Best Adam Wathan Podcasts (2025)

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153: DHH – Omarchy and Designing Your Own OS on Arch Linux 1:16:25

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7d ago1:16:25

1:16:25

I talk to DHH about Omarchy, the carefully curated distribution of Arch Linux he's been refining for the last few months. We talk about stuff like: How did he discover Arch + Hyprland in the first place? What even is Arch, what even is Hyprland, and how the fuck do you make the mouse show up in Linux? Should you really be afraid of trying to mainta…

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Episode 56 - Aji Slater 58:08

9d ago58:08

58:08

The journey from circus performer to respected software developer isn't a common career path, but Aji Slater navigates it with the same thoughtful precision he applies to code. As a former Ringling Brothers clown who now leads development teams at ThoughtBot, Aji brings a refreshingly unique perspective to technical challenges and community contrib…

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Episode 55 - Joe Masilotti 53:34

22d ago53:34

53:34

When Joe Masilotti scanned a conference badge QR code at RailsConf, he was immediately uncomfortable with how it added someone's phone number directly to his contacts. That friction point sparked the creation of Ruby Friends – an innovative app transforming how developers connect at conferences and meetups. In this illuminating conversation with Dr…

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Episode 54 - Live (at the time) from RailsConf 2025 44:48

1M ago44:48

44:48

The Ruby community's most recognizable podcast voices gather for a heartfelt discussion at the final RailsConf in Philadelphia, sharing wisdom that extends far beyond technical topics into the realm of human connection. From conquering social anxiety at conferences to building meaningful relationships in tech, this panel digs into what makes the Ru…

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Episode 53 - Joel Hawksley 54:19

2M ago54:19

54:19

When does a framework reach maturity? For Joel Hawksley, lead maintainer of GitHub's ViewComponent framework, the answer comes with the upcoming fourth major release – a milestone that marks not just new features, but a transition to long-term support mode. Joel takes us behind the scenes of his seven-year journey at GitHub, where an idea sketched …

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"Justin, I built a SaaS!" 1:30:43

2M ago1:30:43

1:30:43

Harris Kenny was a long-time listener of the podcast, and dreamed about building his own software product. After multiple attempts, over 5 years, he finally did it. How? He shares his experiences transitioning from a corporate job to entrepreneurship. He also discusses the challenges of user engagement, the exploration of various SaaS ideas, and th…

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Episode 52 - Vladimir Dementyev 1:05:55

2M ago1:05:55

1:05:55

What happens when you put Rails in a browser? Vladimir Dementyev (Vova) is pushing WebAssembly to its limits by creating an interactive Rails playground that runs entirely client-side. This groundbreaking project aims to eliminate the frustrating installation barriers that often discourage newcomers from trying Ruby on Rails. "I asked myself the qu…

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Episode 51 - Chris Oliver 1:22:24

3M ago1:22:24

1:22:24

The last RailsConf ever is coming to Philadelphia this summer, and co-chair Chris Oliver joins us to pull back the curtain on what's sure to be a historic gathering for the Rails community. Chris reveals how the programming committee curated an exceptional lineup from hundreds of submissions, balancing nostalgic looks at Rails' 18-year journey with…

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Episode 50 - Adam Fortuna 35:19

3M ago35:19

35:19

Swimming against the current sometimes leads to unexpected treasures. In this fascinating conversation, Adam Fortuna reveals how migrating Hardcover—a social network for readers with 30,000 users—from Next.js back to Ruby on Rails delivered surprising performance improvements and development simplicity. The journey begins with Adam explaining how H…

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Episode 49 - Radan Skoric 34:27

5M ago34:27

34:27

What happens when a seasoned Rails developer with 17 years of experience decides to document their journey learning Hotwire? Radan Skorić joins us to discuss his ebook "Master Hotwire" and the fascinating parallels between writing and coding. Unlike most tutorials that start from ground zero, Radan's approach assumes you already know Rails—because …

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Episode 48 - Adam Wathan 33:03

5M ago33:03

33:03

Join us as we unravel the inspiring journey of Tailwind CSS with its creator, Adam Wathan. From its inception in 2017 as an open-source CSS framework to becoming a major player in web design, Tailwind has recently undergone a significant rebranding with the launch of Tailwind Plus. This episode provides listeners with insights into Adam's strategic…

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Episode 47 - Jason Swett 48:55

6M ago48:55

48:55

Join us for a fascinating episode where we explore the development of SaturnCI—a new and user-friendly Continuous Integration tool that arose from frustrations with existing solutions like CircleCI and GitHub Actions. Our guest, Jason Sweat, shares his passion for creating a platform that not only simplifies the user experience but actively incorpo…

