

Beyond Coding
Patrick Akil
For software engineers ready to level up. Learn from CTOs, principal engineers, and tech leaders about the skills beyond coding: from technical mastery to product thinking and career growth
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 12, 2024 • 46min
Effective Product Development Teams with Anne Kooijman
Connect with Anne Kooijman:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-kooijman-98588110a
Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/7zDX8VqvBa0
Beyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick Akil
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Jun 5, 2024 • 55min
Software Development and Sustainability with Brendan Kamp
Connect with Brendan Kamp:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-kamp-757e
With Google as My Neighbor, Will There Still Be Water? -
https://algorithmwatch.org/en/protests-against-data-centers/
Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/BtTjnPoBvgI
Beyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick Akil
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OUTLINE00:00:00 - Intro00:00:28 - What is sustainable tech?00:02:29 - Sustainability in programming languages00:05:13 - Optimizing a few hot paths00:07:26 - Is it worth optimizing algorithms?00:10:50 - Optimizing for readability00:13:26 - The Zen of Python00:15:58 - Underutilized infrastructure00:17:54 - Reducing infra by 40-50%00:19:59 - Cloud providers are damaging the planet00:22:44 - Offsetting emissions and green washing00:26:21 - Distributed datacenters in hotels and swimming pools00:30:07 - A datacenter that has more rights than citizens00:31:55 - Who is at fault00:33:34 - Microsoft's emissions growing since AI boom00:34:45 - Fit for 5500:35:12 - What is greenwashing?00:37:39 - You have to adhere to sustainability practises00:39:13 - Emission scopes00:41:50 - Saving costs on cloud resources00:45:06 - Why overspend happens00:48:20 - People problems00:51:12 - The power to implement00:53:45 - Everlearning

May 29, 2024 • 42min
AI in Software Development with Roy Derks
Connect with Roy Derks:
https://www.youtube.com/@gethackteam
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gethackteam
https://twitter.com/gethackteam
Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/Uc3mUIF1bP0
Beyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick Akil
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OUTLINE00:00:00 - Intro00:00:28 - Starting as software engineer00:03:23 - Putting together something from IKEA00:05:40 - Starting a project from scratch00:09:04 - AI usecases00:11:30 - Prompt engineering00:13:07 - RAG explained00:15:48 - GPT agents explained00:19:04 - Developer way of working with AI00:22:17 - AI taking away jobs00:26:26 - Handling hallucination00:28:32 - Knowledge gaps with AI00:31:01 - Companies need to pivot00:34:23 - Personalization and AI00:36:22 - AI and data privacy00:40:02 - LLMs are just an API call away

May 22, 2024 • 1h 12min
Senior Software Engineers and LeetCode With Ilya Pimenov
Connect with Ilya Pimenov:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilya-pimenov
Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/wN6aolC_YCM
Beyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick Akil
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OUTLINE
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:27 - Starting your career as full stack developer?
00:02:57 - Learning every day
00:04:45 - Product managers talk to A LOT of people
00:07:31 - Ilya's career path
00:11:31 - Staff engineer challenges
00:13:34 - Patrick's next career steps
00:15:45 - Entrepreneurship and individual contributor skills
00:19:24 - Listening to internet traffic
00:25:05 - Comfort with ambiguity
00:27:45 - Fully understanding LLMs
00:29:58 - The biggest impact is in backend development
00:31:33 - Great Frontend engineers
00:33:05 - Why people use LeetCode in interviews
00:38:21 - LeetCode exercises transfer to software development
00:39:23 - Hiring for potential
00:40:56 - Investing in LeetCode opens doors
00:42:33 - System design interview
00:44:26 - Getting better at LeetCode
00:47:39 - Why people hate LeetCode
00:48:27 - Legendary LeetCode solver couldn't deliver as engineer
00:50:02 - What makes a great senior engineer
00:54:00 - Dealing with ambiguity is a life skill
00:56:41 - Buying and renovating
00:59:55 - Modular home
01:03:20 - Startup failures and learnings
01:07:18 - Hustling and executing

May 15, 2024 • 55min
Strategic Empathy in Leadership with Josine Muurling & Charlotte de Jong Schouwenburg-Mestwerdt
Join Josine Muurling, an empathy advocate in leadership, and Charlotte de Jong Schouwenburg-Mestwerdt, a strategic leadership expert, as they explore the transformative power of empathy in the workplace. They discuss the importance of psychological safety for fostering trust and open communication. The duo highlights how vulnerability can strengthen relationships and enhance collaboration. Listeners will learn about the balance of authority and autonomy, the significance of active listening, and the need to prioritize emotional connections for effective leadership.

May 8, 2024 • 53min
From Bullsh*t Management to Product Management with David Pereira
Connect with David Pereira:
https://www.d-pereira.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidavpereira
https://dpereira.substack.com
https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidPereira88
Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/UJd7mj7ae5k
Beyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick Akil
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OUTLINE00:00:21 - Bullshit management, or Product management?00:03:58 - Uncertainty and driving value00:06:54 - Find the science through the noise00:08:51 - What do you do as a product manager?00:11:12 - Timelines and roadmaps00:12:59 - Product strategies00:15:46 - Competence, confidence and experience00:17:17 - Split focus00:19:27 - Clarity increases productivity00:21:44 - Small bets00:24:45 - Product manager backgrounds00:26:20 - Coordinative model, or collaborative?00:27:32 - Remaining untrapped00:30:09 - A victim of your calendar00:33:01 - A fresh perspective00:34:49 - The business blocker00:38:12 - Staying as long as its challenging00:40:10 - Conflict with the CTO00:44:03 - Moving on when the ship is sinking00:46:29 - Be humble00:49:32 - Finding common ground00:50:47 - Untrapping product teams

May 1, 2024 • 50min
Curiosity at Work: Coaching for Team Joy with Monika F. de Waal
Connect with Monika F. de Waal:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/monika-de-waal
https://www.uniquesources.nl/nl/about-us
References:
Where I'm from activity | https://theinspiredclassroom.com/2019/04/where-im-from-poetry-activity/
Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/TSpSmRfn0TQ
Beyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick Akil
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OUTLINE00:00:00 - Intro00:00:26 - Finding more joy at work00:03:17 - Childhood ambitions00:05:50 - Curiosity and straight to the point00:08:02 - 1-1 coaching00:10:02 - Time and attention for people in teams00:11:51 - Performing comes after trust00:13:00 - Instant trust00:15:05 - The responsibility as a facilitator00:16:49 - The effects of leadership behaviour00:19:42 - Local culture wins over global00:23:20 - The things that bind us00:24:32 - Diverse teams perform better, only with great leadership00:26:56 - Business principles00:28:48 - Different cultural behaviour00:32:24 - Who needs to change?00:33:55 - Toxic environments00:36:20 - It's not my problem00:38:52 - Allowing people to do it themselves00:40:24 - Managing time and getting better at it00:42:43 - Referring to colleagues00:44:31 - Reacting to change00:46:55 - Open up the conversation00:48:32 - When God created men, she was only joking

Apr 24, 2024 • 60min
Performance Reviews in Tech with Rustam Alashrafov & Jethro Sloan
Connect with Rustam Alashrafov:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rustama
Connect with Jethro Sloan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdksloan
https://twitter.com/jdksloan
Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/pxfQ0AyILYk
Beyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick Akil
Powered by Xebia!!
OUTLINE
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:21 - Frequent performance reviews
00:03:36 - Working towards shared outcomes
00:06:26 - Working with OKRs
00:09:20 - Freedom of choice
00:12:14 - Promotions and favouritism
00:14:38 - Feeling heard
00:17:55 - Maximising happiness
00:20:57 - Aligning with a team
00:22:43 - Rewarding individual performance
00:24:57 - Challenges and motivation
00:27:09 - What can I do differently?
00:28:26 - Doing the bare minimum
00:31:37 - Expectations and change
00:34:31 - Underperformance and letting someone go
00:38:46 - Mass layoffs vs. the individual approach
00:42:58 - Taking responsibility
00:44:20 - Inequality and opening a dialog
00:46:53 - Should salaries be open and public?
00:50:28 - Salary secrecy
00:54:41 - Top performers
00:56:22 - Transparent business goals
00:58:09 - Final thoughts

Apr 17, 2024 • 44min
Q&A #8: Salary Negotiations, Remote Working Abroad, Managing Time & More with Patrick Akil
Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/7iBLidwN49o
Beyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick Akil
Powered by Xebia!!
OUTLINE
00:00:00 - Intro00:00:36 - How to negotiate salary in an interview00:05:43 - Knowing your numbers00:07:34 - Landing your first job00:11:16 - Balancing work, school and hobbies00:15:33 - Working remotely abroad00:20:47 - Developing tech skills and soft skills00:25:26 - Seeing the business side as a Product Manager vs. as an engineer00:30:11 - Learning large codebases00:35:25 - How to get into AI as web developer00:37:49 - Keeping your motivation as podcaster00:42:55 - Thank you so much!

Apr 10, 2024 • 51min
Software Blueprints: Standardizing for Success with Anthony Alaribe
Connect with Anthony Alaribe:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-alaribe-293a41bb
https://twitter.com/tonialaribe
https://apitoolkit.io
Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/mvwakmnEWGg
Beyond Coding Podcast with 🎙Patrick Akil
Powered by Xebia!!
OUTLINE00:00:00 - Intro00:00:24 - Enhancing observability00:01:37 - Huge production issue00:04:08 - Orders are down, but why?00:05:28 - Things we don't think of as developers00:07:49 - Getting the first customer00:09:26 - Finding a niche00:11:54 - The fintech industry00:14:10 - The problem of many separate teams00:15:20 - Someone to hold you accountable00:17:14 - Knowing the competitors in your niche and sharing it00:20:42 - Filtering out what features you need00:23:24 - Standard operating procedures00:26:16 - Standardizing runbooks00:28:35 - Multiple proven tracks to follow00:31:05 - Anomaly detection and how to investigate00:32:50 - Developer experience and tools00:35:14 - We could build it better00:36:04 - What works well at a bigger scale00:39:55 - Analyzing your code and beyond00:43:04 - Opportunities for improvement00:44:50 - Most software is fast enough, or not?00:47:27 - Automating ourselves away


