Pybites Podcast

Curious how to build real web apps with AI without turning into a prompt robot? We sit down with developer advocate and author Emma Saroyan to unpack a practical path for using OpenAI APIs and Next.js to turn ideas into shipped projects you actually understand. From smart prompting to project structure, Emma shows how to work with AI as an assistant you guide, not a textbook to copy.

Emma also takes us inside her community work in Armenia, sharing how culture shapes developer communication and adoption. We talk about how to avoid over-reliance on tools, and why accessibility matters—especially for newcomers who can use AI to prototype quickly and then deepen their skills. 

If you’re ready to ship faster without losing your craft, tune in, subscribe for more conversations like this, and leave a comment with the next AI-powered feature you want to build.

Connect with Emma on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-saroyan

Check out Emma's book 'Generative AI for Web Development': https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/979-8-8688-0885-2

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💡🧑‍💻 Want to become a more focused, motivated, and effective Python developer? The Pybites Developer Mindset (PDM) Program helps you build strong habits, deepen your skills, and make real progress in just six weeks. Join us for mentorship, accountability, and a supportive community that keeps you moving forward. Start your PDM journey now! 🌟✅ https://pybit.es/catalogue/the-pdm-program/

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Start Here with Pybites: https://pybit.es

In this episode, we talk with Simen, a senior software engineer and creator of Almost Done, a weekly email newsletter designed for neurodivergent developers and anyone who thinks a little differently. Simen shares how he built a format that supports real attention - short, scannable essays, intentional accessibility choices, and four writing “personas” that shape each issue’s tone.

We explore his creative workflow, why timing matters for engagement, and the “subscriber-first” philosophy that keeps the newsletter personal. Simen also opens up about career growth, simplicity in engineering, and practical systems that help with ADHD traits like hyperfocus and time blindness.

It’s an honest, uplifting conversation about writing, technology, and building a kinder approach to productivity. If the episode resonates, check out Almost Done and share it with someone who’d enjoy it.

Sign up here - https://almostdone.news/

Or view past issues - https://almostdone.news/issues

Reach out to Simen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simendaehlin

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💡🧑‍💻 Want to become a more focused, motivated, and effective Python developer? The Pybites Developer Mindset (PDM) Program helps you build strong habits, deepen your skills, and make real progress in just six weeks. Join us for mentorship, accountability, and a supportive community that keeps you moving forward. Start your PDM journey now! 🌟✅ https://pybit.es/catalogue/the-pdm-program/

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If you found this podcast helpful, please consider following us!
Start Here with Pybites: https://pybit.es

What if levelling up your Python career didn’t require a multitude of courses—just one clear commitment? In this episode of the Pybites Podcast, we talk with Kishan Patel, a Dallas-based data engineer who set a single goal: become the best Python developer he could be. That focus led him to ship three real-world projects, publish his first PyPI package, and build a stronger, more decisive developer mindset.

We also discuss how breaking the cycle of perfectionism, using coaching for accountability, and developing a thoughtful, balanced approach to AI can  help you build with more confidence and stay focused on the real skills that move your Python journey forward. 

Kishan's contacts:
Personal site: https://www.kishanpatel.dev/

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@KPDataDev

Blog: https://kpdata.dev/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kishanpatel789/

Circle: https://pybites.circle.so/u/4fe60026

Chrome extensions mentioned in the ep:
Undistracted: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/undistracted-hide-faceboo/pjjgklgkfeoeiebjogplpnibpfnffkng?hl=en

Monochrome Mode: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/monochrome-mode-grayscale/fmiaojphifnoicpdhhcniiekcpfbkidj?hl=en

Books:
Cosmic Python: https://www.cosmicpython.com/
Dune: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(novel)
The One Thing: https://pybitesbooks.com/books/ov23vQEACAAJ

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💡🧑‍💻 Want to become a more focused, motivated, and effective Python developer? The Pybites Developer Mindset (PDM) program helps you build strong habits, deepen your skills, and make REAL progress in just six weeks. Join us for mentorship, accountability, and a supportive community that keeps you moving forward. Start your PDM journey now! 🌟✅ https://pybit.es/catalogue/the-pdm-program/

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If you found this podcast helpful, please consider following us!
Start Here with Pybites: https://pybit.es

Marimo is redefining what a Python notebook can do—bringing structure, version control, and interactivity together. In this episode, we chat with Akshay Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of Marimo, about how their reactive Python notebook fixes hidden state, keeps outputs in sync, and makes reproducible, reviewable code the norm.

