The Bike Shed

433: Riffing with Kasper Timm Hansen

Jul 16, 2024

Join Kasper Timm Hansen, long-time Ruby developer and former Rails core team member, as he discusses his 'riffing' approach to code development. Learn about improvisation in coding, domain modeling, collaboration enhancement, and the value of exploring alternative solutions. Dive into the magic of riffing and enhance your coding skills with Kasper!

37:20

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Episode guests

Kasper Timm Hansen

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Riffing in coding promotes creativity by exploring multiple solutions freely without constraints.

Collaborative riffing fosters a low-stakes environment for problem-solving, encouraging open communication and flexibility.

Deep dives

Casper Tim Hansen's Journey into Pin-to-Pin Consulting and Domain Modeling

Casper Tim Hansen, a former member of the Rails core team, discusses his transition to pin-to-pin consulting and his focus on domain modeling. With over two years of consulting experience, he emphasizes the importance of exploring domain models to enhance software development practices.

Intro

2min

Innovative Domain Modeling Technique in Ruby

7min

Utilizing Code for Exploratory Software Design

4min

Exploring and Evaluating Code and Syntax

2min

Embracing Negative Feelings for Better Decision-Making

4min

Embracing Riffing and Collaboration in Creativity

19min

Have you ever wondered how improvisation can revolutionize coding? In today’s episode, Stephanie sits down with Kasper Timm Hansen to discuss his innovative “riffing” approach to code development. Kasper is a long-time Ruby developer and former member of the Rails core team. He focuses on Ruby and domain modeling, developing various Ruby gems, and providing consulting services in the developer space. He has become renowned for his approach of “riffing” to software development, particularly in the Ruby on Rails framework. In our conversation, we delve into his unique approach to coding, how it differs from traditional methods, and the benefits of improvisation to code development. Discover the “feeling” part of riffing, the steps to uncovering relationships between models, and why it is okay not to know how to do something. Explore how riffing enhances collaboration, improves communication with and between teams, identifies alternative code, why “clever code” does not make for good solutions, and much more! Tune in to learn how to take your coding skills to the next level and uncover the magic of riffing with Kasper Timm Hansen!

Key Points From This Episode:

Introduction to Kasper, his background in Ruby, and experience as a consultant.
An overview of his RailsConf 2024 presentation on domain modeling.
His motivation behind his presentation and the overall reception of the concept.
Unpack the concept of “riffing” with code as a developer.
Insights into his methodology and how it differs from traditional approaches.
Examples of “riffing" and how it benefits the development process.
How he determines the best code to implement during his process.
Kasper shares how he frames problems and builds solutions.
Ways riffing highlights gaps in skillsets early in the development process.
Hear about the various ways riffing fosters and improves collaboration.
Unpack how riffing can help developers communicate more effectively.
Balancing the demands of code review with the riffing approach.
Final takeaways for listeners and how to contact Kasper to begin riffing!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: