Software How-To
**Tech Done Right**

The Tech Done Right podcast is a show by and for people who care about what they build. We don’t just build software, we build teams, companies, careers, and communities.
Each episode features host Noel Rappin talking to interesting people in the tech community about building something the right way. We’re not just going to give you our thoughts on the topic, but tools, processes, or references that you can use immediately to build better software and communities.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 42: Technical Speaking with Saron Yitbarek Jul 25, 2018

Show notes

Technical Speaking With Saron Yitbarek

TableXI is offering training for developers and product teams! For more info, email workshops@tablexi.com.

Summary

Presenting a technical talk can be an important part of a developer's career.
In this episode, we're talking about how to perform a technical talk with Saron Yitbarek. Saron runs the CodeNewbie Podcast, and others, and organizes and coaches speakers for the Codeland Conference. Saron and I both have some thoughts and opinions about how to deliver a good technical talk. This episode has a lot of tips about how to prepare, what to do at the start of a talk, how to engage the audience, and why emoji are better for slides than videos? We'll give advice on how to give the talk that only you can give and how to get the best performance that you can.

Guest

Saron Yitbarek: Web, Podcaster: CodeNewbie, Base.cs Podcast, Command Line Heroes.

Notes

01:46 - Saron’s Public Speaking Experience Prior to RailsConf 2014

Reading Code Good by Saron Yitbarek

03:02 - The Performance of a Technical Talk

06:50 - Should you memorize or wing your talk?

Deckset

11:58 - Knowing Your Audience

Jen Simmons: It's Never Been A Better Time to Learn Layout CSS

21:20 - Designing Slides

28:17 - Talk Beginnings and Endings

37:11 - Practicing and Delivering Your Talk

40:43 - Moving Physicality and Talking Speed

46:45 - Giving The Talk No One Else Can Give

Related Episodes

Special Guest: Saron Yitbarek.

Episode 41: Apprenticeship with Megan Tiu, Kara Carrell, and Alyssa Ramsey Jul 11, 2018

Show notes

Apprenticeship with Megan Tiu, Kara Carrell, and Alyssa Ramsey

TableXI is offering training for developers and products teams! For more info, email workshops@tablexi.com.

Get your FREE career growth strategy information and techniques!

Summary

What is an apprenticeship program, how is it different from an internship, and how can your company benefit from having one? In this episode, we’re talking about technical apprenticeships with Megan Tiu of Women Who Code. Megan and I have both run apprenticeships at various companies. We’re also joined by Table XI’s current apprentice cohort, Kara Carrell and Alyssa Ramsey.

Guests

Megan Tiu: Engineering Manager with Women Who Code. megantiu.com.
Alyssa Ramsey: Developer Apprentice at TableXI.
Kara Carrell: Developer Apprentice at TableXI.

Notes

02:18 - Apprenticeship: Defined

04:38 - Finding and Hiring People for Apprenticeships

05:21 - Interviewing For Apprenticeships

08:35 - Organizing Apprenticeships

14:13 - Making Use of Unstructured Time and Other Opportunities for Apprentices

17:39 - Career-Growth Support

Apprenticeship Patterns by Dave Hoover and Adewale Oshineye

20:40 - Having a Sponsor and Getting Support

Sticky Note Game

24:20 - Evaluating Apprentices

27:59 - Benefits For Companies That Have Apprenticeship Programs

How to be a Better Junior Developer, by Katherine Wu

Related Episodes

Special Guests: Alyssa Ramsey, Kara Carrell, and Megan Tiu.

Episode 40: Diversity and Inclusion at Small Companies with Meara Charnetzki, Michael Donnelly, and Elena Valentine Jun 20, 2018

Show notes

Diversity and Inclusion at Small Companies with Meara Charnetzki, Michael Donnelly, and Elena Valentine

TableXI is now offering training for developers and products teams! For more info, email workshops@tablexi.com.

Get your FREE career growth strategy information and techniques!

Summary

What can a small company do to improve its diversity and inclusion practices when your company just isn't changing personnel quickly enough to improve via hiring? Here to discuss this are Meara Charnetzki from Table XI, Michael Donnelly from the FWD Collective and Elena Valentine from Skill Scout. We'll all about company values, supporting a wider community, using internal feedback, and what to do to encourage improvement at your company.

Guests

Notes

02:56 - Advice For Small Companies Interested in Being More Diverse

09:08 - Vetting Companies for Diversity & Inclusion Values

13:59 - Having a Healthy Company Feedback System

17:02 - Building Relationships as a Company Leader

20:09 - Diversity and Inclusion Benefits Everyone

23:31 - Encouraging Companies to Start D&I Initiatives as an Employee

30:45 - Company Exit Interviews

32:26 - Salary Transparency

35:51 - Flexible Working Structures

Related Episodes

Special Guests: Elena Valentine, Meara Charnetzki, and Michael Donnelly.

Episode 39: Organizing Technical Conferences Jun 06, 2018

Show notes

Organizing Technical Conferences

TableXI is now offering training for developers and products teams! For more info, go to http://tablexi.com/workshops.

Get your FREE career growth strategy information and techniques!

Summary

I've been attending technical conferences for years, and I've always wondered about the hidden challenges involved in putting a conference together. In this show, four of the best conference organizers I know join me to share their secrets and stories. Marty Haught, organizer of many conferences including RubyConf and RailsConf, Jen Remsik and Jim Remsik, who organize the Madison+ family of conferences, and Leah Silber, who organizes EmberConf and RustConf. Learn about budgets, picking talks, and managing facilities and vendors.

Guests

Marty Haught: President at Haught Codeworks, Director at Ruby Central organizing RailsConf and RubyConf
Jen Remsik: Director of People Operations at Adorable.io, Organizer of Madison Ruby
Jim Remsik: President of Adorable.io, Organizer of Madison Ruby.
Leah Silber: CEO at Tilde Inc.. EmberConf, RustConf, and RailsConf Organizer. Author of Event Driven: How to Run Memorable Tech Conferences.

Notes

03:12 - Getting Things Right and Having Empathy for Attendees

11:16 - Budgetary Aspects

14:53 - Planning Conferences in Other Cities

18:22 - Putting the Program Together and Selection Processes

29:25 - Crafting a Conference Proposal

31:12 - Encouraging and Enabling Attendee Interaction

40:03 - Conference Mentorship

41:26 - Words of Advice

Special Guests: Jen Remsik, Jim Resmsik, Leah Silber, and Marty Haught.

Episode 38: Diverse Agile Teams with Marlena Compton, Betsy Haibel, and Jennifer Tu May 23, 2018

Show notes

Diverse Agile Teams with Marlena Compton, Betsy Haibel, and Jennifer Tu

TableXI is now offering training for developers and products teams! For more info, email workshops@tablexi.com.

Get your FREE career growth strategy information and techniques!

Guests

Marlena Compton: Organizer of PearConf.
Betsy Haibel: CTO at Cohere.
Jennifer Tu: Co-Founder at Cohere.

Summary

How do common Agile practices like pair programming and retrospectives work when you have diverse teams? How can you make sure that underrepresented team members have their voices heard, and how does doing so improve the way that your team delivers software? Besty Haibel, Jennifer Tu, and Marlena Compton discuss ways in which Agile practices can better serve your team in the real world. For more discussion, be sure to check out PearConf.

Notes

02:05 - Pairing and Agile Development on Diverse Teams

Betsy on Twitter

04:31 - Implicit Agreement, Teaching Vs Exploring, and Power Differentials in Pairing

08:52 - Understanding and Improving Team Dynamics: Building a Library of Smells

17:57 - Good Agile Pair Programming Techniques + Retrospective Roles

Running your unconference discussions effectively: AdaCamp session role cards

22:14 - Making People Comfortable When Speaking Up and Making Agile Healthier

Dot-Voting

32:30 - Agile As An Institution

Agile Manifesto

38:34 - Backing Away From The Idea of Perfection

42:42 - PearConf Details

43:55 - Bonus Conversation: The Practices Not Being the Manifesto

The Winter Getaway That Turned The Software World Upside down by Caroline Mimbs Nyce

Related Episodes

Special Guests: Betsy Haibel, Jennifer Tu, and Marlena Compton.

Episode 37: Your First 100 Days Onboarding A New Employee With Shay Howe and John Gore May 09, 2018

Show notes

Your First 100 Days Onboarding A New Employee With Shay Howe and John Gore

TableXI is now offering training for developers and products teams! For more info, email workshops@tablexi.com.

Get your FREE career growth strategy information and techniques!

Guests

John Gore: Founder of CultureScape; Everyone Onboard.
Shay Howe: ActiveCampaign Design Team Leader; Lead Honestly

Summary

Tech Done Right is looking at onboarding from both sides. In this episode we talk with Shay Howe and John Gore about onboarding from the company side. We talk about what a new company can do to set a new employee up to be successful and how best to structure that support. How can you best give feedback? What are common onboarding mistakes?

Notes

02:21 - Integrating a New Employee

04:36 - Balancing Technical and Cultural Needs

11:57 - Company Responsibility for Employee Integration: Feedback and Praise

15:34 - Sharing Expectations

18:15 - Soliciting Feedback and Making Connections

25:44 - Common Mistakes Made When Onboarding

27:24 - When It’s Not a Good Fit / Warning Signs

30:42 - Onboarding for Culture and Diversity

34:19 - Communicating Culture to New Employees

Special Guests: John Gore and Shay Howe.

Episode 36: Your First 100 Days at a New Company with Katie Gore and Elizabeth Trepkowski Hodos May 09, 2018

Show notes

Your First 100 Days At A New Company with Katie Gore and Elizabeth Trepkowski Hodos

TableXI is now offering training for developers and products teams! For more info, email workshops@tablexi.com.

Get your FREE career growth strategy information and techniques!

Guests

Katie Gore: Founder and President of speech IRL.
Elizabeth Trepkowski Hodos: Founder of Elizabeth Hodos: Corporate Improv Training

Summary

Tech Done Right is looking at onboarding from both sides. In this episode we talk with Katie Gore and Elizabeth Trepkowski Hodos about onboarding from the employee side. What can you do as a new employee to navigate the culture and environment of a new workplace? What are useful strategies? And what are some problems to watch out for?

Notes

02:27 - Group Integration: Observe First & Take Your Own Data

08:50 - Picking Up on Shared Context Between Coworkers

11:51 - Themes of Culture and Communication

16:43 - Presenting Yourself in a New Environment

24:11 - Building Credibility

30:49 - Red Flag Situations

Special Guests: Elizabeth Trepkowski Hodos and Katie Gore.

Episode 35: AI and the Future of Design and Development with Zach Pousman Apr 25, 2018

Show notes

AI and the Future of Design and Development with Zach Pousman

TableXI is now offering training for developers and products teams! For more info, email workshops@tablexi.com.

Get your FREE career growth strategy information and techniques!

Rails 5 Test Prescriptions is updated, available, and shipping!

Summary

What does AI mean for the future of design, development? Can I be replaced by an AI algorithm? Today, we talk to Zach Pousman, from the consultancy Helpfully. Zach thinks a lot about artificial intelligence and how it might impact the future of different knowledge work. It's impossible to talk about AI without talking about the ethics of AI projects and how AI might affect the larger society. We'll talk about why AI started with chess and moved to facial recognition, what AI might and might not be able to do in the future, how we might deal with it, and how that will change the way you work.

Guest

Zach Pousman: Principal at Helpfully.

Notes

02:28 - What is AI?

05:18 - AI Potentially Changing the Way Designers and Developers Work

11:40 - Development Biases and Algorithmic Failures

16:12 - Taking Novice Performance to Expert Levels

All Websites Look The Same

18:56 - Susceptible Knowledge Work at Risk Due to AI and Ethics; AI as “Parlor Tricks”

33:06 - AI Vs. Humans and Legislation

43:09 - Human Skills That Aren’t Replaceable (4C’s: Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity)

Special Guest: Zach Pousman.

Episode 34: Programming Languages and Communication With Kerri Miller Apr 11, 2018

Show notes

Programming Languages and Communication With Kerri Miller

TableXI is now offering training for developers and products teams! For more info, email workshops@tablexi.com.

