Best The New Stack Context Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 248: Escaping the Reactive Trap in Product Teams 13:37

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2h ago13:37

13:37

How can a product manager handle a backlog of unanswered customer support tickets and enhancement requests while transitioning to a more strategic approach? Addressing a backlog of customer requests requires strategic thinking rather than reactive responses. To manage this, categorize requests into buckets, establish communication rhythms for backl…

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940: Picking a Fullstack Stack, Is Next.js Too Complex? Services vs Self-Hosted + More 1:05:45

3d ago1:05:45

1:05:45

In this potluck episode, Wes and Scott answer your questions about modern full-stack stacks, Node.js backend options, managing database indexes, developer burnout, handling toxic bosses, and more! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:36 What’s your go-to Node.js backend in 2025? Polka 06:18 Do you proactively manage database indexes—or fix them o…

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Episode 247: Freeing Teams from Operational Overload with John Cutler 54:41

2h ago54:41

54:41

In this episode, Melissa Perri is joined by John Cutler to explore the often overlooked yet crucial role of product operations in driving organizational success. They dive into the balancing act between having the right people and the right processes, emphasizing how both are essential in managing complexity and fostering innovation. The conversati…

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✈️ WF070 to Utah: SUGAR HOUSE DISTILLERY - America's Scenic Wonderland and the Spirits Inspired By It 36:10

1d ago36:10

36:10

Sugar House Distillery (South Salt Lake, UT) WF0040 After an incredible drive up through one of (if not) the most beautiful states in the country, I made my way to South Salt Lake in Utah for my third stop on this western swing of the Great 48 Tour. My host is James Fowler of Sugar House Distillery. If you thought High West was the only name in Uta…

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EP308: Redefining Customer Experience & Loyalty - Why Ecommerce Brands Need A New Mindset To Win, With Customer First Group Founder Martin Newman 53:27

4d ago53:27

53:27

Podcast summary:It's hard to keep customers happy, and coming back for more. Businesses are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance customer experience and drive growth. In our latest podcast, we delve into a transformative approach with insights from Martin Newman, one of the world’s leading authorities on customer centricity.Martin challeng…

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939: Creator of Vite: Evan You 54:10

2d ago54:10

54:10

Scott and Wes sit down with Evan You, creator of Vue, Vite, and VoidZero, to dig into the future of frontend tooling. From the speed of Rolldown to why he chose Rust, they explore the evolution of developer experience, bundlers, and what’s next for the web. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:31 Who is Evan You? Vue.js. Vite. Void0 01:19 Making …

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Bachelor in Paradise Reunion Reveals! : Ageism, Bullying, & Disrespect | Recap Episode ::} 105 1:06:57

2d ago1:06:57

1:06:57

Dr.s Kay and Ray recap the first hour of The Bachelor in Paradise reunion, sharing their chosen examples of the 6 psychology-related segments regarding, for example, therapy, sociopolitical themes, and producer antics. Prominent themes that arose included ageism, post-show cyberbullying, Jeremy’s accountability ducking, Dale’s pontification, Parisa…

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Episode 246: Rethinking the Role of R&D 7:17

5d ago7:17

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How can a company successfully integrate an R&D department that primarily works with academia within a product management model that emphasizes engineering, design, and business? The discussion emphasizes the role of R&D in product management, questioning its necessity when engineering teams are empowered. R&D can serve as content or market experts…

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938: Hot Takes + Bike Shedding 27:53

7d ago27:53

27:53

Wes and Scott dive into some hot takes and classic debates—tabs vs spaces, camel vs snake case, export styles, barrel files, variable naming, and more. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:26 CSS variables: descriptive vs. semantic 03:38 snake_case vs. camelCase 04:54 Default exports vs. named exports 06:23 Barrel files vs. direct imports 09:15 F…

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Episode 245: Building Product Thinking in Engineering Teams with Matt Watson 37:15

