Never Rewrite: Software Engineering & AI Coding

Never Rewrite: Software Engineering & AI Coding

By Isaac Askew and Jeffrey ShermanTechnology
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Never Rewrite: Software Engineering & AI Coding episodes

  • Episode 79: The Toxicity of "Certainty"

    Isaac and Jeffrey explore the concept of certainty in software development and its potential toxicity. They discuss how certainty can lead to poor decision-making, the importance of experimentation, and the human behaviors that contribute to toxic environments. The dialogue emphasizes the need for a balance between certainty and uncertainty, particularly in leadership roles, and highlights the dangers of strong opinions that masquerade as certainty.

    19 min
  • Episode 78: Is Frontend Modernization a Valid Reason for Rewriting?

    Isaac and Jeffrey discuss the validity of rewriting front-end systems for modernization. They argue against the notion that a dated front end necessitates a complete rewrite, emphasizing the importance of iterative updates and customer experience. The conversation explores the risks of big bang rewrites, the benefits of gradual improvements, and the need for design consistency while still delivering value to customers. Ultimately, they advocate for a more thoughtful approach to modernization that prioritizes user experience over aesthetic uniformity.

    16 min
  • Episode 77: Who Gets To Define 'Shit' Code?
    Isaac and Jeffrey explore the subjective nature of coding standards and what constitutes 'shit code.' They discuss the lack of industry-wide standards, the importance of intention in coding, and the balance between flexibility and adaptability in code quality. The conversation also touches on the fluidity of language and how it parallels coding practices, emphasizing that coding standards should evolve with the context and needs of the project.
    16 min
  • Episode 76: Aligning Your Company Standards to its Lifecycle Phase
    Guest Dustin Rea joins us to discuss the importance of aligning a company's standards and processes with its lifecycle stages. The discussion covers five key phases: the MVP phase, where the foundation is built; the Product User Fit phase, focusing on understanding customer needs; the Product Market Fit phase, solidifying the offering; the Scaling Up phase, managing growth; and finally, the Multi-Product Platform phase, where companies expand their offerings. Each phase presents unique challenges and requires different approaches to maintain quality and efficiency.
    25 min
  • Episode 75: Rewriting is Gambling - A Lesson in Risk
    Jeffrey and Isaac discuss the inherent risks associated with software rewrites, emphasizing how rewrites push risk to the end of the development cycle. The discussion highlights the need for iterative development and the significance of delivering independent components to ensure project success, particularly within the SaaS model, which thrives on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.
    17 min
  • Episode 74: Musketeering
    Jeffrey and Isaac explore the concept of 'musketeering' in software development, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in solving complex problems. They discuss the challenges of legacy code, the necessity of testing, and the strategy of 'divide and conquer' to tackle intertwined issues effectively.
    12 min
  • Episode 73: The Politics of Delivering Trivial Changes
    Isaac and Jeffrey discuss the philosophy of continuous iteration in software development, emphasizing the importance of making small, incremental changes rather than large, risky updates. They explore the challenges of communicating the value of these trivial changes to non-technical stakeholders and the benefits of refactoring code for future development. The discussion also highlights the significance of storytelling in conveying the purpose and impact of these changes to a broader audience.
    13 min
  • Episode 72: Perfectionism in Programming
    Isaac and Dustin Rea discuss the impact of perfectionism in programming, particularly how it can hinder project success. They explore the importance of launching minimum viable products (MVPs) to validate ideas in the market, the challenges of managing change in production software, and the balance between perfectionism and practicality. The discussion also highlights the significance of team dynamics and customer empathy in software development, as well as lessons learned from scaling and responding to customer demands.
    27 min
  • Episode 71: Are Ignorable Errors Still "Errors"?
    Isaac and Jeffrey explore the complexities of error management in software development, particularly focusing on the significance of logs, the philosophical implications of ignoring errors, and the importance of proactive log management. They discuss how to differentiate between true errors and warnings, the role of telemetry in alerting, and the necessity of maintaining clean logs to enhance system understanding and customer experience.
    13 min
  • Episode 70: Resource Engineering
    Isaac and Jeffrey delve into the concept of resource engineering, emphasizing the importance of understanding cost implications in engineering decisions. They discuss how engineers often overlook financial aspects while focusing on technical solutions, leading to potential inefficiencies. The dialogue highlights the need for engineers to have greater visibility into costs, particularly in cloud services like AWS, and how this awareness can drive better decision-making. They also explore the balance between optimizing costs and developing new features, advocating for a more business-oriented mindset among engineers to enhance overall effectiveness.
    23 min

About Never Rewrite: Software Engineering & AI Coding

From the publisher's feed

‘Never Rewrite’ is a mantra of ours in the programming realm. Often times when software developers encounter nightmare codebases, the thought crosses their mind to work towards a rewrite, a port to…