Developer Voices Making Software Crash Before It Breaks (with Isaac Van Doren)
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Jun 19, 2025 Isaac Van Doren, a passionate software engineer, shares his insights on improving software reliability. He discusses the frustrations that arise when software fails users, such as critical healthcare systems. Isaac advocates for using runtime assertions and static typing as "little bombs" in code to preemptively catch bugs. He highlights the Roc programming language's tailored approach to development, making reliability easier by aligning languages with specific problems. The conversation is packed with practical tips for creating robust feedback loops and enhancing overall software stability.
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Grandmother Locked Out by Software Bug
- Isaac's grandmother couldn't access her medical records after changing her username.
- This example shows how software bugs impact real people's lives and are often accepted as normal.
Use Assertions to Crash Loudly
- Use runtime assertions in production to loudly fail unexpected conditions.
- Assertions catch bugs early by crashing when an impossible state happens, alerting developers.
Types Plus Assertions For Reliability
- Catch bugs earliest with static types then use runtime assertions for what types can’t handle.
- Runtime assertions catch complex business rules that are impractical or impossible to enforce at compile time.