Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

Part two of the discussion with Jim Hodapp and Bob Belderbos focused on practical software development. Topics included testing, tooling, libraries, developer workflows, AI coding assistants, and why Rust's ecosystem is helping developers build more reliable systems. Key Discussion Points Rust libraries and crates Built-in testing capabilities AI-assisted coding workflows Compiler-driven developme...

In this episode of Building Better Developers, Jim Hodapp and Bob Belderbos discuss why Rust continues to gain momentum among experienced developers. The conversation explores software craftsmanship, memory safety, AI-assisted development, and why language choice is becoming less important than understanding how software actually works. Key Discussion Points Why Rust attracted both systems program...

The most successful startups do not rely on luck. They build repeatable Legal Risk Systems that help prevent small mistakes from becoming expensive disasters. During Part 2 of our conversation with Phil Crowley, the discussion moved beyond business formation and into a broader challenge facing modern founders: how to manage legal risk in a world increasingly influenced by AI, automation, rapid gro...

Most technology entrepreneurs spend months refining code, building products, and solving technical challenges. Yet a strong Startup Legal Foundation is often the difference between building a sustainable company and creating a future legal problem. In this conversation with attorney and former Johnson & Johnson Assistant General Counsel Phil Crowley, the discussion focused on a reality many develo...

As AI becomes embedded in software development workflows, many leaders assume the biggest changes will happen in coding. The reality may be very different. The future belongs to AI Team Systems—the structures, feedback loops, and operational practices that transform rapid development into meaningful business outcomes. During Building Better Developers Season 28 Episode 9, Dave Borzillo explored ho...

The conversation around AI often focuses on speed, automation, and productivity. Yet one of the most important lessons emerging from modern software development is that Hero Culture Risks become more visible as technology removes traditional bottlenecks. In Building Better Developers Season 28 Episode 8, Dave Borzillo shared a perspective many experienced developers recognize immediately: being th...

The conversation around artificial intelligence often creates the impression that software development has already been transformed beyond recognition. Social media feeds are filled with stories about AI agents replacing teams, generating applications automatically, and eliminating the need for traditional development processes. The Enterprise AI Reality is much more nuanced. While AI has become a...

The journey of Developer Confidence Growth rarely follows a straight line. Most developers begin their careers believing technical knowledge alone determines success. Then reality arrives. A challenging project, a difficult mentor, an unfamiliar technology stack, or a room full of people who seem far more experienced can quickly reveal how much there is still to learn. That realization isn't failu...

Reaching 1,000 podcast episodes is one of those milestones that feels impossible when you're recording episode one. Yet here we are — one thousand conversations, one thousand opportunities to learn, one thousand chances to help someone become a little better than they were yesterday. When Rob started Building Better Developers nearly a decade ago, the goal wasn't to build a massive content platfor...

As AI becomes increasingly capable of generating code, many developers are asking the wrong question. Instead of asking whether AI will replace developers, a better question is: What skills become more valuable when code generation becomes easier? The answer may be AI Deployment Ownership. About Jason Sherman Jason Sherman is a serial entrepreneur, filmmaker, author, and technology founder best kn...

The AI Reality Gap is becoming one of the most important concepts for developers, founders, and business leaders to understand. Every day, social media is filled with examples of applications being built in minutes, products launched overnight, and entire workflows automated through AI tools. What rarely gets discussed is what happens after the demo. A working prototype is not the same thing as a...

One of the biggest mistakes organizations make with AI is assuming that more automation automatically creates better outcomes. Daria Rudnik introduced a framework that challenges that assumption: the Human Agency Scale. Rather than asking whether AI should be used, the framework asks a more important question: How much human involvement should remain? About Daria Rudnik Daria Rudnik helps overload...

The traditional image of leadership is built around the hero. When problems emerge, the leader steps in. If uncertainty appears, the leader provides answers. Finally, as pressure increases, the leader shields the team. According to leadership coach Daria Rudnik, that model is becoming increasingly ineffective. In a world shaped by constant disruption, Facilitative Leadership is replacing heroic le...

The conversation around AI often focuses on what the technology can do. But the more important discussion may be what AI is exposing. Across organizations, AI Reality Gaps are appearing everywhere—not because AI is failing, but because it is revealing problems that were already there. Season 28 of Building Better Developers begins with a simple premise: AI is exposing the cracks. For years, compan...

The idea of Forward Momentum Systems became the defining theme of Season 27 of Building Better Developers. What started as a season about getting unstuck evolved into something much larger: a deep exploration of how developers, founders, and technology leaders can create systems that sustain growth during rapid technological change. Throughout the season, conversations repeatedly returned to the s...

Most AI conversations focus on models. The better conversation focuses on systems. In this episode, we continue our interview with Matt Levenhagen , exploring a practical challenge many developers are facing: integrating AI into business operations without creating costly chaos. The answer is not buying more AI tools. The answer is building an intentional AI Workflow Architecture. About Matt Leven...

The rise of Private AI Systems has created a rush of developers trying to bolt AI onto everything they touch. But the developers who are actually creating long-term value are approaching AI differently. They are not starting with hype. They are starting with friction. In this interview, Matt Levenhagen shares a practical perspective on AI adoption that cuts through most of the noise surrounding mo...

Time left estimation may be one of the simplest ideas in software delivery, but it directly challenges decades of traditional Agile estimation practices. Instead of treating estimates as fixed promises, the concept focuses on continuously updated delivery confidence. During the discussion with Alex Polyakov, this idea became one of the strongest execution-focused themes of the conversation. The go...

Software delivery clarity has become one of the most important competitive advantages for engineering organizations. Teams are shipping faster, AI-assisted development is compressing implementation timelines, and traditional project management systems are struggling to keep pace with modern software delivery realities. During the conversation with Alex Polyakov, one idea surfaced repeatedly: most...

Iterative development systems are no longer optional—they are the backbone of modern software teams that need to move quickly without breaking everything. In the second half of the conversation, Thanos Diacakis moves beyond communication problems and into something deeper: the systems that enable teams to consistently deliver. About Thanos Diacakis With over 25 years in software development, Thano...

Software communication gaps are the invisible force behind most failed or delayed software projects—and they often start long before a single line of code is written. In the conversation with Thanos Diacakis, one thing becomes immediately clear: teams don't struggle because they lack talent or tools. They struggle because they lack a shared language. About Thanos Diacakis With over 25 years in sof...

AI data sovereignty is quickly becoming one of the most critical issues in global technology—and one of the least understood. At its core, it asks a simple question: Who owns the data that shapes intelligence? Because whoever owns the data ultimately controls the outcomes. About Dr. James Maisiri Dr. James Maisiri is a leading voice on AI and society, focusing on how emerging technologies impact l...

The AI infrastructure gap is one of the most misunderstood barriers to real innovation. While the global conversation celebrates breakthroughs in generative AI, automation, and intelligent systems, a large part of the world is dealing with a much more fundamental question: Can we even support AI at scale? This isn't a theoretical issue. It's a structural reality shaping how entire regions adopt—or...

The idea of hitting a plateau feels real—but according to Dr. Joseph, most growth ceilings aren't real at all. They're constructed. Understanding growth ceiling systems means recognizing that what feels like a business limitation is often a mental and behavioral system constraint . About Dr. Joseph Drolshagen Dr. Joseph Drolshagen is a business growth strategist and creator of the SMT Method™ (Sub...

The dynamic visioning strategy is the missing foundation behind why so many developers and founders hit a plateau—and stay there longer than they should. Early in a business, momentum feels automatic. Ideas are exciting. Progress is visible. But eventually, that energy fades, and what replaces it isn't always a lack of skill or opportunity—it's a lack of clarity. That's where the real problem begi...