Sami goes behind the scenes of Ruby on Rails with Rosa Gutierrez, principle programer at 37Signals, to discover what its like to work on one of the most widely used frameworks out there.

Rosa breaks down how the team at 37Signals work and implement new tools for Ruby, the challenges of working remotely, as well as the current practical use of AI within the development space and how we can expect it to change in the years to come.

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Check out Sami’s blog on AI vs Human-led Coding for a more in-depth look on his thoughts from this episode.

You can get in touch with Rosa directly and find all her various social links through her website.

Your host for this episode has been Sami Birnbaum. Sami can be found through his website or via LinkedIn.

If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website.

Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: [email protected]

This has been a thoughtbot podcast.

© 2025 thoughtbot, inc.

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Chad dives into a different kind of development with Jon Gamble, CTO of Fordje, as they talk all things city code and construction.

Jon breakdowns the different types of construction Fordje covers and the clients they aim to serve, the reality of building a new starter business with a such a small team, the value of trust and communication when developing such a business, and how being the only developer on the team drives creativity and a desire to succeed.

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Stay up to date with the work that Jon does with Fordje over on their LinkedIn page, or by connecting with him directly.

Your host for this episode has been Chad Pytel. You can find Chad all over social media as @cpytel, or over on LinkedIn.

If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website.

Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: [email protected]

This has been a thoughtbot podcast.

© 2025 thoughtbot, inc.

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Sami talks with Henrique Cardoso about his unified commerce platform BSPK and the challenges of organising a large scale developer conference.

Henrique talks in depth about the bespoke nature of BSPK and how it differs from other CRM tools, how they went about unifying all the major commerce platforms to fit under one platform, as well as the hurdles he faced when tasked with re-engaging a community of developers with his upcoming conference Euroko 2025.

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Check out BSPK to find how it can enhance and personalise your business to deliver the best possible experience for you and your customers.

If you’re a developer based in Europe consider checking out [Euruko 2025](2025.euruko.org/) to connect and meet with other Ruby devs this September!

You can connect with Henrique Cardoso through his socials on X or LinkedIn, or get in touch with him directly via email - [email protected]

Your host for this episode has been Sami Birnbaum. Sami can be found through his website or via LinkedIn.

If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website.

Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: [email protected]

This has been a thoughtbot podcast.

© 2025 thoughtbot, inc.

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Will gets to grips with nutrition as he talks with Kay Lim, founder of Heartful Sprout, about the importance of feeding our kids right.

Kay relives her journey of moving to the US, learning a whole new language from scratch and how becoming a new mom far from home sparked the idea for Heartful Sprout.

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Interested in giving your children the best start to food? Why not check out Heartful Sprout and use exclusive promo code GIANTROBOTS for 80% off your first 6 month subscription to their app!

If you’d like to provide some feedback on Heartful Sprout or just want to talk more about nutrition why not get in touch with Kay through LinkedIn, or directly via email - [email protected]

Your host for this episode has been Will Larry, you can find and connect with Will over on LinkedIn.

If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website.

Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: [email protected]

This has been a thoughtbot podcast.

© 2025 thoughtbot, inc.

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Chad and Sami get creative as they discuss the product ideas they would potentially like to develop.

Sami lays out his plan to rejuvenate the queuing system at theme parks, Chad has a bone to pick with his CRM tool, and the pair breakdown why success for a new business is not always as black and white as it might seem.

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You can find Chad all over social media as @cpytel and Sami through his website. You can also connect with them both over on their LinkedIn pages - Chad - Sami.

If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website.

Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: [email protected]

This has been a thoughtbot podcast.

© 2025 thoughtbot, inc.

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Chad and Luisa Herrmann, founder of AINovva, sit down and attempt to demystify the “magic” of AI.

Luisa lays out the ramifications of working with AI on a daily basis, why it’s a tool that shouldn't be utilised just because you can, the bias built into every AI system, as well as the ever expanding AI bubble and what the final outcome of its rapid growth could look like down the road.

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If you’re interested in using AI for your project but not sure if it’s the right fit or where to start, consider getting in touch with Luisa to discuss your needs either through her website, connecting on LinkedIn, or directly via email - [email protected]

Your host for this episode has been Chad Pytel. You can find Chad all over social media as @cpytel, or over on LinkedIn.

If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website.

Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: [email protected]

This has been a thoughtbot podcast.

© 2025 thoughtbot, inc.

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It’s time to start your engines as Sami talks with Jack Burrows, product director at CarWow, about the tricky world of buying and selling cars.

Jack covers the significant change CarWow has seen since he started with the company, the challenges they faced in order to keep up with the competition, and the importance of developing a platform that serves everyone in the buying and selling process.

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If you’re at a loose end after listening to today's episode why not join Sami in checking out CarWow’s YouTube channel! If you’re looking to purchase a new car or sell your old one, head over to CarWow’s site to see how they can help you!

You can also connect with Jack directly over on LinkedIn.

Your host for this episode has been Sami Birnbaum. Sami can be found through his website or via LinkedIn.

If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website.

Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: [email protected]

This has been a thoughtbot podcast.

© 2025 thoughtbot, inc.

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Chad catches up with John Nunemaker, self-employed programer on a plethora of products, about all things technical to gain insight into life as a self-employed developer.

The pair share their experiences as rail devs and what keeps them using Ruby, John’s journey to success, his recent acquisition of Fireside (the podcast platform that hosts this very podcast!) and the lessons he learnt along the way.

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If you’re interested in any of the projects John mentioned in this episode, you can head to them directly here - Fireside Podcast Hosting - BoxOut - Flipper

Alternatively you can keep up to date with the work that John does through his website, podcast, or by connecting directly with him through LinkedIn.

Your host for this episode has been Chad Pytel. You can find Chad all over social media as @cpytel, or over on LinkedIn.

If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website.

Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: [email protected]

This has been a thoughtbot podcast.

© 2025 thoughtbot, inc.

Support Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots

The Giant Robots hosts are back together for more off the wall discussion about construction, movies and a special announcement!

Find out what big purchase Sami made through the company during the last UK heatwave, why Chad has a listing on IMDB, and our three hosts turn film critics as they share thoughts on their favourite films.

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If you haven’t already, be sure to check out thoughtbot’s YouTube channel!

You can find Chad all over social media as @cpytel and Sami through his website. You can also connect with the trio via their LinkedIn pages - Chad - Will - Sami.

If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website.

Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: [email protected]

This has been a thoughtbot podcast.

Stay up to date by following us on social media - LinkedIn - Mastodon - Bluesky

© 2025 thoughtbot, inc.

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Will talks with Kathryn Grayson Nanz, Senior Designer and Developer Advocate at Progress, about the influence and power design can have when developing new software.

Kathryn breaks down what it means to be a designer advocate and the role it plays within software development, the importance of design systems, designing for accessibility and knowing when to ask the right questions at the just the right time.

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You can try out KendoReact’s starter library for free here! Or check out some of the other development tools and services Kathryn and the team offer at Progress. Alternatively, you can reach out to Kathryn directly through LinkedIn.

Your host for this episode has been Will Larry, you can find and connect with Will over on LinkedIn.

If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website.

Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: [email protected]

This has been a thoughtbot podcast.

© 2025 thoughtbot, inc.

Support Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots