Overcommitted | Tech Careers and Programming Insights

SummaryIn this episode, the hosts meet with Christina Martinez, a developer experience engineer from Resend, who shares insights on her creative process and current projects. She shares her delight in building silly software and how she's using that to learn in her current role.TakeawaysChristina is the creative mind behind the Gen Z Babel plugin.She also developed the Swift commits tool.Taking existing tutorials and adding a creative twist can make them more fun.Continuous development is important at all parts of your career.LinksChristina Martinez: https://christinacodes.devSilly Software Club: https://sillysoftware.clubResend: https://resend.com/Gen Z slang Babel plugin: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cxvwz76vBus/ | https://github.com/christina-de-martinez/babel-plugin-glowup-vibesTaylor Swift themed commit linting tool: https://youtube.com/shorts/eOS5Q2I9LHM?si=LC8JVUKTkLgwKtDF | https://github.com/christina-de-martinez/swift-commitsCodeTV & Mux's Worst Video Player Competition: https://www.mux.com/blog/actual-worst-video-playerReact Miami: https://www.reactmiami.com/HostsOvercommitted: https://overcommitted.devBethany Janos: https://github.com/bethanyj28Brittany Ellich: https://brittanyellich.comEggyhead: https://github.com/eggyhead

SummaryIn this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Brittany and Bethany with guest Bassem Dghaidi discuss a range of topics from Bassem's current learning journey in system design to his diverse career path at GitHub. They explore the value of experience over formal education, the challenges of microservices, and the importance of practical knowledge in software engineering. Bassem shares insights from his technical content creation, his philosophy as a de-influencer in the tech space, and memorable conversations with industry leaders. TakeawaysBassem's career has included various roles, enhancing his perspective.Experience in different roles provides a broader understanding of software engineering.Education is valuable, but practical experience often outweighs formal credentials.Bootcamps can bridge the gap for graduates lacking practical skills.Bassem's Git content aims to demystify complex concepts.Microservices can complicate development if implemented prematurely.Content creation in tech requires balancing depth with audience engagement.LinksBassem Dghaidi: https://linktr.ee/glich.streamBeyond Coding podcast episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeUUxLRdvho Practical System Design Waitlist: https://maven.com/forms/b69857Kamran Ahmed's site: https://roadmap.shGhostty: https://ghostty.org/Catppuccin themes: https://catppuccin.com/Chezmoi: https://www.chezmoi.io/Tmux: https://github.com/tmux/tmux/wikiBethany's dotfiles: https://github.com/bethanyj28/dotfilesHostsOvercommitted: https://overcommitted.devBethany Janos: https://github.com/bethanyj28Brittany Ellich: https://brittanyellich.com

SummaryIn this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, host Erika and co-host Brittany Ellich welcome Tammy Metz, a software engineer at GitHub, who shares her unique journey from teaching and library science to software engineering. The conversation explores the challenges of transitioning careers, the importance of transferable skills, and the value of mentoring in the tech industry. Tammy discusses her involvement in the Women to Women Mentoring Program, offering insights into common struggles faced by students and the significance of giving back. The episode concludes with a fun segment where the hosts share their unexpected teaching skills.TakeawaysTammy transitioned from a librarian to a software engineer.Non-traditional paths can lead to successful careers in tech.Soft skills from teaching are valuable in engineering roles.Job searching can be challenging for career switchers.Mentoring can provide guidance and support to students.It's common for students to feel lost in their career paths.Volunteering can fit into busy schedules and be rewarding.Career paths are often not linear and can change over time.LinksTammy Metz on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammy-metz/⁠Girls Who Code: https://girlswhocode.com/Woman to Woman Mentoring: https://www.womantowomanmentoring.org/HostsOvercommitted: https://overcommitted.devBrittany Ellich: https://brittanyellich.comEggyhead: https://github.com/eggyhead

SummaryIn this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Bethany, Brittany, and Erika are joined by Cassidy Williams, Senior Director of Developer Advocacy at GitHub. They discuss Cassidy's journey in the Developer Relations (DevRel) space, her philosophy of lifting others as she climbs, and the evolution of DevRel in the tech industry. Cassidy shares insights on content creation, the importance of community, and her personal experiences with mentorship. The conversation also touches on the challenges and changes in the DevRel landscape, as well as Cassidy's passion for keyboards and her dream typing experience.TakeawaysFeedback, even when rough, is a valuable gift for growth.DevRel is evolving, adapting to new technologies and community needs.Companies should prioritize understanding the developer mindset over follower counts.Listening to developers is crucial for effective advocacy and content creation.Human problems in tech are often more complex than coding challenges.Cassidy's journey showcases the blend of engineering and advocacy roles.Mentorship plays a significant role in career development and guidance.LinksCassidy’s website: https://cassidoo.co/Microjournal Blog Post: https://cassidoo.co/post/micro-journal/Keycaps: https://drop.com/buy/drop-dsa-astrolokeys-keycaps-by-sailorhg-and-cassidoo?defaultSelectionIds=966968Cassidy’s mechanical keyboard recs: https://github.com/cassidoo/ama?tab=readme-ov-file#what-mechanical-keyboard-should-i-buyHostsOvercommitted: https://overcommitted.devBethany Janos: https://github.com/bethanyj28Brittany Ellich: https://brittanyellich.comEggyhead: https://github.com/eggyhead

In this enthralling discussion, Piotr Sarna, a technical writer and co-author of 'Writing for Developers,' dives into his journey from technical blogging to co-authoring books. He highlights the vital role of writing in engineering and shares insights on fostering a strong writing culture within tech teams. Piotr reveals the unique challenges of creating engaging content for developers and emphasizes how coauthoring streamlines the process. Plus, he encourages listeners to embrace their initial writing gaffes as part of the learning curve!

