026 - Constraints

Crafting Code Podcast

#Tech #Allan Stewart #Crafting Code

26:46

For many travelers, Antarctica is a bucket-list destination, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to touch all seven continents. In 2023, a record-breaking 100,000 tourists made the trip. But the journey begs a fundamental question: What do we risk by traveling to a place that is supposed to be uninhabited by humans? And as the climate warms, should we really be going to Antarctica in the first place? SHOW NOTES: Kara Weller: The Impossible Dilemma of a Polar Guide Marilyn Raphael: A twenty-first century structural change in Antarctica’s sea ice system Karl Watson: First Time in Antarctica Jeb Brooks : 7 Days in Antarctica (Journey to the South Pole) Metallica - Freeze 'Em All: Live in Antarctica Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices…

hace un año 1:09:47

MP3•Episodio en casa

Constraints make great engineering. They aren't always a bad thing, and understanding them can help you make better coding decisions. In this episode, Dave and Allan discuss many different common constraints. Some are more obvious like technology, time, and budget. Others are easily missed but still useful: people, org charts, and culture.

37 episodios

026 - Constraints

Crafting Code Podcast

published hace un año

MP3•Episodio en casa

37 episodios

#Tech #Allan Stewart #Crafting Code

Todos los episodios

Crafting Code Podcast

1
037 - Company Culture 55:49

hace 9 días55:49

55:49

The culture of your company has a big influence on how much you enjoy your job. Unfortunately, finding one that fits just right for your unique combination of people is hard. On top of that, there are inevitably subcultures within the larger organization. In this episode, Dave and Allan discuss things we've valued in company cultures, things we watch out for, and some ideas on being intentional in influencing a culture.…

Crafting Code Podcast

1
036 - Work Is Work 56:13

hace 23 días56:13

56:13

We often hear stories from successful companies shared across the industry, but usually what they did to succeed doesn't work for us. Are there principles that are independent of the organizations that we work at? Coda Hale thinks there are. In this episode we review the article, 'Work is Work' which you can read at https://codahale.com/work-is-work/…

Crafting Code Podcast

1
035 - Asking Questions 1:00:05

hace 5 weeks1:00:05

1:00:05

Why is asking questions such an important soft skill for software developers? Is a mindset of inquiry a way to learn more and engage in better, open communication? How can we utilize questions during retrospectives and blameless postmortems? Can questions be an important teaching tool? Will you learn more about asking questions by listening to this episode?…

Crafting Code Podcast

1
034 - Context Is King 36:35

hace 7 weeks36:35

36:35

In the physical world we readily intuit how context matters in decision making. For example, a compact car is a perfectly fine vehicle, but may not be suitable for hauling a large load. Context informing software decisions may be even more important, since it isn't as obvious. In this episode, your hosts discuss the need for context and values as we look at 'best' practices, non-functional requirements, and patterns.…

Crafting Code Podcast

1
033 - Impact On Our Careers 1:14:35

hace 9 weeks1:14:35

1:14:35

In episode 29 we discussed ways that a software developer can make an impact in their job. In this episode, we reflect on what things have made the most impact on Dave and Allan as software developers. We share experiences, books, presentations, people, and practices which have made a significant difference in our careers. Our hope is that you'll hear something that helps you in your career.…

Crafting Code Podcast

1
032 - AI 40:56

hace 11 weeks40:56

40:56

AI is a hot topic in tech these days, and usually people are talking about LLMs. Are they really going to be replacing programmers? Or are they just the latest fad in a long line of promises to replace those pesky coders? In this episode, Allan and Dave talk about out experiences with AI code assistants and how tools tend to slowly evolve how we work rather than fundamentally overthrow it.…

Crafting Code Podcast

1
031 - Clean Code 42:50

hace 14 weeks42:50

42:50

The concept of clean code is one that Dave and Allan feel is very important. But sometimes we hear or read of people saying it is unimportant or unnecessary in some cases. In this episode, we explain what we mean by 'clean code' and why we think it really matters. After all, it's exponentially easier to make a mess than it is to keep things clean.…

Crafting Code Podcast

1
030 - Architecture Tools 1:04:22

hace 16 weeks1:04:22

1:04:22

What does a software architect actually do? The answer will vary widely depending on the company you work at. But generally speaking, we've found that there are two main things every architect is expected to do: make decisions and draw diagrams. So in this episode, your hosts discuss tools and strategies they've used to successfully deliver on those two expectations. We value clarity in communication over being overly specific; after all, every diagram is wrong and a 1:1 scale map is pretty useless.…

Crafting Code Podcast

1
029 - Creating Impact 49:23

hace 19 weeks49:23

49:23

How can I make a difference? What should I be doing in my role? These are pretty common questions software developers ask themselves, even after many years of experience. In this episode, we discuss how to make a difference (and some of the struggles we encounter) at various sizes of business. We also talk a little bit about career paths or specializations. Whether you're in a small team or a large enterprise environment, we hope you'll find something that resonates with you.…

Crafting Code Podcast

1
028 - Technical Health 45:34

hace 23 weeks45:34

45:34

The change of perspective which comes from reframing a problem can often yield fresh insights or improve our outlook. Discussing the state of a technical system in terms of health may be preferable to the oft-used debt metaphor. In this episode, your hosts discuss how this shift in thinking can help us deal with our software issues, and then we share some ideas which have helped us communicate and manage technical health.…

Crafting Code Podcast

1
027 - 10x Systems 58:51

hace 28 weeks58:51

58:51

Is the mythical 10x developer real? We think so... at least inasmuch as some people regularly improve the systems they work in until they (and often their team) are far more productive. We've definitely experienced 10x systems. So join Allan and Dave in the search for this cryptid through the economic principles and interconnected practices it calls home.…

Crafting Code Podcast

1
026 - Constraints 1:09:47

hace 32 weeks1:09:47

1:09:47

Crafting Code Podcast

1
025 - Code Rot 40:16

hace 36 weeks40:16

40:16

Bits do not rot when left alone, but the world around the code changes. Over time, although the code itself has not changed, the value provided by it will effectively rot away. In this episode, your hosts talk explore this topic; from video games and antiquated coding paradigms to the Red Queen hypothesis and software gardening.…

Crafting Code Podcast

1
024 - Rewarding Bad Behavior 47:32

hace 41 weeks47:32

47:32

Are we unintentionally doing things which reward bad behavior? Sometimes company policies incentivize people to do the wrong thing, like coming to work sick because they've run out of sick days. Although we rarely have control over company policies, we can look for ways that our teams reward bad behaviors. In this episode, Dave and Allan share some examples of bad behaviors we've seen, in the hope that we can influence our teams, managers, and companies to think about what we incentivize and how we might act differently.…

Crafting Code Podcast

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023 - Technical Debt 29:13

hace 45 weeks29:13