In this episode, your hosts Ben Nadel and Ryan Brown take a break from their usual guest interviews to reflect on their personal and professional journeys in the first months of 2025. They discuss major career transitions, the challenges of job hunting in today's market, and the evolving landscape of software development, all while sharing personal stories and insights on adapting to change.

Key Points:

• Ben shares his transition from co-founding Envision to joining a new company in a completely different industry, facing a steep learning curve.

• Ryan talks about how networking and content creation play a key role in career opportunities, and why developers should build a public presence.

• They discuss the struggles of job searching, from dealing with stress and rejection to navigating a shifting industry.

• The importance of continuous learning, including Ben’s deep dive into CF Wheels and Ryan’s exploration of AI tools for productivity.

• A surprising story about purchasing fake AirPods from a major retailer and the unexpected resolution.

Ben reflects on his career shift after Envision’s closure, now working with Peter Amiri in a company focused on truck parts manufacturing.

• He describes the shift from self-directed work to structured teamwork and ticket-based workflows.

• Adjusting to new processes, communication methods, and working with a small but growing development team.

• Learning CF Wheels as part of the new job and the challenges of adapting to a new framework.

• The difficulty of balancing personal projects with work and feeling mentally exhausted from constant adaptation.

Ryan discusses his experience with job hunting and how networking made all the difference.

• Instead of relying on traditional applications, he leveraged his contacts to land new opportunities.

• He highlights how producing content and engaging with the community helps people stay visible in their industry.

• They reflect on how technical interviews often fail to identify the best candidates.

• The importance of having a portfolio to showcase real-world skills rather than relying on resume claims.

The hosts talk about their growing podcast and their experiences connecting with industry leaders.

• The unexpected success of the show and the ease of booking high-profile guests.

• How structuring the podcast recording schedule helped them maintain consistency.

• The challenge of engaging with technical communities outside of developer circles, like sysadmins and DevOps professionals.

Ben shares his journey into learning CF Wheels and the challenges of adapting to a new development ecosystem.

• How CF Wheels compares to Ruby on Rails and its "convention over configuration" approach.

• The struggle of learning a new problem domain while adjusting to a new job environment.

• Dealing with imposter syndrome and the pressure to adapt quickly.

Ryan recounts his bizarre experience buying fake AirPods from Walmart.

• The troubleshooting process, multiple failed attempts to connect them, and Apple's confirmation that they were counterfeit.

• How Walmart ultimately resolved the issue after several attempts at customer service.

• A lesson in checking serial numbers when purchasing electronics from big retailers.

The hosts wrap up with a look ahead at upcoming episodes, including more Adobe-focused discussions and AI developments.