In this powerhouse episode of The Programming Podcast, hosts Danny Thompson and Leon Noel sit down with Mark Techson — DevRel at Google and a longtime educator — to dive deep into Angular, DevRel, tech education, and how to create transformational learning experiences. From Google I/O prep to why Angular still thrives in enterprise environments, Mark opens up about his journey from teaching in churches to influencing thousands of developers globally. Whether you're React-curious, Angular-biased, or figuring out your tech journey — this episode will challenge how you think about frameworks, developer growth, and what success really looks like in this industry.
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Danny Thompson
https://x.com/DThompsonDev
https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev
www.DThompsonDev.com
Leon Noel
https://x.com/leonnoel
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/
https://100devs.org/
📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?
Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com!
💡 Topics covered:
What DevRel actually does at Google
Angular’s evolution and future
Signals, hydration, and bleeding-edge web tech
Developer education and breaking down hard concepts
The mindset shift from junior to impactful developer
Powerful personal stories on teaching, mentorship, and legacy in tech
0:00 Intro
01:05 - Meet Your Hosts: Danny, Leon, and Mark
02:00 - What is DevRel *Really*?
05:00 - A Day in the Life of DevRel at Google
08:00 - Why Fortune 500 Companies Still Use Angular
10:35 - Modernizing Angular: Signals, Hydration & More
13:10 - How Google Listens to the Developer Community
15:25 - Angular's Opt-In Philosophy & Avoiding Breaking Changes
16:45 - What Caused the Angular Perception Problem?
19:45 - Rebuilding Angular’s Image & Modern Relevance
22:00 - Transformational Education: Teaching Angular Differently
25:00 - Creating Talks That Change Worldviews
27:00 - From Church to Code: The Roots of a Great Communicator
29:00 - Evolving Notions of Success in Tech Careers
32:00 - Life Lessons: From Struggle to Strategic Planning
36:30 - Impact Through Mentorship & Developer Cohorts
40:10 - Cohort Project Spotlight: Smart Tenant Solution
42:00 - The Power of Being a Hard Worker with a Plan
44:00 - Learning to Learn: Avoiding Accidental Days
46:05 - Teaching Moments: Students Who Were Meant for This
47:00 - Listener Question: How Far Down the JavaScript Rabbit Hole?
50:00 - Why JavaScript + TypeScript Still Makes Sense
54:00 - Danny’s Rant: Don't Just Trust Random Internet Advice
56:30 - Final Thoughts & Farewell
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