Jason Lengstorf, creator of Code TV and a developer-focused content producer, shares his bold philosophy of being unreasonable in the tech world. He explains how embracing risk and surrounding yourself with ambitious people can open unexpected doors. The discussion touches on the importance of community networking over traditional education and the vital role of creative coding in innovation. Jason also shares insights on navigating career changes, the balance of risk, and his exciting future projects, including interactive hardware experiences.

SummaryIn this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, Erika and Brittany discuss the evolving landscape of AI agents and their implications for security and identity management. Joined by expert Dan Moore, they explore the challenges posed by non-deterministic agents, the importance of granular permissions, and the need for developers to be aware of security practices as AI technology advances. The conversation also touches on industry standards, the role of developers in navigating these changes, and personal reflections on the future of AI.TakeawaysAI agents are changing the landscape of software development.Non-deterministic agents present new security challenges.Granular permissions are essential for securing AI agents.Developers must be aware of security practices in AI.Industry standards for AI security are still evolving.Separation of concerns can enhance security for agents.The role of identity and authorization is critical in AI.Business implications of AI agents are significant.Developers should stay close to business needs and problem-solving.The future of AI will require new skills and awareness. LinksDan Moore on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mooreds/ Dan Moore on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mooreds.comSimon Willison - The Lethal Trifecta: https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/16/the-lethal-trifecta/ FusionAuth: https://fusionauth.io/ AGNTCY: https://agntcy.org/Amazon Bedrock AgentCore: https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock/agentcore/ FusionAuth Guide to OAuth: https://fusionauth.io/articles/oauth/modern-guide-to-oauth MCP and OAuth: https://aaronparecki.com/2025/04/03/15/oauth-for-model-context-protocol MCP Specification: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-06-18/basic/authorization HostsOvercommitted: https://overcommitted.devBrittany Ellich: https://brittanyellich.com Eggyhead: https://github.com/eggyhead

SummaryJoin us for a conversation with Kate Holterhoff, an industry analyst at Redmonk who tracks developer trends from Reddit threads to conference halls. Kate shares her unique journey from earning a PhD in Victorian literature to becoming a self-taught developer and analyst, and discusses Redmonk's "new kingmakers" philosophy that recognizes developers as key decision-makers in tech adoption. We explore current industry trends including JavaScript bundlers, the real story behind AI and developer jobs, why communication skills matter as much as technical expertise, and her experiments with vibe coding across different IDEs.TakeawaysDeveloper-led adoption is the future - Redmonk's "new kingmakers" philosophy recognizes that developers, not executives, are increasingly making purchasing decisions for development tools and platforms.AI tools are becoming standard practice - Most developers now use AI code assistants and agentic IDEs, forcing organizations to adapt with proper guardrails and company plans rather than fighting adoption.AI isn't taking jobs (yet) - Current tech layoffs are more attributable to post-ZIRP (zero-interest-rate phenomenon) economics and offshoring than AI displacement, though AI has become a convenient scapegoat.JavaScript is getting massive - The recent explosion of bundlers like TurboPack, Vite, RS Pack, and Rolldown signals that JavaScript packages have grown significantly since Webpack's creation 10 years ago.Industry analysts live in developer watering holes - Understanding real developer sentiment means spending time where developers actually talk: Reddit, Hacker News, Bluesky, conferences, and podcasts.Communication skills are as critical as technical skills - Engineers who can bridge technical expertise with business communication and customer interaction have significant advantages in their careers.Alternative paths into tech are valuable - Kate's journey from Victorian literature PhD to developer analyst shows how diverse backgrounds bring unique perspectives to understanding technology and its cultural impact.Teaching can make coding accessible - Using engaging content like comic books, steampunk, and Victorian literature can make technical concepts more approachable and help students see connections across disciplines.Vibe coding is promising but unpredictable - AI-powered development tools show incredible potential but remain inconsistent, with success depending on unclear factors like IDE choice, prompting technique, and model capabilities.We need more casual learning communities - The tech industry would benefit from more informal, non-commercial spaces for developers to share experiences, especially around emerging technologies like vibe coding.LinksThe Monkcast: https://redmonk.com/blog/2023/12/07/the-monkcast/Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateholterhoff/Kate on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kateholterhoff.comDwarkesh podcast with Andrej Karpathy: https://www.dwarkesh.com/p/andrej-karpathyHosts:Bethany Janos: https://github.com/bethanyj28Brittany Ellich: https://brittanyellich.com

Matt Sinclair, an acclaimed Australian software engineering leader and ex-VP at BCG Digital Ventures, delves into the power of storytelling in leadership. He emphasizes that effective leadership begins with a captivating narrative to inspire teams. The discussion highlights Elixir's advantages, like reducing bugs with immutable data and its future-proof capabilities. Matt also explores AI's role in coding productivity, sharing insights on using tools like Claude Code and the importance of intentional culture in tech teams.

Adrienne Braganza is a software engineer, international speaker, and author of "Looks Good to Me: Constructive Code Reviews." She shares insights on the human-centered aspects of code reviews, stressing that misunderstandings often lead to team friction. Adrienne highlights the importance of clear communication and establishing objectives to improve collaboration. She also discusses the role of AI in code reviews and the significance of emojis in conveying tone in remote work, making the conversation both informative and engaging.