Best Thoughtbot Podcasts (2025)

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Why Screen Time Limits Are Bullshit | Chad Pytel (Dad of 2, thoughtbot) 46:04

Play Pause

16d ago46:04

46:04

Chad Pytel is the founder and CEO of thoughtbot, a product development consultancy, and co-founder of 12 Sided Studios, a gaming and production company. He’s also the longtime host of the Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots podcast, a husband, and the father of two teenagers. In this episode, Chad and I talk about raising kids while runni…

1
This Dad Makes Moms Cry (In a Good Way) | Chet Kittleson (Dad of 3, TinCan) 59:13

1d ago59:13

59:13

In this episode of Startup Dad, Adam Fishman sits down with Chet Kittleson, serial founder and co-founder of Tin Can, an analog phone for kids that helps families stay connected without screens. He’s also a dad of three, building a hardware company from his kitchen table while raising a young family in Seattle. Chet opens up about the inspiration b…

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481: Dev Horror Stories 43:22

2d ago43:22

43:22

Joël and Sally grab a flashlight to share some scary dev stories with each other to celebrate spooky season. Sally tales the tale of the missing production database, Joël flees from some corrupted data, and each recall instances of haunted code and heart stopping moments from projects gone wrong. — Thanks to our sponsors for this episode Judoscale …

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Why No Dad Has It All Figured Out | Colin Anawaty (Dad of 2, Flying A Capital) 59:11

9d ago59:11

59:11

In this episode of Startup Dad, Adam Fishman sits down with Colin Anawaty, technologist and founder of Flying A Capital. He’s also a single dad of two boys, navigating the challenges of fatherhood and entrepreneurship after divorce. Colin opens up about how his kids have become his greatest teachers, why he believes accountability and independence …

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480: The President's Doctor with Jared Turner 33:03

10d ago33:03

33:03

Aji gets their priorities straight as they talks with fellow thoughtboter Jared Turner about his recent article titled The President’s Doctor. Jared breaks down the thought process behind the president’s doctor and the wasted time we accrue when working on a project, where we can minimise pauses and delays in our workflows, and why watching cat vid…

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595: Projects in Progress and Nature’s Ultimate Sacrifice 43:44

16d ago43:44

43:44

Sami, Chad and Will share the projects they’ve been working on at thoughtbot recently and how they adapt to new systems they’re unfamiliar with. Sami shares his recent horror at the animal kingdom and how he might be getting into crypto, Chad reveals how he invests his time into thoughtbot whilst also managing to stay on top trending tech, and the …

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479: Hardly Strictly Remotely In-Person 33:42

16d ago33:42

33:42

Aji and Sally set out to crack the problems surrounding remote working as they share their thoughts on the various aspect of working from home. Together they discuss their time at the recent thoughtbot summit in Amsterdam, how they felt about working in-person again, what they took away from the experience, the best remote solutions they’ve found t…

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Work-Life Balance is a Myth | Jonathan Jamil (Dad of 2, Springboard) 44:44

23d ago44:44

44:44

Jonathan Jamil, founder and CEO of Springboard, shares his story of growing up in a two-bedroom apartment with six family members, building a business powered by stay-at-home moms, and raising two daughters while redefining what success means. In this episode, Jonathan opens up about his entrepreneurial journey, the lessons he has carried from his …

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478: ADHD at work 37:47

25d ago37:47

37:47

Aji and Sally sit down to discuss their struggles with ADHD and the systems they have in place to stay focused at work. They each share the note taking systems and tools they use to navigate a normal working day, how they came to fully understand and manage their ADHD, and Sally reminds us all why it’s very important to use a slash in your Slack re…

1
Raising Twins on Hard Mode | Adam Lieb (Dad of 2, Gamesight) 58:54

30d ago58:54

58:54

In this episode of Startup Dad, I sit down with Adam Lieb, the founder and CEO of Gamesight, a marketing technology company that helps video game studios connect with players and launch their biggest titles. Adam started his first gaming business at just 11 years old and has spent his entire career building in the industry ever since. As a dad of 1…

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594: AI is Draining with Pablo Curell 45:37

28d ago45:37

45:37

Sami assesses the long term viability of AI with Pablo Curell, software developer at Recovr, as they break down the hype and logistics that surround the popular tool. The pair examine why it’s still important you learn to code, what AI’s best use cases are now and what they could be in the future, what a successful AI product actually looks like on…

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477: Change Management 44:25

1M ago44:25

44:25

By thoughtbot

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Why I Tell Colleagues to Have Kids | Rishabh Jain (Dad of 2, Fermàt Commerce) 50:44

1M ago50:44

50:44

In this episode of Startup Dad, Adam Fishman sits down with Rishabh Jain, the CEO of FERMÀT Commerce, a company he launched when his oldest daughter was just a few weeks old. He’s also a husband and father of two kids under the age of four. In this conversation, Rishabh shares why he believes parenthood actually makes entrepreneurship easier, how h…

1
476: Green Flags for Code 36:39

1M ago36:39

36:39

Joël and Sally sit down to discuss their green and red flags when it comes to PR review. Joël breaks down the different ways humans review code vs AI, how they both break down large projects into smaller digestible PRs and clarifying your reasoning for certain decisions, as well as discussing the most common red flags they’ve encountered when looki…

1
You Can't Tell Kids How to Feel | Zach Teutsch (Dad of 2, Values Added Financial) 59:45

1M ago59:45

59:45

Zach Teutsch is the founder of Values Added Financial, and a former leader at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He’s also a husband, father of two, and a master of weaving big-picture life principles into day-to-day parenting. In this episode, Zach and I talk about building independence in kids, creating household shortcuts to reduce decisi…

1
593: Recent Discoveries: From MCP servers to video game heartbreak 42:40

1M ago42:40

42:40

Chad and Sami share some learning moments with one another as they discuss the recent projects they’ve been working on at thoughtbot. The pair question how much time and effort we should be investing into a problem with AI vs the outcome we receive, their work and experimentation with MCP servers, Sami shares his big bid on AI to save some time, wh…

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475: Invisible Mentorship 38:11

2M ago38:11

38:11

Sally and Aji discuss their experiences with invisible mentorship when it comes to code review. Together they question when is the right time to have conversations with your team in a bid to chase improvement, the importance of understanding your co-workers perspectives, as well as the best ways to initiate a mentoring moment. — Check out some of t…

1
Why Standing Up For Your Kids Is Massively Important | Jeremy King (Dad of 2, Ocean Orchestra) 46:54

2M ago46:54

46:54

Jeremy King, co-founder and CEO of Ocean Orchestra and former CEO of Attest, shares his journey as a founder, ocean advocate, and father of two daughters. In this episode, Jeremy opens up about building systems for both his family and his startups, why ocean conservation is personal to him, and how parenting has informed his leadership style. We di…

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592: Utopia or Dystopia: Why the Future of AI and XR Is Still Ours to Shape with Don Shin 45:08

2M ago45:08

45:08

Sami talks with Don Shin, CEO of CrossComm, about which direction humanity is heading as the landscape of AI technology continues to shift and evolve. Together they assess the correlation between language and intelligence, the importance of human connection, as well as the growing responsibility we have in managing AI to prevent a potential dystopi…

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474: Board games and programming 41:08

2M ago41:08

41:08

It’s board game night at the Bike Shed as Joël and Aji crack out the game pieces to assess how their work as programmers influences strategy when playing some of their favourite games. As they make their way round the board they discuss the cycle of setbacks and iteration, finding the optimal solution to a puzzle, as well as the key skills that bes…

Thoughtbot Podcasts

1
The Bike Shed

thoughtbot

1
Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots

thoughtbot

1
Build Phase

thoughtbot

1
Tentative

thoughtbot

1
Startup Dad

Adam Fishman

4
D'Podcast

Digicorp

1
In Action with Wendy

Wendy Closson

1
C-Suite Perspective: Systems & Processes

Chris Gylseth

1
Why Screen Time Limits Are Bullshit | Chad Pytel (Dad of 2, thoughtbot) 46:04

1
This Dad Makes Moms Cry (In a Good Way) | Chet Kittleson (Dad of 3, TinCan) 59:13

1
481: Dev Horror Stories 43:22

1
Why No Dad Has It All Figured Out | Colin Anawaty (Dad of 2, Flying A Capital) 59:11

1
480: The President's Doctor with Jared Turner 33:03

1
595: Projects in Progress and Nature’s Ultimate Sacrifice 43:44

1
479: Hardly Strictly Remotely In-Person 33:42

1
Work-Life Balance is a Myth | Jonathan Jamil (Dad of 2, Springboard) 44:44

1
478: ADHD at work 37:47

1
Raising Twins on Hard Mode | Adam Lieb (Dad of 2, Gamesight) 58:54

1
594: AI is Draining with Pablo Curell 45:37

1
477: Change Management 44:25

1
Why I Tell Colleagues to Have Kids | Rishabh Jain (Dad of 2, Fermàt Commerce) 50:44

1
476: Green Flags for Code 36:39

1
You Can't Tell Kids How to Feel | Zach Teutsch (Dad of 2, Values Added Financial) 59:45

1
593: Recent Discoveries: From MCP servers to video game heartbreak 42:40

1
475: Invisible Mentorship 38:11

1
Why Standing Up For Your Kids Is Massively Important | Jeremy King (Dad of 2, Ocean Orchestra) 46:54

1
592: Utopia or Dystopia: Why the Future of AI and XR Is Still Ours to Shape with Don Shin 45:08

1
474: Board games and programming 41:08