The Bike Shed

It’s board game night at the Bike Shed as Joël and Aji crack out the game pieces to assess how their work as programmers influences strategy when playing some of their favourite games. As they make their way round the board they discuss the cycle of setbacks and iteration, finding the optimal solution to a puzzle, as well as the key skills that best links their programming work to board games. — Thanks to our sponsors for this episode Judoscale - Autoscale the Right Way (check the link for your free gift!), and Scout Monitoring. Check out the upcoming conferences mentioned in this episode - XO Ruby and Rocky Mountain Your hosts for this episode have been thoughtbot’s own Joël Quenneville and Aji Slater. 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 prepares to write his new book by asking Sally some fundamental questions about Web browsers. Together they look to answer the deceptively simple question of what is a browser, examining what they are at their core, what they’re capable of beyond basic functions, the nuances of programming for the web across different systems and devices on the front and back end, as well as unpacking the surprising benefits of different forms of browsers like the terminal text based platform Lynx. — Thanks to our sponsors for this episode Judoscale - Autoscale the Right Way (check the link for your free gift!), and Scout Monitoring. Your hosts for this episode have been thoughtbot’s own Joël Quenneville and Sally Hall. 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

Sally and Joël explore the essence of developer skills beyond just writing code. They discuss the importance of context in problem-solving and the critical role of effectively reading error messages. The duo emphasizes the art of asking the right questions, whether to Google or AI. They dive into expert Googling, detailing the difference between reference lookups and exploratory searches. Mentorship and learning from PRs are highlighted as vital for juniors transitioning to senior roles, showcasing the dynamic journey of a developer.

Joël is joined by some familiar faces in today’s episode of the Bike Shed to help reveal some exciting changes to the show as he asks his new co-hosts, what’s new in your world? — Thanks to our sponsors for this episode Judoscale - Autoscale the Right Way (check the link for your free gift!), and Scout Monitoring. Joining Joël Quenneville as your new co-hosts are Aji Slater and Sally Hall. Get to know your hosts a little better by checking out Sally’s recent episode on timezones or Aji’s RailsConf Keynote and handy list of previous keynotes. 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 talks with Adam McCrea, founder of Judoscale, about the best ways to manage your queues and autoscaling. Adam discusses some tough lessons he learnt recently during a technical outage at Judoscale, what exactly autoscaling is and how it works, the best signals to assess when working with an autoscaler, and provides some simple tips to better organise your own queues. — You can connect with Adam via LinkedIn or check out the work he does with Judoscale, who have also sponsored this episode of The Bike Shed. Be sure to claim your free gift if you haven’t already! Thanks to the second sponsor of this episode Scout Monitoring. 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

Join Jimmy Thigpen, a developer at Thoughtbot, as he dives into the world of AI workflows. He and fellow developer Joël Quenneville discuss the real impact of LLMs on programming. They explore the balance between rapid AI assistance and the need for careful planning in software development. The duo also examines AI's limitations in creativity and flexibility, sharing insights on how to improve interactions with AI tools and maximize coding efficiency. A thought-provoking conversation for anyone navigating the evolving landscape of AI in tech!

Joël sits down with Tess Griffin as they take a moment to recap the very last RailsConf together. The pair discuss their favourite moments from final conference, how their love of D&D has crossed over to shape their experiences attending RailsConf, and the future of the show as a whole. — Thanks to our sponsors for this episode Judoscale - Autoscale the Right Way (check the link for your free gift!), and Scout Monitoring. Your guest this week was Tess Griffin and your host for this episode has been thoughtbot’s 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 continues his preparations for the last RailsConf as he talks with Matheus about how to make the most of your time at the conference. Hear their tips to connect and communicate with other attendees, the different ways to take notes at the various talks you can attend, what to do when your discussions have a lull, as well as how to draw inspiration from others talks and using it to your advantage. — Don’t miss out on the final RailsConf which takes place July 8th - July 10th in Philadelphia, PA! Thanks to our sponsors for this episode Judoscale - Autoscale the Right Way (check the link for your free gift!), and Scout Monitoring. You can connect with Matheus via LinkedIn, or check out some of the topics he’s written about over on his thoughtbot 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

Aji Slater, a Thoughtbotter and keynote speaker at the final RailsConf, shares his experiences and insights on crafting compelling keynotes. He reminisces about past RailsConf events and highlights the vibrant community surrounding the conference. Aji discusses the importance of authenticity in presentations and offers tips for engaging storytelling. The conversation also touches on fostering connections with attendees and the dynamics of keynote selection, all while building excitement for the upcoming RailsConf in Philadelphia.

Elaina Natario returns to talk with Joël about what makes good quality product design and the priorities that shape development. The pair discuss the importance of certain elements such as security and accessibility, maintaining certain standards throughout development, as well as judging the practical applications of prototypes within a project and the broad role they play. — The Sponsor for this episode has been Judoscale - Autoscale the Right Way. Check out the link for your free gift! You can read more about about inaccessable prototypes here, or listen to the episode Joël mentioned with Aji about different typescripts here! Your guest for this week has been Elaina Natario and you host 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. — Credit: Ad-read music by joystock.orgSupport The Bike Shed