Akshay shares Marimo’s origin story, how its reactive DAG turns notebooks into clean, Git-friendly tools, and why teams are ditching Jupyter-to-Streamlit pipelines for simpler, reactive workflows. We also dive into performance, data handling with pandas/Polars via Narwhals, and SQL reactivity with DuckDB.

Join us in this insightful episode as we talk with Akshay about reproducibility, data workflows, and turning prototypes into shareable apps.

For more info on Marimo, reach out to Akshay:

Website: https://www.akshayagrawal.com/

Github: https://github.com/akshayka

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshayka/

X: https://x.com/akshaykagrawal

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If you found this podcast helpful, please consider following us!

Start Here with Pybites: https://pybit.es

Developer Mindset Newsletter: https://pybit.es/newsletter 💡

Pybites Books: https://pybitesbooks.com/

Bob LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbelderbos/

Julian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliansequeira/

Twitter: https://x.com/pybites

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pybites-podcast/id1545551340

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1sJnriPKKVgPIX7UU9PIN1

What if the most valuable part of your research isn’t the paper, but the package that made it possible? In this episode, we talk with Leah Wasser, Executive Director and Founder of pyOpenSci, a nonprofit working to make scientific Python more inclusive, reproducible, and discoverable.

We explore what “open science” really means in practice: transparent workflows that others can rerun, review, and extend. Leah explains how pyOpenSci’s peer review process helps turn lab scripts into reliable, citable Python packages with better documentation, testing, and credit through the Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS).

We also unpack how AI is reshaping scientific coding—its potential to speed up work, and the need for careful human oversight to maintain accuracy and trust.

Connect with Leah on the following platforms:

Github: https://github.com/lwasser
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahawasser/
Slack: https://www.pyopensci.org/handbook/community/slack.html

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If you found this podcast helpful, please consider following us!

Start Here with Pybites: https://pybit.es

Developer Mindset Newsletter: https://pybit.es/newsletter 💡

Pybites Books: https://pybitesbooks.com/

Bob LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbelderbos/

Julian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliansequeira/

Twitter: https://x.com/pybites

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pybites-podcast/id1545551340

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1sJnriPKKVgPIX7UU9PIN1

If you’ve ever stayed up late churning out API docs when you’d rather be anywhere else, you’ll relate to this week’s guest. Nick Park felt that same pain as a server engineer, which pushed him to build Zylo-docs, an AI tool that takes the grunt work out of documentation.

Nick’s journey has been anything but linear—from AWS trainer to experimenting with generative AI in the fashion world, before realising his real passion was helping developers. 

In this episode, we talk about following your passion, finding product-market fit, and being open to pivots along the way.

Check out Zylo-docs on PyPI or their site to find out more.

Website: https://zylo-docs.dev
Library: https://pypi.org/project/zylo-docs/
Nick's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/searchingstar/

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If you found this podcast helpful, please consider following us!

Start Here with Pybites: https://pybit.es

Developer Mindset Newsletter: https://pybit.es/newsletter 💡

Pybites Books: https://pybitesbooks.com/

Bob LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbelderbos/

Julian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliansequeira/

Twitter: https://x.com/pybites

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pybites-podcast/id1545551340

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1sJnriPKKVgPIX7UU9PIN1

In this episode we share some of the exciting things happening behind the scenes at Pybites. From our new partnership in South Africa to coaching success stories that showcase real-world career transformations, we reflect on how far we've come in making Python accessible, building community, and helping developers grow. 

We also talk about our expanding cohorts in Rust, AI, and Django, the power of our accountability sessions, and why we’ve chosen to keep our platform AI-free. 

Join us as we look at how Pybites is continuing to grow globally while building the community we all know and trust.

Books we're reading:

The Three-Body Problem Series - https://pybitesbooks.com/books/95gQDgAAQBAJ

How to Solve it - https://pybitesbooks.com/books/z_hsbu9kyQQC

Why Machines Learn - https://pybitesbooks.com/books/yLfPEAAAQBAJ

Posts mentioned:

Numpy refactoring post: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7368938151802736640/

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If you found this podcast helpful, please consider following us!

Start Here with Pybites: https://pybit.es

Developer Mindset Newsletter: https://pybit.es/newsletter 💡

Pybites Books: https://pybitesbooks.com/

Bob LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbelderbos/

Julian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliansequeira/

Twitter: https://x.com/pybites

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pybites-podcast/id1545551340

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1sJnriPKKVgPIX7UU9PIN1

Christina Lang’s journey from nearly two decades in the military to becoming a DevOps architect shows how discipline, persistence, and a growth mindset can drive career transitions. She shares how the Pybites PDI course helped her rapidly level up her Python skills, the importance of being “humble but hungry” when learning, and how mentorship and structured practice make tackling new challenges achievable. 

Christina also discusses the unique hurdles veterans face when moving into civilian tech, from cultural adjustments to communication styles, and how their dedication and resilience make them valuable team members once they adapt.

Today, Christina applies Python to networking automation, building modules for specific tasks and exploring cloud deployments with OpenTofu, AWS, and Kubernetes. For anyone hesitating to take the next step in Python, Christina encourages: “If you don’t feel ready… you probably are. Just pull the trigger, just do it.”

Christina's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-lang25

Pybites Developer Initialization Program for Veterans: https://pybit.es/veterans/

Pybites Podcast 118 - Veterans in the workplace, challenges and tips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swg0hj6BPJE

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If you found this podcast helpful, please consider following us!

Start Here with Pybites: https://pybit.es

Developer Mindset Newsletter: https://pybit.es/newsletter 💡

Pybites Books: https://pybitesbooks.com/

Bob LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbelderbos/

Julian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliansequeira/

Twitter: https://x.com/pybites

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pybites-podcast/id1545551340

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1sJnriPKKVgPIX7UU9PIN1

What started as a simple idea to “chat more” became Pybites — a global Python learning platform transforming how developers build skills. In this special 200th episode, co-founders Bob and Julian share their journey from corporate life to creating a build-focused, mindset-driven approach that’s helped thousands worldwide.

In this episode we hear inspiring stories of schoolkids in Florida, developers in Pakistan, and countless others who’ve grown their skills — and their confidence — through Pybites. Bob and Julian reveal why “people come for the Python and stay for the mindset,” their thoughts on Python’s future, and the secret to lasting success: perseverance, small wins, and mastering the fundamentals.

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If you found this podcast helpful, please consider following us!

Start Here with Pybites: https://pybit.es

Developer Mindset Newsletter: https://pybit.es/newsletter 💡

Pybites Books: https://pybitesbooks.com/

Bob LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbelderbos/

Julian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliansequeira/

Twitter: https://x.com/pybites

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pybites-podcast/id1545551340

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1sJnriPKKVgPIX7UU9PIN1

Charlie Marsh returns to Pybites to introduce ty —Astral’s bold new take on Python type checking. Built from the ground up for speed and developer experience, ty is both a command-line tool and language server, powered by Rust's Salsa framework. 

We dive into how it enables lightning-fast incremental analysis, smarter diagnostics inspired by Rust, and a reimagined type-checking workflow for modern Python projects. Charlie also shares how Astral is tackling broader ecosystem challenges alongside Meta and NVIDIA. 

Curious? Just run 'uv x ty' and join the future of Python type checking. 

For more info check out the following:

Notes & Blog Posts: https://notes.crmarsh.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshcharles/

GitHub: https://github.com/charliermarsh

X: https://x.com/charliermarsh

GitHub Repo: https://github.com/astral-sh/ty 

Explaining rust-analyzer (lectures): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhb66M_x9UmrqXhQuIpWC5VgTdrGxMx3y

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💡🧑‍💻Level up your Python skills in just 6 weeks with our hands-on, mentor-led cohort program. Build and ship real apps while gaining confidence and accountability in a supportive community. Join a Pybites Developer Cohort today! 🌟✅

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If you found this podcast helpful, please consider following us!

Start Here with Pybites: https://pybit.es

Developer Mindset Newsletter: https://pybit.es/newsletter 💡

Pybites Books: https://pybitesbooks.com/

Bob LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbelderbos/

Julian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliansequeira/

Twitter: https://x.com/pybites

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pybites-podcast/id1545551340

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1sJnriPKKVgPIX7UU9PIN1