Pybites Podcast

Welcome back to the Pybites Podcast. We've been teasing this for a while, and it's finally here: our Python Developer Certificates.

They're not just shiny badges. They're the real deal, representing solid Python skills, experience with frameworks like Django/FastAPI, debugging, testing, professional developer workflow / collaboration, deployment, and so much more (see assessment criteria below).

Unlike other theoretical (rote learning) certifications ours cover MVP-ready + deployed projects. In this episode we talk about our vision with this and address some common concerns like pricing, time commitment, how long they are valid for, and more.

As our programs and certifications are so unique and individualized, if interested in this, we encourage you to hop on a call with us to further discuss how this can help you in your career.

Links:
- Certification homepage
- PCPD-A (associate)
- PCPD-P (professional)
- Assessment criteria
- Books us in for a call

Books mentioned:
- Steal Like an Artist
- War and Peace
- The Courage to Be Disliked

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:27 Announcing Pybites developer certification
02:38 What?! Pybites do certifications? How ours is different
04:30 Different certificates and our vision
06:22 Assessment criteria, we emulate a real developer environment
08:22 Our certificates are timeless, they don't expire
09:58 Why did we make this? Industry and our people want this!
13:14 It's an add-on to PDM
14:33 Some concerns and questions people might have
17:25 This is very unique and individualized, get on a call
20:46 Books - Austin Kleon, War and Peace, Courage to be Disliked
24:14 Wrap up and outro

This week PDM coaches Hugh + Ryan talk with David Cramer, Co-founder and CTO of Sentry!

They delve into the journey of Sentry and its rise as an essential tool for developers.

David highlights how Sentry's developer-first approach significantly contributed to its growth.

They touch upon community-centric decisions and the emphasis Sentry places on giving back.

The discussion also ventures into the synergy between Sentry and Python and the attributes they prioritize when hiring.

This episode is a treasure trove of insights for anyone in the tech industry.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
03:00 Wins of week
06:32 What is Sentry?
09:37 Growth of Sentry + developer centered
14:20 Top down decisions + giving back
18:24 Industry events and branding
21:18 Sentry and Python synergies
24:50 Htmx developments and Python features
27:19 Attracting talent in Sentry
31:10 Valuable attributes of people you hire
34:43 Pairing app and infrastructure metrics
41:06 "Blade runner concept" to debugging production system
41:46 Key message / insight / final thought for audience
45:48 What do you do in your free time?
47:20 Books & videos tips: Cal Newport + YT construction content
49:48 Wrap up and resources
50:36 Outro music

Links and resources:
- Check out Sentry here
- David Cramer on LinkedIn
- Factorio game
- Blade runner movie

In this episode, we delve deep into the nuances of developer job hunting in 2023. The job market landscape has evolved, making persistence and resilience key virtues for any aspiring developer. We shed light on why you shouldn't limit your search to just the top tech firms and how exploring opportunities in smaller yet innovative startups can be a game-changer.

Additionally, we touch on the diverse advantages of Python in various roles and underscore the indispensability of a positive mindset. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a newbie, our tips are sure to guide you in your job-hunting journey.

Links & Resources:

- Ace Your Coding Interview
- Join Our Vibrant Community
- 1:1 Career Coaching (Including CV/Portfolio/Resume Reviews)

Episode Chapters:

00:00:00: Introduction & Trip Update
00:01:55: Job Hunting Challenges in 2023
00:02:47: The Myth of Overnight Success
00:04:30: Importance of Portfolio, GitHub & Resume
00:05:28: Leveraging Our Platform for Project Building
00:06:12: Social Media Engagement - Especially LinkedIn
00:07:58: The Power of Networking & Showing Genuine Interest
00:08:36: Benefits of Joining Our Community
00:09:22: Cultivating a Resilient Mindset
00:10:58: Broadening Job Search Horizons Beyond FAANG
00:12:38: Transition - Heading to Lunch
00:13:13: Wrap-up & Community Invitations
00:13:55: Light-hearted Outtake

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In our new podcast episode, recorded in Córdoba, Spain, we talk about programming certifications and how they might not represent real developer skills.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:01 Wins
02:57 About programmer certifications
04:14 Concern 1. Do they stand the test of time?
06:52 Concern 2. Theory, where is the implementation?
09:35 Anther practical example of seeking ability over certificate
12:00 Wrap up, why it's important to show your skills!
13:30 Pybites is going to address this gap :)
14:20 Wrapping up, how the Spain road trip is going
15:42 Outro music

Stay tuned for our new certifications that will prove that you have tangible skills that a real world Python developer is expected to have these days.

And/or already join one of our coaching programs to be ready when we launch them (our certificates will be backward compatible!)

In this podcast episode we talk with Tony Roberts, creator of PyXLL (pronounced "pixel").

We dive into the backstory of this Python Excel Add-in, why he built it, features, success stories, the business side of things, and also how it compares to Microsoft's recently announced Python in Excel integration.

And of course as always there are wins + books 🎉

Get ready for the fascinating world of Python + Excel integration ...

Chapters:
00:00 Intro snippet and music
00:44 Guest intro and background
02:40 Wins of the week
05:06 PyXLL backstory
08:50 Market validation
10:44 Main features and advantages
12:30 The use of decorators
14:30 A cool PyXLL success story
16:16 Where does the Python code live?
18:33 Lessons from running PyXLL as a business
21:56 Scaling and automation
25:00 What's next and MS Python Excel integration
30:27 Books
32:56 Wrap up
33:34 Outro music

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Get PyXLL here - PYBITES10 will get your 10% off the first year

Mentioned books:
- Freestyle unlocked (about kayaking)
- The Creative Act: A Way of Being

Connect with Tony:
- On LinkedIn
- In our Circle Community

This week Robin Beer - one of our coaches - interviews Will Raphaelson, Principal Product Manager at Prefect. 😍

They talk about his use of Python, Prefect as a tool and its philosophy, open source + business and Marvin AI. 🐍 💪

And of course they share cool wins and books they are reading. 💡

All in all an insightful chat that hopefully will leave you inspired to go check out these cool new Python tools ... 😎

Chapters:
00:00 Intro snippet
00:11 Intro music
00:31 Introduction guests + topics
01:32 Welcome Will, do you have a win of the week?
04:12 Go to meet ups
04:37 How do you leverage Python as a product manager?
07:12 Python as a quick prototyping language
08:14 What is Prefect and its philosophy?
10:56 Robin's experience with Prefect
12:26 How has Prefect evolved over time?
15:54 Orchestrators and observability
18:02 A practical example of an orchestrated flow
21:21 How Prefect handles failures in a flow?
23:24 Open source and business, how to combine them?
27:45 Tips for starting a open source business?
31:05 Rationale vs emotion in making product decisions
34:12 Marvin AI and its relation with Prefect
38:01 Marvin AI is a nice way to start with Python
40:16 Recommended books
43:02 Wrap up
43:55 Outro music

Connect with Will on LinkedIn.

Prefect product links:
- Prefect
- Marvin AI

Mentioned article:
- 28 Dags Later by Stephen Bailey

Books mentioned:
- The Precipice
- Fundamentals of Data Engineering by Joe Reis

This week Hugh Tipping interviews Bob Belderbos about how he manages to get so much content produced on a weekly basis.

They discuss daily routines, the content planning process, tools, content quality assurance, how to avoid burnout and more general tips.

Enjoy and hopefully it helps you put more content out there yourself and be more productive overall!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro music
00:21 Intro of our host Hugh and topic
01:30 Typical Pybites day
03:30 Taking breaks
04:10 Setting boundaries
04:45 Content planning process
05:53 Pybites Organic content tool + reviewing process
07:00 GitHub issues, Kanban, and feedback as input
09:34 Tools for creating content
11:20 IronScribe for transcriptions and video clippings
13:40 Ad segment: Pybites Productivity Course
14:46 JIT (just in time) learning
15:58 How to ensure the quality of the content
17:05 Shift in code clinics / making mistakes live coding
18:50 Dropping perfectionism
20:00 More confidence == more fluency
20:35 How to avoid burnout - take breaks (diffused mind)
22:35 Learn to say no / shiny new object syndrome
23:40 Read and embrace deep work
24:00 Always be learning / stay curious, capture ideas
25:10 Reduce friction / automations
25:40 Talk with other people / get feedback
26:30 Always keep coding
27:50 Set realistic goals, don't be too hard on yourself
29:15 Wrap up, ask us further questions ...
30:32 Outro music

Resources:
- Deep Work by Cal Newport
- Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule by Paul Graham

Hosted by Hugh Tipping.

Check out our Pybites Productivity Course here.

This week we talk about code smells. 💡

Code smells are characteristics in the code that might indicate deeper issues or potential problems. While they're not necessarily bugs, they can be a sign of poor code quality or maintainability issues. 😱

We distilled 15 common smells ranging from generic programming to Python specific issues. We hope it will make your more conscious of your code as well as code you'll review. 🐍 💪

If you have any feedback, hit us up on:
- LinkedIn
- X
- Email
(Also for any podcast topic requests ...)

Mentioned Dictionary Dispatch Pattern video

And to write cleaner, more maintainable code, in the context of (complex) real world applications, check out our 1:1 coaching options.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro music
00:20 What are code smells?
01:11 1. Long functions or classes
01:46 2. Duplicated code
02:25 3. Data Clumps
03:13 4. Using the global space
03:52 5. Magic numbers
04:38 6. Primitive obsession
05:06 7. Overusing comments
06:23 8. Too deep nesting
07:36 9. Switch statement or long if-elif-elif-else chains
08:41 10. Too deep inheritance
09:45 11. Dead code
10:21 12. Misusing (nested) listcomps
11:03 13. Single letter variable names
12:03 14. Mutable Default Arguments
13:05 15. Error Silencing
14:04 Wrap up
14:56 Outro music

Thanks for tuning in as always 🙏 and next week we'll be back with a brand new episode ... 🎧

In this episode, we delve into the groundbreaking integration of Python within Microsoft Excel and its transformative impact on non-tech professions. 💪📈

Discover how this evolution empowers professionals across diverse fields and the dynamic opportunities it presents for career advancement.

We also shine a spotlight on the achievements of people through our Pybites Developer Initialization (PDI) program, illustrating how it's shaping the next generation of Python enthusiasts 🐍 😍

Celebrate with us as Python broadens its horizons. 🎧🎉

Chapters:
00:00 Intro music
00:55 Wins (productivity / mindset)
03:58 Python is getting even bigger and is for everyone 📈
06:00 Excel chose Python 😍 / non-techie people adopting Python
08:18 How can we help? Pybites Developer Initialization (PDI)
09:07 The kind of people that join PDI and their results
12:37 Some amazing PDI wins
15:28 Spread the word: who can benefit from Python in their career?
17:08 AI tools becoming more pervasive
17:45 Books (The Carbon Almanac + The Four Agreements)
19:30 Wrap up: thank you + homepage update
20:34 Next episode hint
21:00 Outro music

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Seeking a career pivot with Python? Facing challenges as a beginner or bridging the initial developer gap?

Discover our Pybites Developer Initialization (PDI) - a 6-week immersive journey.

Transition from novice to confident coder with hands-on guidance and dedicated 1:1 mentorship.
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Books:
- The Four Agreements
- The Carbon Almanac

Other links:
- Why weekly wins tracking matters

Thanks for tuning in every week and we'll be back next week with a fresh new episode ...

In this podcast episode we talk about the significance of building real-world Python applications.

Bob highlights the importance of breaking away from tutorial paralysis and creating genuine software solutions to understand and confront real-world complexities.

He also emphasizes the career benefits of showcasing tangible Python projects on your portfolio / GitHub / resume.

As an actionable step, listeners are introduced to the Pybites Portfolio Assessment tool.

Through a fictional character, Alex, listeners are guided on how to use the tool identifying their passions, strengths, weaknesses, and ultimately leverage Python to realize their goals through real world app building.

Take the assessment here (your submission will be emailed to Pybites). If you go the manual pen + paper route, then just send it via emial - good luck!