Episodes
#76 - Be OK Talking About Money, With Saron Yitbarek
April 8, 2024
One of the things that is a bit taboo to talk about, both in the tech industry and outside of it is money. People just aren't comfortable discussing openly the hard decisions that go into things like seeking funding, investing money into things that save you time, and scaling your own abilities with the help of, you guessed it, cold, hard, cash. Saron Yitbarek, entrepreneur extraordinaire behind CodeNewbie and podcasts such as Command Line Heroes, generously accepted my invitation to chat and talk about all these things, and more. And of course, we talk about Saron's latest project - Big Cash Money 2024, something for folks that want to max out their income beyond just their salary.
#75 - From Pandemic Pastime To Real VC-Funded Startup, with David Khourshid
March 30, 2024
In this episode of The Work Item, I had a conversation with David Khourshid, founder of Stately.AI. You might know him as @DavidKPiano on social media. Today, we're breaking new ground around unconventional paths of building an engineering career, entrepreneurship, and leveraging your audience as the potential first customers for your product. And of course - we talk a bit more about state machines (David is also the developer behind XState) and lessons learned from launching and growing a startup in the midst of a pandemic.
#74 - Books, Remote Work, and Q&A, with Adrienne Tacke
March 15, 2024
Welcome back to The Work Item. Today we're exploring the ins and outs of remote work, writing, and community engagement with a show veteran, Adrienne Tacke. I'm delighted to welcome Adrienne back to the show, especially considering that since our last recording we received quite a few follow-up questions. Just like last time, Adrienne brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our discussion, especially when it comes to remote work culture. And today, we're adding a new twist: a dedicated Q&A segment where Adrienne will be addressing your burning questions directly.
#73 - Put The Passion Aside And Go For The Market, with Rob Walling
February 12, 2024
If you’ve ever listened to Startups For The Rest Of Us (which, by the way, is approaching seven hundred episodes), you might already be familiar with the energetic host of the show - entrepreneur, bootstrapper, and podcaster extraordinaire Rob Walling. Rob and I chat about his early days as an employee, the transition from the more traditional path of working for someone to starting his own business, building MicroConf, and how the trifecta of skill, hard work, and luck can help folks be on a more predictable path to success.
#72 - Give People What They Came For, with Jerod Santo
February 5, 2024
Today I got the pleasure to chat with Jerod Santo, the Managing Editor at Changelog Media. Picture this – a podcast that not only uncovers the intricacies of Jerod's career but also shares some unconventional lessons learned from his work. From navigating the ever-evolving tech landscape to spearheading Changelog, Jerod brings a wealth of experience that transcends your typical engineer expectations and taps into the heart of what it means to build a sustainable developer community.
#71 - Going Solo As A Developer Educator, with Kent C. Dodds
January 29, 2024
Kent C. Dodds is a developer, educator, community organizer, and above all, a person that is passionate about making the world a better place by giving as many folks as possible the opportunity to learn web development. I sat down with Kent to chat more about his career, what bootstrapped his interest in programming, and what his takeaways from building his path as an entrepreneur are.
#70 - Building a Career In Developer Tools, with Kenneth Auchenberg
December 31, 2023
Today, you're in for a treat as I sit down with Kenneth Auchenberg, a seasoned product manager - you might know him from his work at Microsoft on Visual Studio Code as well as on developer tools at Stripe. He is also a developer and overall a very nice person to know.
#69 - Product Management In The Era Of Generative AI, with Shyvee Shi
December 30, 2023
In today's episode, I sat down with Shyvee Shi, a seasoned product leader with a wealth of experience in steering products from conception to market success. Shyvee has been at the forefront of industry trends, contributing significantly to the evolution of product management practices.
#68 - Why You Need An Executive Coach, with Eric Nehrlich
December 29, 2023
In this episode, we're exploring the nuances of executive coaching, demystifying the process and shedding light on how individuals can break through the barriers that often hinder their career growth.
#67 - Building Design Communities, with Grace Ling, UX Designer at Electronic Arts, and Founder of Design Buddies
December 21, 2023
Grace Ling is a UX designer at Electronic Arts and the founder of the Design Buddies, one of the world’s largest design communities.