By Robby Russell
5
3030 ratings
The podcast currently has 196 episodes available.
Robby sits down with Justine Gehring, an AI Research Engineer at Moderne, to explore how AI tools are transforming code maintenance and scalability. They dive into the unique ways AI can support refactoring for massive and legacy codebases, from retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to lossless semantic trees, and discuss how developers can benefit from AI-assisted planning and refactoring.
Justine shares her background transitioning from academia to industry and reflects on the essential role of reproducibility in AI, why maintainable code is often overlooked in research, and the challenges of balancing innovation with real-world reliability in software projects.
Topics DiscussedTurn hours of debugging into just minutes! AppSignal is a performance monitoring and error-tracking tool designed for Ruby, Elixir, Python, Node.js, Javascript, and other frameworks.
It offers six powerful features with one simple interface, providing developers with real-time insights into the performance and health of web applications.
Keep your coding cool and error-free, one line at a time!
Use the code maintainable to get a 10% discount for your first year. Check them out!
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As a product advocate at Nx, Katerina Skroumpelou combines her engineering skills with a knack for connecting with clients. In this episode, she shares how clear documentation, scalable architectures, and a collaborative culture can transform software development for the better.
Key Takeaways[00:01:25] Katerina’s Background: Robby and Katerina discuss her career journey, starting in engineering and recently moving into product advocacy.
[00:02:29] Characteristics of Well-Maintained Software: Katerina highlights key aspects of maintainable software—readability, scalability, and reliability.
[00:04:39] Product Advocacy at Nx: Katerina describes her unique role, bridging technical support and customer outreach to ensure clients make the most of Nx tools.
[00:07:01] White Glove Approach: The “white glove” service approach allows Katerina to dive deep into clients' codebases, offering a hands-on approach to using Nx effectively.
[00:09:52] Scalable Documentation Practices: Balancing clarity and detail, Katerina provides tips on structuring code comments and READMEs to be concise yet thorough.
[00:12:09] Managing Technical Debt: Robby and Katerina discuss the importance of keeping code up-to-date and scalable, especially in large systems with high demands.
[00:16:00] The Importance of Collaboration: Moving from solo work to team-based code reviews taught Katerina the value of a collaborative approach to maintainable code.
[00:19:15] Nx’s Monorepo Solution: How Nx provides cache and build tools to optimize mono-repo performance, boosting both speed and organization within projects.
[00:22:12] Nx Cloud and CI: Katerina discusses Nx Cloud’s role in enhancing CI workflows by allowing parallel tasks and cache sharing across teams.
[00:24:07] When to Consider Monorepos: Katerina explains the benefits of monorepos for organizing codebases and improving scalability.
[00:26:37] AI Tools in Development: Katerina shares her enthusiasm for new AI tools like StackBlitz’s Bolt and their potential to streamline app development.
[00:29:00] Finding Motivation at Work: Advice for developers who feel stuck or unmotivated in their current roles and ways to reconnect with the work they enjoy.
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Turn hours of debugging into just minutes! AppSignal is a performance monitoring and error-tracking tool designed for Ruby, Elixir, Python, Node.js, Javascript, and other frameworks.
It offers six powerful features with one simple interface, providing developers with real-time insights into the performance and health of web applications.
Keep your coding cool and error-free, one line at a time!
Use the code maintainable to get a 10% discount for your first year. Check them out!
Subscribe to Maintainable on:
Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.
Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.
Welcome to another engaging episode of the Maintainable Software Podcast! In this episode, Robby sits down with Moriel Schottlender, Principal Software Engineer at the Wikimedia Foundation, to explore the complex journey of modernizing MediaWiki, the software behind Wikipedia. Moriel shares her insights on what it takes to keep an enormous monolithic codebase maintainable while supporting an ever-growing and diverse set of global users. She highlights the importance of modularization, ownership, and the delicate balance between flexibility and stability in open-source software.
