Code with Jason

Irina Nazarova, CEO of Evil Martians and an active figure in the Ruby community, discusses the rejuvenation of the Ruby landscape. Highlights include the exciting announcement of Sin City Ruby 2025 in Las Vegas, underscoring the value of intimate gatherings for networking. They reflect on past RailsConf memories and emphasize mentorship's role in community growth. Irina also shares insights into blending tech with nature and the importance of fostering connections between job seekers and companies within the Ruby ecosystem.

This episode explores how Prefab enhances deployment workflows by integrating feature flags with Java microservices and Ruby on Rails, drawing on Jeff's experiences at HubSpot and EasyCater. We discuss strategies for minimizing deployment risks, improving PR reviews, and mentoring junior developers through clear objectives and constructive feedback. Real-world examples and practical advice offer insights into building efficient development systems and fostering growth in engineering teams.Links:- Prefab- Jeff Dwyer on LinkedIn

Johanna Rothman shares how to overcome the isolation of remote work by rebuilding community and fostering connections. She talks about the balance between creativity and knowledge, how understanding client needs is more important than just following requests, and why value-based work often beats hourly pay. Johanna also explains how experimenting, using feedback loops, and refining ideas can lead to better results in both business and writing.

In this episode, we reflect on the shift from remote work to in-person connections and explore Detroit's transformation into a vibrant place to live and work. With guest John DeSilva, CTO of Revela, we discuss his company’s growth from a basement startup to success with Ruby on Rails and the challenges of upgrading apps with Turbo. We also dive into database design, managing outdated data, and the surprising value of old-school technology in today’s world.

Freedom Dumlao, a key figure at Flexcar, discusses the company's exciting transition from Java to Ruby on Rails. He shares the challenges and triumphs faced during this shift, particularly in balancing coupling and decoupling within microservices. The conversation delves into the strategic parallels between programming and chess, emphasizing the need for deep understanding and anticipating failure in both fields. Doubling down on community, he also highlights his culinary adventures in Boston’s Chinatown, sharing tips and dining experiences.

On this episode, I talk with JP Camara, Principal Software Engineer at Wealthbox about nicknames, how having quality A/V equipment impacts how people perceive you, concurrency in programming, quantum computing, Galileo and the multiverse, blank slate-ism and whether people deserve credit or blame for their inborn traits and decisions, free will or determinism, whether or not we live in a simulation, and Jeremy Bearimy.The Fabric of Reality by David DeutschThe Beginning of Infinity by David DeutschThe Blank Slate by Stephen PinkerThe Language Instinct by Stephen PinkerJP Camara on LinkedInJP Camara on TwitterJP Camara.com

In this episode, I sit down with Artur Trzop, co-founder and COO at Knapsack Pro for a conversation that touches on the Polish language and learning foreign languages, Artur's journey to founding his own company, what the Knapsack Pro gem does, American programming work taking place in Poland, growing a company to the point of financial sustainability, facing competition from larger entities, and recent improvements to Knapsack Pro. Rails WorldKnapsack ProDocs.KnapsackPro.comArtur Trzop on LinkedInArtur Trzop on TwitterSin City Ruby

On this episode, I'm joined by Derrick Fonseca for a conversation that touches on Derrick's path to software development and the commonalities in problem solving between programming and mechanical engineering, finding the problem, my experience at Rails World 2024, the state of the Ruby community and the benefits of attending meetups, writing understandable tests and test driven design, and my upcoming conference Sin City Ruby 2025.The Beginning of Infinity by David DeutschThe Fabric of Reality by David DeutschRails WorldRailsConfBoston Ruby MeetupSan Francisco Ruby MeetupProfessional Rails Testing by Jason SwettDerrick Fonseca on LinkedInSin City Ruby

On this week's episode, Will Carey, CTO of Brand New Box and I get together for a chat that touches on RailsConf Detroit, Will's work at Brand New Box, the challenges of remote work, starting new development projects, the benefits and risks of deploying early, pets vs cattle when it comes to server maintenance, Kubernetes, state-full code vs stateless code, starting at the end and working backwards, the value of curiosity, the benefits of building long-term relationships, and my consulting work.RailsConfBrand New BoxWill Carey on LinkedInSin City Ruby

Adarsh Pandit, Executive Director of Ruby Central, is on a mission to strengthen the Ruby community through inclusive initiatives and vibrant meetups. He shares his journey from academia to tech consulting, offering insights on maintaining professional relationships and the differences between contracting and consulting. The conversation highlights the revival of Ruby meetups post-pandemic and the excitement surrounding upcoming conferences, including the Sin City Ruby conference, which promises engaging sessions and networking opportunities.