Episodes

  • To AI Assist or not to AI Assist?
    Nov 11 2024

    CJ and Colin chat about AI tools and coding environments. Pros and cons, daily workflows, and challenges of various AI-driven coding tools like VS Code, Cursor, and Copilot.

    We also talk about the broader implications of AI in content generation, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn, and emphasize maintaining a human touch in communication to avoid hollow, AI-generated content.

    - Avante nvim plugin
    - Cursor
    - Github Copilot

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    43 mins
  • Personal Knowledge Management (Second Brain)
    Oct 28 2024

    In this episode, you'll learn about the PARA Method for organizing your notes and tasks, emphasizing the importance of balancing craftsmanship with delivering real customer value. Discover insights from Pieter Levels' success with straightforward tech stacks and recurring revenue from multiple startups. The discussion covers the power of building in public, optimizing productivity with personal CRMs and AI tools, and managing digital notes using Obsidian and Logseq. Tune in to explore practical challenges and solutions for enhancing your workflow and staying connected.

    00:00 Introduction and Catching Up
    00:20 Lex Friedman and Pieter Levels Interview Discussion
    01:09 Frameworks and Developer Influencers
    03:08 Peter's Success and Indie Hacking
    05:23 Building and Shipping Products
    05:43 Marketing and Influencer Impact
    13:23 Personal Knowledge Management
    22:25 Exploring Obsidian and PARA
    23:02 Organizing Projects and Areas
    23:43 Daily Logs and Workflows
    26:42 Handling Digital Scraps and Notes
    30:31 Plugins and Syncing Issues
    34:34 AI Tools for Meetings and Transcriptions
    38:07 AI Code Editors and Future Discussions
    39:37 Conclusion and Next Week's Teaser

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    40 mins
  • Our Daily Drivers: Hardware and Software Edition
    Oct 14 2024

    In this episode, Colin and CJ discuss their audio and video setups, ideal microphones, cameras, and software for content creation. They dive into the specifics of the equipment they use and recommend budget-friendly options for those just getting started. Additionally, they touch upon some useful applications and tools that streamline their workflows, and discuss their experience with various developer-related projects.

    Our Daily Drivers
    1. Shure SM7B
    2. Shure SM58
    3. Cloudlifter
    4. Triton Fethead
    5. Scarlett Solo
    6. Eleven Labs
    7. YouTube Studio
    8. Google Experimental Music Effects
    9. Descript
    10. Apple Studio Display
    11. Sony A6100
    12. Elgato Camlink
    13. Elgato Key Lights
    14. Elgato Streamdeck
    15. OBS
    16. Audio-Technica ATR2500
    17. Shure MV7
    18. Handmirror app
    19. Cleanshot
    20. Skitch
    21. Warp
    22. Neovim
    23. iTerm2
    24. OhMyZsh
    25. Alacritty
    26. VS Code
    27. ngrok
    28. zoxide
    29. eza
    30. fzf
    31. Raycast
    32. Fantastical
    33. Textmate
    34. CJ's /uses page

    Find more audio gear at Podcast Method

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    37 mins
  • Rails 20th Anniversary, Writing Culture
    Sep 23 2024

    In this episode, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ruby on Rails, reflecting on its impact and vibrant community. We share Rails origin stories from the late 2000s and early 2010s. You'll hear about different companies' reading and writing cultures, including practices like decision documents, meeting notes, and internal newsletters.

    You'll hear updates on current projects, with Colin discussing a major documentation initiative and the challenges of balancing meta-work with actual work. CJ provides an update on a large-scale refactoring project, detailing the process of converting enums to models across various parts of the codebase. You'll also get book recommendations, including "The PARA Method" about note-taking and personal knowledge management, and "Unreasonable Hospitality" which explores creating exceptional customer experiences.

    Finally, we discuss the concept of "unreasonable hospitality" and how to delight customers through thoughtful, personalized interactions.

    Resources

    • Unreasonable Hospitality - https://www.amazon.com/Unreasonable-Hospitality-Remarkable-Giving-People/dp/0593418573
    • PARA method - https://fortelabs.com/blog/para/
    • Amazon's working backwards - https://www.productplan.com/glossary/working-backward-amazon-method/
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    42 mins
  • DevRelCon, Red Eyes, and Enums
    Sep 10 2024

    We discuss visiting NYC, DevRelCon, red-eye flights, and why enums are terrible.

    Some of the bits and bobs mentioned in this episode:
    - DevRelCon
    - Chef's Table (S2E1 Grant Achatz) / Alinea
    - Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon
    - CJ enumerating lessons about enums

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    44 mins
  • Two Years of Build & Learn
    Aug 27 2024

    We're celebrating our 50th episode and two years of podcasting. In this milestone episode, we reflect on what has kept us consistent, our laid-back approach to podcasting, and give a shoutout to you! We also explore how social media affects consumer behavior and share tips for managing digital consumption and mental health.

    You'll also hear about our latest projects, including optimizing Redis for better performance in our Rails app and our current work at Discord and Craftwork. Plus, we dive into the world of AI tools for content creation, using them to create engaging short-form videos. Thanks for joining us on this journey!

    Resources
    *
    Money with Katie - https://moneywithkatie.com/
    * Mostly Technical - https://mostlytechnical.com/
    * Bootstrapped Web - https://bootstrappedweb.com/
    * Syntax - https://syntax.fm/
    * APIs You Wont Hate - https://apisyouwonthate.com/
    * The Bike Shed - https://bikeshed.thoughtbot.com/

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    44 mins
  • Enum Types, Coworking Software, and more Atomic Habits
    Aug 13 2024
    Producer's note: This episode should have gone out as episode 48 ahead of Webhooks! This is our missing episode. Join us next episode for episode 50!

    Colin has a fitness update: working on the lungs, breathing and stress in general. CJ is digging into enums and converting them to models at Craftwork. More to come on that topic soon. Colin continues to avoid building Coworking Software (to everyone's applause) and CJ is digging back into James Clear's Atomic Habits.

    • Colin: Fitness update / massage / breathing
    • CJ: Big refactor from an enum to a model - evolving pricing models
    • CJ's sleek lidar mop vacuum
    • Colin: Coworking Software Update: not building anything, trying out Joan
    • Colin: Internal discussion on Webhooks
    • CJ: rereading Atomic Habits
    • Colin mentions some Obsidian (more on that to come in future episodes)
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    42 mins
  • Webhooks!
    Jul 23 2024

    In this episode, you'll learn about webhooks and how they enable event-driven integrations. We cover webhooks, how they work, and best practices for providers and consumers.

    Topics:

    - The evolution of webhooks and how they compare to traditional API polling methods
    - Implementing webhooks securely, including verification techniques
    - Strategies for handling and processing webhook data
    - Challenges you might face with versioning and payload changes
    - Useful tools and resources for working with webhooks

    We share our experiences implementing webhooks across various platforms, mentioning Stripe, Twilio, and Slack as examples of good webhook implementations. We also discuss how tools like Zapier can help with webhook integrations and automation.

    You'll hear about CJ's recent experiences with React Native and Expo Go, as well as updates on our side project "Buckets", a Mint-like finance app.

    Resources:

    • https://webhooks.fyi/
    • Webhooks google group
    • Railsconf webhooks workshop
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    39 mins