Get your FREE career growth strategy information and techniques!

Rails 5 Test Prescriptions is updated, available, and shipping!

Guest

Kerri Miller: Senior Developer at TravisCI and Ruby Community Member. Co-Organizer of the Open Source and Feelings Conference. Blog.

Summary

Why is Smalltalk the Elizabethan English of programming languages? Why has it been so influential, and how does the programming language you use affect the way you think about programming. On this episode, Kerri Miller and I talk about programming languages and communication, and what we've learned from our most recent programming language adventures.

Notes

01:56 - Introduction

06:18 - SmallTalk is to Ruby as Elizabethan English is to Modern Day

08:11 - SmallTalk’s History

Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age
Squeak
By the way, I did get the Squeak history partially wrong. The original work was done at Apple, and when they went to Disney after that, they downloaded their Apple work as Open Source to continue. (It is possibly named Squeak because they were being wooed by Disney). The technical details are basically right, though.

17:55 - Thinking About Programming and Software Projects in a Flexible Way

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

22:01 - Object-Oriented Programming, Thinking, and Design

The Overton Window

28:37 - Learning New Programming Languages, Concepts, and Techniques

Related Episodes

Special Guest: Kerri Miller.

Episode 33: Back in the Testing Weeds with Sam Phippen and Justin Searls Mar 28, 2018

Show notes

Back in the Testing Weeds with Sam Phippen and Justin Searls

TableXI is now offering training for developers and products teams! For more info, email workshops@tablexi.com.

Get your FREE career growth strategy information and techniques!

Rails 5 Test Prescriptions is updated, available, and shipping!

Guests

Sam Phippen: Tech Lead at DigitalOcean and member of the RSpec Core Team
Justin Searls: Co-founder of Test Double

Summary

I'm back in the testing weeds with Sam Phippen, lead maintainer for RSpec-Rails, and Justin Searls, co-founder of Test Double and author of testdouble.js. We talk about long-running test suites: are they bad, or just misunderstood? Does parallel CI solve all testing speed problems, or just some of them? Then we move to a wider view, what does it mean to test your library as part of a larger ecosystem. And, how can we leverage coverage or CI information to make for more useful testing tools over the lifetime of a project.

Notes

02:32 - Dealing with Longer and Longer Test Suites

High Cost Tests and High Value Tests

09:43 - What causes people to get into this trouble?

On Writing Software Well #5: Testing without test damage or excessive isolation

12:46 - If you had a fast test suite, would you still parallelize it in the CI?

15:12 - What does it mean for your library to still be functional?

dont-break

21:35 - Bugs found via the dont-break style of testing

GRPC

24:06 - Inferring which tests are run from a production code diff

29:31 - Coverage, what's it good for?

RSpec

33:53 - What kind of features would you expect out of a CI-aware testing suite?

Related Episodes

Part I: Episode 004: In The Testing Weeds

Special Guests: Justin Searls and Penelope Phippen.

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Tech Done Right

Technical Speaking With Saron Yitbarek

Summary

Guest

Notes

Related Episodes

Apprenticeship with Megan Tiu, Kara Carrell, and Alyssa Ramsey

Summary

Guests

Notes

Related Episodes

Diversity and Inclusion at Small Companies with Meara Charnetzki, Michael Donnelly, and Elena Valentine

Summary

Guests

Notes

Related Episodes

Organizing Technical Conferences

Summary

Guests

Notes

Diverse Agile Teams with Marlena Compton, Betsy Haibel, and Jennifer Tu

Guests

Summary

Notes

Related Episodes

Your First 100 Days Onboarding A New Employee With Shay Howe and John Gore

Guests

Summary

See Also

Notes

Your First 100 Days At A New Company with Katie Gore and Elizabeth Trepkowski Hodos

Guests

Summary

See Also

Notes

AI and the Future of Design and Development with Zach Pousman

Summary

Guest

Notes

Programming Languages and Communication With Kerri Miller

Guest

Summary

Notes

Related Episodes

Back in the Testing Weeds with Sam Phippen and Justin Searls

Guests

Summary

Notes

Related Episodes

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