In this powerhouse episode of The Programming Podcast, hosts Danny Thompson and Leon Noel sit down with Mark Techson — DevRel at Google and a longtime educator — to dive deep into Angular, DevRel, tech education, and how to create transformational learning experiences. From Google I/O prep to why Angular still thrives in enterprise environments, Mark opens up about his journey from teaching in churches to influencing thousands of developers globally. Whether you're React-curious, Angular-biased, or figuring out your tech journey — this episode will challenge how you think about frameworks, developer growth, and what success really looks like in this industry.

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Danny Thompson

https://x.com/DThompsonDev

https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev

www.DThompsonDev.com

Leon Noel

https://x.com/leonnoel

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/

https://100devs.org/

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?

Email us at [email protected]!

💡 Topics covered:

What DevRel actually does at Google

Angular’s evolution and future

Signals, hydration, and bleeding-edge web tech

Developer education and breaking down hard concepts

The mindset shift from junior to impactful developer

Powerful personal stories on teaching, mentorship, and legacy in tech

0:00 Intro

01:05 - Meet Your Hosts: Danny, Leon, and Mark

02:00 - What is DevRel *Really*?

05:00 - A Day in the Life of DevRel at Google

08:00 - Why Fortune 500 Companies Still Use Angular

10:35 - Modernizing Angular: Signals, Hydration & More

13:10 - How Google Listens to the Developer Community

15:25 - Angular's Opt-In Philosophy & Avoiding Breaking Changes

16:45 - What Caused the Angular Perception Problem?

19:45 - Rebuilding Angular’s Image & Modern Relevance

22:00 - Transformational Education: Teaching Angular Differently

25:00 - Creating Talks That Change Worldviews

27:00 - From Church to Code: The Roots of a Great Communicator

29:00 - Evolving Notions of Success in Tech Careers

32:00 - Life Lessons: From Struggle to Strategic Planning

36:30 - Impact Through Mentorship & Developer Cohorts

40:10 - Cohort Project Spotlight: Smart Tenant Solution

42:00 - The Power of Being a Hard Worker with a Plan

44:00 - Learning to Learn: Avoiding Accidental Days

46:05 - Teaching Moments: Students Who Were Meant for This

47:00 - Listener Question: How Far Down the JavaScript Rabbit Hole?

50:00 - Why JavaScript + TypeScript Still Makes Sense

54:00 - Danny’s Rant: Don't Just Trust Random Internet Advice

56:30 - Final Thoughts & Farewell