On the Code with Jason podcast I discuss technical topics with interesting people. Guests include people from companies like GitHub, Google and Stripe.
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Jason Swett Podcasts
You Ain't Gonna Need It, the podcast where we look at software practices and tools and ask: "do we need it?"
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In this episode I talk with Matthew Ford about AI-assisted coding at BitZesty. We discuss how AI speeds up development while requiring human oversight, the risks of "vibe coding," why automated testing remains critical, and how AI changes but doesn't replace fundamental software development practices like version control and architecture decisions.…
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273 - Steve Ruiz, Founder of tldraw
1:02:42
1:02:42
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In this episode I talk with Steve Ruiz about creating TLDraw, an open-source canvas SDK. We discuss the intersection of design and engineering, managing complexity through abstractions, state machines, and how multiple rewrites helped him discover the core problems. Steve shares insights on building developer tools and solving difficult UI challeng…
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272 - Anthony Eden, Founder of DNSimple
1:02:36
1:02:36
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1:02:36
In this episode I talk with Anthony Eden about building DNSimple, a DNS provider and domain registrar. We discuss his 25 years in the domain industry, technical challenges, and why specialized niches create natural competitive moats. DNSimple Anthony Eden on LinkedIn [email protected] Nonsense Monthly…
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By Jason Swett
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In this episode, I discuss AI with Daniel Nastase, covering Daniel's journey from building neural networks from scratch to understanding embeddings and vector databases. We explore the limitations of current AI learning models versus explanation-based reasoning, and discuss practical AI applications including agents and voice interfaces for program…
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269 - Cody Norman, Founder of Spot Squid for Tattoo Shops
1:15:13
1:15:13
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In this episode I talk with Cody Norman about his journey from economics to programming, his tattoo shop management software SpotSquid, and lessons from building products for non-technical users. We discuss market challenges, customer development strategies, and Cody's path to conference speaking. CodyNorman.com Spot Squid Nonsense Monthly SaturnCI…
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In this episode I talk with Joel Drapper about open source development, the joy of coding without constraints, AI tools like GitHub Copilot, and our shared discomfort with the phrase "duplication is better than the wrong abstraction." We explore abstraction, technical debt versus "technical poison," and our mutual search for high-quality work envir…
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267 - Upcoming Ruby Events with Jim Remsik, Founder of Flagrant
54:12
54:12
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In this episode I talk with Jim Remzick about how AI has affected the job market, the value of in-person networking, and XO Ruby, Jim's series of regional Ruby conferences happening across the US. XO Ruby Flagrant Nonsense MonthlyBy Jason Swett
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266 - Hotwire Native with Joe Masilotti
1:18:44
1:18:44
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In this episode, I talk with Joe Masilotti about his new book on Hotwire Native, which lets Rails developers build mobile apps using web views with native functionality. We explore the writing process, consulting approaches, client engagement strategies, and how both of us find clients through speaking and writing. Hotwire Native for Rails Develope…
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265 - Software Design with Paul Hammond
1:16:56
1:16:56
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In this episode, I chat with Paul Hammond about effective testing strategies, the joy of working with well-designed TDD systems, and how synchronous collaboration improves code quality. We examine what true agility means and how technical excellence enables fearless releases and sustainable development. Feedback-Driven Development Paul Hammond on L…
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264 - Dan Moore, Principal Product Engineer at FusionAuth
1:09:44
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In this episode I talk with Dan Moore from FusionAuth about authentication solutions, testing strategies, and when to skip tests based on risk and cost factors, then dive into philosophical discussions about experience versus knowledge, objective versus subjective programming practices, and imperative versus declarative coding approaches. FusionAut…
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263 - Gayle Laakmann McDowell, Author of Cracking the Coding Interview
58:46
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58:46
In this episode I talk with Gayle Laakmann McDowell, author of Cracking the Coding Interview. We discuss coding interviews as well as the current state of the job market and economy. Cracking the Coding Interview gayle.com Nonsense MonthlyBy Jason Swett
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262 - Michael Lubas, Founder of Paraxial.io
45:28
45:28
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In this episode I talk with Michael Lubas, founder of Paraxial, a software security product for Ruby on Rails applications. We discuss his background in both development and penetration testing, and his recent creation of GemShop - a deliberately vulnerable Rails 8 e-commerce application designed to teach developers about web security through hands…
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In this episode I talk with Adam McCrea, founder of Judoscale, an autoscaler for Heroku and other platforms. Adam built Judoscale as a side project in 2016 and ran it part-time for five years before going full-time. We discuss developer marketing challenges, the difficulty of measuring marketing attribution, and building sustainable businesses. We …
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261 - Abstraction and Emergence with Jorge Manrubia
1:06:12
1:06:12
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In this episode I discuss abstraction and emergence with Jorge Manrubia from 37signals. We explore how abstractions should hide distracting details while showing essential information, debate whether programming guidelines are subjective or objective, and examine how good explanations distinguish useful abstractions from poor ones. The conversation…
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259 - Chris Chilek and John Cunningham, Founders of LegiPlex
55:12
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In this episode I talk with Chris Chilek and John Cunningham of LegiPlex about their AI-enhanced legislative monitoring platform. We discuss how they identified the market opportunity, the technical challenges of processing government data, and their approach to building beyond simple AI prompts. LegiPlex…
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258 - Errol Schmidt, CEO of reinteractive
1:04:48
1:04:48
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In this episode, I talk with Errol Schmidt from Reinteractive about community involvement and sales strategies. Errol shares how he targets Salesforce by teaching their account executives about Heroku, positioning himself as the go-to expert. We discuss how developers are in sales whether they realize it or not, and the importance of relationship b…
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257 - Colleen Schnettler, Creator of HelloQuery
1:03:01
1:03:01
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In this episode, Colleen Schnettler discusses her startup HelloQuery, which allows non-technical people to query databases using natural language. She explains her marketing approach for growing the business, including her LinkedIn outreach system and focus on finding the right niche in the crowded AI space. Colleen also shares insights about her n…
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256 - Dave Farley, Author of Modern Software Engineering
1:08:49
1:08:49
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In this episode I talk with Dave Farley about how good software engineering prioritizes making code easy to change, since we inevitably need to revise our systems as requirements evolve. Dave also shares stories from building ultra-fast financial trading systems, where his team had to repeatedly rethink their architecture to meet performance demand…
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255 - Ghost Engineers with Yegor Denisov-Blanch and Simon Obstbaum
56:58
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56:58
In this episode I talk with Yegor Denisov-Blanch and Simon Obstbaum about their Stanford research on developer productivity. They share findings about "ghost engineers" (9.5% of developers who do minimal work), discuss challenges in measuring engineering output versus productivity, and explain their data-driven approach to software engineering asse…
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254 - Amanda Perino, Executive Director of The Rails Foundation
1:12:28
1:12:28
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In this episode, Amanda Perino, Executive Director of The Rails Foundation, discusses the foundation's mission to promote Rails through events like Rails World, focusing on finding unique venues that create special conference experiences. She shares insights about venue selection, sponsor negotiations, and the foundation's efforts to showcase Rails…
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253 - Dave Thomas, Author of The Pragmatic Programmer and Sin City Ruby 2025 Keynote Speaker
1:27:12
1:27:12
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In this podcast episode I talk with Dave Thomas, co-author of The Pragmatic Programmer and Sin City Ruby 2025 keynote speaker, who discusses his upcoming book Simplicity and how software development has become unnecessarily complex. Dave and I explore how developers can regain control by questioning established practices, trusting their intuition w…
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252 - What is Good Code? with Jerad Gallinger
1:10:10
1:10:10
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In this episode, I talk with Jared Gallinger about what makes good code. We agree that code must first work correctly, but real quality comes from being understandable and maintainable. We discuss how different code requires different quality standards - throwaway scripts can be messy while core systems need careful design. We explore how UI design…
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251 - Databases at Scale with Prarthana Shiva, Sin City Ruby 2025 Speaker
45:08
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45:08
In this episode of Code with Jason, host Jason Swett interviews Prarthana Shiva, a senior software engineer at NexHealth, who shares how her team is handling massive database scaling challenges. Prarthana explains their PostgreSQL database's growth to 24 terabytes (with projections to triple within a year) and details their innovative solutions inc…
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This podcast episode features a lively conversation between Jason Swett and Nick Schwaderer, covering a range of topics from Thanksgiving traditions to Ruby conferences, personal philosophies, and even the idea of starting a long-format, freeform podcast. They discuss their approaches to cooking turkey, the quirks of different Thanksgiving side dis…
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