Hanselminutes with Scott Hanselman

In a world of Rust, Go, and Python, why does C++ still matter? Dr. Gabriel Dos Reis joins Scott to explain how C++ continues to shape everything from GPUs and browsers to AI infrastructure. They talk about performance, predictability, and the art of balancing power with safety...and how the language’s constant evolution keeps it relevant four decades in.

Postgres has quietly become the world’s favorite database...running startups, governments, and global clouds alike. Scott talks with Claire Giordano, long-time Postgres advocate and technologist, about the database’s unlikely rise from academic roots to modern dominance. They explore its design philosophy, the open-source community that fuels it, and why Postgres keeps winning even in the age of A...

Scott talks with Stephen Jones of the new Interim Computing Museum, about the craft of bringing old computers back to life. From wire-wrapped boards to tape drives and terminals, this episode dives into why running the old systems — not just displaying them — matters for understanding how modern computing came to be. Support, Visit, and Donate to the ICM at http://icm.museum  

This week Scott talks to Kat who shares her tactical wisdom from her blog Katexcellence.io, where she decodes the early-career engineering experience with clarity and wit. From learning to build without motivation, to balancing depth and velocity, to navigating layoffs and early‑career uncertainty, Kat distills lessons from her own journey through Big Tech and beyond. She offers practical strategi...

On this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman talks with cloud migration and app modernization expert Mike Rousos about the challenges and opportunities of bringing decades-old applications into the modern era. They discuss practical strategies for app modernization, how AI and GitHub Copilot are reshaping developer workflows, and what it takes to transform legacy software into systems ready f...

On this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott talks with Bobby Lockhart, game designer and coauthor of The Game Designer’s Workbook. They explore the craft of game design, from turning ideas into playable experiences to balancing creativity with structure, and discuss how the principles in the workbook can help both aspiring and seasoned designers build better, more engaging games. https://www.gamedesig...

On this special episode of Hanselminutes, Scott reunites with .NET Principal Engineer Safia Abdalla, nearly 500 episodes and a decade after her first appearance on the show. They reflect on the arc of her career and the evolution of the developer landscape, discussing how building competence fuels confidence, how anxieties can compound in high-pressure environments, and what strategies help engine...

On this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman sits down with Netlify CEO Mathias Biilmann, who coined the term Jamstack , to talk about the future of web development in the age of AI. Recorded shortly before the announcement at Netlify Deploy, the conversation explores Netlify’s new AI Workflow, how it connects to the Jamstack philosophy, what it means for developers building modern applicatio...

In this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman talks with Tuple engineer Johnny Marler about the craft and culture of pair programming. They explore how intentional collaboration can sharpen problem-solving, reduce context switching, and build trust between teammates—especially in remote environments. Johnny shares lessons from developing Tuple, developing with native code on Windows, insights...

In this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman sits down with Adam Jacob, co-founder of SystemInit and creator of Chef, to explore the provocative question: Can AI save DevOps? Together, they unpack the growing complexity of modern infrastructure, the limits of human-scale operations, and how AI-driven systems might reshape the way we build, deploy, and maintain software. From declarative inten...

In this episode of Hanselminutes , Scott sits down with Noel Berry , co-creator of Celeste , to explore his philosophy and process for making games in 2025, without relying on big commercial engines. Noel shares why he prefers building lightweight, custom tools over heavyweight platforms like Unity or Unreal, how modern C#, SDL3, and open‑source libraries empower small teams, and the creative free...

This week Scott welcomes Tyler Bushnell, founder of Polycade, to talk about reimagining the arcade experience for modern homes. Drawing on his family's Atari legacy, Tyler shares how Polycade blends retro charm with sleek design and modern game libraries—all while encouraging face-to-face connection. From Kickstarter roots to Techstars growth, we explore how Polycade became a favorite among creato...

Today we chat with Dr. Morgan Depenbusch and dive into the mindset shift that can transform your career and relationships at work. Instead of pushing harder to be heard or constantly proving yourself, what if the key is simply leading with value? Dr. Depenbusch and Scott unpack what “value” really looks like in practice—whether it’s helping teammates cut through noise, reframing presentations for...