7d ago37:15

37:15

Join Melissa Perri as she sits down with Matt Watson, founder and CEO of Full Scale, to delve into the evolving world of product management and software development. In this insightful conversation, Matt shares his journey from developer to CEO, offering lessons on how to blend engineering expertise with product thinking. Discover how Matt encourag…

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EP307: What Does Good Web Design For Ecommerce Actually Mean? An Objective View On Balancing Brand vs. Commerce 47:11

11d ago47:11

47:11

Summary: Design is critical to ecommerce success. However, design discussions can be fraught with emotion and subjective views. And design execution is influenced by the brand, customer demographic, product range and price point. In this podcast, James Gurd and Paul Rogers delve into the nuances of good ecommerce web design. They explore the subjec…

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✈️ WF069 to New Mexico: AS ABOVE SO BELOW DISTILLERY - An Uncommon Philosophy of Spirit Driven Spirits 34:33

9d ago34:33

34:33

As Above So Below Distillery (Santa Fe, NM) WF0069 Today we're going to visit the beautiful town of Santa Fe and one of the most unique philosophies in terms of making spirits that I've come across. A primary goal for founder and distiller Caley Shoemaker and her spirits, particularly her gin, is to create a "sense of place" that evokes the unique …

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937: Is The Omarchy Hype Real? 48:21

9d ago48:21

48:21

Scott takes Wes on a tour of Omarchy, DHH’s polished Arch + Hyprland Linux setup that promises speed, beauty, and endless keyboard shortcuts. From first impressions to daily workflows, Scott debates whether it’s good enough to pull him out of the Apple ecosystem for good. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:31 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 02:55 …

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Superfandom, Therapist’s Missed Marks, and The Kitchen Sink Approach! | Awards Episode | June-August ::} 104 1:35:29

12d ago1:35:29

1:35:29

Let’s throw back to the throwback, babies! For this episode, Dr.s Kay and Ray returned to our age-old awards episodes, this time for 3 months worth of realiTV! But first, Dr. Kay named the new segment, where Dr.s Kay and Ray each bring in a study of interest or that’s related to reality television: Reality Check! We all get a Reality Check from the…

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Episode 244: Thriving as a Platform Product Manager 9:40

12d ago9:40

9:40

What advice can you give for transitioning from end-user product management to platform product management, particularly regarding daily responsibilities and understanding the new role? The podcast discusses the transition to platform product management, emphasizing the importance of understanding internal users and workflows. It advises product ma…

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EP306: Tech Stacks & Roadmaps - An Ecommerce Leader's Playbook, With University of Law Head of Ecommerce, Edward Scott-Finnigan 53:26

14d ago53:26

53:26

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936: Realtime LED Wall With React + Websockets (I Let Strangers Control It) 47:12

17d ago47:12

47:12

Scott, Wes, and CJ dive into Wes’s Hackweek project: a real-time, web-controlled LED grid. They break down the hardware build, custom 3D-printed diffuser, ESP32 microcontroller, and Cloudflare durable objects powering live pixel art, GitHub activity displays, and interactive web drawings. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:03 Wes’ Hackweek proj…

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Episode 243: Embracing Visual Collaboration in the Age of AI with Elaina O’Mahoney 33:28

14d ago33:28

33:28

In this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast, Melissa Perri sits down with Elaina O'Mahoney, the Chief Product Officer at Mural, to explore the evolving landscape of product operations, the strategic use of AI, and the essential collaboration between product and go-to-market teams. Elaina shares her insights into how organizations can streamline…

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✈️ WF068 to Colorado: BOULDER SPIRITS - A Touch of Scotland with a Bourbon twist in the Rockies 31:55

18d ago31:55

31:55

Boulder Spirits (Vapor Distillery in Boulder CO) WF0068 The state of Colorado has no shortage of amazing distilleries, so I had a tough choice when kicking the "Great 48 Tour" back into gear. One of my favorite visits when I made my way here two years ago was Boulder Spirits. Founder Alastair Brogan walked me all around the place and we have a grea…

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935: CJ Made A Sega Game In 2025 52:29

16d ago52:29

52:29

CJ takes us behind the scenes of Hackweek to share how he built a custom Sega Genesis game from scratch, complete with assembly code, level loading, and retro hardware tricks. From SGDK to parallax faking, this episode is a deep dive into old-school game dev with a modern twist. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:44 Why a Sega game? Sega Genesi…

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Bachelor BANGER! Chad Kultgen from Game of Roses joins us! | Interview Episode ::} 103 1:23:29

16d ago1:23:29

1:23:29

IT'S HERE! The "banger episode" we've been promising... Chad Kultgen--from the incredibly popular Bachelor Nation podcast, "Game of Roses"--joins us for an interview! Topics ranging from the superpowers of Autistic thinking and the state of the Bachelor franchise, to metaphysical realities (or lack thereof) and liberal children's political discussi…

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Episode 242: Why Context Switching Slows You Down 10:13

20d ago10:13

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What advice do you have for a situation where multiple product managers are accessing the same developer team, potentially slowing down delivery? Navigating multiple product managers sharing the same development team can lead to inefficiencies and context switching, which negatively impacts productivity. It's crucial to have dedicated developers fo…

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934: We Built a Real-Time, Local-Data, Competitive Coding Game 37:07

24d ago37:07

37:07

Scott, Wes, and CJ dive into SynHax, Scott’s Hackweek project for code battles. They discuss live coding duels, referee controls, and the surprisingly simple tech stack that delivers instant updates and audience engagement. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:50 Brought to you by Sentry.io 02:30 What is SynHax? This Button Broke Our Brains (CSS …

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Episode 241: Mastering AI Strategy in Enterprise Teams with Maryam Ashoori 37:32

21d ago37:32

37:32

In this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast, Dr. Maryam Ashoori joins Melissa Perri to explore the transformative impact of AI on product management. Maryam shares her insights into how AI is reshaping roles within the industry, particularly the evolving relationship between product managers and engineers. With AI increasingly influencing desig…

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EP305: The Ecommerce Shipping Challenge: Building Resilience Into Your Shipping Strategy, With ShipperHQ COO Quentin Montalto 52:06

25d ago52:06

52:06

Get expert advice on the latest ecommerce shipping trends and how brands need to plan ahead to ensure a consistent quality of customer service. Shipping remains a critical challenge. With fluctuating tariffs, evolving customer expectations, and geopolitical tensions, ecommerce teams face mounting pressure to deliver consistent, high-quality service…

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933: Hackweek Overview - What Is It, What Did We Build 32:05

23d ago32:05

32:05

It’s Hackweek at Syntax! Scott, Wes, and CJ break down what Hackweek is all about - how they picked their projects, what came out of them, and why it’s the best excuse to experiment, build, and have fun before the deep-dive episodes roll in. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:04 What is Hackweek? 01:05 Hackweek projects spark motivation. 04:05 …

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Love Island Reunion: Surprise, Scandal, & Slander | New Segment Alert! | Recap Show ::} 102 2:07:14

23d ago2:07:14

2:07:14

This is the full audio, with a VIDEO EXCERPT found at YouTube: https://youtu.be/7k2stvte3Cs & the FULL VIDEO found at Patreon.com/RealityTest: https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-episode-138054195 -------------------------------------------------------------- Dr.s Kay and Ray are back, babies! Back from August break, they start with a bang as they …

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🎙️ Ep. 125 - THE WHISKEY BIBLE: The Latest Whiskey Boom and History with Author Noah Rothbaum 1:11:31

25d ago1:11:31

1:11:31

As a historical researcher, one of the time periods I seem to have the least knowledge of is the history of this latest whiskey boom. As luck would have it, today I get a chance to dive into that history with someone who lived it. Meet Noah Rothbaum, the author of the upcoming book The Whiskey Bible: The Complete Guide to the World's Greatest Spiri…

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Episode 240: Mastering Product Craft as a New VP 13:43

26d ago13:43

13:43

What advice can a new VP of product, with extensive industry experience but limited product management experience, receive to succeed in their role? Advice for a new VP of product with industry experience but limited product management knowledge includes understanding product management as a craft, learning key concepts and methodologies, and lever…

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EP304: Philip Kingsley’s Digital Journey & The Subscription Strategy Powering Its Ecommerce Growth, With Head of Ecommerce Lauren Duncan 45:18

1M ago45:18

45:18

Philip Kingsley had been on an interesting ecommerce journey, having to rapidly digitise its consultation service following COVID and subsequently making subscriptions the cornerstone of its growth strategy. This episode dives into the brand's journey, led by Lauren Duncan, Head of Ecommerce, who shares insights on how they have transformed their b…

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932: Vibe Coding’s Huge Problem 22:57

28d ago22:57

22:57

Wes and Scott talk about the dangers of vibe coding when it comes to authentication and access control. They share real-world examples of security fails, discuss how to avoid client-side-only checks, and offer practical tips for protecting sensitive user data in your apps. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! We build the world’s most painful CAPTCH…

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Episode 239: Navigating the AI Shift at Stack Overflow with Jody Bailey 38:10

28d ago38:10

38:10

Jody Bailey, the Chief Product and Technology Officer at Stack Overflow, joins Melissa Perri to discuss the integration of AI and product strategy in one of the world’s largest online communities for technologists. Jody shares insights on how Stack Overflow is navigating the rapid technological advancements and adapting to maintain long-term trust …

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✈️ WF067 to North Carolina: Oaklore Distillery and Tasting Room - Embracing a state forgotten by whiskey history 31:42

30d ago31:42

31:42

Oaklore Distillery (Matthews, NC) WF067 Charlotte. Where is that? North Carolina? South Carolina? You'd be surprised at how many people get tripped up by that. Today though, let it be known we're going to explore the whiskeys of Oaklore Distillery in Matthews a town that is definitely North Carolina. Join me as I chat with Tom and Matt, the founder…

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931: Project Init - How to Make Good Choices When Starting a New Coding Project 30:46

1M ago30:46

30:46

Scott and Wes dive into the fundamentals of project initialization and planning, from outlining ideas and choosing the right tools to making smart technology decisions. They also chat about leveraging AI and collaboration to shape better projects before rolling up your sleeves and getting to work. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:12 Brought t…

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Episode 238: Managing Success Beyond the Build 8:51

1M ago8:51

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What product management principles can be applied in an enterprise setting where teams implement a purchased SaaS tool rather than building their own? The podcast discusses the role of product management in organizations that implement purchased software rather than building it. Melissa Perri emphasizes that product managers still need to evaluate …

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EP303: Ecommerce Unplugged - An Ecommerce Consultant's View On Five Key Trends Impacting Ecommerce Businesses Today 50:00

1M ago50:00

50:00

Get ecommerce updates & insights: Join 1,900+ ecommerce professional, subscribe to our newsletter on LinkedIn today: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/inside-commerce-7126171854813188096/ About this podcast: In this episode, James Gurd and Paul Rogers discuss the current state of the ecommerce industry, focusing on key trends including: Strategi…

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930: Text Editor Keybindings, WASM Replacing Docker, LLM apathy and hosting mini apps 55:37

1M ago55:37

55:37

In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about VS Code vs Cursor, navigating promotions and job titles, database fundamentals, avoiding decision paralysis, how AI is shaping frameworks, and more! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 00:56 Brought to you by Sentry.io 06:24 Moving from VS Code to Cursor without losing you…

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Episode 237: Leading Creative Teams with Discipline with Keith Lucas 51:35

1M ago51:35

51:35

Keith Lucas, author and former product leader at Roblox, joins Melissa Perri to discuss his new book "Impact," which focuses on building high-performing, innovative teams. Keith shares insights from his experience leading teams at Roblox and explores how visionary leadership and mission-driven strategies can inspire and align teams for success. The…