Maintainable

In the latest episode of Maintainable, we're joined by Ernesto Tagwerker, Founder and CTO of OmbuLabs. This isn't just another podcast episode; it's a deep dive into the world of technical debt and Ruby on Rails.Ernesto starts by demystifying technical debt – it's more than just a buzzword; it's a real challenge that can turn your project into a Tar Pit. And, believe it or not, there are actual tools to measure this. We explore these tools and how they can help identify technical debt and communicate the progress of tackling it.Then, we get into the juicy part: Ruby on Rails upgrades. Ernesto shares the strategies his team at OmbuLabs uses to help clients with these upgrades. And I, Robby, chime in with how we handle similar challenges at Planet Argon. It's like getting insights from two different angles on the same tricky problem!We also touch on recruiting consultant-minded developers, hiring junior devs, and what senior developers should aim for in mentoring. Oh, and for the Rails enthusiasts, Ernesto give

In this episode of Maintainable, Robby sits down with Marit van Dijk, a Software Engineer at bol.com. Marit brings a wealth of experience from her work on complex systems and her involvement in the European testing conference and the Cucumber community. They dive deep into the importance of testing, maintaining legacy code, and the collaborative nature of software development.Episode Highlights[00:01:00] The Role of Tests in Well-Maintained Codebases: Marit emphasizes the importance of clear and intent-driven tests in understanding application behavior and maintaining code quality.[00:01:55] Dependency Management in Legacy Systems: Marit discusses the challenges of keeping dependencies up to date and the potential issues that arise when they fall behind.[00:02:35] Documentation Practices: Exploring the differences in documentation needs for internal projects versus open-source projects, and how README files play a critical role in onboarding and running applications.[00:05:09] Defining Technical Debt: Marit s

Robby speaks with Mike Perham, Founder and CEO at Contribsys and author of Sidekiq and Faktory. They discuss the pros and cons of using external dependencies, how Mike built a business off of his open source project, Sidekiq, and the dIfference in maintaining Ruby vs Go software projects.Helpful LinksMike on GithubMike on Twittermikeperham.comContribsysSidekiq[Book] Rising by Elizabeth Rush[Book] The Watch, Thoroughly Revised by Gene Stone and Stephen PulvirentSubscribe 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 Ev Haus, Head of Technology at ZenHub. They discuss how to get to zero technical debt, metrics an engineering team can measure, good pull-request etiquette, and more.Helpful LinksEv on TwitterEv on LinkedinEv's writing on MediumSubscribe 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 Adam Tornhill, founder of Empear and CodeScene. They discuss the benefits of having clear boundaries between teams, strategies for prioritizing where to start tackling technical debt, and how to improve the onboarding experience for developers new to a software codebase. Adam also shares a rare example of a successful rewrite project.Helpful LinksFollow Adam on TwitterAdam's WebsiteEmpearCodeScene[Book] Zen and the Art of Motorcycle MaintenanceYour Code as a Crime Scene[Book] Software Design X-RaysAdam's TedX Talk on Code, Crime, ComplexitySubscribe 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 M. Scott Ford, CTO and Chief Code Whisperer at Corgibytes and co-host of the Legacy Code Rocks podcast. They discuss the difference between Makers and Menders, how to prioritize a technical debt backlog, and how to provide feedback to other developers.Helpful LinksM. Scott Ford on TwitterCorgibytesLegacy Code Rocks[Book] Lehman’s Laws of Software Evolution and the Staged-Model[Book] Radical CandorSubscribe 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 Gitte Klitgaard, Agile Coach and Owner of Native Wired. They discuss how to create space for psychological safety, the importance of sharing mistakes and fuck-ups of the week, and understanding, coping and taking advantage of your Imposter Syndrome.Helpful LinksNative WiredGitte on TwitterGitte on LinkedIn[Book] I Thought It Was Just Me by Brene BrownBrene Brown's Ted Talk on vulnerabilitySubscribe 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 Nathaniel Bibler, CTO at Envy Labs. They discuss how to talk about technical debt as a team, navigating communication challenges with clients, and how to be a good guest in another team's code base. If you work – or want to work – at an agency, you should listen to this episode.Helpful LinksFollow Nathaniel on TwitterInsights by Envy LabsNathaniel on GithubConnect on LinkedInSubscribe 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 Abby Bangser, Senior Test Engineer on the Platform Engineering Team at MOO. They discuss how maintainable code leans on a dependable build and test process, what metrics Moo's platform engineering team measures, and codifying your pipeline – including having pipelines build on a regular basis.Helpful LinksFollow Abby on TwitterCareers at MooTester by ChoiceDeep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal NewportSubscribe 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 Viktor Klang, Deputy CTO at Lightbend Inc. They discuss how to avoid constant firefighting, effective use cases of TODO and FIXME comments, and how to create a safe space for developers to make mistakes.Helpful LinksFollow Viktor on TwitterViktor's websiteLightbendCloudstateSubscribe 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 Beth Long, Software Engineer on the Build & Deploy Tools Engineering team at New Relic. They discuss the origin of the technical debt metaphor, considering when a rewrite is necessary (spoiler alert – it rarely is), and speak about the limitations of agile across modern engineering teams.Helpful LinksBeth's websiteFollow Beth on TwitterConnect with Beth on LinkedIn[Book] Beyond Human Error by David D. Woods[Book] Sources of Power by Gary KleinSubscribe 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 Emily Bache, Technical Agile Coach at ProAgile. They talk about her experience coaching teams on how to improve the long-term maintainability of their software – including how to still see your direct impact when coaching instead of coding. They also dig into the social aspect of development, mob programming, and how coding is a social activity.Helpful LinksFollow Emily on Twitter[Book] Training From the Back of the Room by Sharon BowmanCoding is Like CookingConnect with Emily on LinkedInProAgileSubscribe 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 Zee Spencer, owner of Zinc Cooperative, and programmer at Cohere. They speak about how social systems impact software maintainability, why legacy code is profitable code, and consulting within a timebox constraint.Helpful Links[Book] Mental Models: 30 Thinking Tools that Separate the Average From the Exceptional. Improved Decision-Making, Logical Analysis, and Problem-Solving[Book] Observing the User ExperienceZee on TwitterCohereCohere on TwitterZinc CooperativeSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastOr 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 Ana Nelson, a software developer, writer, improv performer, and creator of Dexy — an open-source tool for writing any kind of technical document that incorporates code.Helpful LinksAna's websiteDexyFollow Ana on TwitterAna on GithubConnect with Ana on LinkedInWhat is Transclusion?The Modern Scholar by Professor Michael D. C. Drout[Book] On the Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition, and Fiction[Book] The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master StorytellerSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastOr 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 Dave Aronson, Owner, Consultant (and T. Rex) at Codosaurus.Helpful LinksCodosaurusDave on GithubFollow Dave on Twitter[Video] The Six Key Aspects of Software Quality[Book] The Pragmatic ProgrammerSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastOr 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 the Maintainable Software Podcast, Robby speaks with Michael Feathers, Director at R7K Research & Conveyance and author of "Working Effectively with Legacy Code." Michael shares his unique definition of legacy code, emphasizing that legacy code is essentially code without tests. This foundational idea highlights the critical role of automated testing in refactoring and maintaining codebases.Michael and Robby dive into common issues developers face, such as low test coverage and the perceived optionality of writing tests. They explore how ego and human nature often influence developers' decisions not to write tests, even when frameworks provide the tools to do so.One of the intriguing concepts discussed is a test-first IDE, which encourages writing tests before methods. Michael shares patterns and practices for integrating testing into existing projects, emphasizing the importance of social reinforcement and team collaboration in improving test coverage.The conversation also touches on t

