In this episode, Danny and Leon are joined by James Quick, Head of Developer Experience at BigCommerce, to unpack all the major announcements from Vercel Ship 2025. We cover:

NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/

Stay in Touch:

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?

Email us at [email protected]!

💡 Sponsor: Level Up Financial Planning

Changing careers or increasing your income? Get financial clarity with Level Up Financial Planning—helping early and mid-career tech professionals secure their financial future. Visit LevelUpFinancialPlanning.com for a free consultation!

https://www.levelupfinancialplanning.com/

Danny Thompson

https://x.com/DThompsonDev

https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev

www.DThompsonDev.com

Leon Noel

https://x.com/leonnoel

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/

https://100devs.org/

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?

Email us at [email protected]!

- The new AI Gateway and what “no vendor lock-in” really means

- Active CPU pricing and how it can save you real money at scale

- Rolling Releases vs. A/B testing for safer, incremental deployments

- Bot ID: Vercel’s AI-powered bot protection for logins, checkouts, and expensive LLM endpoints

- Micro-frontends and how they fit into your Next.js apps

- Sandboxes for isolated testing of AI agents and prototypes

- Plus, stick around for our Ask Danny & Leon Q&A on building a stand-out portfolio and getting your first software role

👍 If you enjoyed this deep dive, hit Like, Subscribe, and ring the 🔔 to never miss an episode!

💬 Drop your questions for the next Ask segment in the comments.

🌐 Follow us on Twitter: @DThompsonDev | @LeonNoel

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome & Host Introductions

01:42 – Overview of Vercel Ship 2025

07:08 – AI Gateway: One Endpoint for Every Model

10:22 – Active CPU Pricing: Pay Only for What You Use

14:46 – Rolling Releases: Safer, Incremental Deployments

20:52 – Rolling Releases vs. A/B Testing Explained

24:47 – Bot ID: Invisible AI-Powered Bot Protection

30:03 – Sponsor Break: Level Up Financial Planning

33:07 – UX & Partnership: Why Vercel’s Strategy Matters

36:05 – Sandboxes: Isolated AI & Code Testing

40:03 – The Shift to AI Cloud & Future Workflows

44:47 – Ask Danny & Leon: Portfolio, LinkedIn & Landing Jobs

53:30 – Wrap-Up & What’s Next

Enjoy the show!

In this episode of The Programming Podcast, Danny Thompson and Leon Noel dive deep into three key topics that every developer should know right now:

Vercel’s Fluid Compute — What it is, why it matters, and how a single toggle can slash your cloud costs.

JavaScript .map() explained — Not just for beginners! Real-world enterprise use cases and how it protects your original data.

New CSS features — Danny brings in a fresh concept that blew his mind over the weekend.

They also share powerful insights on how to build momentum after a tech conference, including actionable tips to turn casual conversations into long-term relationships.

Finally, Danny shares his AI prompting technique that radically improves the quality of responses from ChatGPT and other tools — and you’ll want to steal this trick.

💡 Whether you're junior or senior, working on side projects or leading enterprise teams, this episode packs in practical advice, strategy, and laughs.

👇 Chapters below — don’t forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review (or hit dislike twice 😉)!

⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters:

0:00 – Intro and janky apps vs. enterprise hacks

1:00 – Podcast kickoff & thank you for 219 5-star reviews

2:30 – Vercel Fluid Compute: Why this one toggle changes everything

4:45 – Multi-threading explained with real examples

7:00 – Impact on React apps, cost savings, and AI workloads

10:00 – Enterprise-scale architecture shifts

11:00 – JavaScript .map() – Real-world usage breakdown

13:40 – Map vs. original data: what juniors often miss

15:00 – Data protection and use cases with sensitive info

16:50 – Why .map() is like let for arrays

17:30 – React, enterprise component architecture, and separation of concerns

19:00 – CSS concept teaser (covered later or in next episode)

37:00 – How to improve your AI prompts dramatically

38:10 – Danny’s exact prompt to get better ChatGPT responses

39:30 – Ask Danny & Leon: How to keep momentum after a tech conference

41:00 – Leon’s tips: Thank-yous, Twitter lists, and coffee chats

42:00 – Danny’s pre-conference strategy and post-event follow-up

44:00 – Junior vs. senior approaches to networking

46:00 – Funny origin story: How this podcast started from a conference joke

47:00 – Building genuine relationships with thoughtful follow-ups

49:00 – Outro – Thanks for tuning in!

Struggling to learn JavaScript in 2025? You're not alone—and it's not your fault. In this episode of The Programming Podcast, Leon Noel and Danny Thompson break down the real strategies for mastering JavaScript (and TypeScript) in today’s dev landscape. From avoiding tutorial hell to embracing project-based learning, we cover everything you need to finally make progress.

Whether you're just starting out or restarting your coding journey, this episode is packed with hard truths, practical tools, and motivational gems to keep you going—even when it gets tough.

We talk about:

Learning strategies that actually work

Why visual wins matter

When to start learning TypeScript

Why floats still get taught?!

How to avoid false expectations (aka thinking you’re job-ready after one birdhouse)

🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode!

🔥 Real advice. Real experience. Real value. Hit that like & subscribe button to support more episodes like this!

💡 Sponsor: Level Up Financial Planning

Changing careers or increasing your income? Get financial clarity with Level Up Financial Planning—helping early and mid-career tech professionals secure their financial future. Visit LevelUpFinancialPlanning.com for a free consultation!

NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/

Stay in Touch:

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?

Email us at [email protected]!

Danny Thompson

https://x.com/DThompsonDev

https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev

www.DThompsonDev.com

Leon Noel

https://x.com/leonnoel

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/

https://100devs.org/

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?

Email us at [email protected]!

⏱️ Chapters:

0:00 – Intro: Two kinds of projects

0:50 – Learning how to learn: Dr. Barbara Oakley

4:15 – Active recall & spaced repetition

7:30 – Building through pain (the right kind)

10:00 – Why JavaScript feels hard

12:00 – JavaScript vs HTML/CSS: Mental shift

13:10 – Should you start with TypeScript in 2025?

16:00 – Project-based learning: The underrated MVP

18:30 – Learning through fumbling: Leon’s take on floats

21:00 – The ES6/legacy debate: Var vs Let/Const

25:00 – Principles over implementation in the AI age

28:00 – Starting with early wins and momentum

31:00 – Why visual feedback is addictive for beginners

34:00 – Learning from different teachers

36:00 – Debunking "learning styles"?

40:00 – Why some formats (like video) just don’t work for everyone

42:30 – Must-know JavaScript resources in 2025

47:00 – FreeCodeCamp, HeroDev, The Odin Project, Full Stack Open

50:00 – Freelancing and the 100-Hour Project

52:30 – Aligning effort with expectations

54:00 – Birdhouses and burnout: Understanding trade-offs

57:30 – Build your learning identity

59:00 – Ask Danny & Leon: Should I travel 3 hours for a first-round interview?

1:05:00 – How to ask for help (and not sound rude)

In this episode, Danny and Leon dive into their firsthand takeaways from the AI Engineer World’s Fair in San Francisco. They share what it felt like to be among the brightest minds shaping the future of AI, why “tiny teams” are the hottest trend right now, and how rapid prototyping tools are changing the game. You’ll hear real-world use cases for AI agents (from meal ordering to personal finance audits), a deep discussion of Model Context Protocol (MCP) and the push for industry standards, plus a glimpse at conversational AI’s next frontier—attaching your bots to phone lines and AR glasses. They also preview the upcoming Commit Your Code conference and cap it off with a listener Q&A on resume and ATS strategies.

🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode!

🔥 Real advice. Real experience. Real value. Hit that like & subscribe button to support more episodes like this!

💡 Sponsor: Level Up Financial Planning

Changing careers or increasing your income? Get financial clarity with Level Up Financial Planning—helping early and mid-career tech professionals secure their financial future. Visit LevelUpFinancialPlanning.com for a free consultation!

NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/

Stay in Touch:

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?

Email us at [email protected]!

Danny Thompson

https://x.com/DThompsonDev

https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev

www.DThompsonDev.com

Leon Noel

https://x.com/leonnoel

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/

https://100devs.org/

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?

Email us at [email protected]!

Chapters

0:00 Welcome & AI Engineer World’s Fair Overview

4:50 Insights from Tracy Lee & Conference Atmosphere

7:00 “Tiny Teams” & Building Million-Dollar Startups

11:50 AI Agents in Action: Personalized Meal Planning & Finance Tracking

15:54 AI as a Productivity Multiplier, Not a Headcount Cutter

20:02 Model Context Protocol (MCP) & the Need for Standards

22:55 Advancements in Retrieval, Augmentation & Agentic Flows

26:43 This Dot Labs’ New AI Service Offering

30:42 Conversational AI Meets Telephony: Easy Phone Integration

34:50 AR Glasses, Voice AI & the Future of Human–Machine Interaction

35:58 Evaluating Prompts & Information Quality: Why It Matters

37:45 Preview: Commit Your Code Conference Growth & What’s Next

38:08 Listener Q&A: Ask Danny & Leon Segment

42:00 Resume Rescue: ATS Tips & Bullet-Point Best Practices

45:03 Closing Thoughts & Next Episode Teaser

Is HTML, CSS, and JavaScript still enough to land a job in 2025 — especially with AI reshaping everything? Danny and Leon go all in on this question with unfiltered, experience-backed advice that every aspiring developer needs to hear.🔥 Topics we dive into:The real expectations for entry-level devs in today’s marketWhy listing HTML on your resume might actually hurt youHow to develop confidence through "evidence"Why AI tools aren’t the shortcut you think they areWhat actually sets you apart from the competitionAnd why taste, design, and judgment are becoming the new moatWhether you're just starting out or trying to level up, this is the episode that clears the fog and gives you direction.👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe if you found value!00:00 - The Job Market Is a Fight — Are You Ready?01:20 - The Cost of Wasting Resume Real Estate02:00 - What Employers Assume You Know03:45 - Danny and Leon Introduce the Show05:00 - The Big Question: Is HTML/CSS/JS Still Enough in 2025?06:30 - Leon’s Take: “Yes, but...”08:20 - Danny’s Take: “No, and here’s why...”10:00 - Why Most People Asking This Question Are Stuck in JS11:00 - The Decline of Frontend-Only Roles12:20 - Fullstack Is the New Baseline13:30 - What Grads from 100Devs & Resilient Coders Are Actually Learning14:15 - HTML/CSS on Resumes? It’s a Red Flag16:00 - Focus on Achievements, Not Basics17:30 - Why TypeScript and Deeper Skills Matter More Than Ever19:00 - If You’re Missing Resume Wins… Go Make Them20:00 - Why We're Blunt: It's About Getting You Hired21:00 - AI Tools Won’t Replace Hard Work22:30 - Designers & Frontend Devs Are About to Thrive Again24:00 - Taste and Judgment Will Be the Competitive Edge25:00 - Software’s Moat Is Still There — Use It to Your Advantage26:45 - Ask Danny & Leon: “How Do I Fit In as a 19-Year-Old?”28:00 - Confidence Comes from Evidence29:40 - Stop Applying for Internships if You're Not in College31:00 - New Blood and Enthusiasm Are Valuable in Tech32:00 - Final Words: Be Unapologetically Hungry

In this episode of The Programming Podcast, Leon Noel and Danny Thompson dive deep into how to get the most out of tech conferences — including unique strategies used at Commit Your Code, what it really takes to build a network from scratch, and how AI is completely changing the developer landscape.

From portable mini golf to prompt cards that kickstart conversations, Danny unveils how CYC is engineered to spark real connections — not just QR-code scans. Then, the duo unpacks Google I/O 2025, including wild use cases for AI-generated video, Android XR glasses, and what companies are really doing with AI budgets (spoiler: it’s not layoffs).

Whether you're a developer looking to network better, a freelancer trying to close more deals, or just someone curious about how AI is disrupting everything — this episode is for you.

🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode!

🔥 Real advice. Real experience. Real value. Hit that like & subscribe button to support more episodes like this!

💡 Sponsor: Level Up Financial Planning

Changing careers or increasing your income? Get financial clarity with Level Up Financial Planning—helping early and mid-career tech professionals secure their financial future. Visit LevelUpFinancialPlanning.com for a free consultation!

NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/

Stay in Touch:

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?

Email us at [email protected]!

Danny Thompson

https://x.com/DThompsonDev

https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev

www.DThompsonDev.com

Leon Noel

https://x.com/leonnoel

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/

https://100devs.org/

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?

Email us at [email protected]!

Chapters:

00:00 - Strategy for Building Real Connections at Conferences

01:45 - Introducing Commit Your Code & This Year’s Upgrades

03:10 - Mini Golf as a Networking Tool? Here’s Why

04:30 - Free Professional Headshots & The Morning Connect

05:25 - Prompt Cards & the “Start in the Middle” Philosophy

06:15 - The 5-Minute Pass System for Intros

07:50 - How Employers Are Involved at CYC

09:40 - Leon’s Early Networking Strategy: Never Eat Alone

11:00 - The Power of Volunteering at Conferences

13:00 - Shifting the Focus from Collecting Contacts to Creating Relationships

14:15 - “Read the Room” & Breathers During Conversations

15:30 - Making Conferences Less Awkward and More Genuine

16:55 - Transitioning from Online to In-Person Relationships

18:00 - From CYC to Google I/O: Huge Shifts in Tech

20:10 - AI-Generated Video and the Wild Future of Media

21:55 - AI Search and the Changing Behavior Around Google

23:30 - Real-Time Translation with Android XR Glasses

25:05 - Will Smart Glasses Finally Go Mainstream?

27:00 - Google’s Ecosystem Advantage in AI Integration

29:00 - Why Google Glass Was Too Early

30:50 - Stripe Sessions & Corporate AI Investments

32:30 - AI as a Productivity Tool, Not a Layoff Excuse

34:15 - Freelance Client Discovery: Ask the Right Questions

36:00 - What Makes a $30K+ Project Work

37:40 - From $1.8K Projects to $275K+ Consulting Deals

39:10 - Auditing AI-Generated Code Responsibly

40:15 - Why Now Is the Time to Learn AI Tools as a Developer

42:00 - Final Thoughts: Real Problems great than Shiny Tech

43:00 - Ask Danny & Leon: Questions to Ask Freelance Clients

In this power-packed episode of The Programming Podcast, Danny Thompson (Director of Technology at This Dot Labs) and Leon Noel (Managing Director of Engineering at Resilient Coders) break down everything you need to know to get your first job in tech.

We go deep on:

- Recruiter secrets

- Nailing behavioral interviews

- Technical interview mindset

- Salary negotiation mistakes

- Job hunt strategy

- Real stories from our own journeys

Whether you're just getting started or stuck mid-hunt, this episode is your ultimate job search survival guide—with no fluff, just the actionable truth.

We also share what it's like building free communities like 100Devs and Commit Your Code, why most people aren't prepared for their interviews, and how vibes (yes, vibes!) play a bigger role in hiring than you think.

NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/

Stay in Touch:

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?

Email us at [email protected]!

Danny Thompson

https://x.com/DThompsonDev

https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev

www.DThompsonDev.com

Leon Noel

https://x.com/leonnoel

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/

https://100devs.org/

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?

Email us at [email protected]!

🎙️ Subscribe for more real talk about tech, careers, and making it in software.

⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters

00:00 – Intro: Why We’re Still Not Monetized

01:03 – Do NOT Sign Exclusive Recruiter Agreements

02:17 – Why Some Get Jobs Fast (And Most Don’t)

03:36 – Reflections on the Biggest Guest Episode Ever

05:00 – What Recruiters Really Do & Why They Can’t Mentor You

09:48 – How to Prepare for Interview #1

12:00 – What “Being One of the Two” Really Takes

14:45 – Honest Audit: Are You Actually Job Ready?

17:00 – How to Strategize Your Resume & LinkedIn for Interviews

21:00 – Behavioral Interview Tips That Actually Work

23:00 – The Power of “Tell Me About Yourself”

26:00 – Why You Must Research Companies Before Interviewing

28:00 – Turning Interviews into Conversations

30:00 – Asking the Right Questions (and the Wrong Ones)

34:00 – How to Practice Behavioral Interview Questions

36:00 – The Ball Rolling: Following Up the Smart Way

38:00 – Momentum is Everything (Don’t Overinvest in One Job)

40:00 – The Sales Mentality Behind a Successful Job Hunt

42:00 – Technical Interviews: Think Out Loud or Fail Silently

45:00 – The Real Point of the “Soft Tech / Half-Behavioral” Round

48:00 – Storytime: Danny’s YouTube Startup Interview

51:00 – Salary Negotiation on Your First Job

54:00 – Why Your 3rd Job Will Always Outpay Your First

58:00 – The Six-Figure First Job Trap (And Why It’s Misguided)

1:01:00 – Optimize for the Long Game, Not the Big Number

1:04:00 – Listener Question: Finding Your Why & Your Path

1:07:00 – Time Management & Tech as a Launchpad

1:10:00 – Why You’re Struggling with JavaScript Right Now

1:13:00 – Building Something Real While Still Learning

1:15:00 – Never Overpromise to Clients

1:17:00 – Why Motivation Won’t Save You—Discipline Will

1:18:20 – Wrap-Up & Final Thoughts

In this episode of The Programming Podcast, Danny Thompson and Leon Noel are joined by special guest Santiago, a machine learning engineer and teacher of the Machine Learning School cohort, for one of the most actionable and grounded AI discussions in tech today.

