Code with Jason

In this episode I talk with Dave Thomas about the rapid changes in technology and the importance of returning to software development fundamentals. We discuss the pitfalls of relying solely on AI-generated code and the value of elegance, simplicity, and deep understanding in software design. Links: - Renaissance Code - RubyConf - Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with David Yanacek about his journey from operating Amazon's web server fleet to revolutionizing DevOps at AWS. We discuss AI in software development, spec-driven development, and universal testing techniques. David shares insights into operational excellence and the Amazon Builders Library. Links: - Amazon Builders Library - Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Joe Masilotti about his new podcast with Colleen Schnettler, 'Permission Not Required.' We discuss how two independent consultants navigate the challenges and opportunities in business today, especially regarding the evolving role of AI in our field. Links: - Joe Masilotti's Website - Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Bob Martin about his work with programming languages using AI, the essence of software engineering, and why understanding epistemology matters for developers. We also explore dependency inversion and the benefits of a robust test suite. Links: Uncle Bob on Twitter Bob Martin's website Clean Code Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with John Nunemaker about his journey with Ruby, acquiring Fireside.fm, and his ventures in software focused on podcast hosting and feature flag services. We also explore the potential impacts of AI in the development space and John's vision for the future. Links: - Box Out Sports - Very Good Software - Flipper Cloud - Fireside.fm - Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Kellen Presley about Rhizome Compliance, an anti-money laundering platform. We discuss the challenges of gaining initial customers, leveraging AI with Ruby on Rails, and the evolving role of developers in the AI age. Links: - Rhizome Compliance - RubyConf 2026 - Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Adam Dawkins, CTO of Dragon Drop, about building internal tools using Ruby on Rails, the challenges of growing codebases, and how to effectively manage design and technical debt. We explore abstractions, code quality, and the philosophy behind good testing practices. Links: - Dragon Drop - adamdawkins.com - Adam Dawkins on LinkedIn - Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Edward Tewiah about his journey with PropertyWebBuilder, a Ruby on Rails toolkit for real estate websites. We discuss the challenges of building a flexible UI, meeting client needs, and how AI is revolutionizing Edward's approach to development. Links: - PropertyWebBuilder on GitHub - Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Errol Schmidt from reinteractive about the evolving role of development agencies amid rapid AI advancements. We explore the impact of AI tools on productivity and the future of software development, as well as the cultural differences in responding to AI's rise. Links: reinteractive RubyConf Nonsense Monthly

In this episode, I talk with Dave Thomas about RubyConf 2026, the essence of a good conference, and the philosophy of programming, including abstraction and the art of using AI in coding. Links: The Pragmatic Programmer The Pragmatic Bookshelf PragDave.me Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with David Santoro, CTO of Carwow, about his journey from startup co-founder to leading a large engineering team. We discuss carwow's evolution, their focus on scalability, and how they tackled growth challenges across different countries. David also shares strategic product and technical decisions. Links: Carwow David Santoro on LinkedIn Carwow Product Engineering Blog...

In this episode I talk with John Gallagher about changes in AI over the last 18 months and the impact of luck on success. Links: John's Linktree Joyful Programming John's LinkedIn Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Tyler Ewing about Ductwork, his innovative workflow framework for Ruby and Rails. We explore its unique position between background job libraries like Sidekiq and heavier solutions like Temporal, and how Ductwork aims to streamline complex workflows with a focus on durability and usability. Links: Ductwork Website Ductwork GitHub Ductwork Docs Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Brad Taylor about his journey as a fractional CTO and advisor for various companies. We discuss his experience with open source medical records, the importance of business objects, and navigating complexity in software projects. We also touch on storytelling in code and managing technical debt. Links: Brad Taylor's Company Brad Taylor's Substack Nonsense Month...

In this episode I talk with JP Camara about RubyConf 2026, submitting CFPs, and why everyone should give talks. JP shares his experience using SaturnCI on the Mastodon project, and we dig into Saturn CI's Docker-based setup, Kubernetes architecture, and test-focused UX philosophy. Links: jpcamara.com SaturnCI Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Christian Genco about IQ, the pros and cons of high intelligence, the Big Five personality traits, evolutionary differences between men and women, hypergamy, the origins of money, and whether Yuval Harari's "shared fiction" concept holds up. We never got to the AI topic we planned. Links: Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Cody Kendall about building software for his dad's HVAC business, learning usability testing, pivoting from contractor software to AI-generated code, and why he built LlamaPress. LlamaPress AI Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Steve Pike, founder of Infield, about dependency management and automated Rails upgrades. We discuss the tradeoffs of taking on dependencies, authorization libraries like CanCanCan versus Pundit, open source maintainer obligations, and how AI is changing the upgrade automation landscape. Infield Once a Maintainer Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Sean Schertell about his return to Rails after many years in JavaScript, the pain of node module hell, Kamal for deployment, and Sean's new startup ZiaMap for land surveyors. Links: Codepilot ZiaMap Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Christian Jenko for round two. We explore abstraction as the most important idea in software, Michael Singer's philosophy on consciousness and thoughts, whether AI can become conscious, and how our mental abstractions shape what we see in reality. Links: Designing Object-Oriented Software by Rebecca Wirfs-Brock The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer The Unte...

In this episode I talk with Christian Genko, founder of Fileinbox. We discuss bootstrapping SaaS products, finding business ideas through openness rather than forcing, how LLMs have changed development workflows, TDD with Claude Code, and the enduring value of taste and abstractions in software. Links: Fileinbox Christian Genco's personal website Christian Genco on X Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Miles Woodroffe, CTO of Mindful Chef. We discuss his music career touring with The Specials and working with Bob Dylan and Ray Charles, how he transitioned into tech, building great teams, and finding people who enjoy working together. Links: mileswoodroffe.com Mindful Chef Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Paul Hammond about TDD as a discoverable principle—something alien programmers would independently arrive at. We discuss my "specify, encode, fulfill" formulation, why programming needs theory instead of rules of thumb, and the business payoff of technical quality: Paul returned to a well-built project after 18 months and delivered months of planned work befor...

In this episode I talk with Becky Freeman, staff engineer at Caribou and co-organizer of Rocky Mountain Ruby, about legacy code, refactoring long-running applications, and the psychological skills required to get team buy-in for technical improvements. Links: Bekki Freeman on LinkedIn Rocky Mountain Ruby Caribou Nonsense Monthly

In this episode I talk with Cory Zue about his solopreneur journey building SaaS Pegasus, a Django boilerplate product. We discuss AI's potential impact on the business of selling code, the financial anxiety that persists even when things are going well, and content marketing strategies for technical products. Links: coryzue.com SaaS Pegasus Nonsense Monthly