Episoder
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In this episode, we talk about that subscription fatigue that is coming for us all. CJ has been working on some homesteading projects, including maple syrup harvesting and an AI birdspotting camera. Colin finally reveals what he's been working on at work: a new SDK!
What we're building
- CJ is homesteading: maple syrup
- Raspberry PI + camera + AI to detect birds in the yard
- Colin finally shares what he's been working on at work: documenting a new Discord SDK!What we're learning
- Our lessons learned when buying (or not buying) a house -
In this episode, we'll dive into the codebase of Campfire, a product released by the 37signals (now Basecamp) team. Sharing our initial impressions of the codebase hitting some of these topics:
- The use of helpers and views in this Rails app
- The gems and dependencies
- The decision to use SQLite
- The integration of Hotwire, Stimulus, and front-end tech
- The inclusion of Go code for the Thruster proxy accelerator
- The CSS files and design choicesResources
https://twitter.com/dhh/status/1748378865725329495https://world.hey.com/dhh/finished-software-8ee43637 -
Manglende episoder?
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This week, Colin and CJ discuss how differently we can feel when we get caught in the mindless doomscrolling traps of consuming content rather than creating things, interacting with other IRL humans, and more!
- Accountability/fitness update
- Quick update on Buckets!
- Consumption vs Creation
- Learning styles
- Badass Course Creators podcast: Raising the bar for online learning with Greg RogNext episode, we're digging into the Campfire codebase from 37Signals/Once.
glhf!
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In this episode of Build and Learn you'll hear CJ and Colin discuss the following:
CJ's weekend project of installing new kitchen cabinets. They share the DIY process of customizing and installing inexpensive cabinets from Lowe's.Running and training tips, including focusing on "zone two" aerobic base training. Colin shares his goals to rebuild his running foundation and get faster this year.How performance reviews work at their companies, the process of self-reviews and peer feedback, and how 5:15s "five fifteens" help document accomplishments.CJ is building API documentation using OpenAPI spec and integrating Twilio APIs into his product. He realized he needed both Twilio's legacy and modern APIs.Colin is working on a Google Calendar integration for Discord, allowing users to schedule meetings in Discord voice channels. He discusses the challenges with Discord's permanent voice channel URLs.Interviewing and pair programming with candidates using Tuple. They wish for ephemeral URLs to avoid overlaps.Strategies for ramping up on and understanding a new codebase, like tracing the flow of a request. An LLM tool for summarizing codebases could be useful.Encouragement to get outdoors, avoid burnout, and "touch grass"! -
2024! This week, we're sharing the various tools we use day-to-day in our work and side projects. Let us know if you have any favorites on Twitter @buildandlearn_
Building
CJ: working on a side project, https://buckets.cjav.devColin: working on some fun docs projects at workLearning: Sharing Our Tools in 2024
Tools by Category
TerminalEditorAPI tools/clientsContent Creation/EditingMac Helper AppsNotesCalendarEmailCJ's Toolkit
Warp terminal ohmyzsh with my own theme which is based on Sarah Drasner’s night owlRaycastneovimfzf and telescopetpope: vim-rails, vim-commentary, vim-fugitivevim-testale - lintingAI: copilot + butterfishSkitch for screenshot annotationsPostman (Used to use Insomnia a lot, but many companies have Postman collections so that’s easy to drop in)Descript for screen recordingsTuple for pairingColin's Toolkit
iTerm2 as my main terminalohmyzsh with Dracula ThemeVSCode as a daily driver for code and markdown (also Dracula themed)RapidAPI client (formerly Paw)Descript for audio-editingScreenflow for screencast video editingMac Workflow AppsCleanshot for screenshotting, annotations, and recording screen gifsRaycast for moving around apps quicklyMagnet for window managementHandMirror for monitoring videoHiddenMe for hiding icons on desktopNote Apps (too many lol)Notion for work and podcast notesObsidian for 2nd brain, brainstormingTextmate for scratchpads while working on a projectApple Notes for personal on-the-go and collaborative notes for homeFantastical for desktop calendars Apple Mail on phone for personal inboxes, Gmail app for work emailsBuild and Learn around the web
Twitter: @buildandlearn_Colin: @colinloretzCJ: @cjav_dev -
In this episode, we'll touch on office setup and soundproofing, with a focus on effective techniques and materials. We talk about the challenges and strategies in finding non-technical co-founders for startups, emphasizing the importance of shared values and complementary skills. The episode also delves into the impact of AI on the tech industry, particularly concerning recent layoffs. Additionally, we discuss technical topics like API documentation, memory management in Ruby and Rails, and the art of content creation and screencasting.
Resources:
Google Music FX - Text to Music https://aitestkitchen.withgoogle.com/tools/music-fxHammerstone Dev Podcast - https://hammerstone.dev/podcastTweets mentioned: https://twitter.com/cjav_dev/status/1742909106795528581Job Boards We like: https://railsdevs.com/https://remoteok.com/https://weworkremotely.com/Stripe OpenAPI https://github.com/stripe/openapiScoutAPM - https://scoutapm.com/Screen casting course - https://screencasting.com/KeyCastr - https://github.com/keycastr/keycastrKeyboarding Videos https://youtube.com/shorts/-Ibq3zbvvSYhttps://youtube.com/shorts/xMWugPr2u-Uhttps://youtube.com/shorts/f0rFJn1gI24https://youtube.com/shorts/8FWJqqTzUak -
Chris and Colin wrap up 2023 chatting about personal finance, website annotations, vim and a growing need to "finish" something over starting yet another thing.
Replacing Mint
Colin is using Copilot moneyCJ was using YNAB earlier this yearTagging + podcast expenses: notion, zencastr, transistor, descriptUse our referral code 7X6AQD to get 2 months free https://copilot.money/link/9p7G8LwLqNWGkfrL6Building
Colin: Website AnnotationsAnnotate the webRap GeniusCJ: Lots of little API integrations: PostHog, Segment, Deputy, TwilioLearning
Colin: Actually finishing projects before starting new onesStartup weekend vs Finish weekendResolutions and goalsCJ: Couple new vim things -The missing semester of CS from MIT`:g` global command which lets you run ex aka command line commands on multiple lines at once it has two arguments, a pattern to match to find which lines to run on and the command to run. I’m excited to use this instead of macros for some common editing cases.Tried out using Descript’s built in video recorder / editor for a video this week and it worked out pretty well except I couldn’t figure out the camera preview thingNow Colin wants to learn vimHappy 2024! -
In this episode, Colin and CJ discuss their experience with Advent of Code challenges. They use it as a virtual meetup for their local developer group and the value of solving problems in new languages.
They also talk about live streaming using Twitch's built-in Stream Together feature and alternatives like Meld Studio for multi-person streaming setups.
Other topics include potentially writing code with voice in the future, resources for learning Ruby like Avdi Grimm's Graceful Dev, and managing home maintenance through preventative care rather than reactively.
Advent of Code- The coding challenges we discussed
Jonathan Paulson's YouTube - Videos solving Advent of Code challenges
Bash Bunny on Twitch - Learning Zig with Advent of Code
Stream Together on Twitch - Built-in multi-person streaming
Meld Studio - Alternative to OBS for Mac streaming
Screencasting Course - The course about recording screencasts
Whale Quench Talk - Emily's talk about coding with voice
Graceful Dev - Avdi Grimm's site with Ruby resources
City Authentic: How the Attention Economy Builds Urban America by David Banks
How to Outsmart Your Brain
Replit mobile -
This week we're digging into when to hold on and when to call it quits when it comes to a business. The team at Craftwork is paying down tech debt with Polish week. We also chat about USB hubs, llamas, and how to get started on YouTube.
BUILDING
CJ: Polish week at Craftwork - cleaning up code formatting, todos, tests, UI polish and clean up, DX clean up, etc.Colin: Coworking space deep diveRunning numbers on business modelsUsing chatGPT to run forecastsSustainabilityBook: Quit by Annie DukeGrit vs QuitSunk Cost & IdentityLEARNING
CJ: Started doing these mob pairing sessions this week. Mike showed some React Native, Drew showed some UX/UI stuff, Nik showed how to fine tune. Got access to the llama2 models and trying to use ankane’s informers gem to run onnx models locally with Ruby.Colin: Curious if you have any tips on getting started with youtube How to eggheadAaron Francis - Screencasting.com TubeBuddySean Cannell - ThinkMedia Ali Abdul Skillshare Course -
In this episode, we catch up on recent tech events, discussing in detail the AI launches at both OpenAI and GitHub. We chat about the Hu.ma.ne AI pin, and touch on GitHub Universe. We also talk about Docs implementations and the challenges of managing and maintaining code snippets in documentation.
Show notes:
Docs Astro Starlight - https://starlight.astro.build/Tailwind UI protocol - https://tailwindui.com/templates/protocolAngular - angular.devMarkdoc - https://markdoc.dev/Calendars cal.com infrastructure https://cal.com/infrastructureCalendly - https://calendly.com/Nylas - https://info.nylas.com/Full Calendar - https://fullcalendar.io/StoryFuel.appHumane AI pin https://hu.ma.ne/Github monaspace https://monaspace.githubnext.com/Crochet talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FtbmlZOk44Jupyter notebook episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTmcdixuqcY -
Episode 31
Intuit is apparently shutting down Mint, pushing folks to Credit Karma Colin's school bus updateBuilding
CJ is continuing to build out a comms center for managing customer comms in a scalable way for Craftwork. SAML`Colin is working on the conference room booking app,Likely use jumpstart for all stuff you need when you build something newCJ talks more about his new side project, Story FuelLearning
Colin is also learning a lot about sending/receiving audio over socket connectionsThe ‘Enshittification’ of TikTok Or how, exactly, platforms die." from Cory DoctorowThe Imminent Enshittification of the Internet from Gary Marcus -
In this episode, we'll share updates and talk about what we're learning and working on. First up, is the exciting prospect of buying a short school bus and converting it into a fun project. We'll touch on UI frameworks like PhlexUI, as well as share updates about our experiences with different diet and fitness regimens. We'll chat about some more AI tools. Lastly, we'll share updates on the conference room booking app and the Reno Colective co-working space's accountability group.
Resources
PhlexUI - https://www.phlexui.com/RailsUI - https://railsui.com/ShadCN - https://ui.shadcn.com/v0.dev - https://v0.dev/Macrofactor - https://macrofactorapp.com/Chronometer - https://cronometer.com/LangChain.rb - https://github.com/andreibondarev/langchainrb/Detangle - https://detangle.ai/ -
No cut off date + multi-modal ChatGPTGenerating AI voices with ElevenLabsLooking cool with New Ray Ban + Meta Smart Glasses?Making an epic screencast set up with Screencasting.com from Aaron FrancisWho’s upgrading to the new iPhone 15 with USB CTraveling with international / regional esim cards from AiraloBetting against SaaS? Once from 37SignalsCalculating customer lifetime valueNot having to deal with churnHashicorp and the Business Software License OpenTofu - open terraform initiative
CJ is working on calendaring with FullCalendar and tinkering with Rails generators.
Colin is exploring prose linter options for docs and keeping docs quality high without relying purely on human. Working on some open-source project maintenance.
Btw, Craftwerk is hiring! -
This time around Colin and CJ talk about learning styles and how to learn to learn. We highlight a documentation framework called "Diataxis," which provides a structured approach to content categorization, differentiating between tutorials, how-to guides, explanations, and references. The significance of recognizing and adapting to varied learning styles, such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.
We share our personal experiences and emphasize the importance of diverse teaching methods and creating content even when the subject might have been covered elsewhere. Mentioned were unique projects like an offline Wikipedia on a tablet and a hacked Casio watch that serves as a two-factor authentication generator. The session ends with considerations on video creation and the challenges of live streaming.
Resources:
Hackers Inc Fitness Episode - https://hackersincorporated.com/episodes/losing-70-lbs-getting-in-shape-and-15-minute-workouts By Mody Tutor - https://www.mybodytutor.com/My Fitness Pal - https://www.myfitnesspal.com/Sendgrid - https://sendgrid.com/Resend - https://resend.com/Rails Conf Webhook Workshop - https://github.com/colinloretz/railsconf-webhooksdiataxis - https://diataxis.fr/Cloudflare Docs - https://developers.cloudflare.com/Crunchy Data Postgres Sandbox - https://www.crunchydata.com/blog/learn-postgres-at-the-playgroundPragmatic Thinking and Learning - https://www.amazon.com/Pragmatic-Thinking-Learning-Refactor-Programmers/dp/1934356050The Dreyfus Model - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyfus_model_of_skill_acquisition -
It's the One Year Anniversary of Build & Learn!
In this episode we chat about refreshing OAuth tokens and building CRM features with SMS/voice APIs. CJ and Colin also talk about the tradeoffs of building "calm", bootstrapped companies versus venture-backed startups. It seems like everything that is old is new again! What startups from the 2009-2012 vintages do you think could do with some disruption today?
Some resources mentioned:
GoRailsTwilio FlexFollow along off-pod!
@colinloretz on Twitter@cjav_dev on Twitter -
In this episode you'll hear about Colin's adventure of building a Google Calendar Discord bot using CloudFlare, mastering Google Calendar APIs, and navigating serverless Postgres with neon.tech. We'll also share our insights on the benefits of being part of Y Combinator, and the unexpected hiccups we faced with Rails' Turbo Streams. Dive in and learn from our experiences!
Resources:
* https://neon.tech/
* Jason's tweet: https://twitter.com/jmcharnes/status/1687286039356829698
* Cloudflare Worker docs: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/
* Jumpstart Pro starter kit for Ruby on Rails: https://jumpstartrails.com/
* Turbo Streams documentation: https://turbo.hotwired.dev/handbook/streams
* YCombinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/
* Google Calendar API docs: https://developers.google.com/calendar/api/guides/overview
* Microsoft Startup program for credits: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/startups -
Welcome back after the summer break! CJ and Colin get caught up after a summer of adventure and... new job announcements!
CJ update Tahoe Time / Family TimeE-Bike with DadBoat / Plane flight simulatorColin update Spending time on the coworking spaceSummer campingRole reversals and announcement We have new jobs!Context switching Colin: product & engineering → developer relationsCJ: developer relations → product & engineeringFewer guard rails, much less narrow focus, wearing more hats, more autonomy, freedom and responsibilityCJ is now at CraftwerkNextJST3 stackMySQL with PlanetscaleDrizzle ORMZod schema validationBack office/Admin CRUD app in RailsColin is now at DiscordCurrently onboarding and learningBuilding a Google Calendar app to get fully up to speed on all the areas of the developer experienceOther happenings: RailsWorld is happening later this year in AmsterdamTickets sold out in 45 minutesSpeakers announced this weekMust download calendar app for MacOS folks: Fantastical -
In this episode, we chat with Dave Paola, the founder of the Agency of Learning, an organization aimed at getting early-career developers job-ready, especially developer boot camp graduates. We delve into the history of boot camps, identify key gaps in current education methods, and explore how the Agency of Learning addresses these gaps by simulating a real-team environment and emphasizing technical and non-technical skills.
Visit the Agency of Learning to learn more about Dave's innovative approach to junior engineer hiring and management.For a more in-depth understanding of teaching for mastery, check out Sal Khan's illuminating TED Talk.Get involved with open-source contributions and support social good with Ruby for Good.Discover Casa, a case management open-source app that supports volunteer work for children in foster care.Dive deeper into the tech industry's professional growth and career progression with Engineering Ladders.Check out "Engineering Management for the Rest of Us" by Sarah Drasner for relatable and pragmatic advice on engineering management.Read David Marquet's transformative leadership book, "Turn the Ship Around" for a novel perspective on leadership and management.Connect with our guest on Twitter @dpaola2 for more enriching content and discussions.
Resources and Links -
In this episode, we talk with Chris Oliver about his deliberate approach to building GoRails and his other businesses on Rails. In a tech world that only seems to be moving faster and faster, we discuss the slow and steady path he has followed to create a fulfilling life for himself and his team while shipping awesome Rails things for his customers.
Build Your Saas Episode: Nobody in SaaS wants to talk about thisBuild Your SaaS Episode: Super Fun SaaS Sales Tax (Part Deux)Die With Zero book
Some links to things we discussed:Some of the things Chris and his team work on:
GoRails Jumpstart RailsHatchbox HostingThe Remote Ruby Podcast and many other things you can find at https://excid3.com/ -
In this episode, we're joined by Alan Shreve, the founder and CEO of ngrok, to discuss the future of software development and the emergence of innovative tools that simplify complex tasks -- like ingress. We talk about ngrok's solid approach to error handling, which enhances troubleshooting and user experience by assigning unique codes to each error. The conversation also delves into the evolution of ngrok, an "ingress as a service" platform designed to streamline the setup of web application infrastructure by abstracting complexities of networking, thereby reducing your workload.
We address the challenges in distributed systems and the importance of automating processes, focusing on the role of tools like Heroku, Vercel, and CloudFlare in managing infrastructure and security. We explore the concept of edge computing and globally distributed applications, envisioning two potential futures - one with advanced storage layers handling global distribution and another where applications can split between the origin and the global edge.
The discussion also highlights the shift in the industry away from tasks like memory management and assembly language and the rise of cloud-based tools, which lowers the barrier to entry for new developers. Despite the potential pitfalls of abstraction, like the reduced need for developers to tinker and learn, we see this as a positive development. We wrap by emphasizing the end goal of software development - delivering a product that serves the customer's needs, facilitated by tools that simplify and standardize the development process.
Resources:
ngrok: ingress as a service - https://ngrok.comIntroducing ngrok-go - https://ngrok.com/blog-post/ngrok-gongrok-go library - https://github.com/ngrok/ngrok-goIntroducing ngrok-rs - https://ngrok.com/blog-post/ngrok-rsVim plugin for GitHub CoPilot - https://github.com/github/copilot.vimStripe's Embeddable Payment Components - https://stripe.com/docs/payments/payment-element - Vis mere