We cut through the hype and dive deep into:

- How AI is (and isn’t) replacing developers

- Using AI as a co-pilot vs letting AI drive

- Vector databases, embeddings, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)

- Model Context Protocol (MCP), agent-based systems, and why no one agrees on what an agent is

- The underhyped power of edge ML and TinyML

- Real-world agent use cases (like automating DocuSign workflows)

- Getting started with AI as a developer today — beyond building chatbots

Follow our Guest Co-host:

https://x.com/svpino

https://www.ml.school/

https://www.youtube.com/@UCgLxmJ8xER7Y7sywMN5SfWg

This episode is loaded with insights for junior devs, industry veterans, and anyone curious about building real AI-enhanced applications.

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more developer-first conversations!

⏱️ Timestamps & Chapters:

0:00 – Will AI Replace Software Developers?

0:45 – Embracing AI as a Developer Tool

2:00 – Meet the Hosts and Guest (Danny, Leon, Santiago)

3:20 – Leon’s AI Skepticism Journey

4:30 – Why “AI Won’t Replace You, But Someone Using It Might”

6:30 – Becoming a Solo Builder at Scale with AI

8:15 – Real Examples of Using AI to Get More Done

9:45 – AI and the Power of Prototyping

11:00 – AI Co-pilot vs. You Co-piloting AI

13:00 – Future of Tools Built for AI (MCP, A2A)

14:40 – Shifting Between Developer Modes with AI

17:00 – Intro to Vector Databases & Embeddings

20:45 – What is Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)?

23:00 – Large Context Windows vs RAG: Is RAG Still Relevant?

25:30 – Indexing Speed & Clustering Explained with Spice Rack Analogy

27:50 – Why Grounding Matters (Reducing Hallucinations in LLMs)

31:00 – The Importance of the Ingestion Layer

32:10 – Other Crucial AI Trends: MCP, Agent-to-Agent

33:00 – Defining AI Agents (Why No One Agrees)

35:00 – The Browser Wars of Agent Definitions

36:30 – Overhyped vs Underrepresented AI Concepts

38:00 – Specialized Tools for AI Builders

39:45 – Agents Will Be the Next Microservices

41:00 – Real-World Example: AI + DocuSign + Slack + Asana Integration

43:00 – Underhyped: TinyML and AI on Edge Devices

45:00 – Apple’s Adapter Strategy with LoRA Models

47:00 – Companies Aren’t Ready to Train Custom Models Yet

48:30 – Santiago’s Current AI Stack: Cursor, Windsurf, Tracer, and More

50:30 – Specialized Tools for GitHub Issues, Jupyter Notebooks

52:20 – Fine-Tuning Tools & Lightweight Model Training (DPO, RLHF)

54:00 – Ask Danny, Leon & Santiago: How to Get Started in AI

55:00 – First Project Ideas: RAG with YouTube, Building MCP Servers

58:00 – Easy Agent Idea: Email Filter for Promotions

59:00 – Leon’s Learning Stack: FastAI, MCP Docs, Replicate

1:00:00 – Danny’s Favorite Beginner Project: Alt Text Generator

1:00:25 – Wrap-Up and Goodbye

"It's Not Just You!" This is one of our most powerful episodes yet.

🔥 Real advice. Real experience. Real value. Hit that like & subscribe button to support more episodes like this!

Follow our guest cohosts!
Jeremy Parker:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrobinparker/

Pariss Chandler:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pariss-chandler/
Black Tech Pipeline: https://blacktechpipeline.com/

Leah Thompson:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahtcodes
https://x.com/leahtcodes
https://twitch.tv/leahtcodes/

Yoo Jin (Yoon) Bae:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/bae-yoojin/

Zac Wilson:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachery-wilson-792bb01b5/
https://seedgeni.us

NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/

Stay in Touch:
📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?
Email us at [email protected]!

Danny Thompson
https://x.com/DThompsonDev
https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev
www.DThompsonDev.com

Leon Noel
https://x.com/leonnoel
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/
https://100devs.org/

📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?
Email us at [email protected]!

In this episode of The Programming Podcast, Danny Thompson and Leon Noel are joined by an all-star panel of developers who broke into tech from completely non-traditional paths. From wax specialists and restaurant managers to teachers and project managers, this group didn’t just survive—they thrived.

We get raw, real, and ridiculously honest:

The lowest moments in their journey

Why failing interviews was the best thing that ever happened

How to navigate the AI wave without getting left behind

The truth about DevRel, layoffs, and today’s job market

How networking, community, and building in public changed everything

If you're learning to code, changing careers, or struggling to break into tech—this episode is for you. You'll walk away with not just hope, but a blueprint.

🔥 Subscribe to The Programming Podcast for more real talk like this.
🎧 Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen.

⏱️ YouTube Chapters
0:00   The Truth About Breaking into Tech 
1:14   Meet the Co-Hosts & Guests 
3:21   How Everyone Got Into Tech 
13:14  “Rock Bottom” Moments That Changed Everything 
25:01  What They Wish They Learned Earlier (Hint: Testing & Fundamentals) 
30:46  How AI Is Changing Tech Careers (And What to Do About It) 
32:23  Smart Ways to Upskill with AI 
39:17  Mental Health, Burnout, and Bad Weeks in Tech 
45:47  How to Actually Break Into Tech in 2025 
48:53  The Power of Networking & Building in Public 
51:05  Unexpected Job Wins Through Community 
54:00  Real Talk: The Market Has Changed (And Won’t Go Back) 
58:45  Are You Ready for the New Reality of Tech Hiring? 
1:04:00  “You Just Bombed Your Interview”—What We’d Say on the Bus 
1:11:55  Final Stories, Motivation, and Getting That Bread

qIn this episode of The Programming Podcast, Danny Thompson and Leon Noel dive into the challenges of learning and teaching coding, especially in the era of AI-assisted development and vibe coding. From real stories inside their cohorts to practical Git strategies (merge vs rebase), they unpack what it takes to grow as a developer, the dangers of disconnection as you level up, and why some tools can actually hurt your learning if used incorrectly.They also take a passionate stance on the AI hype cycle, including a fiery response to the claim that “AI will write 100% of code in a year.” Tune in for a raw, thoughtful, and energizing conversation that covers practical dev advice, community insight, and why mentorship still matters more than ever.🔍 What You'll Learn in This Episode- The real difference between Git merge vs Git rebase — with analogies that finally make sense- How to teach complex technical concepts without "drawing the owl"- Why junior developers struggle with AI tools (and how to actually learn from them)- The rise of vibe coding and where it actually works — and where it fails- How to write effective commit messages using professional Git conventions- The danger of using Git GUIs without understanding terminal commands- How AI falls short when it comes to code maintenance and debugging- Why most AI-generated code isn’t production-ready without developer intervention- The role of structured team collaboration in mastering version control- What real-world developer workflows look like in enterprise-level software development- Why companies still haven’t adopted AI — and what that says about AI in the workplace- A breakdown of how to use AI terminals like Warp.dev to avoid Git mistakes- Honest commentary on the AI hype cycle, vibe coding trends, and the future of development⏱️ Chapters0:00 – The Disconnection of Expertise: Remembering what it’s like not to know1:18 – Vibe Coding and the "Death of Excuses"2:03 – Inside the Cohort: Crunch Time & Team Struggles3:01 – Weekly Demos and Learning Through Exposure3:53 – Merge Conflict Chaos: Why Git Rebase vs Merge5:14 – Teaching Git Rebase: Deck of Cards Analogy9:01 – Git for Teams: Saving Points, Commit Hygiene & Strategy12:46 – Push Your Commits! And Why Local-Only Isn’t Enough14:58 – The Merge vs Rebase Breakdown (Visual Metaphor)17:00 – When Rebase Becomes Default: Real Org Examples18:49 – Don’t Fear Git: Every Dev Messes It Up Sometimes20:05 – Learn Git in Context: Work with Teams, Not Solo21:19 – Commit Message Best Practices (And Why They Matter)24:26 – GitHub Integration Tips & the Power of Structured Messages25:03 – Should Juniors Use GUI Git Tools? Pros & Cons25:52 – How to Use AI Correctly as a Junior Developer27:00 – The Rise of Vibe Coding: What Works, What Doesn’t28:03 – Maintenance with AI? Not Even Close Yet29:16 – The Anthropic CEO Hot Take & Dev Skepticism30:29 – AI Hype and the Dev Community’s Trust Problem31:06 – Devs Know Better: Why AI Claims Don’t Land32:07 – Shoutout to Indian Rapper Whankind & Community Uplift32:49 – $25/Week Discord Groups?! Rant Incoming34:03 – Free is better than Paid: Why We’re Building a Better Community35:03 – Real Vibe Coding Test at This Dot Labs36:40 – Vibe Coding Is Fun, But Logic Is Still King38:00 – Final Thoughts on Vibe Coding: MVPs vs. Long-Term Projects39:01 – What’s Next: Choosing Tools That Help You Grow