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Episode 46 - David Hill 41:32

6M ago41:32

41:32

David Hill, the innovative mind behind "Ode to RailsConf" and a senior engineer at Simplify, invites us to explore his fascinating journey into the world of podcasting. Inspired by the final announcement of RailsConf, David crafted a platform to celebrate the cherished memories of the event while also providing himself with a bridge to manage socia…

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Episode 45 - Stephen Margheim 39:22

7M ago39:22

39:22

Stephen Margheim, a celebrated figure in the Ruby and Rails community, returns to unravel the fascinating intricacies of his latest project—writing a parser for SQLite's SQL dialect in Ruby. He shares his enlightening journey of translating complex SQL syntax, which at first seemed a simple endeavor but soon unfolded into a realm of deep learning a…

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2024 year in review and plans for 2025 1:28:22

8M ago1:28:22

1:28:22

In this episode, Adam and Ben sit down to reflect on how things went in 2024 in their business and personal lives and talk about their plans for 2025.By Ben Orenstein and Adam Wathan

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Episode 44 - Adam McCrea 35:15

8M ago35:15

35:15

What if you could scale your SaaS platforms effortlessly across diverse hosting services? Join us as we welcome Adam McCrea, the brilliant mind behind JudoScale, who takes us through his fascinating evolution from being a Rails developer to creating a cutting-edge autoscaling solution. Adam opens up about the technical challenges he faced while ada…

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Giuuunta! Motivating yourself when you're not in startup mode 1:11:56

9M ago1:11:56

1:11:56

Bootstrapping a business is like getting a plane to lift off the ground. But what do you do once the plane is in the air? Dave Giunta and Justin Jackson recorded a recent phone call about maintaining motivation after the initial startup phase. How does founder energy shift once you've achieved your early goals? Dave prods Justin to find new sources…

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Episode 43 - Stan Lo 32:17

9M ago32:17

32:17

What drives a seasoned developer from Taiwan to London, and how does one translate a passion for Ruby into groundbreaking projects? Hear from Stan Lo of Shopify's RubyDX team as he shares his captivating journey and his significant impact on the Ruby development landscape. From his essential work on the debug gem and IRB to his current efforts with…

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Episode 42 - Cody Norman 28:21

10M ago28:21

28:21

Cody Norman, an independent Ruby on Rails consultant and creator of SpotSquid, takes us on a fascinating journey through the intersection of technology and tattoo artistry. Discover how Cody transformed a traditionally paper-based industry into a tech-savvy environment, using customer feedback to tackle the unique challenges faced by tattoo artists…

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Episode 41 - John Nunemaker 40:01

11M ago40:01

40:01

Ever wondered why a seasoned entrepreneur would choose acquisition over starting from scratch? Join us as veteran Rubyist John Nunemaker unravels the secrets behind his strategic purchase of Fireside FM. You’ll discover the ins and outs of transitioning ownership and handling infrastructure while gaining insights into why stepping into an existing …

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Catching up 45:11

11M ago45:11

45:11

Adam and Ben are back on the mics after nine months to give an update on their lives. Timestamps (00:00) - Catching up (00:18) - Fitness update (18:13) - House updates (24:53) - Ben update (35:11) - Tailwind Labs update Links Adam on X Ben on XBy Ben Orenstein and Adam Wathan

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Live at Rails World part 3 18:43

11M ago18:43

18:43

Ever been jolted awake at 2:30 AM by a fire alarm while at a tech conference? We have, and it was just one of the unexpected moments that added a unique twist to our RailsWorld experience. Join us as Andy Kroll, Chris Oliver, Alan Reitelhoover, and I recount the highs and lows of the conference, from the festival-like energy to the invaluable hallw…

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Live at Rails World part 2 30:11

11M ago30:11

30:11

Can you feel the festival vibes of Rails World? Brace yourself for an electrifying journey through the upcoming release of Rails 8, where authentication features are creating a buzz like never before. Picture yourself amidst a sea of passionate developers, where hallway interactions often outshine the scheduled talks. We'll also share a heartfelt t…

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Live from Rails World part 1 10:55

11M ago10:55

10:55

What groundbreaking feature has Rails 8 introduced that has Jason Charns grinning from ear to ear? Join us live from Railsworld 2024 in Toronto as we break down DHH's monumental keynote unveiling the built-in authentication feature that’s set to revolutionize Rails development. Jason shares his excitement over the long-awaited feature, drawing hila…

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Episode 40 - Jeremy Smith 39:28

11M ago39:28

39:28

What does it take to build a modern, distraction-free forum platform that fosters deep community engagement? Join us as we welcome back Jeremy Smith, a seasoned Rails developer and consultant, who shares his journey of creating Liminal, an innovative platform inspired by conversations at RailsConf. Jeremy's insights offer a unique look into his wor…

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Episode 39 - Aaron Francis 39:05

1y ago39:05

39:05

Ever wondered how a backend developer can transition into a successful content creator while juggling a bustling family life? Join us as Aaron Francis, a prominent figure in the tech video content space, shares his incredible journey. From his early days working with Laravel to launching a comprehensive SQLite course, Aaron provides invaluable insi…

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Episode 38 - Amir Rajan 48:03

1y ago48:03

48:03

Ready to unlock the secrets of game development using Ruby? Join us as we chat with the ingenious Amir Rajan, the mastermind behind the DragonRuby Game Toolkit. Amir takes us on a captivating journey from his corporate days in app development to becoming a trailblazing indie game developer. You'll be amazed at how Amir leveraged Ruby's expressive p…

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Episode 37 - Kinsey Durham Grace 28:13

1y ago28:13

28:13

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the meticulous planning for RubyConf, where Kinsey Durham Grace reveals exciting new initiatives aimed at making the conference more inclusive and accessible for developers of all skill levels. Learn about the importance of the early Call for Proposals (CFP) and the exciting RubyConf tracks planned for this year. As …

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Episode 36 - Live (at the time) from RailsConf 2024 30:27

1y ago30:27

30:27

In this special crossover episode recorded live from RailsConf 2024 in Detroit, join us for a unique gathering of prominent Ruby podcasters. Drew teams up with Elise from the 'Ruby on Rails' podcast, Jason from 'Code with Jason,' Joël from 'The Bike Shed,' and Julie from 'Ruby for All' The group discusses their experiences at RailsConf, including w…

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Adam Wathan, Creator of Tailwind CSS 1:00:06

1y ago1:00:06

1:00:06

Ben and Adam Wathan cover the development and reimagining of Tailwind CSS, focusing on the release of Tailwind 4.0. They delve into the motivation behind the rewrite, the challenges faced, and the approach to maintaining backward compatibility. The conversation covers topics related to software versioning, open-source maintenance, backward compatib…

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Adam Wathan: how small startups hire employees (Tailwind CSS) 1:34:42

1y ago1:34:42

1:34:42

How do founders of small bootstrapped companies hire new employees? Adam Wathan got over 1600 people who applied for two new roles at Tailwind Labs (a small team of six people). They ended up hiring two people, but neither of them actually applied. This wasn't how Adam expected (or hoped) this process would go. There were lots of surprising takeawa…

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Episode 35 - Josh Wood 39:44

1y ago39:44

39:44

Ever wondered how a Ruby developer transitions into a successful entrepreneur? Join us as Josh Wood, co-founder of HoneyBadger.io, shares his fascinating journey. From creating notable projects like the Heya gem and Exceptional Creatures to spearheading the launch of HoneyBadger Insights, Josh offers an insider's view of the Ruby community and his …

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Matt Swanson, CTO at Arrows 45:25

1+ y ago45:25

45:25

Ben and Matt discuss the role of a product engineer and Matt's journey as a content creator. Matt shares his experience working at a consulting agency and how it shaped his perspective on engineering. They also discuss the benefits of working in-person and the importance of the quality of coworkers. Matt reflects on his motivation for content creat…

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Hiring for tiny teams with Justin Jackson 1:39:02

1+ y ago1:39:02

1:39:02

Adam just wrapped up a big hiring project at Tailwind Labs, adding both a new engineer and a new designer to the team. In this episode he talks through the process with Justin Jackson, founder of Transistor, to compare notes and record what worked, what didn't, and how he will approach hiring in the future after going through this process. Timestam…

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Derrick Reimer, Founder of SavvyCal 45:48

1+ y ago45:48

45:48

In this conversation, Ben and Derrick discuss the challenges of growing a business and the decision to target specific market segments. They explore the trade-offs between serving a broad audience and focusing on a niche market. They also discuss the technical choices and architectural decisions in building a product, with Derrick sharing his posit…

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Thorsten Ball, Software Engineer at Zed 1:12:58

1+ y ago1:12:58

1:12:58

In this episode, Ben chats with Thorsten Ball. This conversation fits neatly into two halves - in the first, Ben and Thorsten go deep on how to differentiate yourself, work in public, and make it easy for people to hire you. In the second part of the conversation, they talk more specifically about Zed, why it matters, and how it’s being built. Link…

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Episode 34 - Ufuk Kayserilioglu 45:59

1+ y ago45:59

45:59

Discover the heartbeat of Ruby with Ufuk Kayserilioglu, the engineering maestro at Shopify, as we unravel the layers of Ruby infrastructure and the bright future of Rails development. Ufuk's insights into the meticulous work of maintaining CRuby reveal the fine art of balancing performance with modernity while also diving into the exciting realms o…

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Ben steps away from Tuple 1:11:22

1+ y ago1:11:22

1:11:22

After almost six years, Ben has stepped away from day-to-day work on Tuple and moved to its board. Friend of the pod Aaron Francis interviews Ben about the whole beautiful, complicated, enriching experience. As a treat, the boys dive into what's next for Aaron as well.By Ben Orenstein and Aaron Francis

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Episode 33 - Stephen Margheim 47:09

1+ y ago47:09

47:09

Embark on a journey through the landscape of SQLite and Ruby on Rails as I chat with the exceptional Stephen Margheim, who enlightens us on the robustness and agility of SQLite for modern web development. Stephen brings to the table his extensive open-source contributions and projects that integrate SQLite with Rails, offering insights into Ruby ge…

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Andreas Kling, Creator of SerenityOS and the Ladybird Browser 1:11:20

1+ y ago1:11:20

1:11:20

Ben interviews Andreas Kling, creator of SerenityOS and the Ladybird browser. They talk about the concept of lifestyle software and how it relates to the development of SerenityOS, Andreas’ vision of creating a Zen garden for developers, and the benefits of using a mono repo and a unified language in the development process. They also touch on the …

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Fable Tales, Staff Engineer at Stripe 1:05:31

1+ y ago1:05:31

1:05:31

In this conversation, Fable and Ben dig deep on building a technical career that balances programming and company leadership. Fable shares their experience working at Stripe and the different roles they have held, including being a technical advisor to the CTO. They also discuss Fable's career move from being a hands-on programmer to role where les…

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Josh Pigford, Creator of Maybe.co 51:49

1+ y ago51:49

51:49

In this episode, Ben interviews Josh Pigford, founder of Maybe.co, about the company’s journey from VC-backed startup -> closed startup -> open source project -> funded open source project. They discuss JavaScript and Rails trade-offs, the challenges of building a personal finance software, and the operational difficulties of building a business ba…

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Is ONCE enough? 1:10:58

1+ y ago1:10:58

1:10:58

A panel discussion on 37signals' first ONCE product, the launch of Campfire ("pay for it once, install it, and run it on your own server"). Ian Landsman, Tyler Tringas, and Justin Jackson share what they expected to happen before the launch, what did happen, and what it means for indie hackers and bootstrappers who want to launch SaaS companies. Is…

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Caleb Porzio, Creator of AlpineJS and Laravel Livewire 1:24:29

1+ y ago1:24:29

1:24:29

In this conversation, Ben interviews Caleb Porzio, the creator of AlpineJS and Laravel Livewire. The discussion ranges from discussions about life in general to specific testing practices and which notebook Caleb uses. Links Tuple.app - The best app for pair programming AlpineJS Laravel Livewire Caleb's VSCode Course Takeaways Apply core truths to …

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Episode 32 - Andy Croll 37:34

1+ y ago37:34

37:34

Imagine stepping into the control room of a major tech conference with us as we chat with Andy Croll, CTO of Coverage Book and freshly minted co-chair of RailsConf. This episode peels back the curtain on the meticulous craft of conference planning – from the adrenaline rush of putting together a tech event to the nitty-gritty of ensuring that every…

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How Ben and David bootstrapped the Acquired podcast 1:07:50

1+ y ago1:07:50

1:07:50

Fast Company called Acquired "the #1 tech podcast sensation." I've been a huge fan of the show for years. So, I was surprised when they contacted me and wanted to switch to Transistor for podcast hosting! Since switching, they've had a breakout year. Their clips started showing up everywhere on my social media feed; they had chart-topping episodes …

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Taylor Otwell, Creator of Laravel 1:04:10

1+ y ago1:04:10

1:04:10

In this conversation, Ben interviews Taylor Otwell, the creator of Laravel. They discuss everything from the age-old argument of tabs vs. spaces to the origins of Laravel and how Taylor has turned it into a thriving, sustainable business. Links: Laravel, the framework Taylor created Tuple, used by the Laravel team to collaborates Takeaways Coding p…