Constant Variables

A poor email reputation can make it difficult to do business if a password reset, order confirmation, or account signup email doesn't reach a customer's inbox. As a developer, Tom Whitten has helped several companies protect their email reputation, and he's sharing tips on how businesses can improve email credibility and deliverability. **Show Links** Find full show notes at https://constantvariab...

When using payment processing software within an app or website, you'll find dozens of provider options.   JMG's CTO, Tom Whitten, shares why developers prefer to work with Stripe and the value business owners can get from discussing payment provider options with their development team.    **Show Links**   Find full show notes at https://constantvariables.co      Chat with JMG | https://jmg.mn/cha...

Dynamic links are intrinsic to marketing campaigns, and Google's discontinuation of its popular Firebase Dynamic Links tool has businesses concerned about the status of their URLs.   JMG CTO, Tom Whitten, joins Michael Roth to address the implications of Firebase no longer supporting dynamic links come August 2025 and why business owners should start migrating their links to another service provid...

How do alt tags work? Why are they important for a website? Can an AI tool create alt tags for you?   Tom Whitten hears questions like these daily in his role as CTO of a software development company. He joins Michael Roth to explain the impact alt tags can have on SEO and when an AI tool can help implement them.   **Show Links** Find full show notes at https://constantvariables.co      Chat with...

How does a research project turn into a company with a story to sell? When "How does this not already exist?" is the overwhelming response to the idea. CEO Mike Pitt shares the obvious need behind the development of Q-rounds, the complications around testing a product intended for hospital use, and why he hasn't accepted the entrepreneur label. SHOW LINKS Email Mike Pitt | mike@q-rounds.com Q-roun...

Technology is a crucial component to living in today's society, and Liz Tupper joins the show to explain why technologists like herself hold a powerful responsibility to build technology accessible to everyone. She shares how even the most well-intended software often leaves people out, what challenges come with not thinking about accessibility from the beginning, and how her career path led to th...

After working with three different overseas development teams to build out the software behind his company, Mike Franz took a different approach for the development of his company's mobile app. Mike dives into why his experience makes him a proponent for non-technical individuals to work with local tech teams over offshore development agencies and gives advice to startup founders facing similar de...

The Vertige App is helping individuals with vertigo by using habit tracking to identify trends and recognize potential triggers. Kristy Carabello is founder of Vertige, and a vertigo sufferer herself, and she shares why she made the leap into building a mobile app and how she did so without a technical background. **Show Links** Full show notes | https://constantvariables.co   Vertige App | https:...

Babbl is navigating the noise of market news in order to help DIY investors stay on top of the market. Babbl Founder, Ramsey Shaffer, joins Michael Roth of The Jed Mahonis Group to explain how the technology uses sentiment tracking, why they focused on a web-only platform, and when a mobile app might come into play. SHOW LINKS Babbl's website | https://babbl.dev   Promo code for Constant Variables...

The passive aggressive nature commonly associated with Minnesotans isn't prevalent when it comes to collaborating in the healthcare and technology sectors of the state. Frank Jaskulke joins Michael Roth of The Jed Mahonis Group to share how Medical Alley invests in the growth of not only its members but its employees (himself included), and why the community here is different from that famous plac...

The Vitals App is bridging communication with a mobile app that aids first responders, caregivers, and self-advocates during an emergency. Vitals CMO Joe Meyers joins Michael Roth of The Jed Mahonis Group to explain how the technology works, how restraint can actually move you forward when building tech, and how he prioritizes feature feedback for the development team.   **SHOW LINKS** Full show n...

Repowered (formerly Tech Dump and Tech Discounts) is a local industry leader in electronics recycling and refurbishing, and their Senior Director of ITAD Processing, Sam Drong, joins the show to share what fair chances for people, planet, and technology look like. **SHOW LINKS** Repowered's website | https://getrepowered.org Sam Drong on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/samdrong/   Michael R...

OG podcast contributor, Rob Bentley, returns to the show to break down how Apple and Google's newest operating systems will impact app owners. In this episode, you will learn: Android 13's changes for handling sensitive data within apps Push notification permission requirements for Android apps Why iOS 16 is requiring apps to have permission to access users' pasteboards Lock screen widget customiz...

Connecting with curiosity led Tim Schuster to found a church, which then evolved into a business to help other founders. He joins Michael Roth of The Jed Mahonis Group to talk about how his company, Popup Think Tank, is helping founders get to the next level. He shares why it's never too soon for feedback, how to foster better conversation, and what leads to a productive community event (and why y...

Tim Bornholdt hands over hosting duty to Michael Roth, but not first without taking a trip down memory lane. Tim shares how Constant Variables and The Jed Mahonis Group are related, what his most memorable development project is, and what his first question is when approached about building an app, before signing off with an update on his passion project and Iowa-sized fitness goal. **SHOW LINKS**...

If the term "Serverless," has you uttering "Oofda", this episode is for you, where Bryson Tyrrell and AJ Stuyvenberg prove why they're serverless subject matter experts. **SHOW LINKS** AJ on Twitter | https://twitter.com/astuyve   Bryson on Twitter | https://twitter.com/bryson3gps   Serverless MN Meetup | https://www.meetup.com/Serverless-MN/ Connect with The Jed Mahonis Group on LinkedIn | https:...

If the term "API," has you uttering "Oofda", this episode is for you. Eric Caron, Senior Director of Digital Experience at Caribou Coffee, is back to talk nerdy with us about APIs. To get to the very core of what an API is, Eric uses examples of APIs we use daily (and probably never realized). He explains why APIs need good documentation, why an API should (and shouldn't) be public, and why an API...

If the term "Agile" has you uttering "Oofda", this episode is for you. Tim Bornholdt chats with expert project and product manager, Sarah Peete, about the nuances between project management methodologies.   **SHOW LINKS** Sarah Peete on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-peete-5117057/   Cprime | https://www.cprime.com/product-agility/   Project Management Institute | https://www.pmi.org...

If the terms "Artificial Intelligence," "Machine Learning," and "Deep Learning" have you uttering "Oofda", this episode is for you. Tim Bornholdt chats with Indico Data's Slater Victoroff about these emerging technologies and best use-cases for the future.   **SHOW LINKS** Indico Data | https://indicodata.ai/   Slater on Twitter | https://twitter.com/sl8rv   Slater.website | https://www.slater.web...

If the term quantum computing has you uttering "Oofda", this episode is for you.  Tim Bornholdt chats with Alexander Braun, Professor of Physics at Duesseldorf University of Applied Sciences, about how to understand current and future capabilities of quantum computers.   **SHOW LINKS** Beyond Weird by Philip Ball | https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B07H9HNDYL&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=c...

What should be in your design or Github portfolio if you're job hunting? What are the hardest technical roles to fill if you're hiring? OST Senior Recruiter Hannah Staal joins the show to share how the technical recruitment landscape has changed, why to be mindful of mid-level career changes, and what recruiters are looking for in an applicant's portfolio.   **SHOW LINKS** OST's website | https://...

The tech job market is booming, but the fundamentals of getting hired haven't changed all that much. William Bushee wrote the book for how to land that first job as a developer (literally, it's called "Wired For Coding: How to Stand Out from the Crowd and Land Your First Job as a Developer.") Will joins Tim on the show to talk about the challenges of today's job market for both the employer and th...

If you have an app on the App Store that allows users to create an account, then by June 30, 2022, users must be able to easily delete their account from within the app as well. In this episode, Tim and Jenny break down everything you need to know about Apple's account deletion requirement. **SHOW LINKS** JMG Business Development Representative job posting | https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2990...

Merging two companies is hard work, even for someone seasoned in the practice of overseeing acquisitions. Managing a migration for the first time, however, while maintaining key employees and 95% of clients? That wins gold in the M&A Olympics (which totally exist). CEO (and M&A gold medalist) Kelvin Johnson joins the show to share how his experience leading a M&A in only 27 days took years off his...

You know those adorable book-sharing boxes you see around neighborhoods? The organization behind them is Little Free Library, and they just made it easier, and even more fun, to find and share books with the launch of their mobile app. Megan Hanson, Senior Digital Producer at Little Free Library, joins the show to share how the journey of building a "simple" app took a lot of hard work for this no...