Robby speaks with Justin Searls, Co-Founder at Test Double. Hear Justin's experience digging into technical debt, learn why software is like a sedimentary rock, and more.Helpful LinksFollow Justin on TwitterTest DoubleRuby gem: SutureJustin's Legacy Code talk at Ruby KaigiJustin on GithubConnect with Justin on LinkedIn[Book] Growing Object-Oriented Software Guided by TestsSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastOr 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 Patricia Aas, Programming CTO at TurtleSec AS about how programming and security are intertwined.Helpful LinksTurtlesecConnect with Patricia on LinkedInMore about PatriciaPatricia on TwitterSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord CommunityLoving Maintainable? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts to help grow our reach.Brought to you by the team at Planet Argon. 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.

Please tune in to this enlightening episode of Maintainable, where we're joined by Nate Berkopec, Owner and Ruby on Rails consultant at Speedshop. This episode is a deep dive into the world of software performance, specifically honing in on Ruby on Rails.Nate kicks things off by walking us through the intricacies of measuring software performance. It's not just about numbers; it's an art and science, especially in the Ruby on Rails ecosystem. He shares his insights and experiences, making this complex topic accessible and engaging.But wait, there's more! We also delve into the murky waters of modern JavaScript frameworks. Nate uncovers some unanticipated problems that these frameworks can bring to the table. It's an eye-opener for anyone who's ever been dazzled by the latest and greatest in JavaScript land.One of the juiciest parts of our discussion revolves around how teams assess the value of performance optimization. It's not always about speed; sometimes, it's about the value it brings to the table. And h

Robby speaks with Victor Rentea, an independent technical trainer and Lead Architect at IBM based in Romania. Victor talks about teaching other engineers about legacy code, calling yourself an "expert", and what to do when you're rushed to deliver features but are dealing with refactoring challenges.Helpful Links:Victor's websiteFollow Victor on TwitterConnect with Victor on LinkedIn[Book] The Business of Expertise[Book] Apprenticeship Patterns: Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman[Book] Extreme Programming Explained[Book] Refactoring (2nd Edition)[Book] The Software CraftsmanClean Coders Training VideosYoutube: Best Talks by Victor RenteaSubscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsOvercastOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Join the discussion in the Maintainable Discord CommunityLoving Maintainable? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts to help grow our reach.Brought to you by the team at Planet Argon. Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintaina