving in the wrong direction, then step in and try and get it back to this space because this feels like a maintainable reasonable amount. And we shouldn't be fixing every bug and adding every button to the UI. That's just actually not how it works, unfortunately, would love to. That's not true. You shouldn't have every button in the UI. That's so many buttons. But broadly, I hope we can maintain roughly this, and I think identifying it and laying it out now I'm feeling good about having that structure. So yeah, we'll see how it goes. Will report back. But again, thank you for the kind words. With that tour of a bunch of different things, should we wrap up? STEPH: Let's wrap up. CHRIS: The show notes for this episode can be found at bikeshed.fm. STEPH: This show is produced and edited by Mandy Moore. CHRIS: If you enjoyed listening, one really easy way to support the show is to leave us a quick rating or even a review on iTunes as it really helps other people find the show. STEPH: If you have any feedback for this or any of our other episodes, you can reach us at @_bikeshed or reach me on Twitter @SViccari. CHRIS: And I'm @christoomey. STEPH: Or you can reach us at hosts@bikeshed.fm via email. CHRIS: Thanks so much for listening to The Bike Shed, and we'll see you next week. All: Byeeeeeeeee!!!!! Announcer: This podcast was brought to you by thoughtbot. thoughtbot is your expert design and development partner. Let's make your product and team a success.

Show #1337 If you get any value from this podcast please consider supporting my work on Patreon. Plus all Patreon supporters get their own unique ad-free podcast feed. Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Monday 10th January. It's Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to. Thank you to MYEV.com for helping make this show, they've built the first marketplace specifically for Electric Vehicles. It's a totally free marketplace that simplifies the buying and selling process, and help you learn about EVs along the way too. Welcome (back) to a new Patreon Executive ProducerRAJ BADWAL This story was sent to me by listener Brian Kristensen in Denmark, driving a Polestar 2. SALES OF ELECTRIC CARS AND PLUG-IN HYBRIDS BREAK RECORDS IN DENMARK - Sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids have broken records in Denmark.They exceeded those of petrol and diesel cars last month, according to the Danish Car Importers Association (DBI). - There were 10,274 electric or plug-in hybrids sold in December, representing 57.8 per cent of total car sales in the country. - Mads Rørvig, CEO of DBI."Electric car sales have increased by 75 per cent compared to 2020, while plug-in hybrids have grown by over 120 per cent. However, we expect that the proportion of plug-in hybrids will fall in 2022, as the tax on these particular ones increased. Original Source : https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/01/04/sales-of-electric-cars-and-plug-in-hybrids-break-records-in-denmark REPORT: NO AMD RYZEN RETROFITS FOR OLDER TESLA MODEL 3/Y - The list of updated features includes:  AMD Ryzen processor (accelerates the entire infotainment/navigation) lithium-ion auxiliary battery (replaces 12 V lead-acid auxiliary battery) heated wiper park (at the lower section of the windshield) 13 speakers (down from 14) plus subwoofer ("no appreciable difference in sound quality") - Tesla notes that they have NO plans to offer any of these options above as service retrofits. That includes the AMD processor." - Trailer Auxiliary (tow hitch enabled vehicles): It's been disabled. New 12 LV Li-ion battery requires a new power conversion adapter to be compatible with 12-volt trailer power. Adapter will be available in Mid-2022 & owners can retrofit then. Trailer lights/brakes not impacted Original Source : https://insideevs.com/news/559570/report-amd-ryzen-retrofits-tesla/ Phil Roberts (@philroberts) / Twitter - Anyone else had the get ready for your @tesla Model Y Performance delivery email? I wasn't expecting it until June and got the email this morning - Picked up a 3LR a couple of weeks ago for one of staff and seemingly that “get ready” email came about 2 weeks before the final delivery email, kinda surprised Original Source : https://twitter.com/philroberts/status/1479394731889152007 TESLA MODEL Y WILL DELIVER TO FIRST UK CUSTOMERS IN FEBRUARY, DELIVERY - The first deliveries of Tesla Model Y to the UK are expected in February. The order holders received emails asking them to complete the pre-delivery tasks, indicating the expected delivery time. - Until the production of cars begins at Giga Berlin, Model Ys will be shipped from Giga Shanghai, which requires a longer delivery time to the UK. Obviously, cars for the country are being manufactured in late December-early January and will soon be or have already been shipped. Usually, carrier ships deliver cargo from China to the UK in 36 to 45 days, which means that the first vehicles can reach the coast as early as early February. Original Source : https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/tesla-model-y-will-be-delivered-to-the-first-customers-in-the-uk-in-february-the-company-confirmed TESLA GIGA TEXAS COULD START MODEL Y PRODUCTION IN 7-10 DAYS - Wedbush Managing Director and Senior Equity Analyst Dan Ives recently posted a rather interesting estimate for Tesla's Gigafactory Texas project. According to the Wall Street veteran, Giga Texas may very well be capable of starting Model Y production over the next 7-10 days. If Wedbush's estimate proves accurate, Tesla could see some serious momentum this Q1 2022. - Based on our analysis of Giga Austin it appears paperwork is now clearing the way for Model Y production starting over the next 7-10 days. We believe the stamping machines for Model Y and testing is already in place and mostly completed, green light for Tesla to kick off Austin Original Source : https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-giga-texas-model-y-production-start-date-tentative/ KENWORTH DEBUTS ITS FIRST CLASS 8 BATTERY-ELECTRIC TRUCK - For decades, Kenworth made a name for itself building rugged semis designed to last for years. Of late, however, the company started making strides in the zero-emission department - Kenworth's drive towards creating green-powered fleets included developing electric batteries resulting in the automaker building its new T68OE cab - Weighing in at 82,000 lbs, the T68OE boasts an electric-powered engine capable of churning 670 horsepower and 1,623 pound feet of torque. While being able to register a top speed of 65 mph "depending on applications," the model is flexible enough to operate as a tractor or a "straight truck" courtesy of a 6x4 axle configuration, designed to deliver power to more wheels. - The state-of-the-art cab's battery can run for 150 miles before recharging, achievable via a standard SAE XXS1 port Original Source : https://www.hotcars.com/kenworth-debuts-first-class-8-battery-electric-truck/ NEW FRENCH LAW REQUIRES CAR ADS TO ENCOURAGE VIEWERS NOT TO DRIVE - France has taken a unique step to remind people cars suck. In December, the country passed a law requiring the creators of car commercials to encourage viewers to try not driving a car—at least, whenever it's possible. - Advertisements must now include reference to travel alternatives, such as walking or biking, taking public transportation or, at the very least, carpooling. - Under the new law, commercials aired in the country will  be obligated to include one of the following phrases in their ad copy:  “For short journeys, walk or cycle,” “Think about carpooling,” and “On a daily basis, take public transport.” (In French, of course.) In some cases, the ads will also be required to sport the hashtag #SeDéplacerMoinsPolluer, meaning “Move without pollution.” - The legislation, which applies not just to TV  but also to print, web, and radio ads, mandates that the messages be presented in an “easily readable or audible manner” and that they be made “clearly distinguishable from the advertising message and from any other obligatory mention.” Companies that fail to meet such requirements will be subject to stiff fines Original Source : https://gizmodo.com/french-car-ads-will-soon-be-required-by-law-to-tell-you-1848310770 BRITISH LITHIUM EXTRACTS LITHIUM FROM GRANITE IN CORNWALL - In order to still be competitive in terms of costs, British Lithium has developed what it claims is a particularly efficient process to process the raw material. The process is said to work at lower temperatures, which saves energy. The use of chemicals was also reduced. - The company British Lithium says it has extracted lithium from granite for the first time – initially on a pilot scale. The pilot plant is expected to produce five kilogrammes of lithium carbonate per day from the beginning of this year. - British Lithium plans to build a large plant to produce 21,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate per year. This plant is to be built in close proximity to the granite quarry. On the one hand, to keep the transport routes short, on the other hand, to create jobs in the region of Cornwall. Original Source : https://www.electrive.com/2022/01/06/british-lithium-extracts-lithium-from-granite/ MICROSOFT WIGGLES INTO ELECTRIC CARS - The new EV virtual butler of XPeng will use Microsoft's Azure cloud to offload the processing tasks from the cars' chipset and provide unsurpassed life-like voice command experience inside XPeng's electric cars - Microsoft has partnered with one of the most promising electric car makers, XPeng, to provide its Azure AI-powered voice that scored the highest of any in-car virtual assistant on the MOS voice quality scale. - The new Azure-processed voice will go to XPeng's virtual butler that can be tasked to do things around the car like roll down the windows or adjust the AC and infotainment systems while driving. Processing the voice commands via Microsoft's Azure AI offloads the car's processing power and achieves unparallelled life-like performance of the virtual butler. Original Source : https://www.notebookcheck.net/Microsoft-wiggles-into-electric-cars-via-its-award-winning-Azure-AI-voice-assistant-exclusive-to-XPeng-EVs.590943.0.html THE DAKAR RALLY WILL FEATURE ITS FIRST HYDROGEN CAR IN 2024 Original Source : https://jalopnik.com/the-dakar-rally-will-feature-its-first-hydrogen-car-in-1848328702 LESSONS FROM NORWAY ABOUT HOW TO SWITCH TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES   Original Source : https://time.com/6133180/norway-electric-vehicles/ COMING SOON! MASTER'S IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES AT IIT MADRAS Original Source : https://thefederal.com/news/azure-power-fully-commissions-its-600-mws-seci-project-the-largest-owned-and-operated-single-site-solar-project-in-india/ QUESTION OF THE WEEK WITH EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM The 4th anniversary of this podcast is next week on Tuesday 18th January. So this week it's a self-indulgent question, and I'll hope you forgive me for that. What would you like to see and hear from this show in 2022. What would you keep, and what would you change. What would you like to see new? Email me your answer now: hello@evnewsdaily.com It would mean a lot if you could take 2mins to leave a quick review on whichever platform you download the podcast. And  if you have an Amazon Echo, download our Alexa Skill, search for EV News Daily and add it as a flash briefing. Come and say hi on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter just search EV News Daily, have a wonderful day, I'll catch you tomorrow and remember…there's no such thing as a self-charging hybrid. PREMIUM PARTNERS PHIL ROBERTS / ELECTRIC FUTURE BRAD CROSBY PORSCHE OF THE VILLAGE CINCINNATI AUDI CINCINNATI EAST VOLVO CARS CINCINNATI EAST NATIONAL CAR CHARGING ON THE US MAINLAND AND ALOHA CHARGE IN HAWAII DEREK REILLY FROM THE EV REVIEW IRELAND YOUTUBE CHANNEL RICHARD AT RSEV.CO.UK – FOR BUYING AND SELLING EVS IN THE UK EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM

You still have time to apply for a free coaching session with me, Biz Cush! A $300 value! We'll meet via Zoom for 90-minutes to work through a life transition of your choice. Some ideas for your deep-dive conversation are: Mid-life concerns including menopause, empty nest, new job... Self work- better relationship with your self, healthy boundaries, mindful living Or something else in your life. You can find out more and sign-up here!

Welcome back! This week we discuss the announcement of an animated Scott Pilgrim and the Peacock show Wolf Like Me. Mid-show we give you a list of our most anticipated media of 2022. Then our main topic is The King's Man. For everything Fans on Patrol go to Fansonpatrol.com Reach us directly at fans@fansonpatrol.com or on  twitter, facebook and Instagram, @fansonpatrol. Listen to us on now on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Pandora Google Podcast, Spotify, Podbean and subscribe to us on Patreon for extra content and on YouTube.

Bible Prophecy Archive http://www/BibleProphecyArchive.com Mark of the Beast Flow Chart image click here [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

My guest in this episode of the podcast is Dr. Gabrielle Lyon - a fellowship-trained physician and a private doctor to ‘the innovators and game changers'. I came across Gabrielle's Instagram feed because people I follow kept sharing her posts and that prompted me to follow her and then I got in touch to ask if she'd come on the show.I wanted to dig into her expertise because she does extensive research, is up-to-date on all the clinical trials, and has evidence to back up everything she says - and we love that on this podcast, don't we listeners? The topic she has spoken about the most, the one that really piqued my interest is when she talks about the way we're focusing on the wrong thing when it comes to health. There's a huge focus on fat and the fact that we have an obesity crisis or are over-fat, but Gabrielle says that actually, the biggest issue, is that we're under-muscled.So, if you look at Gabrielle's insta bio and see ‘muscle-centric medicine' you'll know, after listening to this episode, why this is such a keen area of her research.If you've reached a point in your life where you're conscious of your health choices and how they may impact you down the line then this episode is for you. This isn't about being on a diet, eating less or being restrictive, Gabrielle's insights help you eat smart.During our conversation Gabrielle and I discuss:Muscle as the organ of longevity.Her experience of working in geriatrics and palliative care and how it influences how she practices medicine today.What it's like to be on the receiving end of criticism when making verified health claims on social media.Her feelings about the Healthy At Any Size and Body Positivity movements.Mid-life weight gain and why this is such a crucial time for your health.The biggest false narratives that are rife on the internet that she wishes she could make go away.Why so many people are calorie literate but we need to become more mindful of macros, in particular, protein.Can a diet really suit someone?Why she believes the evidence that shows that red meat and eggs aren't a risk for cardiovascular health.Whether it's possible to undo the sins of your past (read: eating fast food in your twenties) and much more…To join the closed Facebook group for the podcast click here >> The Emma Guns Show Forum.To follow me on social media >> Twitter | Instagram.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/emmagunavardhana. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Brett Dakin wrote a new book about his Great Uncle Golden Age Publisher Lev Gleason, whose comics career was cut short in the Mid 50s due to the senate hearings on Juvenile Delinquency and comics. We discuss Gleason's career and life and the creation of The Original Daredevil. Read Brett's Book American Dare Devil Comics Communism, and the Battles Of Lev Gleason

Jeff sits down to talk with Bryan Crain, Dave Cantrell, and Terry Waska about their documentary Oil Capital Underground:The Genesis And Evolution Of Punk Rock In Tulsa-Late 70s-Mid 90s.They share a lot of stories about how the documentary came together over the years with contributions of concert footage, posters, and zines from many people that were on the scene during these years in Tulsa.

2021 was a record-breaking year for housing and real estate. Redfin compiled a list of 10 housing records that we experienced last year. And some of these themes are expected to continue into 2022.Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.It's been an unusual year to say the least. It was the second year of the pandemic and one where many Americans have changed where and how they live because of the COVID-19 and a surge in remote work. That has also changed the kind of homes they buy and rent.Redfin Chief Economist, Daryl Fairweather, says: “The ongoing pandemic, including its seismic effect on the U.S. economy and the way Americans live and work, has made 2021's housing market anything but typical.” He says: “Remote work, low mortgage rates, a shortage of building materials and wealth inequality that has allowed an influx of affluent Americans to buy vacation homes, to name just a few factors, have come together to create a historic year for real estate. Buyers paid more for homes, bought sooner than they planned, searched outside their hometowns or all of the above.” (1)Redfin's List of 2021 Housing RecordsLet's take a look at Redfin's list:1 - The national median home price hit an all-time high of $386,000 in June. That's a 24.4% year-over-year increase. Home prices have been going up all year, thanks to a lack of inventory and strong demand. Low mortgage rates have also helped fuel that price growth. Redfin says that home prices are higher than pre-pandemic levels in almost all parts of the nation.2 - Inventory levels hit a record low in June when there were just 1.38 million homes for sale. That was 23% lower year-over-year. The problem has gotten worse because of high demand, homeowners deciding to refinance at low rates instead of selling, and new construction that isn't keeping up with the need for homes.3 - Homes are selling more quickly than ever before. Redfin says the typical home spent just 15 days on the market in June and July. In June of 2020, the median number of days on the market was 39. Buyers have been snatching up homes as fast as they can. Many do so without seeing the homes in person.4 - Sellers were also taking advantage of the situation. More than 60% of them accepted offers within two weeks, which is an all-time high.5 - More than 56% of the sold homes went for more than the listing price. That's almost 30 percentage points higher than 2020, and a new record. Redfin says the average home sold for 2.6% over the list price. Almost three quarters of all Redfin agents say their buyers faced competition.6 - The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage went as low as 2.65% in January. That's the lowest ever, and is one reason for the home-buying and refinancing frenzy that we've been seeing.7 - Investors have been busy buying almost one out of every five homes on the market. That's 18.2% of the purchased homes and 11.2% more than the year before. Total dollars spent by investors was a record $63.6 billion in the third quarter compared to $35.7 billion during Q3 2020.8 - Demand has almost doubled for second homes. It was up 91% in January, mostly due to a surge in remote work. Instead of working at home, employees have been enjoying their work hours at beach homes and mountain cabins.9 - Almost a third of Americans wanted to move to a new city this last year, thanks to remote work and the ability to work from wherever. Many workers left expensive cities in search of more affordable areas.10 - Luxury home prices hit new records. The median sale price for a top tier home was 25.8% higher year-over-year, or a little over a million dollars. Mid-priced home were up 16% and affordable homes were up 13.2%.This data is food for thought as we head into the new year, and start mapping out our investing strategy. Mortgage rates are expected to move higher which will slow down price growth a bit. But home buyer demand is expected to remain high along with supply chain issues that are interfering with home construction. And for those who can't buy a home, they will very likely be looking for a single-family rental so they can live like a homeowner.One economist, Logan Mohtashami, lead analyst for Housing Wire, actually believes rates could decrease in 2022. To find out why, I've invited him to be my guest on my 2022 Housing Forecast this Thursday. You can sign up for that at newsforinvestors.com. It's free to join and then you'll get access. I interviewed Logan on my other podcast last Spring, and based on the great reviews, I'd say you won't want to miss this webinar. He's been eerily accurate with his predictions, which have often been the exact opposite of what you see in headline news. Again, you can sign up for the free webinar at newsforinvestors.com. You can also join RealWealth, for free. As a member, you have access to the Investor Portal where you can view sample property pro-formas and connect with our network of resources. That includes experienced investment counselors, property teams, lenders, 1031 exchange facilitators, attorneys, CPAs and more.And please remember to hit the subscribe button, and leave a review! Thanks for listening. I'm Kathy Fettke.Links:1 - https://www.worldpropertyjournal.com/real-estate-news/united-states/seattle/real-estate-news-top-10-housing-trends-of-2021-redfin-2021-housing-data-housing-records-set-in-2021-daryl-fairweather-12865.php

This butterfly is excited to be speaking with Michellee Fox. Michellee is a Brazilian native, slow food chef, small minority farmer advocate and North & South America Business Development Manager for FoodBay TV - a food and lifestyle television network in Africa. She is also the host of CraftFood Podcast, where she interviews leaders in nutritional sustainability, and the new Dietary Manager for Mid valley Hospital in Omak, Washington She recently moved to a 90 acre clean slate farm in Eastern Washington where together with her family is crafting a PNW wild plants heaven using Regenerative practices. Once able to slow down she was able to understand the small farmer and the need for the food industry to shift it's conscience to seasonal cooking so we can secure the future of food. In this episode you will hear about seasonal cooking, sustainable farming, Korean Natural Farming, Permaculture, and more. Some notes... More about 1treellion & Michellee Fox. To support planting all over the world, please check out this link. The great music is credited to Pixabay.

This is a podcast about Riot Games' League of Legends: Wild Rift.2022 kicks off and we decide to break up or dive into Mid lane into multiple parts. In this episode we discuss the various archetypes that exist in midlane and how to pick your champion. Listen in to better understand midlane champions as well as how to play with midlane. As always, please feel free to write to us any feedback, show ideas , thoughts or questions at attackbaronpodcast@gmail.comTwitter account: RygarTheGreatCo-hosts (IGNs): RygarTheGreat#Glhf & FamiliarFiasco#NA1Server: NAWant to support the show to hear more positive, improvement based content?https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AttackBaronLooking to hop into a game with someone?Join the discord!Join the guild!Name: Attack BaronTag# BaronRoyalty Free music brought to you by Riot Games off the album Sessions:DianaIntro: "Sentinel" by A.L.I.S.O.N Outro: "Ascent" by Purrple Cat

Daily News Brief for Wednesday, January 5th 2022 Happy New Year! It is good to be back in the studio, after a busy Christmas break. During our time off, we actually were in the studio several times working on our 2022 show production, and every year we hope to continue to bring you better and better content along with a better show experience. We hope our shows bless you, and as they do, we ask that you share them, pass them along, and join our club or become a corporate sponsor to support our efforts. We are fighting legacy media that is just about hell-bent on destroying anything that resembles Christian culture and influence, so please support us as we fight, laugh and feast in 2022.   Before I bring you Senator Rand Paul's New Year Resolution, Pastor Wilson's reasons for the 2020 rigged elections, and more, I want to you make you aware of CrossPolitic's New Saint Andrews Scholarship for women! Last year we released our first scholarship for men, and as promised, we now bring you our scholarship for freshmen women: God has blessed CrossPolitic enormously, particularly through our club members, and we have committed ourselves to blessing others. We want to give back some of what we've been given. Fight Laugh Feast New St. Andrews College Women's Scholarship: Beginning Fall 2022 In the interest of promoting a hard-hitting, thoroughly biblical education for life, CrossPolitic Studios is very excited to present: The Fight Laugh Feast “Beastmode Homemaker” Scholarship for qualified first year female students who have been accepted to New St. Andrews College. This scholarship will fund almost half a young woman's annual tuition for four years. Because CrossPolitic wants to encourage young women to prepare themselves to take dominion and be fruitful through beastmode homemaking this scholarship is specifically offered to qualified young women. How to be considered for the Fight Laugh Feast “Beastmode Homemaker” Scholarship: 1. Apply to New St. Andrews College and receive official notification that you have been accepted. 2. Write a short essay (~1000) words explaining why you are the woman to receive this scholarship. This essay should be thoughtful, good humored, feminine, and well-written. The essay should include reasons how you believe a New St. Andrews College education will equip you to live for Jesus and defy the enemies of God. The essay should be sent to %%%% Address, Moscow, Idaho. All applications for the Fight Laugh Feast Scholarship must be received by February 1. 3. The CrossPolitic wives (Annie, Sharron, and Jenny) will review all applications and if there is a worthy applicant, we will schedule an interview with up to the top three candidates, and the CrossPolitic Guys will announce the winner of the scholarship on a CrossPolitic Show with great fanfare sometime by April 1st of the year prior to the student's entrance to the college. 4. The scholarship is for full-time, matriculating first year females (as defined by God and old-fashioned biology) at New St. Andrews College (because they know biology better than the Supreme Court) and automatically renews for up to four years. The scholarship is contingent on remaining such a student in good standing (academically, morally), and living like a faithful Christian in our community. The scholarship may be revoked at any time by the CrossPolitic gods, should a young woman prove to be unworthy of this honor. How are your New Year's Resolutions going? Have you joined our club as part of your New Year Resolutions? Well Senator Rand Paul is making some pretty easy new year resolutions, by quitting big tech. In his oped in the Washington titled: My New Year's resolution: I'm quitting YouTube He says he wants to get rid of toxic relationships: “I have come to the realization that my relationship with YouTube is dysfunctional. Sure, I can get millions of views. But why should I allow anonymous “fact-checkers” to censor my fully sourced, fact-based content? They don't want to challenge or debate me with opposing views, they just want my silence.” He goes on to say: “Many in Congress, on the Left and the Right, want to break up or regulate Big Tech, but few of these loud voices have actually stepped up and quit using Big Tech. So today, I announce that I will begin an exodus from Big Tech. I will no longer post videos on YouTube unless it is to criticize them or announce that viewers can see my content on rumble.com. Why begin with YouTube? Because they're the worst censors. Any time I state that cloth masks do not stop the virus from spreading, as in this Denmark study, Florida school comparison, and Vietnamese study, YouTube deletes the video. I always cite studies and scientific sources such as those listed here, but instead of allowing free and open debate with others who might argue flaws in those studies or cite opposing ones, YouTube simply silences me.” In his followup press release, Senator Paul says: “As a libertarian leaning Senator, I think private companies have the right to ban me if they want to, however, those of us who believe that truth comes from disputation and that the marketplace of ideas is a prerequisite for innovation should shun the close-minded censors and take our ideas elsewhere, which is exactly what I'm doing.” Over the last year, YouTube has continued to wage its dangerous, anti-progress of science war against free speech, choosing to act in lockstep with government and ban videos posted by Dr. Paul that dared to contradict the government's position. These videos included conversations with journalists where he discussed the efficacy of masks, particularly cloth masks, and a video explaining the science behind why cloth masks don't work.” I am glad to see public figures, like Senator Rand Paul and Joe Rogan, take a stand against big tech. I think over the years, social media will be come more and more decentralized as more and more alternative options pop-up, and we hope, through the Fight Laugh Feast Network, that we can build massive community of like-minded Christians we can lock arms with, encourage each other, and build Christian communities throughout the US. As Elon Musk said “twitter is not real”, and there is a funny truth he is getting there, and so what we want to see is real Christian communities popup that are antifragile, they love Jesus, and know how to Fight Laugh and Feast like Christians. Pastor Doug Wilson recently wrote a blog post titled: “An Election With More Rigging Than a Five-Masted Clipper Ship”, and while you should read the whole post (linked to in your notes in our app), here is a meaty snippet that I don't want you to miss about the Trump presidency and the 2020 rigged election: “This whole sorry business started with the presidential campaign in 2016, and the surprise election of Trump. Under Obama, our national intelligence community targeted and illegally spied on the Trump campaign. Rigged. No one who did that is currently in jail. Rigged. Bogus opposition research sponsored by the Clinton campaign was picked up by the FBI, knowing it to be bogus, and yet it was used to hamstring the Trump administration for years. Rigged. Hillary cooked up the Russian collusion story and the media bought it big time. Rigged. Hillary claimed that the election was stolen from her without accusations that she was undermining democratic norms, and yet Trump is accused when he said the same thing. Rigged. And what Hillary said was false and what Trump said was true, and these are strange words. Rigged. After the 2016 election, the titans of Big Tech vowed to do everything in their power to prevent the same thing from happening in 2020, and they were good on their word. Rigged. Canceling accounts, banning ads, banning stories, and shadow banning through algorithms. Rigged. Millions of dollars (“Zuck bucks”) were poured into efforts to change election laws and procedures all over the country, without an opportunity to institute safeguards for the new systems. Rigged. Third party partisan groups were given oversight of election processes. Rigged. Deadly riots happened all over the country, with promises of many more if Trump won again. Rigged. The COVID panic provided the perfect opportunity to alter standard procedures for the sake of “safety,” including how close to the counting poll watchers could get. Rigged. Because of this deadly virus we had to have new procedures (like mail-in voting) right away. Rigged. Lawsuits brought to challenge common sense things like signature verification. Rigged. Courts refusing to hear the inevitable complaints on the merits, preferring to dodge responsibility by appealing to “process” or “standing.” Rigged. This craven rejection of responsibility went up to and included SCOTUS. Rigged. Illegal changes made to voting deadlines by secretaries of state, instead of legally by the state legislatures. Rigged.” Dime Payments: Dime Payments is a Christian owned processing payment business. Every business needs a payment process system, so please go to https://dimepayments.com/flf and sign your business up. Working with them supports us. They wont cancel you, like Stripe canceled President Trump. They wont cancel you, like Mailchimp canceled the Babylon Bee. Check them out. At least have a phone call and tell them that CrossPolitic sent you. Go to https://dimepayments.com/flf. Remember our interview with Jeff Drubin and Davis Younts, JAG lawyer, that we did several months ago regarding Navy Seals dealing with the forced vax mandates? Well, according to Fox News: “Judge Reed O'Connor, the U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Texas, issued the stay in response to a lawsuit filed by First Liberty Institute in November on behalf of 35 active-duty SEALs and three reservists seeking a religious exemption”. Judge O'Connor, from Texas, did I mention that, said in his ruling: “"The Navy service members in this case seek to vindicate the very freedoms they have sacrificed so much to protect. The COVID-19 pandemic provides the government no license to abrogate those freedoms. There is no COVID-19 exception to the First Amendment. There is no military exclusion from our Constitution." General Council for First Liberty Institute Mike Berry, who is re "Forcing a service member to choose between their faith and serving their country is abhorrent to the Constitution and America's values…Punishing SEALs for simply asking for a religious accommodation is purely vindictive and punitive. We're pleased that the court has acted to protect our brave warriors before more damage is done to our national security." Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, when asked about the stay said: "We are aware of the injunction and are reviewing it.” The forced vax cases are from over, so be in prayer for what is going on. In a lot of ways, this is not only an attack on our nation's constitution, but the courts do not shutdown Biden's mandates, it will open up the door for all sorts of government shenanigans. You think forced vaccinations are bad, just wait for the forced sterilization of faithful Christians because your kids are a threat to demos, I mean democracy. U.S. reports over 1 million new daily Covid cases as omicron surges According to CNBC, are they a legit news service, well nevermind they are mostly quoting John Hopkins, so I will proceed. A new COVID record. Over one million new daily COVID cases! CNBC says: “A total of 1,082,549 new coronavirus cases were reported Monday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, as the highly infectious omicron variant continues to spread throughout the country. The new daily tally brings the total number of cases confirmed in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic to 56,189,547. In total, the virus has caused at least 827,748 deaths across the country.” Can we talk about “with” or “from” yet. How about the efficacy of the vaccine? Or that masks dont work? We will infact, but you have to tune into our Mid-week Fix tonight at 7pm PAC. Yes we are back, and can't wait to bring you our new year of shows, live events, conference, and more to you in 2022. We have lots of plans, but we only want God to build our house, unless we labor in vain. Closing This is Gabriel Rench with Crosspolitic News. Support Rowdy Christian media by joining our club at fightlaughfeast.com, downloading our App, and head to our annual Fight Laugh Feast Events. With your partnership, together we will fight outdated and compromised media, engage news and politics with the gospel, and replace lies and darkness with truth and light. Go to fightlaughfeast.com to take all these actions. Have a great day. Lord bless

In the latest edition of our SuperCoach Big Bash podcast, 2019/20 champion Thommo Aitken, the high-flying SC Spy, Tim Williams, and Cricket Australia commentator Max Bryden get stuck into all things SuperCoach, covering the upcoming Round 9 and 10. Please note that since recording the BBL and therefore SuperCoach draw has changed, with Round 9 now seeing the Heat now on the double game week, and the Scorchers on the single game week. Take this into consideration while listening. In this week's podcast, the crew discuss: * Mid-season strategy review * Teams on the double game analysis - Strikers, Hurricanes, Thunder * POD, anti-POD plays * Trades/skippers * Listener questions

Dr. James Taylor kicks off the year by looking at the Mid-term elections and the next Presidential race. Before Dr. Taylor, Financial Expert JB Bryan will provide tips to navigate the 2022 financial pitfalls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Check out the Bible Prophecy Archive https://bibleprophecyarchive.com [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Wren visits the town of their dreams. A man finds a doll that looks just like him. Featuring Jess Syratt of Nowhere, On Air as Liz. (CWs, some spoilers: alcohol, possible murder, body horror, derealization, dysphoria?, blood, insects) (ACTUAL TRANSCRIPT COMING) CONWAY: Sometimes a drop of water is all it takes for rust to form. A single grain of sand to gum up the gears. One thought to plant to the seed of doubt. Sometimes we don't want to think that thought, so it festers, mold in our minds. We wear masks, build whole cities–empires–just to obscure that thought. It can drive some people to madness, others to enlightenment.  What that thought is I'll leave up to you. I'm not here to give you answers. I'm here to tell you what happened. The facts, as I see them. Despite my power and wealth, something stung me. Ants crawling on my skin, salt in my wound. Defection among the ranks. And something else, too. A feeling that something wasn't right. That I wasn't right. That something had gone wrong somewhere along the line, but I couldn't remember what. You can't usually go back and fix the past, so what you've got left is thought, grains of sand, drops of water. Masks. What happens if the mask takes over, starts to be more real than the face underneath? And if you're a mask, who's wearing you? Was it too late for me to take it off? Was I really…me? Or was I just what I thought I should be? Was I in the cave, or in the tower? Wren, can you see my face? Or do you see the mask?  *** The first thing I noticed was the fog. Wisps of light gray curling and drifting above the tall grass that framed the narrow road. It wasn't the fog itself that gave me pause, it was the movement. I hadn't seen anything outside of my control move these past 3 or so days. The yellow cones of the car's headlights illuminated a sign, bent and scored by weather and age: “WELCOME TO AISLING, THE TOWN OF YOUR DREAMS. POPULATION–” I couldn't read the rest: rust and time had swallowed the populace of this place. Though there was movement here, it was nearly silent and empty. No crickets, no birds, no rumbling engines or hushed voices. I suddenly felt very exposed in my car, the only source of light and sound. I pulled off into the dewy grass and got out. I took the flashlight and jacket out of my emergency kit in the trunk and ventured into the haze. As I drew nearer, a cluster of short buildings emerged from the mist, and I could smell the lake on the air. Its gentle lapping barely pierced the foggy aura surrounding the town. The steady beam from my flashlight guided me as best it could, given the conditions.  The second thing I noticed was the cold. The temperature dropped precipitously as I crept through the barren streets. I focused the flashlight between my heavy puffs of breath onto the nearby houses. Every home along this road was encased in hanging ice, sheets of gray vacuum sealed to the facades, dripping at the edges in a thousand angry fangs. The frozen tendrils hanging from every surface mimicked alien architecture: these were no longer houses, they were noneuclidean sculptures hauled from the deep itself, symbols of tentacled things unseen and unspoken dwelling miles below the surface. Spiraling, bubbling cathedrals dedicated to the worship of beings our species had forgotten, or chose not to remember. There is a difference. One in particular near the shore stood elevated on a dock, now smothered in sharp icicles. There it sat hunched before the lake like a withered king on a throne, now too thin for his hanging robes. All he can do is watch as his kingdom melts away. The third thing I noticed was whistling. As I explored the town further, I could make out a faint ethereal tune floating on the air. I followed it, and it grew in volume as I neared the lake. Out on the frozen piers stood a man in an orange vest, human alone amongst the jaws of ice, casting his line into what had to be frozen lake water.  I shone my flashlight his direction, which made him pause. His shoulders tensed and the line went slack. He slowly turned to face me from across the sculpted pier.  I couldn't see his face. Or maybe he didn't have a face. He waved at me, then pointed to my left. There in the frigid alien landscape was a warm glow. Incandescent light poured through windows thick with condensation. I heard voices carry across the dense atmosphere, quiet conversations, glasses clinking, laughing. I turned to thank this kind fisherman, but he was gone. Shivering and nose running, I hopped along toward the bar. Even if this was somehow a trap, at least I'd die warm. I could feel the heat and light radiating from the building. It stood out so sharply from the rest of the town. I pushed the door with my shoulder and it swung open. Instead of being greeted by central heating and stale beer, I was met with more ice. The door to this place must have been left open during whatever had affected the rest of the town. Ice hung from the ceiling, the bar, the rough stools. The walls were coated with translucent spears. The sole artifact spared from the ice was a black rotary phone, sitting in the center of the bar's counter. A sharp bell rang out from bar, through the town. I jumped, I'll admit it. I was startled. It rang again, and I turned the phone around to see how they managed to wire it up in this place. Of course, there were no wires. No phone line. Simply a disconnected phone ringing in a frozen town that shouldn't exist. Given the circumstances, I presumed the call was for me. I reached out with a shaking hand. *** WREN: “H-hello?” LF: “Weeelll, now you've stepped in it, huh?” WREN: “What do you mean? Who is this?” LF: “Just a fisherman angling for a bite. And what I mean is you've crossed over. Welcome to the unwaking world. I'm sure you've got questions, but I can only answer three, and it looks like you've used two. So I'd watch my words, if I were you.” WREN: “I see. Well, instead of asking questions, I'll request that you tell me about this place.” LF: “Clever work. Now this used to be a big lumber town. Imports and shipping. Real nice little place across the lake from canada. Town was run by an old robber baron's kid, scion of the Van Leer family. Had this funny notion there was something special about this lake and boy, was he right in all the wrong ways. WREN: “Maybe if you weren't arbitrarily governed by genie rules, I'd ask you  more about this town's history and this Van Leer person.” LF: “As well you might. Then sometime round 1918 was when it all went to hell. This Van Leer fella put together a team to dredge the lake. Lookin for a shipwreck from years back he said had some kind of vast wealth in it. The Oneiros. He even went in himself in his diving dress. I'll spare you the guessing as to whether he found that shipwreck. He did. And more.  The crew dragged this massive crate from its grave in the muck and pulled it into the center of town. Took 4 men stout and true to get it open. Inside was a mass of iron, smooth in some parts and sharp in others, pipes and wheels gone wrong, like a steam engine built by a madman. Van Leer had found his treasure. It's said that the next night, he went out and tried to start this wicked machine. Wouldn't burn coal or wood, though. Needed something with more…vitality. So he fed its dark cravings with blood. The engine roared and huffed black smoke. This activity must have stirred something in the water, because soon a white maiden flanked by hideous beasts visited the town. Nobody's quite sure what came of Van Leer or the rest of the people here. Place has been frozen since. Or so the story goes.  Now I'm not sure how much of that is true, but I have seen the drag marks. You can follow them if that sick engine is what you're looking for.  WREN: “Oh, my.” LF: “‘Oh my' puts it mildly. Oh and Wren, I've got a warning: you're in danger. WREN: “Danger?” LF: “I'll pretend there wasn't a question mark at the end of that sentence. You're real, Wren, the only real thing here, and that puts you in a pickle. The last real person here was a man named Kenji, and I assume you heard what happened to him. WREN: “Oh, my…” LF: So that's why I had to call you. To let you know that he knows you're here, and his dark messengers are coming for you the second you step out of this bar. The frozen horrors of this town have started to thaw. Hope you can run, kid.” WREN: “Oh…fuck.” LF: “Now you're getting it. Well, I best be lettin ya go…” WREN: “Wait! I still have a question left. Where's Conway?” LF: “Which one?” WREN: “huh?” LF: “That Van Leer kid, name was Conway, too.” WREN: “Two Conways.” LF: “Sort of. Before you brave the cold again, let me tell you a story…” **** STORY: Joe had always been a bit of an odd guy. A nice guy, but a little hard to live with. Real picky about certain stuff–liked to have stuffjust so–had a hard time letting go of grudges, and usually felt that the people around him didn't really care for him. He had a small group of friends he'd known since college that he figured were accustomed to his predilections. They sure all had their own, as everyone does. But this didn't stop the thoughts from creeping in. The thought that maybe he didn't belong, that they'd rather he disappear. After living with friends for years, he decided it would be easier to live alone. Now moving is stressful, even under normal circumstances. For Joe, it was a nightmare. How to box everything so that it doesn't mix rooms, split functions, lose pieces. Trying to find someone to help lift furniture that won't resent you. Picking an apartment in the first place.  Joe moved in most of his belongings, but found this apartment a bit smaller than his last. This meant some boxes had to go in the basement. Joe carried a stack of books in a laundry basket down the stairs, and nearly dropped it on his foot when he came across something he hadn't expected. Below his kitchen was a large crate, nearly as tall as the basement ceiling, with a scribbled note that read “do not open.” Joe lasted about 3 weeks before he opened the crate. The best tool he had for the job was a screwdriver and he was too stubborn to get a crowbar, so it took him a while to pry the planks up, but eventually they splintered. The tiny bit of light leaking in from upstairs illuminated the interior, and made visible the shape of a man. Joe recoiled and dropped the screwdriver bouncing across the cement floor. He reeled backward and slammed into the stairs behind him. He sat with his hand over his mouth for a good minute, breath caught in his chest, staring at the body inside the box. There was no movement. Surely dead, after all this time in a sealed container, he thought. Should he call the cops? The FBI? The president? He leaned a bit closer and finally took a breath. No, can't be a corpse: he could only smell the freshly torn pine of the box and the usual basement mildew. Not a whiff of rot. He fished his phone out of his pocket and switched on the flashlight. Sitting inside the box was a life sized doll. A mannequin of sorts. Joe stalked over to the box and hesitantly turned the head toward him. Staring back at him in the stark light was a startlingly familiar face. Joe's face. His own damn face, in molded and painted plastic and silicone and whatever the hell else. He instinctively pushed the doll away. It landed naked and cold in the sawdust and packing. Not only did it have his face; it was his height, his build, his hair. This couldn't have been a coincidence. It was supposed to be him.  He felt sick to his stomach, dizzy with questions flooding his mind. The most pressing of which wasn't who or how, but why. Why would someone make this? Why would someone leave this effigy here? His landlord had no idea what he was talking about, and didn't want to make the drive up from Cinci to look at a box. He sat with this doll for a time, both leaning against their respective walls, both silent. Then Joe piled the splintered planks up, trying to seal the doll–mannequin, whatever it was–back in its container. He at least managed to cover enough of it that he didn't have to see it from the stairs. Joe could hardly sleep that night, and his dreams were fitful and strange. He'd be sitting in a small, dark room, unable to escape. Then came a light, and the man who stole his face. Then he'd wake up. Day after day, the events in Joe's life only grew stranger. Joe felt a connection to this doll, a kinship, and an equal and opposite revulsion. He'd go down to check on it late at night when he couldn't sleep. There he'd find pieces of wood stacked in places he'd swear he hadn't left them. He'd hear footsteps in the dazed half-waking hours of the early morning. He'd find bags of chips that were lighter than he remembered. But he never saw it move. It was just a doll, after all.  Joe's acquaintances found out about it (how long can you keep something this strange to yourself) and they were powerfully curious. Joe took them down, a few of his closest friends, to “meet” the doll, which he'd been calling Joseph. They were stunned at the similarity. Uncanny. So similar to Joe but not quite. And in his own house. They said it could easily be his twin if they didn't know better. Lots of playful joking and laughing. He laughed along too, for a time. The laughing stopped when he came home from work to find the doll standing in the corner of his kitchen, wearing one of his shirts. He called his friends in a flurry, asking around to see which of his them had pulled this awful prank. Not a soul would confess. A cruel trick, I'd say, to make someone think they're losing their mind. He returned the shirt to his closet. He was determined to keep this thing under cover, so this time covered the box with a tarp. He figured his friends probably didn't actually like him, were humoring him at events. That they were messing with him. It didn't occur to him that none of his friends had a spare key to get inside his place. Joe tried to carry on with his life, even put an ad online to get rid of the doll: FREE, LOCAL PICKUP ONLY. But there were no bites. By now, Joe's lack of sleep was getting to him, and he was getting irritable, antisocial. When his friends texted him, he was snippy. He avoided calls and meetups. He was trying to make dinner on a steamy midsummer night when he heard a thud downstairs. He hadn't checked on the doll in some time, and for a moment wondered if he had an intruder. He grabbed a shovel from the porch and crept down to the basement.  In the cascading luminance from the open doorway, he saw the legs of the mannequin laying on the bare floor, covered in denim. A pair of his jeans. Joe was instantly furious, then that anger cooled to desperation. He begged his friends to stop whatever game they were playing. Said he didn't care who was doing it, didn't want a confession anymore, he only wanted it to stop. He'd leave them alone if they stopped. Still they claimed innocence. Summer had come and gone, and Joe's 30th birthday was fast approaching on the back of a biting winter, and while he wasn't looking forward to getting older, he did find himself excited to see friends for the first time in months. Derek had set up a whole party at his place. Drinks, music, cake, the works. Joe wanted everything to go right. He put on a nice shirt and pants, but when he reached for his favorite tie, he found the hanger empty. Ah, well, Joe thought, I'll skip the tie. Maybe a bit formal for a birthday party anyway. Surreal. That's what it was. Uncanny. Joe knocked on Derek's door, who gave him an apprehensive look as he opened it. Surreal. “Oh, hey Joe, uhh come on in,” Derek warily led Joe into the living room. Mid-2000s indie music scored the scene of friends and couples drinking, talking, laughing. And on the couch among his friends, wearing his favorite tie and nothing else, was the doll. They were chatting as if nothing was out of place. The mannequin even had a little controller in its hand for playing kart racing games. Sitting next to it was a girl Joe had been talking to for a few weeks. He thought this issue had been settled. “What the hell is that thing doing here? I told you it wasn't funny anymore.” Joe strained to keep his anger under control. “Whoa watch it, man”  Joe stormed out of his own party. Derek looked around the room and issued an awkward shrug. Joe sped home, gunning it down highway lanes dotted with circles of orange vapor glow. He crunched up the frosty grass slope to his door, and locked himself inside. Derek tried to reach out, but Joe wasn't ready yet. This was a massive breach of trust. A few days passed and Joe realized that he'd probably overreacted. His friends were probably trying to get a rise out of him. And even if they did genuinely hate him, they were the only friends he had. He texted Derek. They planned to meet at the coffee shop down the block so he could apologize and catch up. Joe strolled down the crisp downtown streets toward the cafe. He stood on the corner across from the shop and took in thin air through his nose. Behind the cafe's foggy window, he saw Derek, sitting at a table already. He smiled and took a step forward.. That's when he saw that sitting across from Derek, in a striped shirt and slacks, was the doll. On the table in front of it was a full cup of coffee. It still wasn't moving, it was just a doll after all, but Joe could see Derek's lips moving. This was too much. This wasn't a joke anymore, this was hostile action. He could only be kicked so many times before he'd kick back. What were they thinking? Did they like the doll more than him? Why, because it wouldn't make snide remarks, wouldn't feel down, wouldn't drink your beer and forget to replace it? Joe needed rest badly. He had gotten some sleeping pills from his doctor at some point he couldn't remember, but hesitated to take them before. Not so this time. Joe swallowed the pill and went into the kitchen. He descended the basement stairs, holding the shovel from the porch. The tarp over the box was flipped up, and inside was the mannequin. Joe licked his dry lips and stepped lightly into the crate. He tapped the doll with the handle of the shovel. Nothing. He shouted at it. Nothing. It was just a doll, after all.  Then his phone rang. It was Derek. DEREK: “Oh, uhh hey dude, I was wondering if…is Joe there?” Joe's face grew red. Embarrassment, anger, jealousy, fear, who can say which feeling specifically caused the break. He hung up and threw his phone across the concrete floor. Joe twisted the shovel's handle around in his sweaty palms, then lifted the shovel high. He brought the sharp edge down directly on the doll's head. At this point, the drug took hold, and as the doll fell to the side, Joe collapsed against the wall and plunged into a deep, woozy sleep. He hoisted the limp doll over his shoulder and dragged the heavy object upstairs. He wrapped it in an old area rug and stuffed it into his trunk. He drove on in the frosty moonless night, down country roads outside the city, heading to the pine forest nearby. He was quivering, quiet. He kept checking the rearview mirror to see if he was being followed. He passed a sheriff near the woods and a cold chill ran down his back. What if the sheriff pulled him over and checked the trunk? He was speeding a bit. But then again, he hadn't actually done anything wrong, right? It was just a doll, after all. He found a suitable spot and pulled off the road. Dripping rug and shovel in tow, he finally stepped into the woods. The ground was hard, digging even harder. He was sweating and coughing as he dug a hole for the doll. His twin. His reflection. He dug until he physically couldn't anymore, arms sore and lungs ablaze. By now the sun was starting to cast its pink rays through the snowy branches. High conifers bowed in the breeze, shaking loose a dust of fine white into the air, which caught the milky morning light and shimmered in sapphire. The hole was barely deep enough for a body now, and the ground was too hard to dig further. He rolled the thing into the cold grave, then slowly covered it with dark soil.  It would be gone, finally, and he could live his life. His friends would be happy to see him again. No more jealousy, no more fear, no more worry. No longer burdened by the weight of his imposter. Everything was in its right place. He was free. Even if that sheriff spotted the tire tracks in the fresh snow, followed the footprints down into the frozen woods. If he uncovered the freshly churned earth, and what was decomposing within. If sirens blared, a line of cruisers shining in the neon sunrise. If they checked his car and found the stained rug, brought him in and asked him a thousand questions, about his past, his friends, the bandaged gash on his head, he would still be free. It was just a doll, after all.  CLICK *** WREN: uhh, is someone still on the line? LIZ, apprehensive: “Hey, uh, Wren? What does Conway look like?” WREN, on the phone: “You know, I'm not sure I've ever heard him described. Hmm, dark hair, normal height I suppose, 28-36 years old?”  LIZ: “Sooo…not a towering column of flesh?” WREN: “....no?” LIZ: “Got it. Well, that's what's here in the boardroom.” WREN: “Board room??” LIZ: “It's like this…bureaucratic nightmare cave. Probably 10 stories high, walls lined with filing cabinets floor to ceiling. Stacks of papers and folders everywhere, with more of those shadow things flipping through them and stamping pages.” WREN: “Oh…that sounds bad.” LIZ: “And in the middle, surrounded by a bunch of empty chairs and desks, is this tower of skin and paperwork fused together. There are eyes and mouths all over it, just twisting, pulsing…like it's breathing. Like this thing is a person, or a tumor imitating a person. What should I do?” WREN: “It's always been a game of facades, hasn't it. Gather what shadows you can–you seem good at that–then leave. Whatever that is, it's not Conway anymore, if it ever was. On your way out, burn whatever remains.” CLICK *** WREN: Immediately upon hanging up the phone, the town outside started to shift. I could hear water pooling under the gap under the bar's door. Sloshing and groaning, crunching, far-off wailing carrying on the wind outside. “None of this is real, I'm what's real,” I whispered to myself a few times, standing right beside the door. Of course, merely because something isn't real doesn't mean it can't kill. It's happened before. I stretched my left leg, then the right, and hopped up and down a few times to get the blood flowing. I hoped I could run, too. The door flung open with more force than I'd intended. The slamming door reverberated throughout the town, once empty but not so anymore. The rows of anomalous buildings shook and rose. Unholy behemoths descended from their perches, writhing and dripping as they freed themselves from their stupor. The sound of the door alerted them to my presence. They slinked along the roads toward me, some still half encased in ice, dragging massive blocks of frozen terror in their wake. I couldn't go home now I planted my feet and took off full speed toward the dock.  Only three steps in, I slipped and faceplanted into the stone below. My nose crunched and shards of ice dug into my skin, painting trails of red across my face and palms. I scrambled and clawed until I was on my feet. Hunched, bloodied, and soaking now, I came face to face with one of the awakened giants. Icicles still hung from its head, a wilted crown, its body bulky and strong. From the hole where it's mouth should be, a long whiplike tongue unfurled. It darted toward the drops of blood running down my cheek. I wiped away the flowing blood and snot with my sleeve and skittered to the side. I saw an alleyway behind the beast. Narrow, empty, just wide enough I might sneak through it. The creature turned as I moved around its horrible frame, and from its spine sprouted many more tongues. They lashed at me, a hundred tiny blades. The tongues tore at my shirt and left slashes across my arm. They sliced and curled, but the beast couldn't grab hold of me; the slush I was covered in kept me slippery. I darted down the alley. A look over my shoulder revealed the creature leaning on its back, now carried by dozens of pink slavering tongues. It tried to follow where I had gone, but the alley was too narrow. Stuck between the two buildings, It let out a gurgling howl, like a psalm for drowned god. I briefly smirked. Then it began tearing at the wood and brick around it, and the fleeting moment of triumph vanished. I kept moving, on and on the melting streets went, each rounded corner possibly harboring another death. The sky overhead was a crumpled sheet of tin, and the remaining houses seemed to lean inward around me, casting their spiky shadows over me as I ran. I managed to escape the center of town and found myself at the lakeshore, dread mariners following in my wake. There, through my panting sweat and blood and dried tears I saw the tracks in the ground. My eyes followed the deep lines in the earth to what I had been looking for. There, floating in the misty air, impossibly suspended upside down, was the Lighthouse. The tower issued a distorted bellow and the shore was shrouded with fog. I could hear wet tendrils slapping close behind me. I ran for the lighthouse. Its tip stood about 5 feet off the ground, the rotating lens nearly at my eye level. The beacon spun toward me as I approached, its dazzling light shining on me. I was instantly overcome with nausea. It was clear that whatever entity resided here didn't want me any closer. The light was a nameless god here, and these were its charnel angels. I dropped to my knees under its watch, as the intense gaze of this tower soaked into me. I felt the skin on my bloodied hands and face burn and peel away from the bone like an orange rind. Static filled my head, and my body disintegrated.  But this was not my first rodeo, as they say. Unlike Conway, I've dealt with this static, with this withering glare, before. I took a deep breath and focused my thoughts. I imagined a radio, and on that projected radio was a dial. My spectral fingers reached out and turned the dial. I felt the astral station change and the static dissipate, replaced by the gentle plinking of piano keys. The fire on my flesh turned to tingling, and I realized my body had not actually been damaged, despite the pain. This was enough to get me standing upright again, but forward progress was still slow; the full focus of the burning lens was still on me. The light had a physical presence that continually repelled me with every step. I was losing energy, and the blasphemous vermin behind me were slithering ever closer. A long, mucous tentacle skated over the ice and reached for my ankle.  The last thing I saw there in Aisling was a flash of brown fur. A blur of claws and hair leapt out of the haze and slammed into the malicious angel that had tried to grab at me. Talons ripped into a monstrous carapice. A pink light from the furry creature's forehead sent the horrid bug flying ino the frigid water. The furry creature turned its long neck my way, its face covered in synthetic brown hair, and I locked eyes with my one-time-nemesis, my friend, my deskmate, my savior. Its yellow beak parted and it spoke. “U-nye-way-loh-nee-way” My eyelids grew heavy, my head spun, and I fell to the ground, unconscious.  “SLEEP.”

Waa Fanaankii caanka ahaa ee ISKALAAJI iyo Heestii Laba daran Mid dooro

Xiaojing Yan is a Canadian artist whose work embraces the combination of her Chinese roots and education at Nanjing Arts Institute (B.F.A., 2000) with higher education at George Brown College in Toronto (2004) and an M.F.A. in sculpture at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2007). Her unique point of view brings together the past and the present, encompasses culture and nature, art and science. Yan is a recipient of numerous awards and grants, including the 2014 Outstanding Young Alumni Award from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Project Grants from the Canadian Council for the Arts, the Chalmers Arts Fellowship, Mid-career Grants from Ontario Arts Council, and many more. Most recently, she has had solo shows at Maison Hermès, Shanghai, China, Art Gallery of Northumberland, Cobourg, ON, Canada, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC, Canada and Suzhou Museum, Suzhou, China, Varley Art Gallery, Markham, ON, Canada. Yan has also completed public art projects and commissions in Canada and China including her 2018 installation Cloudscape at the Royal Ontario Museum and 2019 Window display "Into the Dream" for Maison Hermès. It's my pleasure to learn more about the unique ethos behind her art and her intimate relationship with reishi mushroom, also known as lingzhi.    TOPICS COVERED:   Following the Artists' Path from China to Canada  Engaging Space in Creating Art  Inspiration from Chinese Mythologies, Stories and Iconographies  Connection to Nature in Eastern and Western Cultures  Forces of Modernization Reshaping Relationships with Nature  Rise of the “Moderners”   Weighing Human Progress and Environmental Homeostasis  Imbuing Art with Meaning Before and After Creation  Pearls and Cicadas used to make Sculptures  Roles of Artists in Communicating Balance in Nature  Making Art with Lingzhi AKA Reishi  Chinese Culture and the Mushroom of Immortality  Cocreating Art with Nature   Rise of Mycelium in Art and Design  EPISODE RESOURCES:   Xiaojing Yan Website: https://yanxiaojing.com/   Xiaojing Yan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xiaojing.yan.studio/?hl=en   Lingzhi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingzhi_(mushroom)   "Scholar's Stone": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gongshi   "Classic of Mountains and Seas": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_of_Mountains_and_Seas   

Mid day shop shenanigans! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/2gsandamic/message

Brandon Steiner told me off. Mid podcast. The Author, Entrepreneur, Business Mogul (whatever that means), Speaker, Sports Agent and life-long New Yorker, told me he hated one of my questions. So back in therapy for me. And back to interviewer school for me. Nah, we actually had a fun and interesting chat (but he did hate my question) and I did enjoy connecting with someone who has zero interest in a ‘nice, comfortable, predictable, familiar' (kind of) conversation. I got simultaneously rebuked, educated and inspired. Enjoy.

Rich and Jake celebrate 2021 coming to a close by popping some drinks, playing Diablo 2 and talking about their favorite games, movies, tv shows, and other things of the year! As always, if you want to reach us feel free to email us at damnchocobo@gmail.com or at all the usual social media sites @damnchocobo Mid episode break: Twisted Tongues by AFI

My favourite thing about what I do…The minute I realised that I'd had enough of working for the school system was the minute my life changed.And I've never looked back.Being your own boss means there's always something new to learn on so many levels. There are endless choices to make…from the big-picture vision and strategy…to the day-to-day sales, marketing, accounting, and so on.I used to love being on the front lines of all that. But tbh, these days I'm really enjoying the role of a “behind the scenes ninja” in several business partnerships.Learning how to stay productive (work a couple of hrs a day kinda thing) train my client's teams, find my “squad” of supporters, make a lot mistakes + bounce back…it's all part of the journey.The biggest lesson I've learned is staying true to what you really want. For me it was important to build businesses that allow for more play time every day. Call me a kid, I'm okay with that. But I can't be werking hours on end, my body shuts down and I can't handle it. Legit.Mid week get aways are also really nourishing and this photo dump sums up a great couple of days exploring more of this incredible country.Anyways, what do you love most about doing what you do?write to me via contact form / www.thecoandteli.com Support the show (https://www.thecoandteli.com/contact)

Rest in peace to John Madden! Canibus explains why he took a hiatus from music to join the military. Tyler, The Creator contemplates on changing his name. Roddy Ricch announces new mixtape after fans call his Live Life Fast album, "Mid" Follow me on Twitter & Instagram: @isiddavis Podcast IG: @thesocialintrovertpodcast Podcast Twitter: @SocialIntroPod Send emails to: thesocialintrovertpodcast@gmail.com Intro Song: Kanye West - Top Mach-Hommy - Separation Of The Sheep & The Goats Tory Lanez - Pink Dolphin Sunset (Feat. Tee) Outro Song: Polyester The Saint - DockWeilder Beach

Mid-term rental properties make you 3X the amount of money from a long term rental and does not have the headaches of the Short-term rentals. Paul David Thompson shows us how we can triple our profits renting them out in mid-term rentals. Get your ticket to the Real Estate Wealth Builders Conference: https://masterpassiveincome.com/rewbcon $50 OFF with the the promo code: dustin Get your free real estate investing course: http://www.masterpassiveincome.com/freecourse  //BEST REAL ESTATE INVESTING RESOURCE LINKS 1 Minute Green Light Deal Analyzer: https://www.greenlightdealanalyzer.com FREE Property Management Software: https://masterpassiveincome.com/avail Get Business Funding https://masterpassiveincome.com/fundandgrow Great High Interest Savings Account: https://masterpassiveincome.com/cit Self Directed IRA for Real Estate Investing: https://masterpassiveincome.com/rocketdollar Investor Money Management with Stessa: https://masterpassiveincome.com/stessayt // WHAT TO WATCH NEXT How to Use Owner Financing to Make Loads of Money https://youtu.be/qAOpCOWvj6Q How to Analyze a Real Estate Investing Deal in 5 Seconds https://youtu.be/SqA1HcAW4EI How to Set Up Your LLC for Your Business https://youtu.be/B9RzLkAZI9s Everything You Need to Know about Real Estate Comps https://youtu.be/wMZ_We-wlrg Learn more about Dustin and find resources to build an automatic real estate investing business: https://masterpassiveincome.com/ Join our free private Facebook group! https://masterpassiveincome.com/group NOTE: This description may contains affiliate links to products we enjoy using ourselves. Should you choose to use these links, this channel may earn affiliate commissions at no additional cost to you. We appreciate your support!

After their holiday break, Ben and Jordan are back sipping on some quality craft beers and discussing the week in sports including recapping Week 16 of NFL action where they talk about the playoff picture, Texans situation going forward with Deshaun Watson, Cardinals, Bengals, Cowboys molly whopping of the Football Team and more! Plus they hit on Iman Shumpert's comments about Lebron James, NHL's covid situation, Adam Silver's Mid season tournament, best bets and more!! Brought to you by Tavour. Go to www.TAVOUR.COM and use promo code: TAPROOM for $10 off your first purchase of $25 or more! TAPROOMSPORTSPODCAST.COM

We kick this episode off with a listener comment about greentoe.com and read some of the awesome reviews you all have left us over the last few months.  We so appreciate it when you all leave us written reviews on apple podcasts.  This is our 129th episode and our 52nd episode this year.  We haven't missed a week since we started in Jan 2020, and we even did two episodes for some weeks during the start of covid.   There's so much to reflect on!  We dive into our year-end reflections, favorites, and predictions: What we're most proud ofWhat we've learnedOur favorite podcasts this year:#083 | Travel Hacking with Julia from Geobreeze Travel#085 | Untamed + Money – Mike and Maggie talk about their feelings#086 | Leaving Corporate America and changing the way we work with Rich + Regular#090 | Why you don't need a financial planner#121 | Career advice from 30+ years in Corporate America#078 | A conversation with the ORIGINAL friends on FIRE (Mike's dad + his friend Mark)#095 | How to stop caring what people think and start living#103 | Spending more time with your kids, a case for FIRE#093 | How to blow $600K with The Price of Avocado Toast#122 | Outrageous generosity, charitable giving, and gratitude, with Joel O'Leary#127 | Our early retirement plans and why are we still working!?Your favorite podcasts based on # of listens:#112 | How to know if you are FI#106 | Retiring at 30 with A Purple Life#108 | Mid-year expense review with our spouses#086 | Leaving Corporate America and changing the way we work with Rich + Regular#107 | Why you should reject Dave Ramsey's Debt Snowball Method, and what to do instead#110 | Automating your finances to create better financial habits#096 | Freedom is the ultimate financial goal, not retirement#113 | 8 tips for financial wellness#109 | Talking to your partner about moneyThe awesome people we got to meet and interview this year:Mike's dad and his best friend - #078 | A conversation with the ORIGINAL friends on FIRE (Mike's dad + his friend Mark)Julia - #083 | Travel Hacking with Julia from Geobreeze TravelKiersten and Julien - #086 | Leaving Corporate America and changing the way we work with Rich + RegularJose - #091 | Millennial Money Mentoring with Jose HernandezHaley and Justin - #093 | How to blow $600K with The Price of Avocado ToastJoel - #122 | Outrageous generosity, charitable giving, and gratitude, with Joel O'LearyNicole and Nadia - #102 | Twinning your way to financial freedom with Nicole + Nadia, aka the Wealth TwinsCourt - #124 | The Modern FImily – A retired family of 4 living happily on $30K a yearA Purple Life - #106 | Retiring at 30 with A Purple LifeMaggie's brother Alex - #116 | Are you ready to invest in Crypto?Jesse - #119 | What's in your best interest with Jesse CramerPredictions for 2022References:Greentoe.com - Name your price on cameras, TVs, appliances, and more!---Follow friends on FIRETwitterInstagramFacebookLinkedInLeave us a voicemail or text us: 404-981-3370eMail us at:  friendsonfiremm@gmail.comVisit our website: www.friendsonfire.org---Other LinksMaggie's Blog: Mostly Minimal LifeMike's Book: Your New Relationship with Money

This week, Zach defends his impatience, Adrian goes full event in Pandemic Iberia, and Jeff finally tells us what happened in the F1 race.   00:00:28 - Engagement Period, Jeff's Absence 00:04:13 -  Sponsored by Givewell, Charity Reviews and Research Select Podcast and Enter Mile High Game Guys to match your donation up to 250 Dollars 00:08:28 - What have we been playing?: Exit Advent, Taverns of Tiefenthal, Pandemic Iberia, The Crew 00:29:16 - What have we been acquiring? 00:41:14 - Mid-show Banter Break! Featuring: Xmas, Spiderman, F1 Finale 01:14:18 - News: Embracer buys Asmodee 01:17:15 - News: Asmodee bought Miniature Market 01:22:20 - News: Gamefound responds to KS   MHGG Twitch Slack Channel  Patreon Guild

Today's special episode is hosted by Gideon the Free-quent Flyer. [Cold open] Harraseeket Inn holiday buffets: https://www.harraseeketinn.com/dine-1 Hello, and welcome to The Manifesto with Gideon, the Free-quent Flyer, on the Milenomics Podcast Network. I'm Gideon, the Free-quent Flyer, and I'm joined today by Ted Fleischaker, board member of Portland, Maine's Etz Chaim Synagogue and publisher of the Up Portland newspaper. Ted, welcome to the Manifesto. [0:20] Plugs Etz Chaim: https://etzchaim-portland.org/Up Portland: http://www.upportland.com/Micucci's Grocery Store: https://www.facebook.com/MicucciGrocery/Anywhere else people can find you online/in Maine/conferences, etc? [1:30] Jewish Community in Maine Etz Chaim: India and Congress ST, Portland, ME.Services, Torah Study, Museum.Fire during COVIDWhat kind of renovations were required? Discovered original (1921) wiring.How was the community served while the synagogue was closed?History of the buildingLocation of a boarding house for Irish and Italian immigrants that burned down in the fire of 1866History of the Jewish community in MaineNearby 1904 Synagogue split in 1920's over whether to use Yiddish or English during services.English speakers spent $50k remodeling present Etz Chaim building.Mid-1970's, only 15 members left in congregation. Sell the building, hang on, or merge with another congregation?Museum foundation took over the building, congregation rents sanctuary back for servicesEtz Chaim changes from orthodox to egalitarian. 3 services per week: Monday Orthodox minyan, Friday night reform service, Saturday morning Orthodox service.What do Jewish traditions look like today in Portland: how can people find seders, sukkahs, etc if they're in Portland or Maine for the Holidays?Four working synagogues in Portland: Chabad House, Bet Ha'am, Temple Beth El, Etz ChaimSurrounding areas: Lewiston, Old Orchard Beach, Biddeford-Saco, BathCenter for Small Town Jewish Life: https://jewishlife.colby.edu/ [20:10] Publishing a local newspaper Washington Post Magazine on local journalism: https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/interactive/2021/local-news-deserts-expanding/How does Maine support so many local newspapers?Up PortlandIsland papersLobster boat papersWhat goes into publishing a daily/weekly/monthly paper? How many printers remain, do papers get shipped in from out of town, USPS, “paper boxes” on the streets? What does it take to manage a dead-tree media distribution company these days? [36:40] Visiting Portland/Visiting Maine For first-time visitors to Portland or to Maine, what recommendations do you have?Where to stay?Eastland Hotel (The Westin Portland Harborview)Where/what to eat?Dock's Seafood - lobster roll: https://www.docksseafood.com/Street and company - lobster dinner: https://www.streetandcompany.net/What to see?Portland headlight in Ft. Williams Park: https://portlandheadlight.com/Bar Harbour, Acadia National Park: https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htmRed's Eats in Wiscasset - Lobster Roll: https://www.redseatsmaine.com/Rock Paper Scissors in Wiscasset: https://www.facebook.com/rockpaperscissorsmaine/Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, Bush compoundFly to Portland or Bangor?Portland has more nonstop service, competitive fares [41:54] Quar Question of the Week For folks who are thinking of taking a socially-distanced winter getaway in Maine this New Years, what's your go-to romantic nook in the state?Bar Harbour: winter hotel discounts at luxury propertiesRockland: 250 Maine Hotel (https://www.250mainhotel.com/)Blackpoint Inn (only open in season): https://www.blackpointinn.com/ Thanks again to Ted Fleischaker for joining me today. You've been listening to The Manifesto with Gideon, the Free-quent Flyer, on the Milenomics Podcast Network. Goodbye, and good luck.

In 1996, Lucasfilm experimented with telling a complete, cohesive storyline across multiple mediums without releasing an actual film. Shadows of the Empire started as a book by Steve Perry, but the story was not limited to the 340 pages contained in the novel. The scope of the story grew through videos games and comics, and our imaginations could do more with the action figures and toys released to coincide with these stories. This week on the Smugglers Galaxy podcast, Glen and Jason look back to the Mid-90s, when Lucasfilm brought Star Wars out of the dark ages by releasing Shadows of the Empire. In addition, they talk about their latest pick ups and the news! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/smugglersgalaxy/support

Steph and Chris recap their favorite things of 2019 and 2020 and share their 2021 list. Happy Holidays, y'all! Steph: * Feature flags and calm deploys * Creating observable systems * Debugging * Working in seasons * Don't forget the fun “The longer I'm in the software game, the more I want things to be calm” - Steph Chris: * Pushing logic back to the server * Svelte (https://svelte.dev/) * Remote work (but maybe hybrid!) * Vim * Joining a startup as CTO This episode is brought to you by ScoutAPM (https://scoutapm.com/bikeshed). Give Scout a try for free today and Scout will donate $5 to the open source project of your choice when you deploy. Listen to episodes from 2020 and 2019

On this episode of the Mid by Mid West Podcast, Tom and Jeff discuss changes in the pattern of tornado in light of recent events of the Midwest and South. We follow up with a brief conversation about Russia massing troops at the border of Ukraine.

Fresh off a November elk harvest, Dr. Ray Alisauskas of Environment and Climate Change Canada joins the podcast to discuss early data on productivity of Mid-continent light geese in 2021. Evidence continues to indicate a “nose-diving” population trajectory for snow and Ross's geese in the mid-continent. Earlier spring thaw and phenological mismatch are primary culprits, but what about the Conservation Order? www.ducks.org/DUPodcast

On this week's episode, Ana and Liz interview one of Ana's dearest friends, Shesha! She takes us on a trip to the Dominican Republic in July of 2018 where she went for her friend's birthday party. One of her very favorite trips, the girls have a great time reminiscing about their travels all over. Follow Just a Little Detour on Instagram at @little.detour.podcast! Follow Just a Little Detour on Twitter at @littledetourpod for updates and early quotes from our unreleased episodes that might be the title! Follow us on Tiktok at @littledetourpod for some video antics! Send us an email with questions about our trips, tips we have, app suggestions and the like at little.detour.podcast@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/justalittledetour. Find Ana Heermann on Instagram at @anabanana625 and on Twitter at @madcowsmoo2! Find Lizbeth De Los Reyes on Instagram at @lizbeth_delosreyes and on Twitter at @lizdelosreyes31! Intro and Outro Music by Caleb Raman. Artwork by Hannah Hull. Find her on Instagram at @hannah.b.hull! Mid music by vjgalaxy from Pixabay.

A traitorous group of ex-military hatch a plan to hijack an airport so that they can move a pilot from one plane to another. They only thing they didn't account for was John McClane. Oh, and other airports, radios, emergency vehicles, electrical tape, power lines, and the media. But mostly, John McClane! I mean...why is this so highly rated? Its sitting at a 7.1 on IMDB as of this writing. That's only 1 star lower than the first one. This movie is seriously only 1 star worse, super fans? Its like at least 3! Why? Why Die Hard 2 is a 5 star movie The Plot The Effects The Writing Bruce Willis So the plot is incredibly stupid as it purely doesn't need to exist. The terrorists (which they aren't really terrorists) have seized control of an airport (not the airport itself, just control) and are holding flying planes hostage unless an extradited criminal (that at some point they became besties with?) is permitted to hop a board a fully fueled 747 and they all fly to Bolivia or somewhere undeclared. Mid movie though, the criminal (Franco Nero) takes over control of the C130 he's flying on and flies it around. Why does he need these jokers at all? From Esperanza's view, the plan is to free himself and then stop at an airport to pick up some guys he has no business ever having met. Great, thrilling... The effects have aged poorly. With the rear projection, matte working and green screens this looks about as Renny Harlin as Renny Harlin could do in 1990. The writing is just a hodgepodge of "well this happened in Die Hard so we should do it here" including a ton of pointing out the obvious by John McClane such as, "Hey I'm in tunnels again" or "Hey this happens every Christmas to me". But also includes Holly punching out (or in this case tasing) Thornberg because he's a skeezy guy who doesn't really contribute to the plot in anyway. Its just so people can remember that this is a Die Hard movie, I guess, by seeing the same things again. Lastly, Bruce Willis' contribution to the dialogue. He was giving free reign to ad-lib as much as he wanted to and he does so much of it that he had to come back after filming and add in more via ADR. But what we're giving is a 7-3 ratio of groan inducing one liners that leave you eye-rolling more than cheering John's everyman role. Skip it. It ain't a Xmas movie and its barely a Renny Harlin movie. 

WHO HURT US lmao really entertaining episode for you guys ft. Pablo! From Relationships to Capitalism! Hope you all enjoy! Follow Pablo Here!https://www.instagram.com/hipablo/ National Suicide Prevention Lifeline800-273-8255 Get 25% OFF + Free shipping with promo code IEINFRIENDS at liquid-iv.com Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code IEFRIENDS at MANSCAPED.com! Subscribe to us Patreon for exclusive episodes!https://www.patreon.com/ieinfriends Follow I.E In Friends here:https://linktr.ee/IEinFriends Saul V GomezInstagram -  https://www.instagram.com/saulvgomez/Twitter - https://twitter.com/Saulvgomez_ Cesar SoteloInstagram -  https://www.instagram.com/iknowcesarTwitter - https://twitter.com/Caesar__0 Aaron CaraveoInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/airball_ie/twitter - https://twitter.com/aaron_caraveo Source: Vibes Time Stamps!Ep. 4000:00:00 - Hi Pablo00:02:33 - Manscaped00:05:24 - Mid life crisis00:07:44 - Drugs are normalized as you get older00:08:53 - Drugs use for creatives00:12:40 - Ghislaine Maxwell00:16:35 - Going mainstream00:20:27 - Why do people hate Russ00:23:30 - Megan the stallion graduated00:24:39 - Double standards in music00:26:19 - S*x Communication in relationships00:28:49 - Fuqq boi faxxx00:30:00 - Cheating at a Starbucks00:31:52 - Women are better at cheating00:34:19 - Would you want to know if you got cheated on00:36:53 - Woman cheat off needs00:44:41 - Falling in love after a dream00:47:59 - Liking someone in the friend group00:56:54 - Something toxic we did01:01:26 - Child hood trauma01:08:34 - internal dialogue01:16:11 - Sometimes relationships just don't work01:17:49 - Break up juice01:21:00 - Girls hitting you up after weight loss01:31:43 - seeking Validation01:34:38 - Most important thing you can do is start01:41:53 - Montezuma's headdress01:48:22 - Stolen artifacts in museums01:49:33 - Crime surge in LA01:51:39 - Capitalism has brainwashed us01:54:20 - Skilled labor is a scam01:56:13 - Amazon is monopolizing the world02:01:03 - Scams to look out for02:12:57 - A gift for Pablo  

Steph started a new project and shares details about the new tools she's using, including working on a remote dev environment. Chris shares a journey with Lograge and Rails flash messages as he strives to capture user-facing errors. They also discuss "silencing" flaky tests, using Graphviz to visualize data dependencies, and porting Devise views to use Inertia and Svelte. It's also interesting how different their paths have been this year! This episode is brought to you by ScoutAPM (https://scoutapm.com/bikeshed). Give Scout a try for free today and Scout will donate $5 to the open source project of your choice when you deploy. Joel Quenneville (https://twitter.com/joelquen) GitHub - roidrage/lograge: An attempt to tame Rails' default policy to log everything (https://github.com/roidrage/lograge) Graphviz (https://graphviz.org/) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of The Bike Shed! Transcript: CHRIS: Tech talk nonsense and songs, that's what people come to The Bike Shed for, variations on the Jurassic Park theme song, you know, normal stuff. Hello and welcome to another episode of The Bike Shed, a weekly podcast from your friends at thoughtbot about developing great software. I'm Chris Toomey. STEPH: And I'm Steph Viccari. CHRIS: And together, we're here to share a bit of what we've learned along the way. So, Steph, what's new in your world? STEPH: Hey, Chris. Let's see. So I've started a new project. So frankly, there's a ton of new stuff in my world. And I've been on the project for about a week and a half now. I started over the holiday, and it's been going really well. Still in that whole early stage with getting to know the application, the codebase, the processes, the team, all the dynamics. It's a large company. So I'm working with a small group of individuals, but there are about over 100 developers that work at this company. And they do have a lot of documentation, which has been very helpful. But there's a lot to learn in terms of setup and processes, specifically. So they have provided a laptop that I'm using to access their codebase. So I'm using their laptop. And then, I am also using a dev machine, a remote dev machine, that they have set up for me. So I need to be on their VPN and SSH into that dev machine. So that's novel as well. CHRIS: Ooh, I'm very intrigued by that bit, not that they gave you a laptop bit but the dev machine. This is in the cloud sort of thing? What is this? I'm very intrigued. STEPH: I don't know if I have concrete answers for you. But yes, for me to be able to access their codebase, I have to go into the dev machine. And then that's where then I can do my normal development work. CHRIS: So is this like an EC2 instance or something like that that you're SSH-ing into, and then you can run processes on it? Or is it closer to the GitHub dev containers thing that they just released? Or are you running with your local Vim? Is it a remote Vim? Are you using Vim? Is it VS Code? I have so many questions. STEPH: [laughs] I think it's more like the first version, although I don't know the backbone of it. I don't know specifically if it's an EC2 instance or exactly how it's being hosted and how I have access to it. But I did have to set everything up on it. So they started the dev machine up for me. Their DevOps team started an environment where then I could access, and then I did need to cultivate it to my own habits. So I had to install several things. I had to install Brew and Vim and also the tmux and all those configurations that I'd really like to have. They do have a really nice Confluence document that walks you through how to set up a connection between VS Code and the remote environment. So then that way, you can really just hang out in VS Code all day. And initially, I was like, okay, I could do this. And immediately, I was like, no, I love Vim. I'm going back to it even if I have to spend the 20, 30 minutes setting it up. I'm so comfortable with Vim and tmux that I stuck to my roots, and I didn't branch out into VS Code. But I think VS Code is one of the more popular tools that they're using. So that way, it feels more local versus having to work in a remote machine. I think I answered some of your questions. I don't think I answered all of them. CHRIS: Yes. I think you did answer all the questions. But just for clarification, the Vim and tmux and whatnot setup is that you're running SSH, and then on the remote machine, you are using Vim and tmux? Or is it a local Vim that is doing…I think Vim has some remote editing capabilities but not anywhere near what VS Code can do. STEPH: It's the first setup. So I am SSH-ed in. And then I have Vim and tmux running on that remote machine. CHRIS: Gotcha. Novel. STEPH: Yeah, it's a thing. It's working. So that's good. And it feels cozy. I feel like I'm at home. I feel like I can be productive. So that's great as well. Some of the other tools that I'm also new to, so they use Zeus, which is used to then speed up the booting of your application. And you can also use it for speeding up test runs. So very similar to Spring, which I think we've had some discussions about Spring and who loves it and who doesn't. [laughs] CHRIS: I don't know. I'm not...[chuckles] I feel like I remember Zeus. But Zeus is like three iterations ago of this preloader thing. I'm intrigued by that. I thought Spring had fully supplanted it in the Rails ecosystem but maybe not. STEPH: So this company has been around for a very long time. So there are a number of tools that I think they're using because that was the tool to use the day when they got started. And then it just hasn't been a need to move on to one of the newer tools to use Spring. So at least that's my current explanation for why we're using Zeus. And also, Zeus works most of the time. I'm frankly still getting comfortable with it. [laughs] I still have gripes about Spring too. CHRIS: 60% of the time, they work most of the time. STEPH: [laughs] So, Zeus is another new tool that I'm adding to my tool belt during this engagement. Another new tool that I'm using is Gerrit. And so they use Gerrit…it is used for managing their Git repositories. It is used for code reviews. And being as accustomed and familiar with GitHub as I am, that one has been a little tricky to then navigate and change the whole UI that I'm used to when it comes to pushing up code, reviewing code, asking for feedback on changes. And at one point, I was reviewing a change request for someone else. And there's a button on there where I was adding comments, but they were in draft mode. And I'm trying to figure out how to get them out of draft mode so that they're actually submitted, and the other person could see it. And I saw a submit button. I was like, cool. So I hit the submit button. And then it said something in red text about ready to be merged into main. [laughs] I was like, oh, no, I mean, maybe, but that's not what I meant to do. So I had to reach out to that person and be like, "Hey, I'm new to Gerrit. I don't know what I did. I hit a button. I hope everything's fine. Here's my review. Best of luck. [laughs] I think everything is fine. Nothing dramatic came out of it. But I had my own little dramatic moment. CHRIS: Wow, that is a bunch of new stuff. It's interesting. On the one hand, I totally understand projects get started, and there's a certain set of tools that are current at that point, and so then you're using them. And then, over time, it takes a very active effort to try and keep up with the new current, that new-new as we call it. But the trade-off there is really interesting because, at any given time, it never feels like the right investment to pursue the new thing to just upgrade for upgrading sake. But then the counterpoint is the cost to someone like you coming onto the project. And it's like, it's a bunch of new stuff. It's kind of old stuff. It's new for me, but it is old, and less documented, and less familiar. And it's also certainly less compatible with other things that are going on, almost certainly. And so, how to stay on top of those updates is always the thing that's really intriguing to me. I say as someone who started a project recently, and I have not thought about upgrading anything at this point. And we have bundler-audit I want to say is the one thing that we have in there. So if there's a CVE for a gem, then security-wise, we will be upgrading those. But otherwise, I haven't thought about upgrading our Ruby version or anything. And I think we're on 2.6 or something like that, which is a couple back at this point. And so it's something that's in the back of my mind. I feel like I should have a formal answer to this. Like, company-wide, how do we think about the process of upgrading? And Dependabot and things like that answers some of it, but that doesn't tell me when to upgrade Ruby, I don't think. It could. That would be annoying. I don't want that. But it's one of those many things that depends and is subtle. And you have to decide where you put the trade-offs and whatnot. So just an interesting thing. And to observe you now going into this project building and being like, there's a bunch of new stuff. STEPH: I think it really takes passion or pain. Those are the two things that then prompt us to upgrade. Either it's pain, and you need to change it to get rid of that, or it's passion. So you're really excited about the next version of Ruby or the next version of Rails. And I think that's fine. I think that's fine that those are often our drivers. But yeah, that is interesting. I hadn't really thought about that in terms of there's often no real strict process around when we upgrade except those are then the natural human catalyst. CHRIS: I think you're right that those are the catalysts. But I think quite often those cannot be sufficient to push us to do the work. And so what do you do in the absence of that? It's not really painful. And I'm not really passionate about it. But I probably should do it is the 80% of the time middle space that we live in. And so yeah, I don't have an answer to it. I'm more observing the question. But like so many other things, I feel like often we just exist in that awkward middle and got to find a way through, so how like life. STEPH: I was having a conversation with someone earlier a bit about these life cycles that we live in. Specifically, we were talking about consulting and how changing from project to project is so daunting. Because you go from I'm accustomed to this project, I'm accustomed to the team. And then all of a sudden you jump into this new project and with all these new things it can be really interesting. But then there's also this feeling of like, wait, I used to be smart, and I knew everything that was going on. And the team knew me, and I knew all the team processes, and I felt good. And now I'm in this totally new space, and I have to relearn, and I have to reprove myself and relearn all the company politics. And there's always that initial jumping from a sure space over to a very new space that always makes me then question and be like, yeah, I can do this, right? I can do this. And then I have to keep letting that voice build until about two weeks in. And I'm like, oh okay, I'm back in a good spot. I said two weeks; it's probably more like four. But there's still that grace period of a new project where you're leveling up on all the things and learning the new team. And as daunting as it is; apparently, it's what I like. Apparently, I like that roller coaster ride that comes from jumping from one project to the next. So on that note of a bit of novel insight into myself, what's new in your world? CHRIS: What is new in my world? Let's see. I think I've got two updates, two anecdotes to share. One, I lost the battle, one I won the battle. So we'll go with the lost battle first because that seems fun. So we have Lograge on this application, which Lograge, for anyone that's not familiar, is a library that helps with producing more structured and more complete log lines from a Rails application. You can tell it to do JSON log lines, which is useful for many of the tools that will receive your logs. And then with it, you can say grab me the controller name and the params but sanitized and this and that. And so, you aggregate a bunch more data than would traditionally be in the logs. In general, I've just found it to be a much better foundation. I find the logs to be more readable, and more informative, more useful, all those lovely things. But slowly, I've been looking at what's the other stuff that I want to have in here? What else would be nice to know? So one example is we use Inertia on this project. And Inertia has a particular way in which errors get mapped back to the front end. And it's an interesting little trick that involves the session, but that's sort of an aside. Basically, this is something that the user will see that I would love to know about. So how many users are hitting their head against the wall? Because typically, whenever these errors happen, that means this is a flash message or something like that we're going to show to the user. So we were able to add that into our log lines. Now we can see those. We can aggregate on them. We can do counts. We can do alerting and monitoring, all those kinds of fun things. So cool. That was great. That worked well. I then specifically…I mentioned the flash a second ago, but that's actually not…the Inertia messages will not show up in the flash. They end up in forms inline on certain inputs or whatnot. But we do also use the flash message pretty regularly as a way to communicate to the user success or failure or what have you. And I really wanted to get those into the logs. And I tried very hard, and I failed. I gave up. I threw in the towel. I raised the white flag. So the nature of the flash, which is something that knew in the back of my mind but I had never really experienced as pointedly as this, is the flash is a magic value within the Rails ecosystem that can be written to and then once read clears itself. That's the nature of how the flash is supposed to work. And it persists across requests. So it's doing some fun stuff there, which I assume is tunneling through the session or maybe putting it into a cookie. I'm not actually sure. But there's some way that you post to an endpoint, and then you get redirected to the show page. And on the show page, we actually display that flash value. But the flash is set on the controller endpoint that is handling the POST request. So this value spans across two request-response life cycles, which is interesting. And so the manner in which that works is Rails is managing that on our behalf. We write to it on the one side. And then, when we do the subsequent requests, if there's a value in the flash, we show it to the user, which is why occasionally you'll see those weird things where that flash message shouldn't show up. But it's like a sticky value that was left in the system that didn't get cleared via one thing or another. But I really wanted to put those into the logs. Like, what are we saying to the user is the thing I want to know. This is that question of like, what's my system doing at runtime? I understand what it's doing. I can read the code and understand what should happen. But what actually happened? Are users seeing this flash message way more than they should? That's a question I want to be able to answer. And I have lost the battle. I cannot find a way to read the flash value, put it into my loglines, but then also have it persist through. The first attempt I did, I was able to get it into my loglines, but then it didn't show to the user, which is a bad outcome. Because now I've read the value, Rails clears it, cool, that's fine. There is a flash.keep method. And that I thought would do the thing I wanted, which is like, oh, I want to read this value. I want to tap this value, I want to observe it, I want to peek at it. And I thought this keep method would do the thing that I wanted. It did not. It just caused the flash to be persistent. So now, anywhere I went had the same flash message for forever, which was not the behavior that I was looking for. I then tried, like, all right, just for exploration purposes, what if I reach inside and read the instance variables of the flash objects? Also did not work. Everything I tried did not work. And it had these fun failure modes that just made me very sad. Thankfully, we had feature specs that told me about this failure mode because I would not have known about it otherwise. This was not obvious to me on first implementation. But yeah, I lost, and I feel sad. And then I did the thing that we do, which is I searched Google, and there's nothing. I cannot find…This is one of those cases where like, I can't be the first person who wants to know what's in the flash. I can't be breaking new ground here. And yet I couldn't find anything on the internet. So that's where I'm at. STEPH: That's interesting. Yeah, I'm trying to think…I think I'm one of those people. I don't think I've ever tried to peek into the flash and see what's there ahead of time. And it makes me wonder if it's partially…so we can't peek into the flash. You've exhausted several examples or tries there. When you're setting the value of the flash, it makes me wonder if there's an order of operations that you have to pursue. So before you set the flash, you know what messages that you're going to share. So you send that off to the logs, but then also share that to the flash. So instead of writing the message directly to the flash and then having to check the flash, if you just stored that value elsewhere and shared it to the logs first. Is that a reasonable approach? CHRIS: It definitely could work. But that was in the space of this is getting weird enough. I thought about things like that, but I didn't want to do anything weird. And part of the benefit that I get from using Lograge is rather than having multiple lines for each request…so a request came in and rendered this partial and did this thing. It gets constructed such that there's a single logline, which is one big JSON object that contains all of the data about that request. And I really liked that structure because then everything's correlated like, oh, did we 404, or did we 302? And what was the message that we said to the user? And what were the params? It's all there in one line. I found that to be really useful. So I wanted to do that. I could just separately log it. But then I'm also worried of there is a statefulness there. Because again, the flash is written on one side and read on the…it's like a Hail Mary to ourselves between requests. Look at me with a sports reference. And so, I didn't want to try anything out of the ordinary. I really just wanted to find a way to just like; I just want to read this value but not like Heisenberg uncertainty principle observing changes in the system. I found myself in that space, and I was like, can't there be a way that I can just flash.peek? And I just want to take a quick look. I don't want to mess with anything. You do your normal thing, flash. Just let me know. And I do not have an answer for it yet. And for now, this is one of those nice to have, not an absolute requirement. So I wasn't yet in the position of okay, fine, let's do some out-of-the-box ideas here. So I'm still in the in the box phase, I would say, but who knows? Maybe down the road, I'll be like; I would really love to know what the flash message was for that request because this user is seeing stuff that we do not understand. And that information would tell us the answer. So we're not there yet. But I was surprised by how thoroughly I was defeated by Rails and the flash message on this adventure. STEPH: I am equally surprised. I wouldn't have thought that particular achievement would have or is proving to be that hard or, frankly, not doable. So yeah, I'm intrigued to see if anybody has thoughts on it or if you do find a different solution because Lograge is one that I haven't used. But I would be surprised if other people haven't had a similar request of like; I want to be able to store what's in the flash message. Because like you said, that seems super helpful. CHRIS: Well, certainly, if I do figure anything out, then I will share that with the world. But yes, part of this is putting it out there into the universe. And if the universe happens to send me back an answer, I will happily accept that. But yeah, again, I had two stories, and that was the one where I lost. I'm going to send it back over to you because I'm interested in anything else that's up in your world. And later, I'll tell the story of a victory. Mid-roll Ad And now a quick break to hear from today's sponsor, Scout APM. 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And as an added-on bonus for Bike Shed listeners, Scout will donate $5 to the open-source project of your choice when you deploy. Learn more at scoutapm.com/bikeshed. That's scoutapm.com/bikeshed. STEPH: I have a victory that I can share as well, and I'm excited to hear about yours. So to share a bit more context about the project that I'm on, we are focused very heavily on improving their test suite, not only the time that it takes to run the test suite but predominantly addressing a lot of the flaky tests that they have. Because that is a huge pain point for the team and often leads to the team having to rerun tests. And so, there are a couple of areas that we're very excited to make some contributions. The first part is that we are just looking at those flaky tests to figure out what is going on and how can we address these? And one of the nice things, one of the tools that they're using TeamCity is the tooling that they're using to run their automated test suite. And TeamCity will let you mute tests, so then that way, if you do encounter a flaky test, you can mute it. So then, at least it's not impacting other people. I say this with some asterisks that go along with it because, for people who can't see, Chris is making a very interesting face. I think you have thoughts on this. And the other thing that they will show is a flip rate for the flaky tests, which is really nice, too, because then you can see which tests are flaky the most. So then that helps us prioritize which ones we want to look into. All right, I'm going to pause so you can respond to that comment I made about muting tests. CHRIS: I'm intrigued. I talked in a recent episode about adding RSpec::Retry. So the idea of flakiness being a thing that exists and trying to decide how much engineering effort to apply to fixing it. But the idea of muting it and especially muting it in the UI, not in the test suite or not having that be something that's committed, there's something about that that caught my attention, and thus apparently, my eyebrows raised. You saw that. [laughs] But I don't actually know how I feel about it. This is such a complicated, murky area that I wish I had a stronger set of beliefs around. It was interesting when we talked about the RSpec::Retry thing. I think you rightly pushed back on me, and you were like, that's interesting, maybe don't do that. And I was like, that's a fair point. [laughs] And so now hearing you're in the quagmire of flaky tests, and yeah, it's an interesting space. STEPH: Well, I think my hard belief is that muting tests is a thing that we shouldn't do. It's going to lead to more problems, and you're not really addressing the issue that you have. It is a temporary solution to a much bigger problem that you have. And so it is a tool that you can use to then buy you some more time. And so that is the space that this team is in where they have used this particular tool to buy them more time and to be able to keep shipping changes while realizing that they do still need to address these underlying issues. So it is a tricky space to be in where essentially, you've gotten to the point that you do have these muted tests. It is a way to help you keep going forward, but you are going to have to come back to it at some point. And so that's the space that I'm in right now joining the team is that we have been brought in to help some of their engineers specifically address this issue while ideally letting the rest of the team continue to focus on shipping changes while we address the test. Although I really think there's going to be two angles that we've talked about in how we're going to help this particular codebase. One of them is that we are going to address a flaky test. But the other one is empowering people that they feel like they have the time and the knowledge that they can address a flaky test and also not contribute more flaky tests to the codebase. But I appreciate that you called me on that a bit because we've had those conversations around when we should actually address something versus muted, all the interesting trade-offs that come along with that conversation. So this particular flaky test that we addressed earlier this week is specific to hard coding primary IDs. The short version is that it's bad, don't do it. The longer version is that they were having a test that was failing intermittently because it would pass the first two runs, but then it would start to fail for all future runs. And the reason it would pass for the first two runs is because when they were setting the ID for a record that the test setup is creating, they were looking for existing records and saying, "Hey, what's your latest ID?" And then I'm going to guess the next ID. I'm going to add one to that to figure out what the next ID should be. Some additional context, when the tests boot up, there's some data that's being created before the test run. So then that's why they're checking to see, okay, what records already exist? And then let's add one to that. The reason that fails sometimes is because then once the tests have run, the Postgres IDs aren't being reset, so they're using a truncate approach. So then, when the test runs once or twice, that works. But then, at some point, there's a collision between those IDs where they tried to guess the next ID, but then Postgres is also on that same ID, and it ends up failing. There are also some callbacks. There's some trickery afoot. It took a little while [chuckles] to work through these tests to understand why they're failing. But the short version is that we thought we had to restructure the data in a way that no longer required us to guess what the next primary key should be for a record. We could actually use Factory Bot to generate that record, and then ask Postgres, okay, what ID did you assign? And we're going to pass that in. And that part was really challenging when you're in a new codebase, and you are learning the domain knowledge and exactly how data should be structured. So that was one challenge of it. The other part was that a lot of the data relies on each other. So then figuring out the right hierarchy in which we could create the data. So we didn't have a circular reference at some point. It took some time. And Joël Quenneville, who's on the project with me, used a tool that I found very helpful. It's called Dataviz. He went through and documented the let statements, the data that's being created, and then it generated a nice tree structure that shows you okay; these are your dependencies. This is the test setup that you're using. And then from there, just by changing a few lines in that particular file that used to generate that Dataviz tree, he would move it around. And we could simulate what we were already mentally trying to construct in our head. So as programmers, we're already thinking, okay, I know this record needs that data. And that data needs that data before I can build this. But this actually turned it into a concrete visualization where we could see it. And I was really struggling. And he was like, "Hey, I got it into a visual form that we can look at. And there's a circular reference. That's why this keeps happening and why we're not making progress." So then, using that, we were able to then reformat some of the dependencies, look at the graph, see that we didn't have that circular reference anymore. And then we could implement that in code. And it really helped me to be able to walk through that visual aspect because then I could say, okay, this is all the stuff that I'm trying to mentally hold on to, but instead, I can just look at this and know it's going to work. I don't have a circular reference. It also helped concretely show why the previous efforts were failing and why we kept running into some issues. So I'm really interested now in Dataviz because I found it very helpful in this particular case. And I'm very intrigued to see if I can apply this to more tests that I'm trying to fix and to see if I can start out with here's the current structure. Here's where I'm trying to go. And then essentially build that graph first before I start changing the code around. I would love to have that optimization. And I feel like it would speed up the process. CHRIS: It was funny as you started to say that I had observed some tweets going out into the world recently. And I was like, this is Joël. This is definitely Joël talking about these things. As an aside, for anyone who doesn't follow Joël Quenneville on Twitter, @joelquen, I would highly recommend it. We can include a link to Joël's Twitter in the show notes. Joël is one of the clearest thinkers and communicators about programming that I have ever worked with. And in particular, what you're describing of the data visualization is something that I think he does incredibly well. Often he'll make blog posts, but they'll include just simple little visualizations, little images, or diagrams, or flowcharts that just so concretely encapsulate an idea and express it so much better than text ever could. And so, in so many ways, I look to Joël's writing, both on Twitter, in the blog, in many places. And I just appreciate so much what he puts out there and the manner in which he does it. So I was by no means surprised when you said, "Oh, and I'm working with Joël on this project." I was like, yes, I bet you are. That sounds true, and in particular, some of the conversations about flaky tests and determinism and all of that. So yeah, the visualization stuff is also particularly interesting in taking a system that it's very hard to hold all of this in our heads. But that visualization, the tree and/or graph thing at play, having that in a picture and being like, oh, look, there's a cycle now. There we go. Can't have those. That's not okay. That's a really interesting solution that's just very cool to hear about and presumably led to a good outcome where you were able to break that cycle. And now you're happy and deterministic in your tests. STEPH: Yeah, it's one of those approaches where I wonder if it was helpful afterwards and how can I make it helpful beforehand? Because it felt like a confirmation of the pain in the process that we had been through. And I'm eager to see if now I can apply it ahead of time and save myself some of that pain. That's where I get really excited. But yes, it was a successful outcome. And we have fixed that particular flaky test. But I'm very excited to hear about your victory from the week. CHRIS: It's a shared victory. It was a team victory, just to be clear. But we are working in a system that is using Inertia. Inertia.js is a project that I've talked about a number of times on the show. I'm a huge fan of it. It is the core architecture of how we're building our application. But as a very brief revisiting of what it is, on the server-side, we have Rails, and Rails is acting in a pretty traditional way. We do not have an API. And on the front end, we have Svelte, which is a JavaScript view layer framework. Inertia sits between them and binds the traditional Rails MVC architecture and the Svelte front end. So again, there's no API in the traditional sense of this is a REST endpoint, and we hit it, and we get some data, and then the front end holds on to that in a store. None of that is going on. Inertia does a wonderful job of marrying these two concepts and allowing us to use familiar programming techniques on the server-side but then also have a more future-friendly front end. Animations and transitions and things like that are now totally possible while not throwing away the entirety of our programming model that we've had in Rails server-side applications. That's all well and good. Almost all of the UI in our application is rendered via Inertia and Svelte. That's great. We love it. The one caveat is Devise. So we have Devise on this project, and Devise comes with a lot of views built-in. And we have both an admin and a user model. So we have sign in and sign up, and confirm registration, and forgot password and all of these different views and flows and things that Devise just gives you out of the box. And being an early-stage startup, it was not a good time to revisit any of that or to try and build it from scratch or any of that. We just wanted to build on the good known trusted foundation that Devise gives us. But the trade-off there is that now all of our Devise logic lives in this uncanny valley. It's the only stuff that is in ERB views. Our styling, thankfully, we're using Tailwind, and so we are able to have some consistency between the styling. But recently, we redesigned the flash messages on the client-side in our Svelte pages. But on the server-side, they are a little on the Devise-side because Devise is the only pages that are being rendered truly server-side. They look a little different. And this is a pain that we felt, that inconsistency or that mismatch between the Devise views. And then the rest of the application is a pain that we felt but one that we consistently were like, I don't think it's worth the effort to try and change this. Finally, this week, we've been doing a lot of work on our user onboarding funnel. So the initial signup flow going through it's a progressive form screen where you go in between different pages. And a majority of it is implemented in the Inertia and Svelte side of things. And it's very nice and very fun to work with. But the signup form, the user signup form, is in Devise, and it's a traditional Rails server-rendered post, and then all the normal stuff happens. We finally decided to bite the bullet this week and see how painful it would be to port that over to Inertia and Svelte. And spoiler, it was awesome. It was very straightforward, and coming out of it, immediately, the page was largely the same. The server-side code was largely the same. But now we had things like when you submit this form, if there's a validation error, we don't clear out your passwords because we're staying on that page on the client-side. We're taking advantage of the way Inertia's error flow works. That's a subtlety of how Inertia works. That's probably more detail than we want to get into here, but it's an awesome thing that works and is great. And so immediately, this page just got better. We got inline errors for each of the fields. We were able to very easily add a library called Mailcheck, which I've talked about on an episode a while back. But this is a thing where if you have a typo in your email address, we can say, "Hey, you have a typo in your email address. And if you click this link where we suggest the alternative, we'll just replace it inline." That would have been really awkward to wire up in our Devise view. It would have been some jQuery-esque script tag at the bottom of the view page that doesn't stop…We don't have jQuery actually at this point. We wouldn't have jQuery. And we could certainly, but it would only be for that view. And it would be weird and different in a fundamentally different programming model. It was trivial to do in the Inertia and Svelte world once we had made that port over. This was always my hope. This was the dream that I had in mind. And it speaks to the architecture of Inertia. And Inertia is a really great abstraction that is very minimally leaky. I won't say it has zero leaks because no abstraction does. But this was my hope is I think the server-side should mostly stay the same. And I think the client-side, we just take an ERB template, turn it into a Svelte template, and we're good to go. And that has largely been the case. But suddenly, this page is so much more. There are subtle animations as things come in. And there are just lots of nice features that were trivial to add now and that fit with the rest of the programming model that we have throughout it. So that was awesome. STEPH: That is awesome. I love these styles of updates where there's like, oh, I had a loss this week. But I also had this really great win because that feels just so representative of a typical week. So I love this back and forth. CHRIS: It's also that sequence is how the week went. So the loss happened earlier in the week, and then the win happened later in the week, which is how I would prefer it because now I'm going into the weekend with a win. Like, cool, I'll take it. Had it gone in the other direction, I would have been like, oh man, Rails beat me. But I guess it's the weekend now. I'll forget about it for a little while. STEPH: Yeah, that definitely helps to end on a positive note. CHRIS: But yeah, I don't think too much more to say about that beyond it was both really nice to get the added functionality to get the better, more user-friendly behavior in this view that naturally falls out of this programming model. But also to have that reinforcement of my belief in Inertia as a good architecture. Not only did we get some really nice stuff out of doing this port, but it was also pretty straightforward because Inertia sits so comfortably between the pieces. And that's a story that I really like. I want more of that in my programming world, where to change this thing requires changing everything in our app. Oh no, this is sad. No, this was a great example of we were able to very minimally change things and get a much better experience out of it. So once again, I am very pro Inertia.js STEPH: It's interesting to me how different our paths have been this year where I have been working on applications that are brought on thoughtbot to then help out with some of the concerns that they have, either their application is going down, or they have a test suite that they need to improve, or there's a lot of triage that's involved. And so it makes me very excited to hear that, when you are building stuff, and it's going really well and how awesome that is. Because then I feel like most of my world has definitely been more in the triage space, which is a very interesting and fun space to be. But it brings me a lot of joy to hear about wins from let's build new stuff and hearing it be built from the ground up and how well that's going. CHRIS: Well, I'm definitely happy to provide that. But also, I want to be realistic and be like, I'm just writing next year's legacy code right now, let's be honest. I'm very happy with where we're at in this moment. But I also know how early I am in the project that I'm working on. And I'm burdened with the knowledge that I'm certain one decision that I'm making of the many that are being made I will deeply regret a year from now. I just know that that's true, and I can't let it slow me down. I got to just keep making decisions and do stuff. But I know that there's going to be one. I know that a year from now, I'm going to be like, why did we choose that option? But it's sort of the game. STEPH: [singing] We'll just know that there's something strange and your code won't change. Who are you gonna call? thoughtboters! CHRIS: Well, yes. I will definitely be calling you when I find myself in the uncertain times of legacy code of my own creation. So I look forward to that, frankly. But that's a problem for a year; I don't know, maybe two years from now. Who knows? But for now, what do you think? Let's wrap up. STEPH: Let's wrap up. The show notes for this episode can be found at bikeshed.fm. CHRIS: This show is produced and edited by Mandy Moore. STEPH: If you enjoyed listening, one really easy way to support the show is to leave us a quick rating or a review in iTunes as it really helps other people find the show. CHRIS: If you have any feedback for this or any of our other episodes, you can reach us at @_bikeshed on Twitter, and I'm @christoomey. STEPH: And I'm @SViccari. CHRIS: Or you can email us at hosts@bikeshed.fm STEPH: Thanks so much for listening to The Bike Shed, and we'll see you next week. All: Byeeeeeeeeee!!! 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This week Randall sits down with Russ Roca to explore the origins of Path Less Pedaled's thriving YouTube channel, the #partypace ethos, and the future of cycling community. Path Less Pedaled  Episode Sponsor: Athletic Greens Support the Podcast Join The Ridership Episode Transcript (please excuse the typos): GRP: Randall with Russ Roca of Path Less Pedaled [00:00:00] Craig Dalton: Hello and welcome to the gravel ride podcast. I'm your host Craig Dalton. Well, at least for about the next 90 seconds before I hand it off to my co-host Randall Jacobs. This week, we've got a unique episode. Randall was able to catch up with ross Rocha from path less pedaled on his live stream we got an opportunity to interview russ and all the great stuff he's doing to build a community over at path, less pedaled. many of you may be familiar with his work but if not this will be a great introduction to another content source that i personally appreciate a lot and i know randall does too. [00:00:44] I hope you enjoy this conversation about cycling community and the future of community.  [00:00:50] Before we jump into the interview. I need to thank this week's partner sponsor athletic greens and AIG one. This is a product that I literally use every day. I started using athletic greens post my cancer treatment because I was quite concerned about the overall nutrients that were getting into my body and felt like I was going down the slippery slope of having to take.  [00:01:18] Many, many different pills to get what I needed. I discovered athletic greens, I believe through another podcast. With athletic greens, you're absorbing 75 high quality. Vitamins minerals, whole food source, superfoods, probiotics, and APTA gins to help start your day. Right. It's a special blend of ingredients to support gut health.  [00:01:41] Your nervous system, your immune system, your energy recovery focus and aging. Simply all the things. So it became a pretty obvious choice in, gosh, I can't even remember how long ago I started at this point. It's probably at least five years and I'm a daily user. I basically start my day with. Getting my athletic greens, AIG one shaker out, putting some ice in, putting the required amount of powder, mixing it up and just drinking it down.  [00:02:13] I just feel like it puts me ahead of the game every single day.  [00:02:17] So suffice it to say I'm a big fan and super appreciative. Of the long-term sponsorship that age. One has provided to the podcast. [00:02:28] Right now it's a time to reclaim your health and arm your immune system with convenient daily nutrition, especially heading into the flu and cold season.  [00:02:37] It's just one scoop and a cup of water every day. That's it? No need for a million pills and supplements to look out for your health. To make it easy. Athletic greens is going to give you a free one year supply of immune supporting vitamin D.  [00:02:50] And five free travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is is it athletic greens.com/the gravel ride again? That's athletic greens.com/the gravel ride to take ownership over your health and pick up the ultimate daily nutritional insurance.  [00:03:07] Would that business behind us,  [00:03:08] Let's jump right into this live stream between Russ and Randall.  [00:03:12] Russ: Welcome everybody to another live stream today. We've got a really interesting one. It's a. Livestream. I'm going to have our guest Randall Jacobs. He's been on the channel before, and he's actually going to be recording his podcast on this live stream. I thought I would double up the content and you can see how the sausage is made. [00:03:32] So welcome to the show. Randall Jacobs.  [00:03:35] Randall: Hey, we're finally getting to do this together. It'll be a lot of fun.  [00:03:40] Russ: Yeah. So Randall is the founder of a thesis spikes. He's the co-host of the gravel ride podcast, which will record recording today as well as the co-founder of the Ridership community. [00:03:52] I think people know what a podcast is. What thesis bikes is. Can you talk about the ridership first and then. Do the podcast part. Sure.  [00:03:59] Randall: The ridership emerged as a slack community that we started for thesis writers. And then on the other side the Facebook group that Craig had started for the podcast. [00:04:09] So Craig Dalton is the founder of the gravel ride podcast. The primary host, he has graciously invited me to be his sidekick and occasional content creating partner. We're at about 1500 or so people really lively and Helpful sorts of communication. So it's a community of riders helping riders. And the dynamics that we see in there is something that, we're quite proud of.  [00:04:31] Russ: Yeah. Community is like a huge thing, especially now when a lot of us feel so disconnected with the COVID. And you said it's a Facebook group in a slack channel, is that right? So it started  [00:04:40] Randall: as those two things, and then we merged them into a single slack group called the ridership. [00:04:45] Okay. Yeah.  [00:04:47] Russ: Yeah. If you guys are interested in checking out the ridership, I will put links in the description below after the live stream.  [00:04:54] Randall: Yeah. The ridership.com is a link where you can go to get an invite if you'd like.  [00:04:58] Russ: Yeah. Cool. We've got 40 people in the chat. Thanks for joining us. Didn't expect so many, frankly. [00:05:04] Mid-morning on a Monday again, this was a totally last minute. Randall asked me to be on the podcast. I thought it'd be fun to do, to show you guys how the sausage is made. So if anyone has any quick questions for Randall, leave those in the comments. Otherwise we'll hand over the reins to Randall and he will steer the ship for the rest of the show. [00:05:24] Randall: First off, I want to thank everyone who joined us at the last moment. [00:05:26] It's quite an honor that people are so interested in participating in this conversation that they show up, especially on such short notice. So thank you for that. I'm really quite interested to hear where are you from? What's your background? How did bikes come to play such a significant role in your life?  [00:05:42] Russ: Quick background. I feel like my journey into bicycling is a little bit different than what's typically represented in bike media. [00:05:49] I didn't discover the sports side of the cycling for a very long time. My basic origin story is I was very unhealthy smoking, two packs of cigarettes a day, eating hotdogs, and I knew that I needed a life change. And then my truck died and that CA super lazy at the time, this is post-college just graduated from UCLA. [00:06:09] So I started walking, taking the bus, taking transit, then discovered skating, and then finally the bicycle, because it was way more efficient than the pair of inline skates while carrying gear. So from very early on I think my Genesis in cycling was very transportation and utility focused. And a couple of years later discovered bike touring, which is like commuting with all the things. [00:06:34] And that's when pathless pedal the website started. This was back in oh nine and. Yeah, we did our travels traveled for about three years, mostly on the road. It spent some winters in Portland. And after that, after we stopped actively traveling pivoted towards the bicycle tourism. So working with tourism with destination marketing organizations to, to promote cycling. [00:06:58] And it was also around that time that I started experimenting more with YouTube. I saw it as a really viable medium to communicate, messages and information that just, a blog post couldn't do. So that's 15 years in a nutshell.  [00:07:11] Randall: And I'm curious to tease out a little bit more about those early days. [00:07:14] Was there some intentionality around getting healthier or was it strictly I needed a means to get around after my truck died and it became something.  [00:07:23] Russ: It was primarily a means to get around. I do remember having one moment where, I have a very obsessive personality, so when I get into something, I really get into something. [00:07:34] So I borrowed the neighbor's bike. And I think now I'm biking up and down the beach path in long beach all day. And at the end of the day I was like Hocking up like half a jar of phlegm. And that's when there's oh, this could be healthy too. But it was primarily because it was fun. I always try to, follow my folly, do things, while they're fun. [00:07:53] Randall: You and I have that element of a pattern of obsessiveness on a certain thing. Definitely have that in common. Resonate with you. They're very much And so you grew up around LA.  [00:08:03] Russ: Yeah. Yeah. So I was born in the Philippines. We immigrated here when I was really young. [00:08:08] So for the most part I grew up in Southern California, like Glendale Burbank went to high school at UCLA. And after that lived in long beach for a span of time traveled lived in Portland for a span of time. And now we're here in Missoula, Montana.  [00:08:24] Randall: Do you speak Tagalog?  [00:08:28] Russ: I understand it fluently, but I can't speak it fluently anymore. [00:08:31] Randall: Cool. So bikes now are how you make your living and, you mentioned a little bit about the Genesis of PLP share a bit more about the inspiration? What were your hopes for it at the time and how did it come to be? [00:08:43] Russ: Back when we got into the bike touring, there was very few resources, there was a text-based website, like a crazy guy on the bike. There's bike forums.net, things like bike, packing.com didn't exist. The rather this didn't exist. I think he may have existed as probably not probably but there's very few resources. [00:08:59] So it's not like the Instagram rich landscape of a bike touring today. So what few resources we did see inspired us to go out? At the time I was a working photographer in long beach, I was doing new magazine shoots food and portrait. And I had this very romantic notion of, w we'll just travel the world on bike. [00:09:19] And I will book for the shoots wherever we land and we will travel endlessly that way. That was a grand vision. Didn't quite turn out as plan Probably a big part is, people aren't necessarily going to be willing to hire hobo, looking people on bikes, thousands of dollars for a photo shoot turns out. [00:09:36] But that was a big dream initially. That didn't work out. So we had to find different ways to make a living and keep the dream happening. But those were the, that was the early dream.  [00:09:45] Randall: So there's a theme that I hear there, which is common amongst a lot of entrepreneurial slash creative types which is, looking to solve a problem that they themselves had. [00:09:53] So you're not doing this full time. So this is your job. Is your primary income.  [00:09:58] Russ: That's a job.  [00:10:01] Randall: And how long has that been?  [00:10:02] Russ: I had been a full-time YouTuber sounds like, so teeny bopper, right? Content, creator, content entrepreneur. I would consider a, since we landed in Missoula and a lot of it was, my hand was forced. [00:10:14] Like we moved to Missoula cause we were, super broken Portland. Laura got a job at adventure cycling and that was finally a stable income for awhile. So we moved here and I thought, all our expertise and all the work that we'd done with travel Oregon would translate to the Montana state tourism and the local GMO's and I could get production work that way did not turn out, did not turn out like that. [00:10:36] So I buckled down and I was like, okay, we have I have to make this YouTube thing work because Missoula, Montana, they don't spend the funds like they do, like in Portland or Oregon for kind of production. It's a very small cities, small funds, a small talent pool. And they tend to only hire people that they know and as complete outsiders. [00:10:57] Was not getting any work. So that's when I really buckled down and it was pretty lean, we relied heavily on Laura's income, adventurous cycling for me to follow this dream. And it wasn't until maybe two or three years later that it could support me. And now it's supporting both of us. [00:11:13] Randall: So she was bringing in those big bicycle industry journalist dollars, right before the thing. And if you don't mind sharing, how did the economics work? What percentage of it is YouTube? What percentage of it is your Patriot?  [00:11:26] Russ: Yeah, I can tell you very little it's from YouTube ad sense, but as a creator, that's where that's probably the lowest hanging fruit because, after I think 10,000 or a thousand subscribers, you can monetize all that stuff. But that is not the, that's not the dream that chase there because it pays very little like to this day. [00:11:44] I think the channel is at 120 something subscribers.  [00:11:48] Randall: 120,000? [00:11:49] Russ: Yeah. 120,000 subscribers. If you work at, in and out 40 hours a week, you were making more than I do an ad sense just to put that perspective. So there was a really make or break moment a couple years ago where I was putting out four, sometimes five videos a week just trying to, generate AdSense. [00:12:08] And I was on the verge of giving up. Couple of friends say, Hey, you should try Patrion and you should try Patrion. And I was like, oh, I don't, I'm already making five videos. I don't have time to, to manage another community. But then I was like, okay, we have to do it because it's not working financially. [00:12:22] And people show that, first it was a lot of people that we knew and then it became lots of people that we didn't know, which is pretty cool. And so that starts to give us like, on top of Laura's income, another kind of pool of cash that we could count on every month So that slowly grew. [00:12:39] And then ultimately we started selling stickers which doesn't sound like a whole lot, but a lot of people bought stickers. We've sold thousands of stickers. And I like to say I'm really just a sticker salesman with a YouTube. 'cause it's true.  [00:12:54] Randall: It's one of those things where, people value what you do and align with it enough to want to advocate for it in the world and just find any means any excuse to support you. [00:13:03] So that's pretty cool that you've been able to, make that work.  [00:13:07] Russ: Yeah. And that's what we discovered about stickers. Like no one needs stickers, it's not like a life or death necessity, but it was a means for people that wanted to support the channel to create some kind of transaction, so we started stickers. [00:13:18] We've done other Merck. We have some shirts recent, most recently stem caps is sold pretty well are selling pretty well. So it's just a cool way for people that, you know, like the content on the channel to help support the channel.  [00:13:31] Randall: And so we've talked about YouTube. We've talked about your Patrion. You also have a discord.  [00:13:36] Russ: Yeah. The discord. A big need that I saw was people wanted to find other cyclists that had the same kind of party pace mindset, but I've discovered a couple of years ago, is that what really brings people together isn't a common interest. It's the common belief and value system around that interest, right? We all ride bikes, triathlete is going to have different values than the fixed gear rider and in a really hardcore endurance gravel athlete. So it wasn't enough to say, Hey, we're about bikes, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. [00:14:05] It's part of the pace. These are values and people wanted to find other people with those values and who ride like that. So instead of being the point of contact for everyone, I wanted people to really talk with each other. So I looked at different things like slack and ultimately try that discord, I think, because it was free or more free and Patrion and discord have a good synergy where. [00:14:30] Yeah. Some of the Patriot and perks are different roles in discord. So that seemed like a natural fit. And at first, people got really excited. We had a couple 100 people sign on and you know how it is like with slack or disc or people, are active at first and drop off. [00:14:46] But now I feel like there's a really cool core group of people. And what I love seeing in the discord and it happened, it started to happen more this year is other people within the discord would find people within their area and they'd ride together. They do things together. And that was so satisfying to see that I didn't have to be the only channel that we had created this space where people could discover, other like-minded cyclists. [00:15:10] Randall: Yeah. What we're calling social media, I think would be better re-imagined as online tools for facilitating generative, offline connection and experience and. And that's not the current social media paradigm. It seems like you've created a space and I feel that we've created a space, really co-created spaces together with other values aligned people, where you can find that you can find, a place to get advice. [00:15:36] You can find a place to to connect, to get a sense of belonging, to plant adventures and so on. And that's something that's a really great opportunity in the cycling space specifically, because there are a lot of people who gravitate for cycling in part for those reasons, whether it's wellness, whether it's utility or oftentimes it's "I moved to a new place, I want to make some friends". [00:15:57] There's something very deep about that need, that cycling seems to satisfy for a lot of people, certainly myself.  [00:16:03] Russ: Yeah. This court's been really interesting for that, the discord constantly impresses me because there is such a high level of bike nerdery but also respect amongst the people in our discord. [00:16:15] And I hope that's because the channel sets a certain tone or I set a certain tone, it's really, it's far less toxic than other bike spaces I've seen on the internet, like people, they'll they're pretty good at self policing, which is cold.  [00:16:30] Randall: Yeah. The early members of any given community the founders. [00:16:34] Yes. And then the early members really set the tone for how the thing evolves, because it's just a set of norms and hopefully you have a certain value system that's very clear and people who don't align with that, they're not attracted to the community in the first place. [00:16:46] Not that they're not welcome, but this is not a space for acting out. This is a place for connecting.  [00:16:51] Russ: Yeah. And there, there are people in our discord that are like way smarter nerdier than I am. Like, I'm constantly impressed at the level of knowledge that they share. [00:16:59] But it is one of those things where at first I promoted the discord a lot, but I'm hesitant to now.  [00:17:05] Randall: Okay.  [00:17:06] Russ: It's because I've loved how the people in there have jelled. And for me, it's not about the qual, the quantity of members, but the quality of interaction. [00:17:14] So I'd almost artificially keep it small until things really gel before, saying, Hey everybody, we have loans doing it now, Hey, everybody, we have a discord.  [00:17:25] Randall: We've been thinking much the same. Up until now, the community has grown very slowly and organically and largely through our invites or through us, and not just talking about it on the podcast and people will show up and be like, Hey, you heard the pod decide to finally join here. [00:17:39] And I fully agree with you. Quality over quantity. At the same time, I suspect that there are orders of magnitude more people who could benefit .From and contribute to these communities. And there is, there are certain types of Activities, for example, like coordinating group rides you need a critical mass of people in a given area. [00:17:56] And so those offline connections are really enabled by having, a bigger community. And so I think this is a conversation I would love to have with you maybe now is not the space, but figuring out how scale can be created in a way that doesn't undermine the ethos that made the community so healthy in the first place. [00:18:16] Russ: For me, I see like a diff like a series of funnels. So YouTube is probably our largest funnel. It'll take, all people interested in cycling, boil it down to people that are interested in this idea of party pace. And for those that want to dig down a further, there's a Patrion and then the discord, but no, it's not intentional, but in that way to see it like, okay, YouTube is a big net and the more you get invested in the channel and dig what it's about, then you'll go the extra step and slowly discover that this scored on your own. [00:18:47] Randall: well, I'm curious what do you see as the limitations of the current technology stack that you're using right now? And is there anything that you're looking at in terms of other tools to adopt or even migrate to going forward? What's on the horizon?  [00:19:00] Russ: I think the biggest limitation is that's, it's not one thing, it's several things. It's YouTube it's Patrion, it's, the website it's discord. I don't sign into one thing and control everything. They don't all necessarily integrate smoothly. And it is like multiple steps for people to have the full experience. And I don't know that there is an existing plan. Or app with a big enough base that does all things. [00:19:24] So at the moment, and I'm at the whim of using all these kinds of widgets and piecemealing together a community.  [00:19:31] Randall: And then a platform like YouTube they take a pretty big cut.  [00:19:36] Russ: Yeah. And what's interesting is like Patrion is going to start doing their own video, which I think is interesting because typically a YouTube creators that have Patriot they'll usually do an early release. [00:19:48] So they'll set a YouTube video and private Patrion viewers can do it first. Then they turn it on to the rest of the world. You're still using YouTube. Yeah. But if you can just have that content live on Patrion, I think that would, that'd be interesting. Interesting move. I don't know if I have the bandwidth to do patriarch specific content, but it is something that I'm keeping tabs. [00:20:07] Randall: It's one of the great challenges. You could consider YouTube is a web 2.0 company. They have a platform and they gather the viewers and the content creators and ultimately the advertisers, the viewers being the product, and you get to a certain critical mass and, YouTube is first and foremost, arguably a search engine. [00:20:27] And if that's where people are going to find content and get content recommended to them, it's hard not to be there. But I think ultimately, the paradigm that I hope for, and that I see slowly emerging is one where content creators own their content, and own the rights over that content, and have access to means of distribution that are not so extractive, maybe, a couple of percent versus a 50% and we could de-monetize you and D platform you at any  [00:20:54] time. [00:20:55] Russ: Yeah. Yeah. That's definitely the dream. That's why, in kind of the creative entrepreneurs space, there's still emphasis on email newsletter. That sounds like so web 1.0, but it's one of the few. Yeah. Pieces of content and like constant communication that you can actually control. [00:21:12] That's not at the whim of an algorithm or in someone else's hands.  [00:21:17] Randall: And it's one of the original open protocols of the internet. Any client can communicate with any other client versus, on Facebook, it's a walled garden. And if you try to do something that they don't like on Facebook, or if you do something that is really successful they'll kick you off, or they'll, deprioritize you in the algorithm, or they'll just create a copy of it and go from there. [00:21:36] Russ: Yeah. At one like one switch that is turned on in my head recently is you. I used to be that my goal was, I want to be a YouTuber when I hit a hundred thousand subscribers and get this thing. And she's very nice. But after having achieved that, that is no longer the goal it's to turn whatever, virtual community we have into IRL, into. [00:21:58] And try to translate that into real human interaction. YouTube is a facet of that journey, but it's not, it's no longer the, the end goal.  [00:22:05] Randall: Yeah. I'm a hundred percent with you there. And in fact, it's, it was one of the major motivations for me reaching out for this conversation, because I see the good work that you do and the quality of connection that you facilitate within, within your community. [00:22:18] So Bravo to you on that. How many people in your discordant.  [00:22:22] Russ: I don't know. I feel like it's over 1500.  [00:22:25] Randall: Okay, so similar scale.  [00:22:27] Russ: Yeah. The most active group is definitely smaller. But it's a decent number and I feel like a lot of people that sign on to Patriot and do do you claim the discord like benefit and, you can see them light up, which is cool. [00:22:39] Randall: Very cool. Have you have you done any events have you coordinated events, have you gotten to meet any of the  [00:22:46] community members?  [00:22:46] Russ: That was our plan before COVID  [00:22:48] Randall: Same. I was going to do a tour.  [00:22:51] Russ: Yeah. It's funny, like the year that COVID happened, we had just started doing that. We coordinated a series of art shows at bike shops. So I paint watercolors and we'd have an art show with a local bike shop. We did transit cycles in Arizona golden saddle in LA golden pliers and in Portland. Cause I wanted to give a focus to the event rather than people just drinking beer. [00:23:11] So there's a fun way for people, fans of the channel and people that want to do bikey things without just drinking beer, a could attend. And then the last one we did was was in at transit in Arizona. Then that's when, COVID blew up and we're like, ah, you gotta pull the plug on this tour. [00:23:25] Randall: Do are people able to buy your art or prints of your art because I've seen some of your watercolors and they're really cool. I was going to ask you at one point, can I get attention?  [00:23:33] Russ: Yeah, we've got a big cartel shop, again, very disjointed. We're going to migrate to probably Shopify so it can live on the actual website next year. People can buy originals, which are expensive, but then they go so buy smaller postcards and prints. The prints are pretty, it's like a G clay print on the watercolor paper, and it's about as close as you can get to an original without spending that much. And it's really high quality, so yeah. [00:23:56] Yeah. People can buy th there, there are options for people to purchase prints.  [00:24:01] Randall: Yeah. It falls into that category of feeling like a part of something and, getting the psychic income of supporting the contents that you want to see in the world.  [00:24:09] Russ: Yeah. I know your podcast listeners can't see it, but behind that veiled curtain there that's, there are picking station where we've got a bunch of shelving with a stem caps and stickers and prints, and Lauren,  [00:24:21] Randall: you're doing your own fulfillment. [00:24:23] Russ: Yeah. Lord, I outsource it to Laura.  [00:24:25] Randall: Speaking of Laura, how's Laura doing?  [00:24:27] Russ: She's doing well. If you guys aren't familiar she got diagnosed with breast cancer. A little bit over a year ago, and I really threw a wrench in our plans. And so we had to navigate that, but she's on the other side of, all the major surgeries, she's just taking a maintenance drug for the rest of the year, but she's doing well enough that she starting to ride the bike again. [00:24:49] Like I think she's going to do another trainer session today and hopefully get into some shape so we can do some actual writing in California.  [00:24:56] Randall: Excellent. That's really great to hear. And I see even your email addresses is Russ and Laura. So share a little bit about what was her role in the Genesis and development of the channel and what does that dynamic like building something like this for the partner?  [00:25:12] Russ: Yeah. So we've been together for about 19 years. When we first met, neither of us were into bikes. I just, yeah, I know. I discovered by commuting and at the time she, we lived in long beach and she worked in at seal beach. [00:25:27] So the commute was like three miles and then I got her into bike commuting, and then we both fell in love with bike touring. And it was then that we decided " Hey, maybe we could make a blog out of this". So it was definitely a joint venture. I've been very fortunate in so far as I've been able to get. [00:25:47] I want to say, get Laurie into the same interest, but we come to things at the same time or we appreciate the same things. So we both love bikes and she's definitely an integral role to PLP. She does all the bookkeeping being the shipping fulfillment the contracts she handles all the logistical stuff that a lot of people don't see, but are crucial to making a living. [00:26:10] Randall: Yeah. It's one thing to be the face of something. My case same deal, with thesis. So little of what it takes to create the product and get it delivered is done by me. But I contribute my small part and I convey a message. I do product development and so on, I have team members who are managing the orders. [00:26:31] There are factories, there are people working hard to actually produce the things. There are logistical companies that are getting the things to the right places and assembling them and que seeing them and handling all of that. And so acknowledgement of that. I think it's  [00:26:44] Russ: yeah, we had that pretty early division of labor. [00:26:47] Like we knew, like what are our strengths where I'm definitely more of a creative, pie in the sky kind of person. And she's very grounded. Typically I'll bounce idea off of her and she's that's dumb and you have no time to do, or, I'll know if something has legs, if she thinks that it's feasible. [00:27:05] But we definitely fulfill, I think that the two kind of the two personalities that's needed in the business,  [00:27:12] Randall: yup. Yeah, that that, that has been my experience as well. So really great to hear about how the two of you worked together and 19 years is a long time. [00:27:21] Russ: Yeah. It's a long time.  [00:27:23] Randall: So good on the two of you. So, what are you nerding out about these days?  [00:27:27] Russ: I think a lot about, where the holes are in cycling and particular in cycling meets. And I still think the non-competitive side, the cycling is grossly underrepresented and there's probably a lot more people that are into that style of riding. Then there's, the sharp pointy end of the of racing. I feel like that's overrepresented because, the people that get hired at those media agencies or at those brands tend to be X racers. So it creates this echo chamber. And so I really still think of myself as trying to break the echo chamber, insert a different voice and speak for, that the large group of people, that there are bike enthusiasts, but don't ever see themselves necessarily depending on the number. [00:28:10] And I think, I was trying to come up with a good analogy. I was describing it to a friend recently. And I think there were like two types of people, right? There's people that they view life as a puzzle to be solved or like a competition to be one. And there's others that do life, as a fine deal at a restaurant that's going to end and your goal is to not eat the fastest, but to save her every bit. And I'm definitely on that latter part. And I feel like a lot of cycling media views it primarily as a sport. So just trying to broaden that message and reach people they feel left out. We've got a channel trailer and I think the title is misfits welcome and trying to find,  [00:28:48] Randall: I love your analogy. And I resonate with both parts of it. I definitely started off cycling ultra competitive. Like I am your classic skinny shaped, like a white guy in Lycra who was out trying to rip people's legs off. And, I wrote as a kid and I'd go on adventures and so on. But when I stopped doing competitive team sports, I was believed in not a linebacker and a fullback in high school about 30 pounds ago, and got into racing. In part, because I wanted the sense of belonging and being on a team, but also in part I was because I was good at it. And I was like, oh, here's the thing where I can prove myself. And in fact, I really got into it because it's oh, I want to do, I want to get to a really high level in something. And here's the thing that I have the, the greatest ability to get that in. So I was definitely fitting into the first category first and now I am very much in the other category. Writing for fun writing primarily for connection, with nature, with other people and community and ultimately with myself, the rolling meditation  [00:29:50] Russ: Yeah. And my stance is like I'm not anti racing or the competitive side by any means. I just think that's overrepresented. I'm just trying to give an alternative voice by saying, party paces as a thing doesn't necessarily mean, racing is not a thing, it's not like pizza where there's only one slice to be shared. [00:30:06] Randall: Let's talk practically here to. It is, I believe the bigger opportunity. The ethos of it. I also very much align with at this stage in my life. I think it's this great vehicle for connection, but then also for everyone who's racing or everyone who's following the racing, there's 10 people who could benefit from the health and wellness and community and belonging and everything that comes with this activity that we so love. [00:30:30] Russ: If you think about, if you took all the people in the world that could potentially ride bikes, these are grandmothers, grandfathers, small children, and, you filtered it down to, the small percentage that would race competitively. I think the number of these non-competitive cyclists would vastly outnumber the people that could do that and elite level, or even a quasi competitive level. [00:30:49] And yeah, that competitive and takes lion share of bicycling imagination. Like a big eye-opener is during COVID right. Huge bike, boom. Very little racing. Yeah. We've been told this, I don't want to say it's a lie, but this is truism that cycling needs racing to sell bikes. And it absolutely doesn't,  [00:31:12] Randall: there's a reason why we don't sponsor anyone other than we'll offer things sometimes to like community leaders or people who are doing good stuff to build community.  [00:31:21] Russ: Yeah. think it's such an old model, like a, this is sponsored athlete thinking that it'll drunk bikes. [00:31:27] To some extent that works, but also there's other more kind of creative ways, more effective ways, it's 20, 21. It's it's not like 1950, we don't need like a celebrity endorsement from someone with these boxes that sell something.  [00:31:40] Randall: I remember riding with a pretty accomplished European pro early in my very short career, and I asked him about sponsorship and equipment and so on. And he's listen, you pay me enough. I'll ride a shopping cart. That is the truth of it. The bikes are coming out of essentially the same facilities, right? They're all using the same components, largely their parts hangers for swam and Shimano, all these Aero claims about this and that it's a lot of very careful selection and representation of the data. This is much more arrow on the graph, but it's only showing this section of a graph, that's this tall, things like this. But yeah I'm a hundred percent aligned with you on that one. [00:32:16] Russ: And I also think the, I think the consumer is a lot more savvy, I feel like, it's not when we were fed advertising in the fifties and you took everything at face value, people read reviews, they do their own research. More people are being content creators, so they understand the ins and outs of messaging. [00:32:33] And yet it seems as if, bike advertising still the same, it's not very sophisticated.  [00:32:39] Randall: It's well, it's advertising. It's let me tell you how to think. As opposed to let me present some information and let you figure out what resonates with you.  [00:32:48] Russ: Yeah. It's like looking at how different industries use YouTube. For example, I think it's pretty, pretty telling like a lot of brands still use YouTube as a showcase for their brand video. Whereas if you look at the camera industry, they send out stuff to everyday people, they give their impressions. They probably do product release videos, but they understand that's not like the main driver to sales. People talking about the product and real world situations and normal people, they're not given, cameras to Annie Liebowitz or James Nachtwey and then  [00:33:22] Randall: well, people that others can relate to. In fact, I tend to trust the reviews from smaller channels, much more than I trust the ones from channels that have advertisers, depend on making the manufacturers happy in order to generate their income. This is a profound conflict of interest that even if it's subconscious has to be influencing that content versus somebody who just spontaneously this thing was so good I had to talk about it" or this thing is crap. Or, and I just had to talk about it or I just wanted to create content. Cause I thought it would be valuable to other people in the world, which is very much the dynamic going back to community that we see in the ridership. And it sounds like you're seeing in your in your discord. [00:34:06] Russ: Yeah. Yeah, I'm going to go back to what you said earlier about, trust reviews. That's definitely something I take super seriously on the channel. At this point I reviewed about 80 bikes was not paid to review any of them, and the bikes I kept I ended up buying, and that's the promise. I tell the viewer I tell our Patrion community because in my freelancing days I did stuff for bicycle times when they were still around the momentum, adventure cycling. And, it was always aware of the advertorial aspect of things. And I didn't want to participate. [00:34:37] So it wasn't, we started the YouTube channel. Like we get no sponsored money from the bike industry. We don't get paid by salsa by, whoever zeros dollars I'd rather have the viewer support the channel and that's why we pushed the Patrion so much. Yeah. Most recently I've been buying more products like small goods. To some extent we PR we participate in that, we get review stuff, but then I still give my honest feedback on it, but more and more, I want to transition to a hundred percent like buying everything just because I feel like it lends more credibility. [00:35:06] It's very difficult to do because as a channel, we don't make enough money to do that a hundred percent. But where I can, I will, buy the product like everybody else and give our review when the. The channels that really inspire me is actually in the copy industry, this guy, James Hoffman, who has a massive following, I think, million subscribers, he'll compare these, thousand dollar espresso machines, but, he has a large enough Patriot. [00:35:30] We can buy them all, review them and then give it away on this Patrion. And that is what I aspire to is to not be supported by the bike industry, by everything, and then give it away on the Patriot.  [00:35:42] Randall: It makes me think of like a a much more organic form of what consumer reports used to do. And that was the go-to trusted source for reviews before, the internet era I admire the hell out of that.  [00:35:54] Russ: Yeah. And it's a long road. When I started taking the YouTube channels. Seriously, I did the maths, as okay. There's a handful of bike brands would probably potentially be interested in and supporting our content. Truthfully, they're going to give that money to the Rabis or bike packing.com first. In my head, I was like, how can we turn this weakness into a strength? [00:36:12] So I really leaned into it. I was like, okay, fine. We'll just take no money from the bike industry and really rely on the Patrion supporters and the sticker sales. It's a longer road because you don't get those big influxes of cash or a right upfront, but, we can slowly grow the supporter base. [00:36:29] I can't grow more brands that would be willing to support this. I can hopefully, keep making more content to attract more viewers to support this. So that's the tactic we've chosen.  [00:36:38] Randall: And by the way, the route of this was recently acquired by the pros closet. They do great content. And we've certainly benefited from their kindness and taking our press releases and publishing and so on. That it is hard. What you're doing is hard. Yeah. And with Craig, right? We have a quick set of buy me a coffee and, that brings in a few hundred dollars a month. [00:36:57] This is not a money maker. All that money goes to Craig by the way, and just, offsets basic costs associated with not just the software and so on, but you have to think about the amount of time that goes into scheduling and doing the interviews and then the post-production work and promotion and social media and all this other stuff. [00:37:16] And there is a degree to which the current web 2.0 paradigm makes it harder than necessary, given the level of our technology, to support the content you want to see in the world. And one of the things that I'm seeing emergency is very hopeful is the advent of micropayments and things like this. [00:37:34] And so hopefully those are things that we are looking to adopt in the next, even six months to a year that hopefully will unlock more opportunities for people to support the content they want to see in the world in a way that is aligned with what they have, you don't have to sign up for five bucks a month. [00:37:51] You don't have to pay a membership fee. It's everything here is for free. If you value it, contribute to it. And here's some really easy ways to do so that don't have some, company taking 10% or 50 plus percent in the case of YouTube. [00:38:03] Russ: Yeah, that was definitely an aha moment where you know, shifting the focus from being a hundred percent viewer supported, as opposed to chasing that traditional model of getting advertising from a bike brand or being a sponsored athlete or something It's hard, but I think it's worthwhile and it's ultimately proving the most sustainable.  [00:38:24] Randall: Yeah. Part of my motivation here was " this is one way that I can support the content that I want to see in the world". So to the extent that we can collaborate to support what you do please let us know.  [00:38:33] So we've been chatting for about 40, 45 minutes here. Anything else that you think it would be fun to, to jump into before we open it up to questions from people who are listening in, on the live stream?  [00:38:45] Russ: I think we hit the big ones that the huge untapped well of the non-competitive cycling market. [00:38:52] We have I have an alternate channel called the old cycling with where it's a goofy video live stream with a bunch of other bikey tube creators. And I saw recently that, ultra romance adopted cycling for his Northeast. Events. So now it's a thing. [00:39:06] All cycling. There you go.  [00:39:08] Randall: I haven't seen this. Please send me a representative link to a video  [00:39:12] Russ: he just wanted to hear for bikey trooper. Just complain about being a bike. Easy, [00:39:16] Randall: very inside baseball.  [00:39:17] Russ: Yeah. Yeah. I think that's it. We can open it up to a live stream questions if you want. Yeah, let's do it. Okay. So if you guys are in the live stream still, there's 111 of you. I'm breaking the fourth wall. Is it the fourth wall or the third wall? Of the walls of the podcast. [00:39:35] If you have questions for either immediate or Randall  [00:39:38] Randall: back in your own ideas and perspective on how we can do  [00:39:43] Russ: yeah. So putting on your your bike industry hat, what do you think most brands think of YouTube? Do they think it's like a, it's not as serious as like pink bike or whatever, or it could, I feel like as a creator, like most brands are still like, huh? What's YouTube.  [00:39:59] Randall: I have no idea. We take a very different approach. So I don't know how it was viewed. I do know, some of the things I see from big brands, it tends to be your classic promotional video, or here's some athlete we paid some money and sent a camera crew out and did some adventure thing that you can then live vicariously through or whatever. [00:40:17] Russ: Can I make a confession that I'm totally bored of that style?  [00:40:19] Randall: I suspect that you are not alone at all.  [00:40:23] Russ: It reminds me of around 2012 when people were making artisinal everything and they had all these artisanal brand videos and it just jumped the shark. [00:40:30] And I feel the adventure bike video genres is getting to that point.  [00:40:35] Randall: I'll say that early on in thesis, there was definitely a pressure to engage in that. And, it never felt authentic. It never felt quite right. At some point I was like, you know what, screw this. [00:40:45] We don't need to do this. We have an existing base of writers. If we just take care of them, they'll tell their friends. And if we just do good in the world and show up at credible and helpful and make content that is a valuable to people and help people to get their needs met,,, this is where the ridership and so on comes in, then will be taken care of as well. [00:41:05] That's been our approach.  [00:41:07] Russ: Yeah. I've hit that point to where initially my goal was to grow the channel as big as possible, but after a certain point, it's, if I could, if I can serve the people that are raised, subscribe better. Yeah. That's actually all the viewers we would ever need. [00:41:23] If all 125,000 joined Patrion, it would be amazing. Like you said, focusing on the audience that you do have giving them the content or products that they want and making them happy rather than some elusive unattainable goal of. Number down the line. It  [00:41:39] Randall: depends on what your goals are. Like, if your goals are to go big and get rich and whatever, then do some big crowdfunding pump and dump, whatever scheme, collect a bunch of money and then bail or whatever. But if your goal is to do good in the world, then it requires a slower, more intentional approach. And maybe it doesn't become as monetized, but ultimately the psychic income is worth a lot more.  [00:42:01] Russ: Yeah. I saw an interesting study that came out about YouTube creators and the largest niche of creators where they're actually doing this full time is in the education space. So educating about the topic. [00:42:16] And that makes sense, right? Because people go to YouTube to learn things, to discover new things. And, I think to last as a creator, you really do have to have a service mindset. What is that people want to know about what problem can I solve? There's very few creators that can just do their weird shit and be successful. [00:42:34] The PD PI's of the world, being solely personality based and not serving some kind of educational.  [00:42:41] Randall: And I don't end the the attention seeking drive that often drives some of that content. I'm okay to have a smaller community of people that are more ethos aligned. [00:42:52] Yeah. Let's dive into some of the comments that we're seeing in here. Cause there's a bunch of good ones.  [00:42:56] Russ: Anything jumping off, jumping out to you.  [00:42:58] Randall: So I'm just taking it from the top. T Shen, oh, this is very kind. The ridership is a great example of what online community can be helpful, focused friendlies, zero snark, unless you guys edited out, we don't edit it out. [00:43:09] I've, there've been two instances where I have moderated and it's always been starting a dialogue with the person and about Hey, this comes off in this way. And what do you think about taking it down and so on? And those people have gone on to be really great contributors to the community. [00:43:24] The type of people that it attracts have those values. So thank you for being a part of it.  [00:43:29] Russ: Yeah. Our discord is similar. I think I've only in the history of discord had to ban two people and they were actively, it was clear that they were not going to contribute in a positive way, but for the most part everyone's and treats everyone pretty well. [00:43:48] Randall: Here's another one. I love the path, less pedaled approach, such a breath of fresh air in the midst of all the leg shave and GNC cycling performance, weight weenies. [00:43:56] Russ: Yes. Yeah.  [00:43:59] Randall: I used to be one of those people be kind we're just dealing with our insecurity.  [00:44:03] Russ: Yeah. I've been noodling through a video and I think the title is going to be something like why fast as a matter, or why fast as ever rated. Because this is my take on that. I'll give you guys a sneak peek on the video is typically let's say we take the status quo lens of a bike. [00:44:18] It's always going to be viewed through a racing perspective, right? So that attributes of a bike that are going to be praised or lightweight aerodynamics. Chris shifting, but that assumes if you're racing. And I'd say that's the wrong perspective instead of asking, what's the fastest we should be asking "what's the most efficient for the task". So if you've got, a mom with two kids, is an arrow, lightweight bike, and to be the most efficient for tasks, know it, that's going to be a cargo bike, or if you have a racer and you give them a cargo bike is the most efficient for the task. No, but, stepping back and asking, okay, what is the task that we're talking about? [00:44:53] There's one lens to view bicycling. And not the only lens  [00:44:58] Randall: I tend to distill things down to first principles in the sense of what is the deeper goal? Is it to be fast or is it to be able to keep up with the people you want to ride with? Or is it like some, need to be recognized as fast, some need for esteem or whatever, in which case there are other ways to get that met and, a bicycle is a vehicle. [00:45:18] So it's ultimately, I think about the experience, right? And it really focusing on the experience, which means, a bike that can do a lot of things. And it's very versatile, like that holds up and doesn't hold you back. And things of this sort  [00:45:31] Russ: yeah, question. Herbalists how big is a European part of the PLP community? Looking at her analytics and where we ship product. It's a big, the big part. We ship a lot of stickers to UK stem caps and stuff to Germany Finland although that part of Europe like Australia and New Zealand was a big purchaser of stickers until recently because a us postal service. [00:45:57] Delivering there. And to, for us to send something to New Zealand or Australia has to go by ups and it's 30 bucks, regardless if it's a stem cap or a sticker. Cause that really sucked. How about on the ridership? Do you guys have a big European contingent?  [00:46:11] Randall: Predominantly north America. I haven't looked at the metrics on that, to be honest, I have been followed that super closely, but we do have a few people interspersed around the world and even a few who've taken it upon themselves to try to. Local riders so that they can have a critical mass in their area, but definitely early days. [00:46:29] And definitely quite us focused with some, density in the bay area. The front range I've been focusing on new England for obvious reasons of late and things like this. So yeah.  [00:46:40] Russ: Yeah. And they other discord, someone shared with me a story that they were originally from New York, moved to Berlin and was able to find someone else on the discord in Berlin. [00:46:50] And now they're, they become fast.  [00:46:51] Randall: Oh, that's great. Isn't that the dream isn't it, the dream oh, you're traveling, just sign up for that channel. Make some friends go have an experience. I have an idea that talking to our technology partner on about like a friend BNB where you'd be able to earn a stay credit. [00:47:07] That is a token where you know, Hey, I'm going to be in Montana. And you'd be able to like publish, I have a room available and then I would apply and you'd be able to accept or deny. And if you accept, I have a one deficit and you have a one credit, and then I can share my space to somebody who's coming into town and have that really facilitate community. [00:47:26] Obviously this is maybe more of a post COVID idea. But it does speak to the possibilities once you have a certain critical mass. So that's a really great anecdote that you got there.  [00:47:37] Russ: Yeah. I've been thinking about looking at the, what rock, the RCC, the Rapha cycling club offers and trying to see if what we could do virtually to our membership, adopt some of those things. [00:47:51] I don't know what all the offer, because I'm not part of any of them, but I've been looking at other membership models in the cycling space and okay. If you stripped away all the competitiveness, where could we plug in?  [00:48:02] Randall: Let's have a let's continue the conversation offline. Cause I think there's a very rich thread there. And in fact, I know that there are some people in the ridership also who work in the space, it might have something to contribute. I see a comment from Richard shomer Dean. There's a duplicating question I pose in the ridership, but what thoughts do you have on organizing group rides with respect to liability and lawsuits? [00:48:23] Russ: I'll let you take that one first.  [00:48:25] Randall: So yeah, we live in a litigious culture and it is very expensive to defend oneself but very cheap to Sue and it's an unfortunate paradigm. You definitely want to, Be mindful of who you have joining is a big thing in the values there. Waivers can be really helpful. [00:48:43] Again, I've mentioned some advising that I'm doing for a technology partner, looking at how to have a digital platform where you would have say an idea. And on this identity, you could have everything from, an attestation that you're vaccinated to, a waiver that you signed to attend a particular event, and then having the events coordination, whether it be, Hey Russ, let's meet up for a group ride all the way to a 2000 person, gravel events being able to be coordinated on the same platform with the waivers and payments and everything else handled in one place. [00:49:20] Right now a lot of bad is disjointed or really expensive in the same way that say, Patriot on takes, takes a substantial cut or YouTube takes us substantial cut. It's definitely a concern and the deeper your pockets, the bigger the concern it is, or the deeper your pockets are perceived to be the bigger of a problem it is. [00:49:38] There are solutions. And it takes a critical mass of people in the types of communities where those are being incubated in order for these to come to fruition.  [00:49:46] Russ: Yeah. Yeah. That's definitely a sticky topic. Lauren, I have toyed around with the idea of having either an event, an overnight event at the base camp and looping gravel rides or something or this winter meeting up with folks and doing rides to our favorite places. [00:50:03] Definitely the potential litigious nature has turned us off as well as the cupboards. So we're still navigating those waters.  [00:50:10] Randall: You mentioned that you're going to be in Soquel coming down. So Craig Dalton, founder of the gravel ride podcast also spends a good amount of time. [00:50:18] And so Cal, maybe we could make something happen at some point. I don't know if there's demand out there, let us know. And we'll coordinate.  [00:50:26] Russ: Yeah. Yeah. Right now we're trying to figure it out all, it's going to be a big content trip basically as well as vacation. [00:50:33] So definitely looking for opportunities to, to make some interesting videos.  [00:50:37] Randall: I don't know if you're familiar with the gravel stone. Yeah. So Dave malware it's San Diego, it's a great group of people. I've been down there and done a group rides with a hundred plus people, which is pretty astonishing and become a good friend over the years. [00:50:54] Another one of these people who, he doesn't make money off of it. He's spending money on it, but it's, he just values community values, the the connection and the creative outlet that the space provides.  [00:51:05] Russ: Yeah. Let's see. There's still 115 of you sticking round, which is pretty awesome for a Monday. [00:51:13] You didn't think we'd get this many people did,  [00:51:15] Randall: And I'm recognizing, we have quite a few people from the ridership. And I just posted that several hours ago.  [00:51:20] Russ: Yeah, I find that, promoting a live stream ahead of time, doesn't make too much of a difference unless it's in a super well-known personality. [00:51:30] Otherwise like people are going to be on the live stream when it's convenient. So I tend not to sweat The live stream promotion too much. YouTube does help out in that, a few minute intervals before it lets all the subscribers know that it's going to happen. So that's best thing it could do. [00:51:46] Randall: So Rick urban has thrown in a bunch of comical questions, including Russ. Why do you hate beer and Randall? Have you ever successfully gripped a leg off? [00:51:56] Russ: So I do hate beer. I just like whiskey more. It's like beer concentrates and less puffy. Like when I drink beer now I just get bloated feeling. So I'd rather have whiskey. I'll let you take the ripple. I GFE question.  [00:52:11] Randall: I don't like beer either. No.  [00:52:14] Russ: So it's almost like a sacrilege in the bike industry. [00:52:17] Randall: Oh yeah. Alcohol generally. Isn't my chemical. I'll have a glass of wine here and there. And I have not actually ripped legs off. They figure of speech. I should be more careful with my vocabulary. But what else do we have here? I'd Krispy says I'd like to see a PLP and gravel ride podcast, bike packing, or bike fishing adventure video. [00:52:37] Let's do it. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. I'll come eat someplace warm.  [00:52:43] Yeah. If you come to the west coast or the Rocky mountain west, we can coordinate yeah, definitely looking forward to more outside videos. This winter has been such a hard year. So Jen Harrington ass do you know percentage of women on the channel? [00:52:58] That's a good question. I can tell a little bit by. Analytics at least on the YouTube channel, it's probably less than 5%. I know it's less than 5%. I think when you have a male presenter on the channel, it's just how things are gonna shake out. [00:53:14] I think our Patrion is it's not parody, but there, there are a lot of women that support on Patrion and very few that participate in on the discord. How about for you guys?  [00:53:25] Russ: I don't know about the pod. Craig manages all the analytics there. But the ridership, if I had to guess, it's probably on the order of maybe 10% or so, which is still quite low. [00:53:34] Maybe for some of the same reasons you said. I've actually had some conversations, including with Monica Garrison over at black girls do bike. I don't know if you've seen the work that she's done, but really just bringing people together, creating events and contents that make cycling more accessible to a community that, you just don't see very well-represented and, it begs the question why and one of the things that I've been quite curious about is, w what is what role can I play in making cycling more accessible? [00:54:03] And there are some easy things to do, which is one, engaging, but then too, figuring out what the needs are. At the same time, it is good to see that there are those communities being created that serve people who, maybe don't find things like PLP or the ridership, or maybe aren't quite clear if it's for them or not. [00:54:21] I will say this we want you with us, right? And we want your feedback. We want your ideas. And ultimately my personal goal is for the ridership to become something much bigger, which I don't control. So maybe it has a board it has a decentralized governance structure. [00:54:39] So we're looking at DAOs decentralized autonomous organizations built on blockchains and things like that. It's a potential structure going forward to allow people to help decide the direction. And I think that sense of first representation, but then ultimately a sense of ownership in co-creation hopefully will help to merge these communities so that they can join together. [00:55:01] Yeah. Yeah. Do you think reviewing so many bike products, discourages people from riding without specialized, but to some extent yes. In a sense of if I don't have these bags, I can't go by packing. Yeah. I do think that, when people watch reviews I don't intend for people to buy them. [00:55:21] They're just usually things I'm really interested in, but they're, for some people. Feeling of oh, I need that thing or else I can't do this thing. Maybe I should try to communicate better that you should, bike or go bike packing with what you have. And don't worry about. All the small stuff. [00:55:37] Randall: Yeah. People were backpacking before there was bike packing gear, just like people war gravel riding before there were grappled bikes.  [00:55:44] Russ: Yeah. Yeah. I do find there's this one camera YouTube, very watch. And he had this interesting video talking about the dark side of tech YouTube. [00:55:54] And the purpose of the video was he was feeling overwhelmed because he's getting sent to all this stuff. And, he himself is like a mindless by nature, but he has to play with all this stuff and, seemingly promoted and he feels bad when people feel bad that they don't have the same stuff. [00:56:10] And that really resonated with me from the bike perspective, because there's a few things I truly, really and they're fairly attainable. Like I love friction shifting. I love flat pedals, but I do. All the latest gadgets, just because I have a interest in them, but not necessarily because I want people to buy them. [00:56:28] Like I never, I try not to frame my reviews as you must absolutely buy this thing. It's just this way I think about it. It's kinda cool. You might like it. There's very few things where I said, this is. You should buy this. So I was thinking of doing something, a video like that because there's boxes of lots of things which is how overwhelming  [00:56:44] Randall: I often in conversations will tell people, actually, you don't need this. [00:56:48] We offer a carbon rail saddle option. It saves 55 grams for 49 bucks. And unless you have too much money and you're trying to squeeze every gram out. You don't need this. This is not going to affect in any way, your experience. Maybe that, that one's a little bit more obvious, but same applies to a lot of gear, hyper, specialized, non versatile gear that we're told, you have to have in order to engage in this experience. [00:57:11] Russ: Yeah. I've started saying no to lots of things. And there's some things that I just don't review anymore because it's, I don't feel like it can add anything meaningful to the conversation, or I just don't use it. Actually don't like I've said no to so many bike packing bags. It's I don't like, I don't like the little, the poop bag or the sausage roll. [00:57:29] It's just not my style. I'm not going to talk about them anymore. You can buy them if you want, but I wouldn't personally use them. I think there's, they're all about the same. And yeah, so don't more bike packing bags on the channel. I'm not reviewing carbon wheels anymore just because I can't add anything meaningful to it. [00:57:48] I can say that they're light and they feel fast, but I don't have the scientific background to do any testing or something. So unless someone wants a purely anecdotal experiential review, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna review products where I can't add to the knowledge base. [00:58:03] Randall: So you saying I shouldn't send you any new fancy creping wheels.  [00:58:07] Russ: You could, I won't review it [00:58:08] Randall: a man of integrity,  [00:58:10] Russ: But it's there's like I'm not an engineer. I could read the press copy and make it sound convincing, but unless the wheel to shatters as I'm writing there's nothing meaningful I could add to the conversation. [00:58:23] Randall: I actually believe that is generally the case. And wheels are a prime example of a tremendous amount of marketing bullshit. There are differences, there are fundamental differences, but those aren't what's being marketed, like the basics of good wheel design. Maybe I'll do an episode on this at some point, but they are what they are. [00:58:40] Russ: Yeah. Like I I've been given the opportunity to review like, $3,000 wheels, $2,000. It was like, it just can't do it. I'm not gonna, I'm not willing to read your press rel

Fellow thoughtboter Edward Loveall joins Steph to cohost and talk about alternative frontends and his own that he created: scribe.rip: an alternative frontend to Medium, learning about what it's like to be a manager/non-IC, and helps answer a listener question re: how do you think about empathy in your work? This episode is brought to you by ScoutAPM (https://scoutapm.com/bikeshed). Give Scout a try for free today and Scout will donate $5 to the open source project of your choice when you deploy. Empathy Online: Edward Loveall (https://thoughtbot.com/blog/empathy-online) Scribe (https://scribe.rip/) GitHub - mendel5/alternative-front-ends: Overview of alternative open source front-ends for popular internet platforms (e.g. YouTube, Twitter, etc.) (https://github.com/mendel5/alternative-front-ends) Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of The Bike Shed! Transcript: STEPH: Hello and welcome to another episode of The Bike Shed, a weekly podcast from your friends at thoughtbot about developing great software. I'm Steph Viccari. And this week, Chris is taking a quick break. But while he's away, we have a guest on today's show. Today's guest is fellow thoughtboter, and wonderful friend, and British accent enthusiast Edward Loveall. EDWARD: Oh, hello, Steph. It is lovely to meet...No; this is not my real accent. Anyway, hi, friends. [chuckles] STEPH: [laughs] Hello, British Edward. I am so excited to be chatting with you today. Are you going to maintain that accent throughout the whole episode? EDWARD: No. There's no way I could do that. I need a lot more professional actor training to be able to maintain quality of that level, I think. STEPH: That's fair. I won't hold you to that standard. I was reflecting on preparation for this chat. I've been thinking about all the fun that we've had together, the time that we have worked together at thoughtbot, all the remote coffee walks that we have gone on together as we've talked through consulting challenges or coding challenges. And I realized that we have never worked on a project together, which is wild to me. EDWARD: Huh. Yeah, I think you're right. That is wild. Because I've been here three and a half years, and you've been here even longer than me. So in three and a half years of overlap, we've never done that. STEPH: And yet we've still always found ways to hang out. EDWARD: We make it a priority, you know. STEPH: I think we need to...we might have to bribe somebody for us to get on a project together. EDWARD: I'm pretty sure we know the person to bribe. STEPH: We do. EDWARD: We can go talk to our boss and make that happen. One thing we've both done in our career here at thoughtbot, too, is we have gone from individual contributor to being a manager, which is a cool transition. STEPH: That's a really good point. That is fun that we have embarked on that journey together. I was very much encouraged to become a team lead, and that was very helpful. Because I'm the type of person where I'm not sure I would have put myself up for that role. I'm very thankful that others encouraged me to do so because I really love it. There are certainly challenges with being a team lead. But overall, I have very much enjoyed the role. Just to provide some context for being a team lead a thoughtbot, because I feel like those management roles tend to differ from company to company as to the level of responsibilities that you have. So for us in particular, it's really focused on leading a team of developers, usually two to three developers, and conducting regular one-on-ones to ensure that they are fulfilled and are successful in their projects and their growth at thoughtbot. And then helping them become senior developers if they're not already and essentially coaching them through difficult development and consulting scenarios. EDWARD: Yeah, there is still an expectation that you are an individual contributor in some form on client projects. It is not just a management position. STEPH: Yeah, that's a good point. For me, that context switching is often what makes it challenging but yet also helps me still feel that I can coach somebody and that I can have one-on-ones because I am still in the trenches. I'm still contributing to client projects. And so, it really helps me still stay in touch with the work that's being done and the struggles that people will face. Let me say again I am positive I wouldn't have pursued this path if I lost my IC status. I really like that part of the role. That's really a split. How about you? EDWARD: Yeah, and I still do. We've been experimenting. So thoughtbot generally does four days a week on many projects. So we do four days a week with our client, and then we do one day a week as investment. And team leads, at least on the team that we are on, have been experimenting with just doing three days a week on a client, one day dedicated towards team lead, and then one day for investment. I like that split so far. We're still seeing how it goes, still pretty early on in that experiment. But I've enjoyed continuing to be in the trenches, as it were, and working sometimes with the people that report to me so that we can really grow in the same way. There's a lot of context shared there. And that's been really wonderful. STEPH: Yeah, I have some specific questions I'd love to ask you about that shift in schedule. Because in some of our meetings, there has been discussion about that ability to context switch between I'm only billing three days now instead of my typical four. And I now have more time to focus on team lead priorities, but then that also means I lose a day with client work. And so there's that battle going back and forth between focusing on client work and also focusing on team lead work. So I'm going to leave that as just a teaser because I want to come back to that. But I'd really love to circle back to earlier in the year when you were thinking about becoming a team lead and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you were pretty hesitant about it. And you were still deciding if it was something you wanted to do. Do you recall what helped you make up your mind as to which path you wanted to take and why you chose this one? EDWARD: Yeah, that's a great question. I did also get some encouragement, a pretty light encouragement from a previous co-worker. And that was helpful, but I turned it down initially. Someone asked, "Hey, are you interested in this?" And I said, "Nope, definitely not." And, I don't know, a year-ish later, I then ended up applying. And I think what happened in the intervening year was that I started to naturally do some of the work of a team lead primarily, checking in with people and talking with them, pairing with them on things more regularly. So I felt as if I was already doing some of the work, not exactly running a one-on-one, not getting people promoted necessarily. But I cared about the people I was working with and wanted to see them grow and be happy and thrive. That realization helped me think, oh yeah, I'm just kind of doing this. And I should maybe apply for this role. STEPH: Wow, that resonates so much. I've heard that from other folks, too, as they have progressed into team lead or other management roles is it was often they already felt like they had started doing some of the work, or there was some natural inclination to start taking over those activities. And so then it felt right to then actually acquire that title and take on those responsibilities officially. Well, how's it been going? You had almost a year now. So you had some of those hesitations at the beginning. How's it been? What do you think of being a team lead? EDWARD: Yeah, I'm really enjoying it. It is a challenge like you said. But that's every job, right? Every job should be a bit of a stretch. So I did come into it with some natural inclinations of wanting to talk to people and check in with them. But there are all these other pieces that I wasn't good at. One thing that has been really challenging is instead of completing things myself, being that individual contributor, is trying to coach and sponsor people to do something that I would do. And I think the hardest part about that is they may not be as far along in their career as you are. And so it is hard to watch someone struggle in the way that you used to struggle without saying, "Oh, here, let me just do that for you.” And I think what I started to realize is that the efforts that I'm putting in I can really be a force multiplier and end up effecting more change than what I could do by myself. Like, if you think about it, I have four reports right now, and they're all really smart and talented people. But let's just say they were half as good as I was. That is definitely not true but just go with the numbers here for a second. If I could teach them to do what I do, even if they were half as fast as me, because there are four of them, they can get two times the work done. The math adds up in a way where if I can unblock those people, help them just get to the next one little step, do whatever it is that they need, they're going to do way more than I could by myself. And really wrapping your head around that and the advantages there is so hard but so rewarding once you figure it out and get it going. STEPH: Do you feel like anybody told you that up front going into taking on some more management responsibilities? Or is that something you learned as you went? EDWARD: I definitely learned that as I went. I got some great advice from Josh Clayton, who we work with, and he's been a manager for a long time. And that's a lot of how he thinks about it. And he encouraged me to do things like pairing with everybody on the team or running little workshops to teach, to fill in knowledge gaps for people asking questions, instead of giving answers, to help them find their own answer. And that's all been really, really helpful. STEPH: Yeah, that's one of the things that I have valued very much about our culture. I've seen some other companies struggle with is that when someone does get elevated into a management role that they still need support. They still need to be coached. And they also need room to make mistakes and grow. And at thoughtbot, I feel that we have been very supported and where there's someone that I can still get mentoring and coaching from. And I can learn to be a manager on the job versus I'm not just put in a position where I'm going to fail or just put there without the expectation that I still need to grow as a manager and as a person as well. So that has helped me out tremendously as well. You highlighted the idea of pairing more with others and then asking more questions around providing answers. And as you're learning those skills or as you've acquired those skills for being a team lead at thoughtbot, have you found those skills also transition well to client work? EDWARD: Yeah, they do. There's a lot of overlap, especially around gaining trust with somebody. I'm gaining trust in one-on-ones, but I'm also gaining trust with my client or helping my client understand something. This gets a little more into the client-side of it. But a lot of times in client work, I'm looking to bridge a gap. I understand something because of my consulting experience, and they want my knowledge and consulting experience. But it's hard to just go in and say, "Do X or do Y." And in the same way, with somebody who's reporting to me or who we're having a one-on-one, it's not usually very helpful to just say, "Do this, do that." You want to help them understand the why and bridge that knowledge gap to get to where you want them to be and where you think they should be. Those really do go hand in hand, and I have used a lot of the same skills. Giving feedback also has been a huge thing to share. It's really, really hard to give critical feedback to somebody. It's very easy for them to shut down and not take the feedback, which is the opposite of what you're trying to do. And the same can be with clients. Like, they've gotten to where they've gotten to because of whatever they've done in the past, and trying to show them why what some of the things they're doing is maybe not ideal is really tricky without triggering that flight or fight response. So yeah, there are lots and lots of crossover to answer your question. [chuckles] STEPH: I get so excited when clients that have brought on thoughtboters recognize that we are there temporarily, that we bring an outsider perspective. And they will set up essentially reoccurring; maybe it's weekly, maybe it's monthly to say, "Hey, give us feedback. Let us know what are you seeing? What do you think about the team? What do you think about our processes? What would you like to change?" And I don't mean just in a retro setting that you're having with the team, but it may be meeting with leadership of that company to give them that feedback directly. And that's awesome. It's rare because, I mean, that takes confidence on their part to be able to say, "Hey, give us all of your feedback, constructive, positive, whatever it may be." But I feel like they get so much value out of doing that where they really get to leverage the fact that they have brought in these external members. And they get to hear from them as to how things are going and insights that they may be missing or not hearing from their people otherwise. EDWARD: Agreed. STEPH: Circling back to the manager IC path for a moment, I have a question for you because I often find myself asking this question to me or sometimes other people asking this question. But how do I know which path to follow? How should I explore do I want to be a manager? Do I want to continue and invest in my individual contributor skills and really lean into that path? Have you found any resources that have really helped you or ways that you coach others through that scenario? EDWARD: I probably don't have a very interesting answer just because I'm going to mostly repeat what I think I said. But I think it's still so relevant and valid, which is, do you find yourself doing some of the work that a manager does? And it doesn't necessarily have to be the thing that I did, which was reaching out to people and checking up on them and seeing how they're doing. It could be that you really, really like running big team meetings or something like that. You just get a kick out of doing that kind of work. Or maybe you really enjoy working less on yourself and more on the group around you. That could also point to more of a technical leader. It doesn't have to be a person leader. So I think I would look for where you find yourself wanting to effect change and figuring out if that fits into a manager role or not. And I've had people tell me they definitely do not want to be a manager, and they know that for sure and people that are on the fence. And I think that's another useful thing is to ask your manager what they do as the job and see if that's interesting. See if any of those things spark joy for you, as it were. STEPH: I love the approach of just flat out asking your manager or someone that you see where perhaps you would like their role and saying, "Hey, what's your day like? What do you do? And can I be part of more of your day just to see if I would be interested in this type of work? Essentially, can I shadow some of the meetings that you're in?" I really like that idea. And I think in the past, I would have been more hesitant about this approach. And it certainly depends on your company's culture. But there's a part of me that's like, just try it out. Like, if someone is encouraging you to go for a management role or to go for maybe it's a stronger individual contributor role, maybe it's being a principal engineer or something else, but if there's someone that's already there encouraging you or if it's just yourself and you are your own cheerleader, then go for it. Try it out. See if you like it. Take some notes. See if what you thought the job was going to be like actually matches reality. Because then, at the end of the day, you can always decide to change your path. And if you are at a company that supports that type of experimentation, then you can step back to your current role if you decide that you don't like it. Or you might find that there's a really nice mix in there. But I feel like, with time, I'm getting a bit more bold with strategies in terms of just trying things out, even when it comes for technical challenges as well. Like if there's something that you're really nervous about or there's some big technical problem or something that the team is working on, and you're really skittish and nervous about it, just go ahead and say, "I'll do it, or I'd love to work with somebody on it," and then try it out and take some notes, see how it goes. EDWARD: You could be really sneaky too. You can say to a colleague, "Hey. You want to get lunch?" And like you turn that into a secret one-on-one. Or you offer to run the retro board during retro, or you step up for doing a bunch of pull requests that week or something like that. You can try these little test things without even having to let somebody know or committing to anything publicly or even privately. Just really internally to yourself, you can try to take some of those steps. STEPH: I like the sneaky success ladder. People won't talk about that one as much. [laughs] That's how I definitely found out that I didn't want to do sales. There was someone that I was talking to that was interested in working with thoughtbot, and Josh Clayton was very supportive of like, "Do you want to come along and be part of the conversation?" I was like, "Yeah, sure." And so I went along, and it was fun. But I definitely walked away like, yep, I don't want to be part of sales. I really like everything else minus this part. [laughs] EDWARD: Yeah, it's good to know. It's good to know. STEPH: Circling back just a bit to something you said earlier, you had mentioned that as you were becoming a team lead, you realized that helping others be successful at their job was really then what led to you feeling successful as well and that you could be a force multiplier. And you'd mentioned that a lot of that work comes down to bridging knowledge gaps. And I'm really curious because this is something that we're always working on at thoughtbot. We are looking to identify what skills people would really like to learn. How can we help people learn those skills? And I'd love to know more. How do you go about this? How are you helping people bridge those knowledge gaps? EDWARD: Yeah, so that is a doozy of a question. I have a couple of different answers. First is something I talked about before, building trust. And there's a bunch of different ways to do that. And I see trust as the foundation of almost everything in consulting. If you don't have that trust, it's really hard to deliver feedback like we talked about. It's hard to bridge that knowledge gap. Because effectively, nobody knows who you are, and what you're doing, what's going on, why you are coming to talk to them. It's really strange. And we can come back to how to build trust. But once you've built that trust, I approach bridging that knowledge gap in a couple of different ways. One is asking questions instead of giving answers. The goal behind this is I want them to think about their goals. And that will often help lead them to some answer to bridge that gap that we have. I have some idea. They have another idea. If I can ask the right open-ended question, they will walk themselves across and get to where I want. Now, that doesn't always work. Another strategy I've found is outlining a bunch of different possible solutions and their pros and cons. That has done two things. One, it helps them understand where I'm coming from, what my goals are in relation to what they're trying to do. And another one is that actually tends to gain a lot of trust. In the meantime, you're showing your expertise. You're showing that you're really considering all their problems. Because almost every solution has trade-offs, there's very rarely a silver bullet. And so it's really helpful to say, "Well, here's the pros, here's the cons. Here's where I think you should go, but you know your business better than I do. And I've outlined all the things here. So whichever way you want to go forward on this, let's do that. And let me help you get there." Joël and I, a colleague that we both cherish dearly, we did that on a project recently, and it was really, really successful. We put a lot of work in and helped them get to a really difficult architecture decision. And it could have gone one of, I think, four different ways. And we were sort of vying for one. They were vying for another. And we found a couple more in the middle, and I believe we went more towards the middle. And we were both pretty happy with how that turned out. STEPH: I really, really like how that approach gives someone so much autonomy, and they're part of that decision. So you're not just saying, "Hey, you need to do this," and then just following through with it. But instead, it's saying, "I think I've heard everything. I think I understand the different problems that we're facing. Here are my suggestions, but you still have more context. What do you think, or which option would you like to pursue? I really like that option." EDWARD: Yeah, because you're always writing this line as a consultant of like, they did bring you in for your skills and expertise and theory. But you really want to level them up so that they can make the right choices because that ultimately is...like, their success is your success as a consultant. That's the job in a lot of ways. And so yeah, giving them the tools they need to make the right decision is so often the job. And I think that can get lost in the shuffle of, oh no, we have to meet these sprint goals. Or I got to get this ticket done or this bug fixed or something. And stepping back to get them to a better place is another goal that you can get to down the line. It's not to say shipping tickets is bad [laughs] or getting the sprint goals is bad. It's just another facet. Have you had any aha moments in consulting? STEPH: Oh my gosh, I have had so many aha moments. I think most of them, for good or for worse, are here on The Bike Shed, or at least they've been shared here on The Bike Shed. [laughs] EDWARD: Yeah, you should write a book of them all. STEPH: Could we just grab the...I'm lazy. Can we grab the transcripts? We'll just turn that into a book. EDWARD: [laughs] Yeah, just put it all together, call it The Bike Shed Diaries. STEPH: Yeah. Oh, I like it. Okay, all right, that'll be next week's task. We'll publish The Bike Shed Diaries. [laughter] Specifically, in terms of bridging aha moments for helping someone bridge knowledge gaps or even for myself is I will often focus on what skills do you need today to make your job easier? What challenges are you facing? And also, what skills would you like to have six months from now? So that way, you are meeting the needs and the requirements that you really need today to fulfill your job. But then also six months out, we're still looking towards the future. Maybe that's also more job requirements related, or maybe it's just for personal growth, or the areas that you're really excited about. You really want to contribute to an Elixir, open-source project, or something more specific that contributes to your fulfillment. So when it comes to knowledge gaps, those are often the questions that I'm asking are, what do you need this week to make your job easier and to make your life easier? And then where would you like to be in terms of what skills would you like to have six months from now or what concepts? It may even be too lofty to say what skills because that could be huge to say that I want a whole new skill to be able to work in a language. So maybe it's something that's more specific of like, I'd really like to understand forms a bit better six months from now, or I'd really like to feel a little more confident with SQL, or maybe you'd like to take a look at Arel, things like that. And then set those targets and then check in to say, "How's it going? How do you plan to learn these skills? Would you like help learning these skills? What are some resources?" Because I am not always the person that can help someone acquire that knowledge. So in that role, I'm often a facilitator where I will say, "Cool, you want this. You're interested in this particular skill. I don't know that skill. But I do know someone else who's really good at this. So let's get you all connected, and then you can work together on this." EDWARD: And to dovetail a little bit with that manager individual contributor piece we were talking about before, that's another piece we didn't really talk about, which sounds like sponsoring. It's not just you doing the thing for your report or even coaching them necessarily. It's how can I get my report into a situation where they can exercise that skill or connect them with somebody who can help them with that thing? I'm still working on that one, honestly. That's a really, really difficult one. That's not something that comes naturally. STEPH: When you say that's the part that's still challenging for you, is it the connecting of one person to someone else to learn a skill? I'm curious to hear more about which part of that is challenging for you. EDWARD: I think I don't always think of sponsorship as a tool that I can lean on. It just doesn't come to mind as naturally. I think the very natural thing to do is mentor first, which is like, here's what you should do. It's kind of giving somebody a fish. Coaching then is more like teaching them how to fish. And then I don't know if we're going to extend this analogy farther. Sponsoring is like you're going to open up your own fishing teaching school or something. [laughs] And that just doesn't always occur to me. I don't necessarily think like, oh yeah, like my friend over here could totally teach you about this technical skill that you're trying to learn or set you up to speak at a conference or something like that. It's a much different level of being a manager that I'm just not used to yet. I'm getting better at it. But it doesn't come naturally. STEPH: Yeah, that's a very powerful form of managing someone as well because then you are helping that person go beyond their current bubble of who is their manager in their team and then helping them shine in other circles. And that's incredible and also something that I am always working on getting better at. EDWARD: Let's get better at it together. STEPH: We can do it. Also, when you mentioned opening a fishing school, I definitely pictured fish in a school in front of a chalkboard and someone's writing on that board and little fish in their school seats learning. EDWARD: [laughs] A little Finding Nemo action. STEPH: You got it. [laughs] You know your fishing school. You got to learn to stay away from those hooks. Mid-roll Ad And now a quick break to hear from today's sponsor, Scout APM. Scout APM is leading-edge application performance monitoring that's designed to help Rails developers quickly find and fix performance issues without having to deal with the headache or overhead of enterprise platform feature bloat. With a developer-centric UI and tracing logic that ties bottlenecks to source code, you can quickly pinpoint and resolve those performance abnormalities like N+1 queries, slow database queries, memory bloat, and much more. Scout's real-time alerting and weekly digest emails let you rest easy knowing Scout's on watch and resolving performance issues before your customers ever see them. Scout has also launched its new error monitoring feature add-on for Python applications. Now you can connect your error reporting and application monitoring data on one platform. See for yourself why developers call Scout their best friend and try our error monitoring and APM free for 14 days; no credit card needed. And as an added-on bonus for Bike Shed listeners, Scout will donate $5 to the open-source project of your choice when you deploy. Learn more at scoutapm.com/bikeshed. That's scoutapm.com/bikeshed. STEPH: So pivoting just a bit on a slightly more technical note, you've been working on a side project called scribe.rip R-I-P. And I've heard a bit about it, but I would love to hear more. Could you tell me more about that project that you're working on? EDWARD: Yeah, sure. So Scribe is what I would call an alternative frontend. And specifically, it is an alternative frontend for medium.com. The goal of the project is to give people a tool to read the Medium articles, not on medium.com, which might sound like a strange goal. [laughs] I'm happy to go into a little bit of a lie there. But that is the tool. And yeah, the domain is scribe.rip, mostly because that was a cheap domain. [laughs] So I got it and put my project there. STEPH: I like that phrasing that you're using, alternative frontends because I think when you had first mentioned that, when I'd heard that in other conversations, I was like, oh, what is that? And I didn't know what it meant. But now, when you put it into some context, that makes all sense. I am intrigued. Why would someone be interested in using an alternative frontend versus, say like, there's an article on Medium; I'll just read it there. What might inspire me to want to use Scribe instead? EDWARD: Definitely. There's a bunch of different reasons. The alternative frontends cover a pretty broad ground. But I'd say the most common reasons that someone might want to use one are privacy if they're worried about the main service, whatever that might be. Let's say Medium, in this case, is doing something with their user data that they'd rather they not do, potentially a better experience on that service. If you don't like the way Medium's articles look, you might want to see them in a different way. It can also be a way to vote with your actions, saying that this is the kind of web that I want to see if you don't like in general what a platform is doing. And if you think a platform is potentially even harmful, it can be a way to say I don't want to support that platform, but sometimes I find myself needing to interact with it in some way. The alternative frontends can be a tool for that. On the very cynical angle, you can also go to you don't want to see ads. And sometimes, these are ad-supported platforms. Alternative frontends can get rid of those ads. And so that's another way too. I'm conflicted more about that one. We can dive into that. But those are the most common reasons I've seen that people want to use alternative frontends. And to be clear, Scribe is not the only alternative frontend out there. There are frontends for YouTube, for Twitter, for Instagram, for Reddit. There's a huge list of a bunch of them, but those are some popular ones. STEPH: Oh, that's really cool. I've never used any of those before. Will be sure to include some links in the show notes so people can check those out. And you listed some really interesting reasons for why folks might want to use an alternative frontend. I'm curious, to make this possible, though, does it mean that the service that is hosting that content do they have an open API into which then you can pull that content? How is an alternative frontend possible? EDWARD: It is possible through APIs almost always. In some form or another, the APIs aren't necessarily open. One interesting side effect to many of the JavaScript rendered apps is that they often talk to some API in the background. And that can often be used to get the content in a more computer-friendly way. And so, with Medium, in particular, they don't really have an open API. So I ended up trying to figure out their API in the background that they're using to fetch articles and was able to get the content and display it in a different way. STEPH: So everything you're describing sounds really interesting. I feel like I do have to ask the question, is it okay that these alternative frontends are taking content and are essentially rendering content but then not using the original service in which the content was published? How do you feel about that aspect? EDWARD: Yeah, it's a really interesting question. There's a bit of a moral argument here, and I think everybody has to make that call for themselves. I think every platform if it gets large enough, is going to have people that don't want it to exist for some reason. I think, in some ways, providing alternative frontends is a bit of a release valve for that platform. Not to say that the alternative frontend explicitly helps that platform, but I imagine it gives people literally an alternative to then use instead and can make a peaceful, neutral ground in a way. So instead of being forced to use only the official platform, you can now use it at least in a limited fashion outside of that, which may alleviate whatever concerns you have and therefore keep everybody happy. And I think honestly, in the long run and in practice, most platforms will not particularly notice the impact of these alternative frontends. Overall, we're talking very, very small potatoes. YouTube is not going after Invidious, the alternative frontend for YouTube, because it's probably a drop in the bucket. Nitter is not getting cease and desist from Twitter. Instagram is not sending a cease and desist to Bibliogram. These are some of these alternative frontends. And I think that's just because it's okay. They don't mind. It's so small. And it's giving people what they want in a way that is not harmful enough for it to really matter in the long run for them. STEPH: Interesting. Because yeah, as you'd mentioned earlier, I think most people are going to continue to use that main service because that's what they see advertised. And it's more well-known, and it's frankly easier to go to. But then for folks who do want a little bit more control over their experience and they still want to access someone's content. So it is interesting. You still want to ensure that the person who created that content always gets recognition and ownership of the content that they have. And in this case, that very much still applies. If I wrote an article on, say, Medium, but then I'm using Scribe to be able to read that content, it's still known who wrote the article. But this way, you are perhaps opting out of something else that service is doing, maybe if they have some type of tracking or something that you're not comfortable with. But you still want to be able to appreciate that person's content, even though they're perhaps only able to publish on Medium for right now. Or they're still looking for more ways to publish their content for folks who would like alternative ways to consume their information. Yeah, it's an interesting spot. EDWARD: Right. And some ways that I think Scribe can provide a slightly better experience are trying to highlight the author more than the platform. The only time it says Scribe on the website is on the homepage. If you go into an actual article, I don't put branding or anything like that. Because I think I really want people to have their work speak for the author, not for the platform, and that's really important to me personally. And that might not be important to you, and that's okay. Maybe you use scribe because it supports dark mode or something like that, and that's totally fine too. I don't mind at all. There are many aspects on which an alternative frontend can provide for people that the official platform doesn't. In some ways, it's augmenting their features, but in some ways, it's just giving people a bit more choice. And I think that's important. STEPH: I have found since you'd mentioned the side project, that I've started using it more to read content. And I have found it helpful because it really silences all the noise because a lot of services want you to see ads, and they do want you to click on more articles that are related to the thing that you're reading. And so, I do appreciate the simplicity that it brings to the content. So then I can really just focus on that one article that someone has written. Overall, it seems like a really neat project. EDWARD: Yeah, thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it. STEPH: Pivoting just a bit, I would love to go on a slight adventure and answer a listener question with you. What do you think? EDWARD: Yeah, let's do it. STEPH: All right. So this listener question focuses on empathy in your work, and this person writes in, "I'm curious how you all think about and notice empathy from yourselves and others around you. Empathy is so helpful and critical for making and maintaining healthy, productive relationships. I've noticed that the way you frame your client engagements, empathy sounds to be at the heart of them. For myself, I've noticed I'm better at it in certain contexts and certain times and with specific personalities, more so than others. More concretely, how do you stay empathetic with your clients and with cross-functional teams like product or design or even yourself? Can you teach or increase your empathy? And if so, what have you found successful in these situations? So, Edward, this seems really on topic for some of the things that we were discussing earlier. So I'm going to hand it over to you first and get some of your thoughts. EDWARD: This is a really great question. There's a lot to unpack. And one question they asked was, can you teach or increase your empathy, and if so, what have you found successful in what situations? I have found that being vulnerable both publicly and being empathetic publicly is a really useful tool. A lot of teams don't communicate very publicly; it's a lot of stuff in private messages. Being vulnerable publicly in a big team channel can really open the door to letting other people be vulnerable and see what other people are doing, understand what people are feeling. And that's really at the heart of empathy is understanding someone else's point of view. I've also found that starting small, like, just do it with your close co-worker. Maybe try to effect just change with them. And then once you've gotten them on board, broaden it to two other people, and then two more people, and then two more people, because it's really hard to take that leap of faith and be vulnerable by yourself. So I totally get that. And also trying to take this on really early in someone's career or someone's tenure at a job. Offer to help new people to your team. Work with them, so they just start off with a very empathetic experience. And that can grow into a more empathetic team as a whole. Encourage team members to update documentation on their first day because they're learning so much in those first few days. Once they've learned it, the only reason they want to document it is because they have empathy for that next person. And so, just like setting that baseline and that boundary, I think is super helpful. What do you think? STEPH: Yeah, I think those are some great examples. I really love that one way to acquire more empathy is to go on a journey with someone else. So if you have someone new that's joining the team, be their onboarding buddy. Go through that journey with them so you can understand what they're going through, what challenges they are facing. And that will boost the knowledge that you have and will likely also boost then the empathy that you have for people that are new to the team or for future onboarding buddies if you realize that there are some processes that really need to be smoothed out. I also think it's worth highlighting that I don't think empathy is a single skill. I think it's a number of things. It can be the ability to feel someone else's emotions, so you can understand what someone else is feeling at that moment. It could be reasoning about another person's perspective, or it could be just, frankly, wanting to help. So I think there are a number of ways that we can demonstrate empathy to someone else. And it's going to depend on the situation as to which one of those skills is going to be helpful. For how you stay empathetic with clients, that one is a really interesting one just because the way we work with clients; we do get to go on that journey with them. We are with them in making decisions around priority and technical decisions and what pain points they are feeling. So I think going, as you described earlier, going on that journey with someone is what helps us stay empathetic with our clients. And I think that's true for cross-functional teams. So if you are working with someone that's maybe on customer support or on the design team, it could be grabbing lunch with them and saying, "Hey, what's your day like? What challenges are you facing?" Maybe it's your company has rotations where you actually are part of the customer service team for a day. So you get to respond to tickets and have more of an understanding. I'm realizing there's a theme here. I feel like a lot of it comes down to stepping into someone else's shoes and seeing the world from their perspective and not just seeing it but experiencing the world from their perspective. EDWARD: Yeah. And another way to do that...because that can also take a lot of time. It's a hard ask potentially to say, "I'm going to go be a customer service rep for a day," if your job is also, I'm going to be a programmer and ship features or fix bugs. That's hard to do. And I think there are ways to do that, to experience what someone else is experiencing by trying to take on not necessarily the role of the other person but just trying to support the other person in their role. So, for example, we see teams become really siloed where the product is solely responsible for writing tickets, development is solely responsible for understanding what makes the code work or fixing a bug, and design is only responsible for user interactions. I found it really, really helpful to try to approach design and say, "What's the goal here with this user interaction?" I don't know. I'm not a designer. And so, how can I ask them and again bridge my own knowledge gap? Because that can really help you get to that point and help them understand maybe what you're going for and say, "I wasn't going implement it like that because I thought X, Y, and Z." And they go like, "Oh, I see what you're saying." And then now you're making those barriers…or maybe when you're working with products, they're like, "I see what you're trying to do here. But in my experience, I've seen websites like this. How do you feel about that?" And it's not to say that you're just trying to steamroll over them. It's that you're trying to share your experience and get on the same page and trying to get them on your page so that you're all making the decision together, not just handing it back and forth across the wall. STEPH: Yeah, and that was really well said where I think the more that you do collaborate with others and the more that you make decisions with others, the more context you're going to have for why someone else is making a decision, what challenges they're facing. And so again, it comes down to having more information about what that person is going through to then help you be able to be empathetic because I don't think this is a skill you can just turn on. If you don't know anything about somebody, you don't know anything about what they're going through. Being empathetic is going to be incredibly hard. And in this question, they mentioned that they're better at it in some contexts, at certain times with certain personalities. And I think that makes sense because anyone that's more like you, I think you're going to find it easier to be more empathetic. And anyone that has had similar situations, ones that you can relate to, you're going to naturally be more empathetic to. Also, timing is important. Maybe it's the end of the day, and you have already used up your empathy bucket, and you have nothing left to give. And that's just something to be aware of. You may have reached that threshold. And with practice, maybe that bucket will get bigger, and you will have more empathy to give throughout the day. But just be aware when you've also hit that threshold, and maybe you don't have any more to give in that moment. But I do think it's very much a skill that you build with a lot of practice. EDWARD: Yeah, it's absolutely a muscle. You're totally right. You are trying to do it, and the first time you do, it will be very hard. You will be very drained. And you need to recognize that that's okay. You can step away and come back the next day, and it will get a little better. But that's a wonderful point. STEPH: There is a really nice example that you have captured in a thoughtbot blog post that will be sure to link to in the show notes that highlights how difficult it can be to communicate the tone of voice and even how impactful that can be for someone who is reading that message that you have sent, and they don't understand that tone of voice. EDWARD: Yeah, that post was very focused on trying to bring in emotion to a more or less emotionless conversation, which is often text. It's very hard to understand when someone is being sarcastic or angry or bubbly or whatever. Just even silly things like adding emojis can really help in that process of bringing in more emotion and getting that tone across. And I'd say finally to this person who asked the question that the fact that you're thinking about it is already an empathetic thing. Just the fact that you want to get better at this shows that you're already empathetic, and that's really great to hear. STEPH: Yeah, I think that's a really great observation, and I think that's a perfect note for us to end on. So thank you so much to the person that shared this question with us. It is a very interesting question. And I applaud you for being so thoughtful about how to be empathetic with everyone around you. Edward, thank you again for being a guest on the show. For those that are interested in following more of your work or checking out your alternative frontend, where can they find out more about the life of Edward Loveall? EDWARD: You can find the alternative frontend called Scribe; it's scribe.rip. You can find me at edwardloveall.com. And I have links to various social media or email if you want to email me or whatever. And yeah, it's been a pleasure. Thanks for having me, Steph. STEPH: Thanks so much. On that note, shall we wrap up? EDWARD: Let's wrap up. Ta-ta, Stephanie. CHRIS: The show notes for this episode can be found at bikeshed.fm. STEPH: This show is produced and edited by Mandy Moore. CHRIS: If you enjoyed listening, one really easy way to support the show is to leave us a quick rating or even a review in iTunes, as it really helps other folks find the show. STEPH: If you have any feedback for this or any of our other episodes, you can reach us at @_bikeshed or reach me on Twitter @SViccari. CHRIS: And I'm @christoomey STEPH: Or you can reach us at hosts@bikeshed.fm via email. CHRIS: Thanks so much for listening to The Bike Shed, and we'll see you next week. All: Byeeeeeeeeeeee! Announcer: This podcast was brought to you by thoughtbot. thoughtbot is your expert design and development partner. Let's make your product and team a success.