96: Business is Hard (Jeff Casimir)

FromGiant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots

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96: Business is Hard (Jeff Casimir)

FromGiant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots

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Length:

35 minutes

Released:

Apr 27, 2014

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Live from RailsConf, Ben talks to Executive Director of The Turing School Jeff Casimir on Conf-stress, the lack of jobs in open source and the challenges of learning to run a business.

Released:

Apr 27, 2014

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

A podcast about the design, development, and business of great software. Each week thoughtbot's Chad Pytel (CEO) and Lindsey Christensen (CMO) are joined by the people who build and nurture the products we love.

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1: Polymorphism vs. Conditionals: Ben Orenstein and Joe Ferris (and the surprise special guest Seana Quental) start the series off with a very technical discussion about Polymorphism vs. Conditionals. We also answer some of the audience questions we asked for last week. by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
31 min listen
13: I'll disagree in just a little bit: Ben Orenstein is joined by Joe Ferris, CTO of thoughtbot, and Josh Clayton, developer at thoughtbot and the lead maintainer of FactoryGirl. In this Rails focused episode, Ben, Joe, and Josh dish on ActiveRecord callbacks, observers, state machines, and be by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
30 min listen
20: Ruby Lightning: In this special episode from RubyConf 2012 we pulled aside some of the attendees and found out what they're working on. We also include a selection of the great lightning talks at the conference. Enjoy! by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
34 min listen
3: The FactoryGirl Representation of a Factory: Ben Orenstein is joined by Josh Clayton, the maintainer of FactoryGirl, and a developer at thoughtbot. Ben and Josh discuss FactoryGirl: using it, its development progress, and features. What it's like to run an open source project, and how to contribute by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
40 min listen
47: Two hours per minute: In this episode, recorded at RailsConf 2013, Ben Orenstein is joined by Ryan Bates of RailsCasts. Ben and Ryan discuss Ryan's transition to working on RailsCasts full time, staying up to date on the latest technology, how his coding style has changed, mai by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
21 min listen
2: Design with a sip of Bourbon: Ben Orenstein is joined this week by Phil LaPier, the creator of Bourbon and a designer at thoughtbot. Ben and Phil discuss the design process, fundamentals of visual design, common design errors, and how to be a better designer (even if you're a develope by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
36 min listen
11: You want your system to bend, not to break: Ben Orenstein is joined by Sean Cribbs, Software Engineer at Basho, the makers of Riak. Ben and Sean start off discussing the interesting overlap of programmers and musicians and why it seems to happen so much. They then discuss Sean's role at Basho, what by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
54 min listen
40: He's winking at me: Ben is joined by Bryan Helmkamp, the founder of CodeClimate. In Bryan's second appearance on the podcast, Ben and Bryan discuss the architecture behind CodeClimate, scaling the service, and growing the business. They also discuss speaking at conferences, by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
32 min listen
4: I've got a little thoughtbot angel or devil on my shoulder: Ben Orenstein is joined by David Thyresson, the founder of Stattleship and a past client of thoughtbot. Ben and David discuss how he got started with Stattleship, how he came to work with thoughtbot, and what it was like to work with us. Also, how the ide by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
38 min listen
15: Moving money should be free: Ben Orenstein is joined by Seth Priebatsch, creator of SCVNGR and LevelUp. Ben and Seth talk about LevelUp, how it got started, how they make money, and what the future holds. They also discuss his daily schedule, maintaining focus, what he worries about, by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
44 min listen
27: Fabulous new mistakes: Ben Orenstein is joined by Joe Ferris, CTO of thoughtbot. Inspired by a question on Law of Demeter from listener Nathan Long, Joe and Ben (hopefully) answer Nathan's question, and then go on to discuss how the Law of Demeter is a form of duplication, how by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
27 min listen
24: Not so DRY that it chafes: Ben Orenstein is joined by Sarah Mei, RailsBridge co-founder, a developer at Pivotal Labs, and Diaspora core team member. In this episode, recorded at RubyConf 2012, Ben and Sarah discuss how communication patterns of your team manifest themselves in the by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
32 min listen
6: MVP of Personal Hygiene: Ben Orenstein is joined by Dan Powell, founder of Abakas. Dan plays the role of Consulting CTO for his clients. They discuss the best and the worst of his job, his history as a Linux hacker, and what his experience has taught him about technology and tech by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
45 min listen
10: Isn't the last stage of grieving acceptance?: Ben Orenstein is joined by Joe Ferris and Mike Burns. They start off with some recommendations for awesome programming books and then dive right in to questions about not following "Tell don't ask" in the view, how MVC and the Single Responsibility Princi by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
43 min listen
38: Standing out from the pack: This week Ben Orenstein is joined by Jeremy McAnally, employee at GitHub, author of Ruby in Practice, Rails 3 Upgrade Handbook, MacRuby in Action, and more. Jeremy and Ben discuss teaching and organizing conferences, remote working for GitHub, the and the by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
37 min listen
36: A gem called exploit: This week Ben Orenstein is joined by Nick Quaranto, developer at 37signals and one of the maintainers of RubyGems.org. Nick and Ben discuss the just released Basecamp iOS app, the architecture of the app, the origins of the app and how it became what it i by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
48 min listen
7: Something Else Was Smellier: Ben Orenstein is once again joined by Joe Ferris, CTO of thoughtbot. Joe and Ben dive right in to a technical discussion about Objects versus Structures. They then discuss what Joe does as the new CTO of thoughtbot, and how his goal is to set up a system by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
34 min listen
29: The most ironic iOS developer: Ben Orenstein is joined by Gordon Fontenot and Matt Mongeau, two thoughtbot developers, to discuss iOS development using both Objective-C and RubyMotion. Ben, Matt, and Gordon talk about the differences between the two platforms for iOS development, testi by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
29 min listen
12: I think I'll be on a yacht: Ben Orenstein is joined by Matt Jankowski, COO of thoughtbot. Ben and Matt start off by talking about how Matt came to join thoughtbot and his role at the company. They then discuss the typical thoughtbot sales process. How all problems are communication by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
38 min listen
9: TDD for Business!!: Ben Orenstein is joined by Chad Pytel, the CEO and Founder of thoughtbot. Ben and Chad talk about the history of thoughtbot, success, failures, lessons learned, the current growth plans for the company, and much more. They also answer listener questions a by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
50 min listen
5: My wife is getting really into whiskey: Ben Orenstein is joined by “Cowboy” Ben Alman, JavaScript open source developer and Director of Pluginization at Bocoup. They discuss how Ben Alman got started with programming and his crazy projects, the open web, favorite tools, and one of his latest pr by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
49 min listen
37: You're riding the Rails bro!: Ben Orenstein is joined this week by Joe Ferris, CTO of thoughtbot. Ben and Joe discuss starting a new Rails project and our Rails application generator, Suspenders, test spies and breaking up your tests, and using Rails beta versions. by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
35 min listen
8: Wax on, Wax off: Ben Orenstein is joined by Gabe Berke-Williams and Edward Loveall. Gabe is developer at thoughtbot and the product manager of the thoughtbot apprenticeship program, apprentice.io. Edward is a current design apprentice. Gabe, Edward, and Ben talk about app by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
30 min listen
14: Say goodbye to that big guy: Ben Orenstein is joined by Prem Sichanugrist, a developer at thoughtbot and the #31 top Rails contributor. Ben and Prem walk through the major changes that will be introduced in Rails 4, including strong parameters, the new built in queue, cache_digest, c by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
31 min listen
32: There is an excited you in there: Ben Orenstein is joined this week by Daniel Jalkut, the developer of MarsEdit and other fine software. Ben and Daniel discuss the origin of Daniel's twitter username, his history at Apple and his work there, and how it influences what he builds today. The by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
42 min listen
16: Making it fast: Ben Orenstein is joined by William Josephson and Jay Moorthi from Solano Labs, the makers of tddium, the hosted, scalable continuous integration service. They discuss the architecture of the service, including how they're using Go to speed up parts of it, by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
35 min listen
18: Trading Hours for Money: Ben Orenstein is joined by Brennan Dunn, author of double your freelancing rate and planscope.io. Ben and Brennan discuss transitioning from a freelancer to a consulting company, the issues he faced doing it, and how he overcame them. How he promoted some by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
40 min listen
31: I write everything in Markdown: This week Chad Pytel is joined by software developer, podcaster, and author, Brett Terpstra. Chad and Brett discuss Brett's work location and setup, his open source and commercial software projects, app store pricing, his publishing experience and workflo by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
45 min listen
23: As a consultant it's always your fault: Ben Orenstein is joined by Tammer Saleh and Randall Thomas, the founders of Thunderbolt Labs. In this episode, recorded at RubyConf 2012, they discuss their philosophy of running and building the company, how they differ from other consulting companies, a by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
32 min listen
17: I'm feeling full and Sassy: Ben Orenstein is joined by Kyle Fiedler, a designer at thoughtbot, and one of the creators of Bourbon Neat. Ben and Kyle discuss responsive design, what it is, and how to implement it. They also discuss Bourbon (a library of Sass mixins) and Neat (a fluid by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
25 min listen

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527: Exploring AI in Business with PrimeLab io’s Wendell Adams: Host Victoria Guido welcomes Wendell Adams, CEO of PrimeLab io, who shares his journey from childhood tech enthusiast to entrepreneur, highlighting his focus on making technology accessible. Wendell discusses the strategic direction and market fit for PrimeLab, emphasizing innovative solutions for the entertainment industry that respect user control and privacy. The episode concludes with Wendell's insights on democratizing data access, enhancing business processes, and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on thinking critically and creatively. by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
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526: AI-Powered Leadership with Waggle AI: Hosts Will Larry and Victoria Guido interview Sarah Touzani, founder of Waggle AI, who shares how her pottery hobby influenced her entrepreneurial journey and focus on improving managerial skills and workplace culture. Sarah discusses the challenges and pivots in developing Waggle AI, which aids in meeting preparations, note-taking, and providing feedback on leadership skills to enhance delegation and empathy. by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
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525: Tech, Public Service, and Serendipity: Victoria Guido chats with Robbie Holmes, founder and CEO of Holmes Consulting Group, who shares his unexpected journey from an entry-level position at a small web hosting company to a pivotal role in civic tech and public interest technology. Robbie discusses his evolution through various tech roles and his love of the Drupal community, highlighting the influential role of networking in his career development. He also reflects on his work with the U.S. Digital Service while underscoring the significance of technology in public services. by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
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524: From Personal Loss to Pioneering Pediatric Health: Hosts Will Larry and Victoria Guido are joined by Hans Kullberg, Co-Founder of Pathfinder Health, a startup that integrates technology with pediatric health to provide objective developmental insights. Hans recounts his journey, from a career on Wall Street to the impactful work at Pathfinder Health, spurred by the tragic loss of his daughter, which motivated him to improve developmental diagnostics. He discusses how Pathfinder Health leverages machine learning and video analysis to enhance pediatric care, aiming for earlier and more accurate interventions by merging detailed developmental data into health records. by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
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523: The Art of Leadership with Francis Lacoste: Host Victoria Guido chats with Francis Lacoste, a seasoned VPE and CTO coach, who recounts his unexpected journey from cinema to tech leadership and his dedication to developing engineering management talent and fostering strong organizational cultures. He delves into the psychological aspects of leadership, emphasizing the importance of psychological safety, trust, and the critical soft skills required for effective strategic leadership. by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
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522: Turning Passions into Therapy with Hobi's Hamidah Nalwoga: Host Victoria Guido explores the intersection of hobbies and mental health therapy with Hamidah Nalwoga, founder of Hobi. Hamidah recounts her journey from costly circus school hula hooping lessons to creating Hobi, a platform that turns hobbies into tools for personal therapy and community engagement. She talks about the operational challenges of managing a dual-sided market and the broader societal impacts, emphasizing how Hobi offers affordable, creative sessions in arts, dance, and writing to foster mental well-being and tackle the mental health crisis through community support and technological innovation. by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
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521 - Insusty: Pioneering Sustainability Rewards for Environmental Action: Hosts Will Larry and Victoria Guido talk with Sanghmitra Bhardwaj, CEO of Insusty, about her journey from a Himalayan village to founding a company in France that drives sustainable actions through a rewards program. They explore how Insusty fosters environmental stewardship by rewarding actions like volunteering and donating to overcome the high costs of sustainable living. The discussion also covers the broader impacts of sustainable practices in technology and business, Sanghmitra's experiences as a solo female founder, and her plans for enhancing Insusty's platform. by Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
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96: Business is Hard (Jeff Casimir)

96: Business is Hard (Jeff Casimir)

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots