Crafting Code Podcast

What does it mean to be a full-stack developer as opposed to front- or back-end? Is anyone really full-stack? Is it a reflection of who you are, or is it more about how your company chooses to operate? Whether or not you have a preference for the part of the stack you work in, there is value to expanding your understanding and collaboration.

Mistakes are inevitable. In this episode, your hosts share some of the lessons we've learned the hard way through the mistakes we've made. Our hope is that some of you may be able to avoid making these same mistakes. But if not, at least know you're not alone and we can all improve.

What do you need to know to be a successful software developer? No matter your path into writing software, there are some things you ought to learn. Unfortunately, formal education doesn't teach us all we need to know, and even worse: sometimes even teaches us the wrong things!

Humans communicate through stories. That includes the ones writing code. The folklore of your team teaches you about your history (the hows and whys that got you here) and your ambitions for the future. In this episode, Dave and Allan (sans Matt) discuss the storytelling element of teams.

Coupling and cohesion are fundamental concepts in software systems. From types of coupling to Conway's Law, Matt and Allan (sans Dave) discuss how these two ideas can affect your day to day work beyond just the formal definitions.

TDD is one of the most powerful, professional practices we are aware of for designing code. It provides a consistent way to make sure you solve the problem at hand while naturally improving your code quality. This episode takes a deep dive into your hosts' thoughts on the practice.

Communities of professionals don't just spring into being on their own. In this episode we welcome a special guest, Mike Clement, to talk with us about his experiences in starting and building communities. Meeting with a group of kindred spirits can make a huge difference in your career.

A professional doesn't just write code, they also know when to delete it. In this episode, we discuss the problems that code can cause and share some ideas on how to go about making your codebase smaller.

Practice is key to learning and developing skills. It provides us fast feedback and allows us to fail in safe efforts which can be reversed or thrown away. Playing in code can motivate us and our teams to improve, creating outcomes that employers desire.

What does it mean for a software team to be effective? What sorts of things can you do to increase your effectiveness as a team? In this episode, we discuss the principles and practices which we have seen in common among effective teams.