In this episode, Scott sits down with Bria Sullivan, developer and founder of Honey B Games, to unpack the viral success of Focus Friend—the cozy productivity app that dethroned ChatGPT at the top of the App Store. Co-created with Hank Green, Focus Friend gamifies focus with a sock-knitting bean companion, offering users a whimsical yet effective way to reclaim their attention. Bria shares the app...

From wrist‑mounted CD launchers to rope‑driven quadrupeds, Purdue engineering student and YouTuber Aaed Musa turns wild ideas into precision‑crafted reality. On Hanselminutes, he joins Scott Hanselman to share the art, grit, and storytelling behind his most ambitious projects — and why iteration is his superpower. https://www.aaedmusa.com/

Steve Klabnik wasn't a fan of AI. He knows how to code at high and low levels...but then he tried again. Now he's making more, shipping more, coding more, and having more fun. Is this a moral choice or a techincal one or both? 

In this episode, Scott Hanselman sits down with benny Vasquez, Chair of the AlmaLinux OS Foundation, to explore the project's journey since the shift away from CentOS. benny shares insights into how AlmaLinux stays community-driven, transparent, and enterprise-ready—all while navigating the evolving world of open-source licensing. It's a candid and thoughtful conversation about trust, sustainabili...

In this episode of Hanselminutes , Scott Hanselman chats with Brenda Darden Wilkerson, the President and CEO of AnitaB.org, about her journey in technology and advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tech industry. Brenda shares her inspiring story of entering computer science by accident, overcoming societal perceptions, and her impactful work advancing tech education in Chicago Publ...

In this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman talks with Randall Hyde, renowned for his expertise in programming and assembly language. Known as the creator of the Lisa Assembler and the author of The Art of Assembly Language and Write Great Code series, Randall shares his journey from developing in assembler for early computing systems to working on modern nuclear reactor control systems. He...

In this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman chats with Roderick Rabah, Head of Product at Postman Flows, about the evolution of software development, the intersection of APIs and AI, and finding the "right layer of abstraction" for problem-solving. Drawing on his deep expertise in compiler optimization, distributed systems, and serverless computing, Rabah shares his perspectives on building...

In this episode, Scott chats with Preeti Somal, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Temporal, to explore how teams at OpenAI, Stripe, Netflix, and beyond are building long-running, crash-proof applications using Temporal's open‑source durable execution engine. Drawing on her leadership roles at HashiCorp, Yahoo!, and VMware, Preeti breaks down the orchestration challenges in today’s AI‑powered...

In this episode Scott talks with Dr. Malc Souter, a computer graphics algorithms PhD and former Hollywood special effects artist , now bringing his rendering expertise to AI at SKY ENGINE AI . They dive deep into the surprising power of synthetic data, exploring when fake can outperform real in areas like medical imaging, defense, and self-driving cars. Malc shares lessons from the visual effects...

When authors want to talk about their book they go on a book tour and often they go to large companies like Microsoft and speak to us in person. I had the opportunity to interview Dave Berry in person and I jumped at it. I grew up reading his humor column syndicated in The Oregonian, and his brand of sarcasm and dry humor matches mine. This episode is that raw recording in association with and wit...

What does it really take to succeed in today’s fast-paced, innovation-driven world? In this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman chats with Earl Valencia—acclaimed tech leader, venture-backed founder, and author of Startup Mindsets: A Blueprint to Thrive in an Innovation-Driven and Globally Connected World. Earl brings real-world insights from Silicon Valley, Southeast Asia, and startup scene...

Ever wonder how AI “sees” high-dimensional data? In this special 1,000th episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman chats with AI expert Pamela Fox about the fascinating world of visualizing complex data. Pamela breaks down how those abstract numbers and vectors can be turned into visuals we can actually understand—basically helping us see how AI thinks. They also talk about the challenge of explai...