What if internet trolls could become your greatest collaborators? Nolen Royalty discovered this unexpected truth when his simple checkbox game went viral.

It began with a school email prank that crashed servers but sparked a philosophy: creative constraints breed innovation. From "Flappy Dird" to "One Million Checkboxes," Nolen built games that turned limitations into playgrounds.

But when his checkbox project became a battleground of organized chaos, Nolen faced a choice: suppress the chaos or lean into it.

Discover how systematic constraints can channel creative anarchy - and why one developer now believes the best user experiences emerge when you code for controlled chaos of strangers meeting on the internet.

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What if leaving your dream job was the way to discover your true self? 

  Jon de la Motte failed his first Stripe interview, but he didn't give up. It was his dream job, a company that connected with his father's work in finance with his software ambitions.

  At Stripe, Jon faced challenges. He joined a risky JavaScript infrastructure team and struggled to find his footing. Eventually he found his way, built a great team and then it all started to fall apart again.

  Discover how Jon's journey reshaped his life and what it means to balance personal and professional priorities.

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What if you had to break life-changing news to your team—could you handle the weight of their futures?

Allison's journey from software engineer to compassionate leader at Shopify is filled with challenges and growth. It all started when her mentor was suddenly laid off, leaving her with uncertainty and guilt. This turning point taught her the importance of adaptability in the tech industry's ups and downs.

When Allison faced her own layoff, she found the strength to move on to new roles, including a position at Shopify. There, she had to announce layoffs to her team, learning to lead with empathy and prioritize their well-being.

Her story highlights the power of empathy and resilience in leadership. She shares how to end employment on good terms and create a supportive environment for those affected. While layoffs are tough, they can also be a place to show strength.

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Have you ever known someone who's technical brilliance was overshadowed by personal failings? This is the story of Hans Reiser, a software developer driven to create a superior Linux filesystem, but whose difficult personality got in the way.

  Then came the disappearance of his wife, Nina, in 2006. The investigation pointed to Reiser, ending with a murder conviction that shocked the tech world.

  Reiser's story is a reminder of how technical skills and personal integrity need to go hand in hand. From prison, he reflects on his mistakes, realizing the need for empathy and collaboration. His legacy, once about innovation, now serves as a cautionary tale.

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How do you know what matters? What if training to climb Everest left you certain you were on the wrong career path?

Join us as we explore Yoshio's incredible journey from the heights of Everest, to coding bootcamps, to finding his true calling in start-ups and communication skills training.

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 What if your corporate job left you feeling empty, and you decided to leap into venture capital?

Tim Chen, a software engineer, was disillusioned with corporate life at Microsoft. The 2008 market crash and layoffs deepened his dissatisfaction. Seeking more impactful work, Tim joined startups and contributed to open-source projects, like Kafka and Docker.

Then after his own start-up, Tim found a niche bridging the gap between technical founders and venture capital. But could get into Venture Capital himself?

Join me and Tim to hear his journey from a disillusioned software engineer to a successful venture capitalist, exploring the highs and lows of his unusual career move.

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Today the tables have turned and you're going to hear someone interview me.  Ronak and Guang from the Software Misadventures podcast are going to interview me  about podcasting. My history as a software developer and I guess this big idea. That I don't think I've shared too much about the importance of communication.

More details including a video version of the interview here:

https://softwaremisadventures.com/p/adam-gordon-bell-story-telling

What if you had to fight against your company's culture to bring a revolutionary tool to life? Meet Jeffrey Snover, the Microsoft architect behind PowerShell, a command tool that transformed Windows system administration. Initially met with skepticism, Snover's idea faced resistance from a company that favored graphical interfaces. 

Snover's journey began with a simple mission: to make Windows as command-line managable as UNIX systems. Despite facing pushback and navigating through company restructures, his persistence paid off. 

This episode explores how Snover's relentless drive and clear vision overcame numerous obstacles, leading to a tool that is now fundamental in modern enterprise environments. Listen to how one person's determination can challenge the status quo.

Help Adam Find His Next Role

I'm on the hunt for a new developer relations role. 

If you know of any companies where they need someone who can speak engineer, who can communicate to developers, that's me. I'm your guy for explaining complex stuff in a way that's catchy and fun and makes sense to software developers. If you know of any roles like this, let me know. Who should I be talking to?

Reach out: [email protected], @adamgordonbell, Linkedin, My Calendar.

Links:

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Can you imagine risking your career to making coding easier to learn?

Meet Felienne Hermans, a professor who did just that by stepping beyond academia to redefine coding education. Disillusioned by her research’s limited impact, Felienne discovered a new calling in teaching coding to underserved students. Her journey led to the creation of Hedy, a programming language designed to dismantle language and learning barriers in coding.

Confronting skepticism from her peers, Felienne’s dedication to accessible coding challenged traditional academic priorities. Felienne’s story is a powerful reminder of the impact one person can have by following their passion against the odds.

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What if the tools you trust were actually betraying you? Join us for a riveting story where a team of software developers discovers that their compiler is compromised. What starts as suspicion of a simple bug quickly escalates into the alarming realization.

  In this 100th episode celebration past show regulars Don and Krystal join Adam lend their voice to this work of fiction about the limits of trust in computing from Lawrence Kesteloot.

  Join us in as we peel back the layers of trust in the software we rely on daily and celebrate our 100th episode.

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