Pybites Podcast

Rust is everywhere - in your tools and in your stack - and has been ranked as the most admired programming language for over a decade. Join us for a quick chat as we unpack why more Python developers are turning their attention to Rust, and why now might be the right time for you to do the same. If you’ve been seeing Rust pop up at work, on LinkedIn, or in your favourite Python libraries, this epi...

Four years after its original MVP, we revisit Quiet Links, exploring how it evolved into a production-ready AI-powered research tool. Bob is joined by Tim Gallati and Juanjo to unpack how they integrated a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipeline into an existing Python application, without rewriting everything from scratch.  This episode is a reminder that impactful AI projects don’t require...

This week we did what every developer swears they won’t do - we broke our own Git workflow. Join us as we chat about what went wrong, what we learned, and where we’re heading next. This conversation is a reminder that even experienced developers get rusty without practice. If you can relate, or just simply enjoy Julian's git puns, leave a comment! And while you're at it, check out our Py...

In this episode, Bob sits down with Arthur, a Python engineer based in France and the creator of CodSpeed, to dig into a problem many teams don’t notice until it’s too late: performance regressions. Arthur shares the story behind building CodSpeed, starting with real-world pain points from robotics and machine-learning pipelines where small slowdowns quietly piled up and broke systems in productio...

In this episode, Julian is joined by Asif, a recent computer science graduate and Advanced Python teaching assistant at Northern Arizona University, to talk about building AI that actually delivers real-world value. Asif shares how an early curiosity for automation grew into a passion for machine learning, AI agents, and end-to-end systems that solve real business problems. We explore the gap betw...

January is the perfect time to take stock, and in this episode we share the most common lessons we've learned from six years of coaching Python developers. Drawing on hundreds of real-world conversations, we break down seven practical fixes that consistently help developers move forward - from stopping endless consumption and actually building, to escaping abandoned GitHub repos, getting prop...

Change is unavoidable in software, so how do you make it safe to evolve systems without breaking trust? In this episode, we’re joined by Elmer Bulthuis for a wide-ranging conversation about building software that can adapt over time. We explore how Rust’s ownership model shapes clearer thinking about design, why WebAssembly is becoming a practical way to share complex logic across platforms, and h...

Join us as we catch up in the first Pybites podcast of 2026. We chat about how it feels to build software with AI today. We're moving faster than ever, but are we losing the joy of coding along the way? Julian shares a recent Django build and how he used AI to ship quickly while still keeping good habits around code quality, testing, and reviews. We talk about why small steps, clear prompts,...

Speed isn’t just a nice-to-have - it affects user experience, cloud costs, and how fast teams can move. In this episode, we chat with Saurabh Misra about making Python performance a continuous habit rather than a last-minute clean-up. He introduces Codeflash, a tool that profiles real code paths, explores optimisation options with LLMs, and only suggests changes that preserve behaviour and deliver...

In this episode, we talk with Aaron Jorgensen about how JobHive came to life - starting as a small résumé-parsing experiment and gradually growing into a structured, AI-supported interview workflow. Aaron explains how the system handles voice capture, transcription, prompts, and AI avatars, and why he moved toward a multi-agent approach instead of relying on one model to do everything. We dig into...

Curious how to build real web apps with AI without turning into a prompt robot? We sit down with developer advocate and author Emma Saroyan to unpack a practical path for using OpenAI APIs and Next.js to turn ideas into shipped projects you actually understand. From smart prompting to project structure, Emma shows how to work with AI as an assistant you guide, not a textbook to copy. Emma also tak...

In this episode, we talk with Simen, a senior software engineer and creator of Almost Done , a weekly email newsletter designed for neurodivergent developers and anyone who thinks a little differently. Simen shares how he built a format that supports real attention - short, scannable essays, intentional accessibility choices, and four writing “personas” that shape each issue’s tone. We explore his...

What if levelling up your Python career didn’t require a multitude of courses—just one clear commitment? In this episode of the Pybites Podcast, we talk with Kishan Patel, a Dallas-based data engineer who set a single goal: become the best Python developer he could be. That focus led him to ship three real-world projects, publish his first PyPI package, and build a stronger, more decisive develope...

Marimo is redefining what a Python notebook can do—bringing structure, version control, and interactivity together. In this episode, we chat with Akshay Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of Marimo, about how their reactive Python notebook fixes hidden state, keeps outputs in sync, and makes reproducible, reviewable code the norm. Akshay shares Marimo’s origin story, how its reactive DAG turns notebooks...

What if the most valuable part of your research isn’t the paper, but the package that made it possible? In this episode, we talk with Leah Wasser, Executive Director and Founder of pyOpenSci, a nonprofit working to make scientific Python more inclusive, reproducible, and discoverable. We explore what “open science” really means in practice: transparent workflows that others can rerun, review, and...

If you’ve ever stayed up late churning out API docs when you’d rather be anywhere else, you’ll relate to this week’s guest. Nick Park felt that same pain as a server engineer, which pushed him to build Zylo-docs, an AI tool that takes the grunt work out of documentation. Nick’s journey has been anything but linear—from AWS trainer to experimenting with generative AI in the fashion world, before re...

In this episode we share some of the exciting things happening behind the scenes at Pybites. From our new partnership in South Africa to coaching success stories that showcase real-world career transformations, we reflect on how far we've come in making Python accessible, building community, and helping developers grow.  We also talk about our expanding cohorts in Rust, AI, and Django, the po...

Christina Lang’s journey from nearly two decades in the military to becoming a DevOps architect shows how discipline, persistence, and a growth mindset can drive career transitions. She shares how the Pybites PDI course helped her rapidly level up her Python skills, the importance of being “humble but hungry” when learning, and how mentorship and structured practice make tackling new challenges ac...

What started as a simple idea to “chat more” became Pybites — a global Python learning platform transforming how developers build skills. In this special 200th episode, co-founders Bob and Julian share their journey from corporate life to creating a build-focused, mindset-driven approach that’s helped thousands worldwide. In this episode we hear inspiring stories of schoolkids in Florida, develope...

Charlie Marsh returns to Pybites to introduce ty —Astral’s bold new take on Python type checking. Built from the ground up for speed and developer experience, ty is both a command-line tool and language server, powered by Rust's Salsa framework.  We dive into how it enables lightning-fast incremental analysis, smarter diagnostics inspired by Rust, and a reimagined type-checking workflow for m...

Python development has changed a lot over the years, and Tim Hopper has been right there with it. In this episode, we chat about the tools that are shaping modern Python workflows—like UV, a fast package manager aiming to improve the developer experience.  Tim also tells us about creating the Python Developer Tooling Handbook , a practical resource full of short, easy-to-follow guides for develope...

Polars is changing the game in Python data processing – and fast. In this episode, we chat with Jeroen Janssens and Thijs Nieuwdorp, authors of Python Polars: The Definitive Guide , about how this DataFrame library is revolutionising workflows.  From its origins at Dutch firm Xomnia to GPU-powered speed boosts and a behind-the-scenes look at writing their 500-page book, this episode is packed with...

In this episode, we talk with Robin Quintero, creator of Complexipy —an ultra-fast cognitive complexity analyzer for Python code, powered by Rust.  Robin shares how frustration with slow tooling led him to build Complexipy in Rust, how it's helping Python devs write clearer code, and why teams are loving it for faster, cleaner pull requests. We also dig into the future of the project—from mul...

In this ep, we chat with Rodrigo Girão Serrão about his journey from mathematician to Pythonista. What started as a colleague’s tip turned into 11 years of Python exploration. Rodrigo shares how his background in APL reshaped the way he writes Python, helping him embrace list comprehensions and functional patterns more intuitively. We dig into his latest side project—a bytecode compiler written in...

In this episode, we dive into AI’s impact on software development with Matt Makai, VP of Developer Relations at DigitalOcean and creator of Full Stack Python.  We explore how AI tools are changing coding workflows—from elite devs like Miguel Grinberg and Armin Ronacher to Matt’s own work on the AI-powered PlushCap app. While some see friction, others embrace AI as a co-pilot. Matt shares why stayi...