In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Kimberly Erni, a software developer who has found balance through contract-based work. We explore the often-overlooked topic of burnout in the tech industry, where "grind culture" is normalized but comes with significant personal costs.

Kimberly shares her personal journey, including how taking a break from full-time work helped her overcome infertility struggles. We discuss the challenges of working in startups with constantly shifting priorities, unrealistic deadlines, and the pressure to always be "on." Both of us open up about our own experiences with burnout and the importance of creating boundaries, especially in remote work environments.

The conversation covers practical advice for developers considering alternative career paths, including how to transition to contract work, the benefits of building products incrementally, and choosing technologies that maximize productivity while minimizing maintenance overhead. Kimberly also discusses her plans to develop a crochet pattern app, which leads to an insightful discussion about building sustainable side businesses.

This episode provides valuable perspective for anyone feeling overwhelmed in their tech career or looking to create a more flexible work arrangement that accommodates personal priorities. Whether you're dealing with burnout, considering contract work, or building your own product, Kimberly's story offers both inspiration and practical guidance.

Resources Mentioned:
- Healthy Gamer video on burnout: https://youtu.be/XW-02QiiHDM?si=d7LeRrHTJjrpPsnP

Connect with Kimberly:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-erni/

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In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Tristan Kildaire, a systems programmer who works on low-level projects including his own programming language. We explore LoRa radio technology, Reticulum mesh networking, and how Elixir can revolutionize IoT development.

Tristan explains the fundamentals of long-range wireless communication using LoRa, which operates in unlicensed spectrum bands and enables low-power, long-distance data transmission perfect for IoT applications. We discuss Reticulum, a cryptographically-secure mesh networking framework that works across heterogeneous networks from radio to Ethernet, providing resilient communication even in challenging environments.

The conversation covers practical applications in smart metering, home automation, and security systems, along with an introduction to the Nerves project for building reliable IoT systems with Elixir. Tristan shares insights on why Erlang's fault-tolerant design makes it ideal for IoT applications, discusses IPv6 advocacy, and explains how Phoenix LiveView enables web development without JavaScript.

We conclude with a lighthearted discussion about AI-assisted programming and the concept of "vibe coding," imagining a collaborative Elixir project built entirely through AI assistance. This episode provides valuable insights for anyone interested in radio technology, mesh networking, or IoT development with Elixir.

Connect with Tristan:
- Website: https://deavmi.assigned.network/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristan-brice-velloza-kildaire/

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In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Andrea Leopardi, Elixir core team member and author of "Network Programming in Elixir and Erlang." We dive deep into the fundamentals of network programming and how the BEAM's process model is perfectly suited for building robust networking applications.

Andrea breaks down complex concepts like the TCP protocol, the OSI model, and the acceptor pool pattern in clear, understandable terms. We explore how Elixir's message-passing paradigm naturally maps to the world of network communications, making it an excellent choice for building high-performance servers and clients.

Our conversation covers the evolution of HTTP protocols from version 1 to 3, the differences between libraries like Mint and GenTCP, and how to approach scalability challenges in network-intensive applications. Andrea shares insights from his experience creating networking libraries and writing technical books that make these advanced topics accessible.

Whether you're building web servers, API clients, or custom TCP/UDP applications with Elixir, this episode provides valuable perspective on the underlying networking concepts that will help you write more efficient and reliable code.

Resources Mentioned:
- Network Programming in Elixir and Erlang: https://pragprog.com/titles/alnpee/network-programming-in-elixir-and-erlang/

Connect with Andrea:
- Website: https://andrealeopardi.com/

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In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Chris Nelson, co-founder and principal engineer at Launch Scout, about leveraging AI tools for Elixir development and how these technologies are transforming developer workflows. Chris brings over a decade of Elixir experience to the conversation, sharing valuable insights on how consultancies can integrate AI to dramatically increase productivity.

Chris discusses the inflection point where AI tools became truly valuable for production work, highlighting how features like Claude AI and Cursor's agent mode with test-driven capabilities transformed his team's approach to development. We explore the unpredictable nature of large language models, structured approaches to AI-assisted coding, and how Launch Scout measured a 4x productivity increase on a real client project using these tools effectively. The conversation includes practical examples of how experienced developers can guide AI to create robust, production-ready code while maintaining critical thinking skills.

Our discussion extends to Web Assembly components and Chris's work on the WASM library, which enables Elixir developers to securely run code written in various languages within their applications. Chris explains how WASM leverages OTP supervision for resilient system design and opens up new possibilities for customizable platforms. We also explore the advantages of Elixir and LiveView for rapid application development, comparing it to microservices approaches and reflecting on the remarkable stability of Elixir applications in production.

Whether you're curious about integrating AI into your development workflow or exploring the cutting edge of Elixir's ecosystem, this conversation offers practical insights and real-world experiences from years of professional Elixir development at scale.

Resources Mentioned:
- Launch Scout:https://launchscout.com/
- Cursor:https://cursor.sh/
- Claude AI:https://anthropic.com/claude
- WASMEx:https://github.com/tessi/wasmex
- LiveState:https://hexdocs.pm/live_state/readme.html

Connect with Chris:
- X:https://x.com/superchris
- LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-nelson-038875/
- Website:https://launchscout.com/
- GitHub:https://github.com/superchris

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In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with returning guest Daniel Bergholz about leveraging AI tools like Windsurf and Claude to dramatically improve Elixir development workflows. Daniel shares his journey from skepticism to becoming a power user, demonstrating how these tools can help developers build faster without compromising quality.

Daniel walks us through his practical approach to incorporating AI into both professional development work and side projects. He explains how to effectively use features like rules files, web documentation integration, and memory systems to get the best results when generating Elixir code. The conversation covers important nuances about how different programming languages perform with AI tools, with Daniel noting that while JavaScript/TypeScript might get near-perfect results, Elixir requires more guidance but still provides excellent value.

The discussion takes a critical look at the "Vibe coding" trend (generating code without understanding it) and offers a more responsible alternative that we call the "sniper approach" - using AI with precision and knowledge. We explore how AI tools are changing developer roles, potentially transitioning programmers from pure coders to more holistic product engineers who can focus on customer needs while leveraging AI for implementation.

Whether you're an Elixir enthusiast curious about productivity tools or a developer interested in responsible AI usage, this episode provides practical insights on balancing automation with craftsmanship. Daniel's experience demonstrates that AI can be a powerful assistant when used thoughtfully, helping developers produce higher quality work in less time.

Resources Mentioned:
- Windsurf:https://www.windsurf.io/
- Cursor:https://cursor.sh/
- Claude:https://claude.ai/

Connect with Daniel:
- Workflow Blog:https://dev.to/danielbergholz/my-ai-powered-workflow-for-writing-elixir-and-phoenix-with-windsurf-4k8m
- Website:https://bergdaniel.com.br/

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In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Isaac Tsalicoglou, author of Northwind Elixir Traders. We explore database modeling techniques, working with Ecto, and his fascinating transition from mechanical engineering to Elixir development.

Isaac shares his experience creating a practical guide for database modeling in Elixir, explaining how the Northwind Traders project helps developers understand complex relationships and query optimization. We discuss the benefits of SQLite for learning, how to effectively manage database migrations, and the challenges of schema changes with real-world data.

Our conversation covers database architecture philosophy, performance optimization techniques, and the importance of understanding query execution plans. Isaac also shares valuable insights on self-hosting, data privacy considerations, and the fundamental differences between hardware and software product development.

The episode concludes with a discussion on development principles and startup philosophy, offering practical wisdom for engineers and developers across disciplines. This conversation provides valuable perspective for anyone working with databases in Elixir or considering a career transition into software development.

Resources Mentioned:
- Northwind Elixir Traders:https://leanpub.com/northwind-elixir-traders

Connect with Isaac:
- LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tisaak/
- Website:https://overbring.com/

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In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with German Velasco, creator of Elixir Streams and Phoenix Test. We explore test-driven development practices, the benefits of pair programming, and consulting experiences within the Elixir ecosystem.

German shares his journey into Elixir development and discusses how adopting test-driven development has improved his coding workflow. He explains the philosophy behind Phoenix Test and demonstrates how proper testing can lead to more maintainable applications while reducing regression bugs.

The conversation covers the important distinction between testing behavior versus implementation, practical approaches to achieving meaningful code coverage, and the collaborative benefits of pair and ensemble programming methodologies.

