Maintainable

Robby speaks with Dr. Felienne Hermans, Author and Associate Professor at Leiden University. They discuss the importance of building mental models, the difference between short-term and working memory, and how to take control of your own onboarding by confirming assumptions and asking effective questions. Dr. Felienne also talks about steps to understand a new-to-you codebase, as well as exercises to improve how you read code.Helpful LinksDr. Felienne's WebsiteDr. Felienne's TwitterThe Programmers Brain[Book Recommendation] What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Haruki MurakamiSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

In this episode of Maintainable, Robby Russell sits down with Bertold Kolics, Software Quality Manager at mabl, to discuss the critical role of automated testing, the challenges of maintaining legacy code, and the art of pruning dead code from your software projects. With a focus on enabling teams and fostering maintainable software, Bertold provides practical insights into how developers and testers can work together to keep codebases lean, healthy, and efficient.Episode Highlights[00:05:32] Automated Testing as Documentation: Bertold emphasizes the importance of automated tests in documenting application behavior, making them a crucial tool in maintaining a clean and well-functioning codebase.[00:12:33] Dead Code and Code Pruning: Explore Bertold's analogy of carrying the extra weight of unused features and dead code, and why it’s essential to prune your software regularly to maintain its health.[00:21:24] Third-Party Dependencies and Risks: Discussion on the risks associated with third-party libraries and

Robby speaks with Kent C. Dodds, software engineer and teacher. They discuss the benefits of duplication, Kent's journey to becoming an educator, and what it's like managing a community of engineers. Kent also talks about flipping the test pyramid upside down and focusing on fewer, longer tests.Helpful LinksKent's PodcastKent's TwitterKent's LinkedInhttps://epicreact.dev/https://testingjavascript.com/https://kentcdodds.comhttps://kentcdodds.com/discordhttps://kentcdodds.com/podcasthttps://epicreact.dev/articleshttps://epicreact.dev/podcast[Blog Post Recommendation] AHA Programming Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Maintainable Nails: Bonus Episode 06Robby speaks with Mark Adams, who is known by his friends and family as, "Mark." On this episode, he shares his lessons from having attended Burning Man several times, taking care of your infant's nails, and bridging the gap when two people move-in together and need to intermix their nail tools.Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Maintainable Nails: Bonus Episode 05Robby speaks with Amy Michelle Sorensen, former NedX speaker and self-described "nails for life" coach. Amy digs into her research findings from a several year study on wine and nails, long-term care, supplements, and navigating remote nail coaching during a global pandemic.Helpful LinksTwitterLinkedInSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Maintainable Nails: Bonus Episode 04Robby speaks with Logan Luke Tyler Tanner, acclaimed motivational life coach, author, and speaker. Logan Luke Tyler shares his rationale for why it's important to focus, first, on clean nails and then to focus on the additional layers, overcoming nail biting,  and the future of keyboards.Helpful LinksBioLinkedInSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Maintainable Nails: Bonus Episode 03Robby speaks with Erica Tafavoti, food blogger, beverage temperature conisseur, and podcast host. Erica shares her perspective on maintenance before sporting, those awkward, tender...moments, mental health during before and during a global pandemic, getting the perfect hand photo, and discuss her new podcast.Helpful LinksBioLinkedInPodcast: Unwell with EricaSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Maintainable Nails: Bonus Episode 02Robby is joined by eccentric billionaire inventor and voice actor Duncan Thorpe, broadcasting from a secret island off the coast of Northern Europe. Together, they take listeners on a deeply unhinged (yet disturbingly logical?) journey into the tyranny of mammalian nail maintenance and the radical future of nail replacement.

Maintainable Nails: Bonus Episode 01Robby speaks with Shannon Jackson about existing in the life you have vs the one you want, long-term maintenance, the benefits of stickers, remote consultations, frito dust, and gutter nails that don't belong to you.Helpful LinksBioLinkedIn[Book Recommendation] Untamed, Glennon DoyleSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

In this episode of Maintainable, Robby is joined by Brian Scanlan, Principal Systems Engineer at Intercom. Brian shares insights into how Intercom has successfully implemented a volunteer-led on-call support system, emphasizing the importance of meaningful alarms and a consistent software environment.Summary of Topics[00:05:32] Introduction to the Guest's Background: Brian Scanlan discusses his role at Intercom and his experience with on-call practices.[00:15:10] Developing a Volunteer-Led On-Call System: Brian explains how Intercom transitioned to a volunteer-led on-call system, ensuring that alarms are meaningful and actionable.[00:20:00] The Role of Consistent Software Architecture: The impact of Intercom’s monolithic Ruby on Rails architecture on simplifying on-call duties.[00:29:46] Managing Technical Debt as Velocity Risks: Brian describes how Intercom manages technical debt through a velocity risk framework.[00:38:45] Improving Deployment Processes: The evolution of Intercom’s deployment processes, red

