The Bike Shed

Start taking notes in this episode as Joël and Valerie discuss the different ways in which they structure their note taking systems to improve their workflows. Together they cover the best ways to get started with serious note taking, how to best map out your thoughts so they make the most sense when you come back round to them, as well as examining the different use cases they have for them both over the course of a working day. — The Sponsor for this episode has been Judoscale - Autoscale the Right Way. Check out the link for your free gift! Take notes like a pro with Obsidian and then read what Joël has to say on his own note taking. Your guest this week has been Valerie Burzynski, and your host for this episode has been thoughtbot’s own Joël Quenneville. If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website. Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: hosts@bikeshed.fm This has been a thoughtbot podcast. Stay up to date by following us on social media - YouTube - LinkedIn - Mastodon - BlueSky © 2025 thoughtbot, inc. — Credit: Ad-read music by joystock.orgSupport The Bike Shed

Sally Hall, a Thoughtbot expert with a master's in information science, joins Joël to dive into the fascinating world of paper vs. digital data structures. They explore how historical systems like the Dewey Decimal System shaped our understanding of data organization. The conversation reveals the serendipitous joys of analog systems compared to the efficiency of digital searches. There's also a deep dive into biases inherent in classification, and an appreciation for classic tools like the Rolodex in data management. It's a fun and enlightening discussion on information access!

Joël and fellow thoughtboter Aji Slater examine the unfamiliar world of Typescript and various ways of working within it’s system. They lay out the pros and cons of Typescript over other environments such as Ruby and Elm and discuss their experience of adopting LLM partners to assist in their workflows. Using ChatGPT and Claude to verify code and trim down syntax, all while trying to appease the type checker. Discover the little tips, tricks and bad habits they picked up along the way while working with their LLM buddies in an effort to improve efficiency. — Check out Ruby2D for all your 2D app needs! You can connect with Aji via LinkedIn, or check out some of the topics they have written about over on thoughtbot's blog. Your host for this episode has been Joël Quenneville. If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website. Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: hosts@bikeshed.fm This has been a thoughtbot podcast. Stay up to date by following us on social media - YouTube - LinkedIn - Mastodon - Bluesky © 2025 thoughtbot, inc.Support The Bike Shed

Joël enlists the help of thoughtbot colleague Sally Hall as they dive into the complex world of time zones, daylight savings, measurements and coding. Together they discuss their struggles with daylight savings throwing off their recent project reporting, the constant struggles of writing for different time zones and why writing your own code is never worth the hassle, and the similar battle of writing for different units of measurement. — Check out the idea behind "If Hemingway Wrote Javascript" and how it could help you with your coding. Watch Tom Scott’s own slow decent into madness over timezones and coding. Your guest this week has been Sally Hall, and your host for this episode has been thoughtbot’s own Joël Quenneville. If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website. Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: hosts@bikeshed.fm This has been a thoughtbot podcast. Stay up to date by following us on social media - YouTube - LinkedIn - Mastodon - Bluesky © 2025 thoughtbot, inc.Support The Bike Shed

Joël turns to fellow thoughtboter Jimmy Thigpen as he looks to expand his knowledge about the wide world of Typescripts. Together they discuss the differences between Typescript and other common systems such as Elm and Javascript, how to best handle their edge cases and error flags, as well as the benefits of using Zod as your typescript library. — Just starting out in Typescript? Try enabling Strict Mode! Try out Zod for yourself in their browser playground, or check out Zod's homepage for more info. If you’d like to contact Jimmy about all things Typescript he can be found over on LinkedIn Your host for this episode has been thoughtbot’s own Joël Quenneville. If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website. Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: hosts@bikeshed.fm This has been a thoughtbot podcast. Stay up to date by following us on social media - YouTube - LinkedIn - Mastodon - Instagram © 2025 thoughtbot, inc.Support The Bike Shed

Joël talks with fellow thoughtboter Fritz Meissner about the thinking process behind his latest kata project and the vast world of coding problems. Fritz explains why he developed the noisy animals kata and how it helped to better understand and streamline his code, the best ways to break down conditionals and how to clean them up efficiently within your workflow, as well as knowing where the limits of improvement are in each project you work on. — Refine your conditional logic technique with a copy of 99 Bottles of OOP and then test your skills with Fritz’s Noisy Animals Kata. Compare notes with Joël and Fritz to see how you stack up once you’re done! Listen to Joël’s RailsConf talk The Math Every Programmer Needs or check out some previous episodes for a refresher on some of the logic and math topics discussed in this show - Ep 398 - Ep 353 - Ep 418 - Ep 428 If you’d like to contact Fritz about his Kata or anything else programming related he can be found via LinkedIn Your host for this episode has been thoughtbot’s own Joël Quenneville. If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website. Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: hosts@bikeshed.fm This has been a thoughtbot podcast. Stay up to date by following us on social media - YouTube - LinkedIn - Mastodon - Instagram © 2025 thoughtbot, inc.Support The Bike Shed

Joël is joined by fellow thoughtboter Aji Slater as they discuss their previous experiences in designing content for workshops. Learn how to best structure your workshop for an audience, the benefits of a workshop over a talk and vice versa, as well as how to tackle the different hurdles your audience might face when working through your presentation. — Try your hand at Joël’s recommendation of visualising your Git Branching. You can watch Ali’s Enigma Machine workshop here, Or connect with him via LinkedIn Your host for this episode has been Joël Quenneville. If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page, or check out our website. Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: hosts@bikeshed.fm This has been a thoughtbot podcast. Stay up to date by following us on social media - YouTube - LinkedIn - Mastodon - Instagram © 2025 thoughtbot, inc.Support The Bike Shed

Happy New Year! Reflect on 2024 with insightful moments as Joël and Stephanie share personal growth and the importance of stepping outside comfort zones. They discuss intriguing programming challenges, such as navigating 'nil' values and their experiences at RubyConf and RailsConf. The hosts reminisce about their favorite episodes and creative endeavors, including unique book cover choices. Finally, they identify key reading influences that shaped their projects and look forward to new aspirations for 2025.

Steve Polito, a ThoughtBotter and creator of the innovative podcast player Botcasts, joins to discuss his latest GitHub project. He shares insights into the development of Botcasts and its integration with Hotwire, emphasizing the importance of user-friendly design. Listeners learn about his journey navigating Hotwire tutorials and the unique features that enhance podcast listening. Plus, a fun anecdote about a quirky holiday gift exchange adds a lighthearted touch to the conversation!

Join Joël and Stephanie as they dive into the art of managing focus during the holiday season. They explore the difference between coding time and thinking time, offering strategies to minimize interruptions and manage tasks effectively. Discover the complexities of global time zones and their quirky impacts on scheduling. The duo also shares personal insights on environmental sounds that enhance concentration and the benefits of taking micro breaks, including the Pomodoro technique, to boost productivity.