Episodes

  • What do you do when your voice gains an audience? Do you rattle cages or open doors? That's what we talk about in this episode.

    Scott talks to Anjuan Simmons about the power of lending your privilege, lifting people up by getting out of the way.

    Rob talks to April Edwards about being an ally, listening, and shutting up. April's blog post about her health battle can be found here.

    Music

    The music used for this show is shared, kindly, by the following artists - our thanks to them!

    Zakhar Dziubenko SPMusic OctoSound Alexi Action Nine Inch Nails (as always) Praz Khanal
  • How does our Faith drive us? Do you have Faith in yourself and your abilities, and how do you know you're on the right path? In this episode of This Developer's Life we offer you two stories. 

    Rob has packed up his family and is travelling the world. He talks about his Faith in his children, recorded in a small town in Greece. 

    Then we talk to Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo, aka Sammus, about her crisus of Faith. She's juggling getting a PhD from Cornell while her side career as a musician is starting to take off. Which path is the right path?

    Sammus - Mae Jemison Sammus - No Hands Sammus - The Father Sammus - 1080p Sammus - Pity Party Sammus - Success Sammus - Power Ups Sammus - Cybernetic Armor
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  • In this episode of This Developer's Life we ask the hard questions about space. Why aren't we on Mars? Why haven't we gone back to the moon? We talk to Paul Lutus, Dan Bricklin, Tamar Cohen, and hear from Ray Bradbury.

    Scott and Rob have not yet gone to space and don't understand why. In this episode of This Developer's Life we ask the hard questions about space. Why aren't we on Mars? Why haven't we gone back to the moon? We talk to Paul Lutus, Dan Bricklin, Tamar Cohen, and hear from Ray Bradbury.

    Credits

    Thank you to Jeff Goldsmith, maker of the free storytelling app Backstory, for allowing us to use his recording of Ray Bradbury from Comic-Con 2010.

  • Big thanks from both my wife and myself for the outpouring of support after our Cancer announcement. Last year was a long year and the Cancer part of the year was particularly long.

    We were very private about the whole thing and waited to tell anyone until we knew we were mostly OK. However, to my surprise, the day of the diagnosis my wife, who has never shown much interested in podcasting announced "I want to record an audio Cancer Diary. Can you do that?"

    So we did.

    We honestly didn't know if we were going to publish this when we started but after a month of editing late into the night, we are.

    This episode of This Developer's Life takes a half year of our lives and many, many hours of audio and turns it into a single hour show that Mo and I are happy to share it with you today.

    I hope you enjoy the show and that you and yours are, and remain, healthy.


    Music

    The music tracks this week are used under Creative Commons. Please check out our friends on SoundCloud.

    Xinbi - Elysian RainIan Redfield Music - Thoughtful Violin (2010)Yogi Music - StuffLunova Labs - La VieJéan-Paul D. Jackson - MimiSlightWhiteRabbit - Relax1Seven Lions - Days to Comeitsjakez - Cancer
  • Where does drama come from? How do we react to it? How much drama can be created by simple semicolon? This week we explore The Great Semicolon Affair.

    Peter Cooper Friendly publisher, programmer and authorDerick Bailey Consultant and aspiring microprenuerH. Alan Stevens Father, Geek & SpeakerDave Ward Software developer focusing on jQuery and web application usability.Sara Chipps Just a girl, standing in front of a compiler, asking it to love her.Tenderlove When I'm not trimming my beard, I'm hanging out with my lady.


    Music

    The music tracks this week are either Creative Commons from Magnatune or 30 - 60 seconds snips used as Fair Use.

  • How many empty brain cells do you have in your head? How capable are you of learning something completely new, and retaining what you already know? Scott and Rob talk to two developers this week who flex their ability to learn to both have fun, and succeed at their career.

    Patrick Cauldwell Liberal Arts Major and Author of Code LeaderZach Johnson 17-year old home-school kid who has an internship building rockets at Microsoft


    Music

    The music tracks this week are either Creative Commons from Magnatune or 30 - 60 seconds snips used as Fair Use. Most of the music for the show was from a single artist: Aluminum Forest. An amazing album worth your time - go check it out.

    Aluminum Forest - Aluminum ForestNine Inch Nails - GhostsDaft Punk - TRON: Legacy Reconfigured


    Photo

    This week's evocative photo is from Flickr and is used under Creative Commons.

  • You're so old! What a dinosaur! You're using old software and old languages to do old things! Or are you? Scott and Rob talk to David Sokol, Sean Bamforth and Pete Brown about Fortran, DataFlex and the Commodore 64. All these dinosaurs are doing useful work. Or, are they?

    David Sokol Fortran Programmer and dude with an AWESOME hover state on his home pageSean Bamforth Former Dataflex programmer and now beginning .NET guruPete Brown Senior Project Manager, Microsoft and budding Thomas Edison


    Music

    The music tracks this week are all Creative Commons from SoundCloud and most are less than 10 seconds.

    djpenegre - Ibiza Sunrise 2MattyBlades - Midi Blues~djrain~ - Ladies of the 80s Retro Mixmrevaaaaa - The Cogs Are Spinnin'WenzelRanch - Happy Feed Midi JamAlexDaniels - ZimbabweLucent Zoom - 1764Lucent Zoom - Irish SongMIDI Controller - 'XactlyBDarner2 - 6Death of New AgeThe Apex - An Azure Night


    Photo

    This week's evocative photo is from Flickr and is used under Creative Commons.

  • What do you do when you're not staring at your computer screen? What obsession grips you as you drive home? In this episode we ask David Heinemeier Hansson and Pete Brown this very question.

    David Heinemeier Hansson Creator of Rails and budding Racer XPete Brown Senior Project Manager, Microsoft and budding Thomas Edison


    Music

    The music tracks this week are a combination of Fair Use, Royalty-free, and Mashups. As with most of our mashups I won't link the source but you can find them on any video serving site.

    Ladytron - Ace of Hz - DJ Tiesto RemixNine Inch Nails - Various Remixes of Deep and Perfect DrugJerry Berlongieri - Known BugsKarftwerk - Pocket CalculatorDJs From Mars - Enter Telephone
  • Who cares about typefaces and why should you? Well, these guys do and you should start caring. Rob and Scott explore the world of reading online with one of the godfathers in the world of typeface and fonts.

    Bill Hill Lover of reading, of typefaces, and co-creator of ClearTypeGeoffrey Grosenbach Owner/Founder of PeepCode


    Music

    The music tracks this week are a combination of Fair Use, Royalty-free, and Mashups. As with most of our mashups I won't link the source but you can find them on any video serving site.

    Juno Reactor - High Energy ProtonsNine Inch Nails - GhostsTrent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Pieces from the WholeNine Inch Nails - The Great Collapse (Instrumental)Calexico - Whipping the Horses Eyes
  • What is taste? What is style? Do you have it? Scott and Rob have no idea what it is or how to get it - but they know it's important. In this show they talk to a designer who flexes his good taste for a living - and a developer who is committed to spreading good taste where he can.

    Michael Bach Designer at MicrosoftGeoffrey Grosenbach Owner/Founder of PeepCode


    Music

    The music tracks this week are a combination of Fair Use, Royalty-free, and Mashups. As with most of our mashups I won't link the source but you can find them on any video serving site.

    Jeff Buckley - HallelujaHymn - HymnNine Inch Nails - GhostsJag - My Momma Told MeLow and Spring Heel Jack - Hand So Small
  • Scott and Rob discuss the value of a degree - and talk to two developers who used their passion to pull them through school and into their careers.

    Aqueelah Grant QA Specialist at Trimmer MediaSeth Juarez Developer Evangelist at DevExpress


    Music

    The music tracks this week are a combination of Fair Use, Royalty-free, and Mashups. As with most of our mashups I won't link the source but you can find them on any video serving site.

    Deftones - Change in the House of Flies - Accoustic VersionMusic Inside - Sound ObjectsThe Kills - The Good OnesLisa DeBenedictus / Sidetrack - DJ CarySwampland - touchingGraceThe Kills - Tape SongTricky Sandman - Mark Vidler
  • Scott and Rob talk to a group of Top Gun developers: the StackOverflow team, about the day their database melted - and how the team responded.

    Geoff Dalgas - developer on StackOverflowSam Saffron - developer and data geek at StackOverflowJeff Atwood ,Mr. CodingHorror and co-founder of StackOverflow


    Music

    The music tracks this week are a combination of Fair Use, Royalty-free, and Mashups. As with most of our mashups I won't link the source but you can find them on any video serving site.

    Beastie Boys - SabotageNine Inch Nails - Ghosts VIStar Garden - RutileCalexico - Whipping the Horse's EyesRildrim - Linber
  • In this episode we talk to three developers about criticism - some they've given and some they've received. In addition we talk to a very vocal critic of this podcast.

    Ayende Rahien - a prominent developer in the .NET community and a force of natureG. Andrew Duthie - a Developer Evangelist at MicrosoftBoris Pavlović , a Serbian developer living with his wife and family in Switzerland


    Music

    The music tracks this week cycle around remixes of a single song: On We March by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The different faces of the music seemed to mirror the phases people go through when confronting criticism - either from others, or their very own.

    Nine Inch Nails - On We March - various RemixesDavid Bowie - Sorrow - InstrumentalNine Inch Nails - Perfect Drug (Grind Mix)
  • In this special episode we explore the Egyptian revolution. We talk to Remon Zakaria about his experience writing software for a day job and overthrowing the government at night. Big thanks to Ahmed Remy and Reem Ahmed for their help. We recorded hours and hours of content to bring you this show. We wish we could have used everyone's story - there were so many.

    Remon Zakaria works at DashSoft, a software consultancy in downtown Cairo specializing in turnkey solutions for offshore companies.


    Music

    The music this week, aside from the very last song, is from a single composer: Jami Sieber (Lush Mechanique). If you've listened to this show for any significant amount of time - you know that music is a big part of it. This week is no exception: Jami's music is evocative, wonderful, compelling and simply a joy to listen to. Go download these things. All of them. They're wonderful.

    The final track is a song from Ramy Essam - an Egyptian folk musician who became the "Singer of the Revolution" and led the masses in Tahrir Square in song.

    The track we ended with is a remix of his famous song, found on YouTube.

  • Rob Sullivan talks about his obsessiveness and how it helps him, and hinders him in his job. Rory Blythe and Scott then talk openly about Rory's compulsion to keep learning - which he has embraced completely.

    Rob Sullivan submitted our very first listener story about what drives him as a DBA - sometimes a bit too farRory Blyth - the smartest man in the world talks openly and candidly about his obsessions - and how he can't just learn something a little bit.


    Music

    We featured some remixes this week from Nine Inch Nails which is issued under Creative Commons. The band allows you to download their tracks, remix, them, and then load them back to their site for common consumption. If you like the following tracks, please support the band by buying their CDs.

    Nine Inch Nails - Zero Sum - InstrumentalNine Inch Nails - All The Love In the World - Instrumental

    Other tracks for this week are used under Creative Commons from Magnatunes. In addition we have some bootlegs and I've linked to the DJ's websites:

    Jami Sieber - Secret HeatRildrim - Dead Sun

    The following tracks were used under fair use (played for 30-60 seconds):

    Foo Fighters - Everlong
  • In this episode we talk to competitors who are also programmers. Or, programmers who also compete. Are coders pre-wired for this? Jon Skeet, David Fowler, Aaron Jensen and Danielle Banks share their stories.

    Jon Skeet shares how he stays at the top of the Stack Overflow points pileDavid Fowler talks about TopCode and flying to DisneyWorld to watch coders codeAaron Jensen quits his job to play poker professionallyDaniele R. Banks is just getting started but is already building competing robots

    Music

    We featured some remixes this week from Nine Inch Nails which is issued under Creative Commons. The band allows you to download their tracks, remix, them, and then load them back to their site for common consumption. If you like the following tracks, please support the band by buying their CDs.

    Nine Inch Nails - Only (Richard X Mix)Nine Inch Nails - In Motion (Discrete Omni's Angular Momentum Mix)Nine Inch Nails - Heresy (Instrumental)

    Other tracks for this week are used under Creative Commons from Magnatunes. In addition we have some bootlegs and I've linked to the DJ's websites:

    Stargarden - MuralSwivel Neck Jones - BurnHeavy Mellow - Maybe It'll RainMatt Hite - Me and You and Yazoo
  • In this episode Scott and Rob talk to 4 entrepreneurs about the risks they take, and what's happened as a result. Dave Nielsen, Tom Preston-Werner, and Nate and Niki Kohari.

    Dave Nielsen tells us about working only for himself and what sleeping on a couch in a basement storeroom feels likeTom Preston-Werner talks to us about founding Github and turning down $300,000 from MicrosoftNate and Niki Kohari talks to us about starting up, and then selling, a tech company while being married


    Music

    Most of the the tracks for this week are used under Creative Commons from Magnatunes. In addition we have some bootlegs and I've linked to the DJ's websites:

    2 Many DJs - Beatles Vs KraftwerkNine Inch Nails - GhostsGeneral Fuzz - Red BalloonNine Inch Nails Remixes - We are Alone/On We MarchWilliamson - 2 percent erRildrim - LinberWilliamson - what's on the ceilingMark Vidler - Go Home Productions - The Weather Episode

    The following tracks were used under fair use (played for 30-60 seconds):

    Puscifer - Momma SedMC 900 Foot Jesus - Buried At Sea

    In addition - we used a few clips from the movie Rushmore. If you haven't seen it - go get it.

    Wes Anderson - Rushmore

  • In this episode Scott and Rob talk to Chad Myers, Chad Fowler, and Doug Rohrer about the scars they've received from dead end projects they've been on. In addition - Sara Chipps contributes her first story for us - interviewing Scott Reynolds.

    Chad Myers tells us about one of the first lead positions he had working for a sleazy business guy.Chad Fowler talks to us about being an imposterSara Chipps contributes her first story to This Developer's Life, interviewing Scott Reynolds about his dream jobsDoug Rohrer talks to Scott about bonding under extreme, Enterprise circumstances


    Music

    The tracks for this week are used under Creative Commons from Magnatunes. In addition we have some bootlegs and I've linked to the DJ's websites:

    Fissunix - Whole Sex Lotta MachineDJ Cary - Dreaming of ThisNine Inch Nails - GhostsGeneral Fuzz - Smiling PerspectivesRildrim - LinberDJs From Mars - Enter Telephone
  • This week it's just Scott and me - Scott gets to go off to Disneyland with his wife and 2 boys, and I get to hang out with my girls for a week as their mom goes on a retreat in California.

    Music

    The tracks for this week are used under Creative Commons from Magnatunes:

    Nine Inch Nails - GhostsGeneral Fuzz - A Spy in the House of LoveGeneral Fuzz - Walking HomeJohn Williams - Days EndMelissa Polinar - Perfectly Distracted. You can see more of Melissa at http://www.melissapolinar.com.Rildrim - LinberOGMA -Jasmine's Song

    The following tracks were used sparingly, but are not Creative Commons. If you like them - please buy them:

    Hapa - Justin's Lullabye

    Hapa - Ka Uluwehi O Ke Kai

  • In this episode Scott and I talk to technical folks who have moved on up to Management - and what it means to them.

    Mark Freedman shares his story about clawing his way out of a successful career as a manager at a rather large, growing company. A good job, lots of respect, and he hates it.Bertrand LeRoy talks about charting his own path right at Microsoft after graduating with a PhD in Physics and how he maintains a career right down in the middle of manager and coder.Todd Baesen talks about moving from Chemical Engineer to Nuclear Engineer on the USS Enterprise (literally), and then to senior management at a big engineering firm in the SF Bay Area.

    Music

    The tracks for this week are used under Creative Commons from Magnatunes:

    Daniel Estrem- Asturias (Leyenda) no. 1 from Cantos de EspanaHarlan Williams - Beneath the Iron Heel of Pagan RomeWilliamson - a please goodbye from whoreUrban Response - Hunter GathererDJ Cary -TermoliFischerspooner - Danse en FranceJaydiohead - December BackdriftsTool - Rosetta StonedGeneral Fuzz - BeatdownNine Inch Nails - GhostsJaydiohead - Life There