Robby speaks with Alexandre Omeyer, Co-founder and CEO of Stepsize. They discuss how high-quality software requires team ownership, some traits of well-maintained software, and the different sizes of technical debt. Alexandre also shares advice on how engineers can step up and take action today.Helpful LinksStepsize's WebsiteStepsize on TwitterAlexandre on Twitter[Book Recommendation] Drive, Daniel H. PinkSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Robby speaks with Roopak Venkatakrishnan, Engineering Manager at Bolt. They discuss why it's important to document the weird things and strategies for keeping your system easy to begin developing in. Roopak also talks about why we end up with silos of knowledge and how to alleviate that problem.Helpful LinksRoopak's WebsiteRoopak on TwitterRoopak on LinkedInSwissknife CircleCI orbSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Robby speaks with Benjamin Wood, CEO and Co-Founder of Hint. They discuss the importance of being able to iterate quickly, and the optimal code-to-test ratios. Benjamin also talks about the pros and Cons of using Monkey Patching, as well as suggestions for where to prioritize tests on a legacy Ruby on Rails application.Helpful LinksHint.ioGithub.com/hintmedia/railsdockBenjamin on Twitter[Book Recommendation] The E-Myth Revisited, Michael E. GerberSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Robby speaks with Johanna Rothman, President at Rothman Consulting Group, Inc. They discuss traits of healthy teams, how to respond to colleagues who vent and/or complain to you, and strategies for growing a team. Johanna also talks about the importance of understanding that moving into management is a career change vs a promotion.Helpful LinksJohanna on LinkedInJohanna on TwitterJohanna's Website[Book Recommendation] 7 Rules for Positive, Productive Change, Ester Derby[Book Recommendation] The No Asshole Rule, Robert I. Sutton, PhDSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Robby speaks with Helen Scott, Java Developer Advocate at Jet Brains. They discuss tips on how to measure team satisfaction, what is/isn't technical debt, and the impact of being remote during a pandemic. Helen also talks about her background as a software engineer and being a technical writer.Helpful LinksHelen on LinkedInHelen on TwitterHelen's Website[Book Recommendation] Word Perfect: Curious Coinages and Etymological First Aid For Every Day of the Year, Susie DentSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Robby speaks with Robert Kaufman, Senior Partner at Notch8 and Cofounder of LEARN Academy. They discuss the importance of treating software development as a craft, tips on helping peers troubleshoot via pairing, and how technical debt can be used as an excuse. Robert also talks about keeping a healthy junior to senior ratio (2:1) and how to be a good guest in another team's codebase.Helpful LinksLearn AcademyNotch8 BlogRobert on TwitterRobert on GitHub[Book Recommendation] Brain Rules, John MedinaSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Robby speaks with Heidi Helfand, Director of Product & Technology Excellence at Procore Technologies. They discuss how to reduce fear when making changes, understanding the importance of supporting roles for technical teams, and why we should all keep a living document that lists all of our accomplishments. Heidi also talks about different ways to benchmark a team and how to build alliances.Helpful LinksHeidi's bookHeidi on TwitterHeidi's Website[Book Recommendation] Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Kerry Patterson and Joseph GennySubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Robby speaks with Jutta Eckstein; coach, consultant, trainer, speaker, and author. They discuss the importance of being able to deliver continuously, the difference between technical debt and gold plating, and the challenges of synchronous vs asynchronous communication during a global pandemic. Jutta also talks about why teams need to consider the carbon footprint of their cloud infrastructure and doing what we can to reduce e-waste.Helpful LinksJutta's WebsiteJutta on LinkedInJutta on Twitter[Book Recommendation] Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, Caroline Criado PerezSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Robby speaks with John Cech, Senior Ruby on Rails Engineer at Planet Argon. They discuss examples of technical debt, how John catapulted his professional development via mentoring, and the benefits of having consistent coding conventions as a team. John also talks about how he helped a software project increase test coverage while also reducing the speed to run them.Helpful LinksMore About John[Book Recommendation] 1Q84, Haruki Murakami Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.

Robby speaks with Theresa Neate, Director of Quality Engineering at Slalom Build Australia. She shares an overview of the Quality Engineer role, why quality isn't something you can assure in software, and why we shouldn't hire junior developers and toss them into a testing role.Helpful Links[Book] The DevOps Handbook by Gene Kim, Jez Humble, Patrick Debois, and John Willis[Book] 97 Things Every Cloud Engineer Should Know: Collective Wisdom from the ExpertFollow Theresa on TwitterTheresa's websiteConnect with Theresa on LinkedInTesting and Quality: Correlation does not equal CausationSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord Community Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.