We also discuss content creation for the Elixir community and how AI tools are changing programming workflows. This episode provides valuable insights for Elixir developers looking to improve their testing practices and team collaboration.

Resources Mentioned:
- Elixir Streams:https://elixirstreams.com
- Phoenix Test:https://github.com/germsvel/phoenix_test
- TDD Phoenix:https://tddphoenix.com

Connect with German:
- Twitter/X:https://x.com/germsvel
- Website:https://www.germanvelasco.com/

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In this episode, Christopher Grainger, founder of Amplified.ai, joins me to discuss the intersection of Elixir and AI, particularly focusing on Lang graph functionality and agentic workflows. Christopher shares his journey from academia to founding a successful patent search platform, and how Elixir's unique characteristics make it particularly well-suited for AI/ML workloads.

We explore how OTP primitives provide natural solutions for agent-based AI systems, discussing how Elixir's actor model aligns perfectly with modern AI architectures. Christopher explains how Amplified.ai transformed their tech stack by moving from Python to Elixir, resulting in significant cost savings and improved system efficiency.

The conversation dives into the challenges of the patent search industry, the importance of semantic search in patent analysis, and how AI is revolutionizing this space. We also discuss the future of Elixir in the AI landscape, examining why its concurrency model and fault tolerance make it an excellent choice for building robust AI systems.

A fascinating discussion about practical applications of Elixir in AI, scaling businesses with small teams, and the future of technology in the patent industry.

Connect with Christopher:Amplified: https://www.amplified.ai/BSky: https://bsky.app/profile/cigrainger.bsky.socialWebsite: https://cigrainger.com/
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In this laid-back episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, Alex Koutmos and Peter Ullrich return for another engaging conversation. The discussion covers various topics, including Alex's recently completed Elixir Patterns book, experiences with AI tools in development, and their thoughts on different CI/CD platforms. They share their experiences using tools like Broadway, GitHub Actions, and ObanPro, while also discussing the challenges and benefits of various development workflows.

The conversation takes entertaining detours into cultural differences between Europe and America, from banking systems to education, and includes amusing anecdotes about Peter's new Labrador puppy and temperature measurement systems. The hosts also discuss the evolution of development tools, particularly focusing on the impact of AI on coding practices and their experiences with tools like Claude and ChatGPT.

Alex shares exciting news about his upcoming financial analytics book project, collaborating with his brother who has a Ph.D. in finance and economics. The episode provides a perfect blend of technical discussion and casual conversation, demonstrating the community-driven nature of the Elixir ecosystem.

Connect with Peter:
- X: https://x.com/PJUllrich
- BSky: https://bsky.app/profile/peterullrich.com
- Website: https://peterullrich.com/

Connect with Alex:
- X: https://x.com/akoutmos
- BSky: https://bsky.app/profile/akoutmos.bsky.social
- Website: https://akoutmos.com/

Check out:
- EZSuite: https://ezsuite.dev/
- Elixir Patterns: https://elixirpatterns.dev/

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#ElixirLang #SoftwareDevelopment #TechPodcast #Programming

In this episode of the Elixir Mentor Podcast, I chat with Ellie and Josep, co-authors of "Engineering Elixir Applications: Navigate Each Stage of Software Delivery with Confidence." They discuss their journey into Elixir development, their experience writing the book together as a couple, and dive deep into DevOps concepts for Elixir applications.

The conversation covers their approach to teaching deployment concepts through practical examples, including their use of Docker, Docker Swarm, and Terraform. They explain how they made complex topics accessible by starting with project management and building up to more advanced deployment scenarios.

The authors describe their book's example application - a Kanban board that demonstrates distributed Elixir capabilities - and discuss their collaboration with Ricardo Garcia on its development. The episode also touches on personal topics, including Joseph's impromptu marathon story and their shared love for gaming.

The discussion highlights the importance of understanding DevOps concepts for Elixir developers and provides practical insights for those looking to deploy Elixir applications in production environments.

Links discussed:
- Engineering Elixir Applications (Book):https://pragprog.com/titles/beamops/engineering-elixir-applications/
- Docker & Docker Swarm:https://www.docker.com/
- Terraform:https://www.terraform.io/

Connect with the authors:
- Josep:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseplluisgiraltdlacoste/
- Ellie:https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliefairholm/

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