Key Takeaways[00:00:51] Characteristics of Well-Maintained Software: Moriel discusses the three crucial characteristics of well-maintained software: ownership, modularization, and documentation.
[00:01:09] Ownership and Rules for Contribution: Ownership goes beyond just fixing bugs—it involves understanding the architectural purpose and maintaining consistency even as teams change.
[00:03:35] Product Vision's Role in Maintainability: Why a clear product vision is essential for maintaining software, even in the face of organic growth.
[00:07:14] Balancing Experimentation and Long-Term Planning: Moriel shares insights into how Wikimedia balances rapid experimentation with careful, long-term architectural planning.
[00:07:32] The Evolution of MediaWiki: MediaWiki's growth from a small project to the backbone of Wikipedia, now supporting over 900 wikis, and the challenges that come with scaling.
[00:14:18] Modernizing a 23-Year-Old Monolith: Robby and Moriel dive into the challenges of modernizing MediaWiki’s architecture, including the difficulties of updating a monolithic structure.
[00:17:15]Wikitext vs. Markdown: Moriel explains why MediaWiki uses its own Wikitext language instead of Markdown and the unique challenges it presents.
[00:22:25] Architectural Flexibility for the Future: The importance of having a flexible architecture that can adapt to the evolving needs of users and technologies.
[00:26:04] Technical Debt and Modularization: How Wikimedia approaches technical debt in MediaWiki and prioritizes architectural interventions to improve modularity and maintainability.
[00:39:00] Community Contributions to MediaWiki: Strategies for increasing developer contributions and how Wikimedia empowers volunteers while maintaining software quality.
[00:41:59] Advice for Aspiring Open Source Contributors: Moriel shares encouraging words for anyone looking to contribute to open-source projects, emphasizing that everyone can make a meaningful impact.
[00:35:44] The Role of Documentation: Moriel discusses Wikimedia's efforts to improve documentation and ensure it's useful for both developers and end-users, leveraging the strengths of wiki-based contributions.
[00:30:29] Celebrating Small Wins: Moriel talks about how Wikimedia celebrates small victories to keep team morale high in the face of big challenges.
Resources MentionedTurn hours of debugging into just minutes! AppSignal is a performance monitoring and error-tracking tool designed for Ruby, Elixir, Python, Node.js, Javascript, and other frameworks.
It offers six powerful features with one simple interface, providing developers with real-time insights into the performance and health of web applications.
Keep your coding cool and error-free, one line at a time!
Use the code maintainable to get a 10% discount for your first year. Check them out!
Subscribe to Maintainable on:
Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.
Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.
Welcome to another engaging episode of Maintainable! Robby sits down with Kate Holterhoff, Ph.D., a Senior Analyst at RedMonk and former front-end engineer, to explore the intricate world of software maintenance, documentation, and the future of developer roles. Kate brings her unique perspective from her time as a practitioner at a digital marketing agency, her academic background, and her current role in developer advocacy.
Topics Explored[00:00:00] Introduction to Kate's Background: Robby and Kate discuss her journey from academia to front-end engineering and now to being a Senior Analyst at RedMonk. Kate shares how her experiences have shaped her perspective on software maintenance.
[00:04:00] Well-Maintained Software: Kate dives into her definition of well-maintained software, emphasizing modularity, semantic readability, and the importance of considering future developers who will interact with the code.
[00:11:30] The Challenges of Agency Work: Kate reflects on her time at a digital marketing agency, where she often worked on projects that had passed through many hands. She discusses the importance of balancing quick deliverables with maintainability.
[00:20:45] The Role of Documentation: Kate shares insights on the value of documentation for distributed teams, highlighting her experience organizing documentation sessions ("documentation paloozas") to capture team knowledge and ensure maintainability.
[00:30:00] RedMonk and Developer Advocacy: Kate explains her role at RedMonk and how the firm differs from traditional analyst firms like Gartner. She discusses RedMonk's focus on developers as key decision-makers in the tech landscape.
[00:39:15] Front-End Developers as Kingmakers: Robby and Kate explore how front-end engineers are increasingly influencing the adoption of tools and technologies within organizations. Kate describes this trend as front-end developers becoming "kingmakers" in the industry.
[00:49:50] AI and Developer Tools: Kate discusses the integration of AI into developer tools, the potential benefits, and challenges for junior developers. She emphasizes the importance of understanding how to read code in an AI-assisted world.
Key Takeaways:[00:00:00] Introduction to Kate's Background
[00:04:00] Characteristics of Well-Maintained Software
[00:20:45] The Importance of Documentation
[00:30:00] What Does a Senior Analyst at RedMonk Do?
[00:39:15] Front-End Developers as Kingmakers
[00:49:50] The Role of AI in Developer Tools
Thanks to Our Sponsor!Turn hours of debugging into just minutes! AppSignal is a performance monitoring and error-tracking tool designed for Ruby, Elixir, Python, Node.js, Javascript, and other frameworks.
It offers six powerful features with one simple interface, providing developers with real-time insights into the performance and health of web applications.
Keep your coding cool and error-free, one line at a time!
Use the code maintainable to get a 10% discount for your first year. Check them out!
Subscribe to Maintainable on:
Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.
Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.
In this episode of Maintainable, Robby speaks with Alan Ridlehoover, Senior Engineering Manager at Cisco Meraki. Alan shares his perspective on building well-maintained software by focusing on behavior-centric testing, clear code ownership, and thoughtful technical decisions that stand the test of time.
Alan discusses his experience working in both startup environments and large-scale engineering teams, including how he navigates the unique challenges of each. He provides practical advice on managing conditional logic in code, scaling with third-party dependencies, and ensuring that testing strategies remain effective as systems grow in complexity.
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Episode Highlights:
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Alan Ridlehoover:
Turn hours of debugging into just minutes! AppSignal is a performance monitoring and error-tracking tool designed for Ruby, Elixir, Python, Node.js, Javascript, and other frameworks.
It offers six powerful features with one simple interface, providing developers with real-time insights into the performance and health of web applications.
Keep your coding cool and error-free, one line at a time!
Use the code maintainable to get a 10% discount for your first year. Check them out!
Subscribe to Maintainable on:
Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.
Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.
In this episode of Maintainable, Robby speaks with April Wensel, Founder and Owner of Compassionate Coding. April shares her journey in the software industry and how she came to embrace compassion as a core value in coding and team dynamics. She explains why empathy is critical when working with legacy code, mentoring junior developers, and addressing technical debt.
Episode Highlights
Key Takeaways:
Resources:
Follow April Wensel:
Turn hours of debugging into just minutes! AppSignal is a performance monitoring and error-tracking tool designed for Ruby, Elixir, Python, Node.js, Javascript, and other frameworks.
It offers six powerful features with one simple interface, providing developers with real-time insights into the performance and health of web applications.
Keep your coding cool and error-free, one line at a time!
Use the code maintainable to get a 10% discount for your first year. Check them out!
Subscribe to Maintainable on:
Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.
Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.
In this episode of the Maintainable Software Podcast, Robby sits down with Saron Yitbarek, founder and CEO of DiscoLink, to explore the challenges of maintaining early-stage software while balancing multiple streams of income. Saron shares her journey from being a solo developer to hiring her first teammate and the lessons learned along the way about code maintainability and business logic.
Episode HighlightsLinks:
Turn hours of debugging into just minutes! AppSignal is a performance monitoring and error-tracking tool designed for Ruby, Elixir, Python, Node.js, Javascript, and other frameworks.
It offers six powerful features with one simple interface, providing developers with real-time insights into the performance and health of web applications.
Keep your coding cool and error-free, one line at a time!
Use the code maintainable to get a 10% discount for your first year. Check them out!
Subscribe to Maintainable on:
Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.
Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.
In this episode of Maintainable, Robby speaks with Lutz Hühnken, Head of Engineering Excellence at Upvest, about the transformative power of event-driven architecture in software development. Lutz brings his extensive experience to the table, discussing how breaking down complex systems into manageable modules and leveraging event-driven design can lead to more resilient and maintainable software.
Topics DiscussedTurn hours of debugging into just minutes! AppSignal is a performance monitoring and error-tracking tool designed for Ruby, Elixir, Python, Node.js, Javascript, and other frameworks.
It offers six powerful features with one simple interface, providing developers with real-time insights into the performance and health of web applications.
Keep your coding cool and error-free, one line at a time!
Use the code maintainable to get a 10% discount for your first year. Check them out!
Subscribe to Maintainable on:
Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.
Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.
In this episode of the Maintainable Software Podcast, Robby is joined by Noel Rappin, Staff Engineer at Chime Financial, and the mind behind the latest edition of the classic Programming Ruby book, affectionately known as the "Pickaxe." Noel delves into the intricate process of modernizing a legacy technical book and the lessons learned along the way.
Episode HighlightsFor more episodes like this, be sure to subscribe to the Maintainable Software Podcast.
Thanks to Our Sponsor!Turn hours of debugging into just minutes! AppSignal is a performance monitoring and error-tracking tool designed for Ruby, Elixir, Python, Node.js, Javascript, and other frameworks.
It offers six powerful features with one simple interface, providing developers with real-time insights into the performance and health of web applications.
Keep your coding cool and error-free, one line at a time!
Use the code maintainable to get a 10% discount for your first year. Check them out!
Subscribe to Maintainable on:
Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.
Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.
In this episode of the Maintainable Software Podcast, Robby sits down with Cassidy Williams, Developer Advocate at GitHub, to explore the dynamic nature of a tech career, the delicate balance between clever code and maintainability, and the evolving trends in software development.
Cassidy begins by discussing what makes software truly maintainable—starting with the ease of onboarding for new developers. She emphasizes the importance of clear documentation and warns against the pitfalls of writing overly clever code that might be difficult to maintain in the future.
They then delve into the challenges of joining an existing codebase and managing technical debt. Cassidy shares her experiences, noting how codebases often start pristine but become more cumbersome as projects evolve and pivot.
The Importance of Onboarding: Cassidy explains how fast someone can jump in and start working on code as a key indicator of well-maintained software.
[00:10:21] Balancing Cleverness and Maintainability: Cassidy elaborates on why writing clever code can be a double-edged sword when it comes to long-term maintainability.
[00:16:00] Navigating Career Pivots: Cassidy reflects on her own career journey, likening it to a "career jungle gym" where paths are non-linear and require thoughtful decision-making.
[00:18:36] Working at Netlify: Cassidy shares her experience with upgrading a router within an existing codebase, highlighting the importance of collaboration and bringing in external expertise.
[00:24:00] Local-First Software: Robby and Cassidy explore the trend of local-first software, emphasizing the benefits of data ownership and the ability to work offline.
[00:26:30] Developer Wishlists: Cassidy suggests creating personal and communal wishlists for addressing technical debt, fostering a collaborative approach to maintaining software.
[00:31:50] Jumbile - Cassidy's Side Project: Cassidy introduces her word game, Jumbile, detailing its development process and the unique challenges she faced.
Cassidy also discusses her love for Brandon Sanderson's books, specifically the Mistborn trilogy, and the importance of owning your data in today’s digital landscape.
Key Takeaways:Turn hours of debugging into just minutes! AppSignal is a performance monitoring and error-tracking tool designed for Ruby, Elixir, Python, Node.js, Javascript, and other frameworks.
It offers six powerful features with one simple interface, providing developers with real-time insights into the performance and health of web applications.
Keep your coding cool and error-free, one line at a time!
Use the code maintainable to get a 10% discount for your first year. Check them out!
Subscribe to Maintainable on:
Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.
Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.
The podcast currently has 196 episodes available.
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