Overcommitted

Dive into the fascinating realm of AI agents and their revolutionary role in software engineering. Discover how these agents tackle cognitive tasks and enhance user experiences. The discussion critiques outdated job searching methods while exploring AI's potential for personalized career development. Delve into the complexities of hiring practices, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions and the impact of human bias. Learn how customizable AI could transform data retrieval and empower personal growth in the tech landscape.

Dive into the world of personal branding for software developers! Discover the power of authenticity in a landscape often dominated by polished personas. The discussion emphasizes the importance of community, mentorship, and the unique challenges faced by women in STEM. Explore how personal values can shape your professional identity and the balance between self-promotion and staying true to oneself. Plus, enjoy anecdotes about engaging with tech influencers who inspire passion and curiosity in their work!

SummaryIn this episode of the Overcommitted podcast, hosts Bethany, Brittany, and Erika engage with guest Nick Gerakines to explore the intricacies of the AT Protocol, its implications for user data ownership, and the evolution of social media platforms. They discuss the importance of user control, the concept of a credible exit from platforms, and the development journey of applications built on the AT Protocol. The conversation also touches on the complexities of OAuth in modern applications and the significance of community involvement in open source projects.TakeawaysNick Gerakines is a software engineer with a rich background in online education and infrastructure.AT Protocol focuses on identity and data ownership, allowing users to control their data.Decentralized identifiers (DIDs) are crucial for user identity in the AT Protocol ecosystem.User mobility is a key feature of AT Protocol, enabling users to move their data across platforms.The concept of a credible exit allows users to leave platforms without losing their data.Development on AT Protocol has been a rewarding journey for Nick, leading to innovative applications.The future of social engagement is promising with new tools and communities emerging.OAuth presents unique challenges in the context of agent-based systems.Building community and engaging in open source projects is essential for developers.Diversity of thought enhances problem-solving and innovation in technology.Links⁠⁠Connect with Nick GerakinesWhy AT Protocol blog postSmoke Signal Presentation at ATmosphere Conf⁠⁠Tech book club Repo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Overcommitted Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠Hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠Overcommitted.dev⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bethany Janos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brittany Ellich⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eggyhead

SummaryIn this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Erika, Bethany, and Brittany Ellich interview Alec Breton, Cole Hartman, and Doris Wang, a mentor and two summer interns from GitHub, to discuss the importance of mentorship in tech internships. They explore what defines a successful internship, the structure of the internship program, and the dynamics of mentorship relationships. The conversation also delves into the significance of psychological safety in fostering a productive learning environment, the balance between using AI tools and personal learning, and offers advice for aspiring interns and mentors. The episode concludes with a fun segment where guests share their ideal mentors.TakeawaysA successful internship is about learning and contributing.Interns should feel comfortable asking questions.Psychological safety is crucial for growth.Being a good mentee is also important.Use AI as a tool, not a crutch.Be your authentic self in interviews.Building trust is essential in mentorship.Understanding the product is key before coding.Mentorship is about leading and learning together.Links⁠Connect with Alec BretonConnect with Cole HartmanConnect with Doris Wang⁠Tech book club Repo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Overcommitted Discord⁠⁠⁠Hosts⁠⁠⁠Overcommitted.dev⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bethany Janos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brittany Ellich⁠⁠⁠Eggyhead

SummaryIn this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, host Jonathan Tamsut and co-hosts Brittany Ellich and Bethany engage in a deep conversation with Jennifer Harris, founder and CEO of Technology Management Concepts. They explore Jennifer's journey into entrepreneurship, the evolution of her role as a CEO, and the unique challenges faced by women in tech. The discussion touches on imposter syndrome, the importance of networking, and the dynamics of gender in the workplace, particularly in relation to AI and technology. Jennifer shares valuable insights and advice for women in tech, emphasizing the need for self-advocacy and the importance of building relationships. The episode concludes with reflections on the future of AI and the opportunities it presents for women in business.TakeawaysJennifer's journey began with a passion for solutions and technology.Entrepreneurship requires resilience and adaptability.Imposter syndrome is a common challenge for folks in leadership.Women often face unique challenges in the tech workplace.Self-advocacy is essential for folks in tech.Building relationships is key to professional growth.LinksConnect with Jennifer HarrisTech book club Repo⁠⁠⁠⁠Overcommitted Discord⁠⁠Hosts⁠⁠Overcommitted.dev⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bethany Janos⁠⁠⁠⁠Brittany Ellich⁠⁠⁠⁠Jonathan Tamsut

SummaryIn this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, Brittany Ellich and her co-hosts engage with Ross Brodbeck, a software engineer at GitHub, to explore the critical topic of software availability. They discuss the definitions of availability, reliability, and uptime, and delve into frameworks for improving availability in software systems. The conversation covers proactive versus reactive approaches to availability, the business impact of availability, and the hidden costs associated with downtime. Ross shares insights on creating effective availability programs, the role of incident commanders, and emerging technologies that may shape the future of availability in software engineering. The episode concludes with book recommendations for software engineers looking to deepen their understanding of the field.TakeawaysAvailability is subjective and varies by organization.Observability is crucial for understanding production behavior.Proactive measures can help prevent availability issues.On-call burnout is a significant cost to organizations.Understanding business needs is key to defining availability.SLOs help in measuring and reporting availability effectively.Incident commanders play a vital role in managing incidents.Game days and playbooks are essential for preparedness.Hidden costs of downtime include loss of customer trust.Emerging technologies like AI may change availability management.LinksRoss’s BlogGoogle SRE Bookhttps://sreweekly.com/https://uptime.is/Catchpoint SRE ReportSoftware engineer’s guidebookDesigning data-intensive applicationsThinking in systemsThe best software writing one - Joel on Software Algorithms to live byThe Staff EngineerClean CodePragmatic Engineer Podcast - Thomas Dhomke interviewDistributed systems by Martin van SteenPractical object-oriented design in RubyLooks Good To MeTech book club Repo⁠⁠Overcommitted Discord⁠Hosts⁠Overcommitted.dev⁠⁠⁠⁠Bethany Janos⁠⁠Brittany Ellich⁠⁠Eggyhead⁠⁠Jonathan Tamsut

SummaryIn this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Bethany, Jonathan, Brittany, and Erika reflect on their goals for the second quarter, sharing successes and challenges. They discuss lessons learned, personal growth, and strategies for improvement. The conversation also touches on their personal interests and hobbies, culminating in an exciting announcement about the launch of the new tech book club.TakeawaysSetting specific goals can lead to increased productivity.Tracking progress helps in achieving reading goals.Adapting to life changes is crucial for maintaining focus.Defending personal boundaries is important for mental health.Finding joy in productivity can enhance overall satisfaction.Engaging in community activities can foster personal growth.Exploring new hobbies can lead to unexpected interests.Creating a routine can help in managing commitments.Reflecting on past goals can provide insights for future planning.Collaboration and discussion can enhance learning experiences.LinksFeel good productivity bookSam Who.DevThe Mind IlluminatedTech book club RepoOvercommitted DiscordHostsOvercommitted.dev⁠⁠Bethany JanosBrittany EllichEggyheadJonathan Tamsut

SummaryIn this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, the hosts discuss the intricacies of pull requests, focusing on the reviewer mindset, crafting effective pull requests, and managing the review workflow. They share insights from Brittany's recent conference experience and delve into best practices for both reviewing and creating pull requests. The conversation highlights the importance of communication within teams, the impact of reviews, and the balance between thoroughness and efficiency in the review process. The episode concludes with a light-hearted discussion on pet peeves and positive aspects of PR reviews.TakeawaysThe impact of a review is more important than personal preferences.As a reviewer, focus on unblocking colleagues and improving code quality.Automate style checks with CI to streamline the review process.PRs should be as small as possible to reduce cognitive load.Include context in PRs to aid understanding for reviewers.Set clear expectations with your team regarding review timelines.Use PRs as a learning opportunity for both reviewers and contributors.Document decisions and discussions within PRs for future reference.Encourage a blameless culture around PR approvals.Positive feedback in reviews fosters a supportive team environment.LinksThe Balanced Engineer Newsletter: Code reviews - A how to guide: https://archives.balancedengineer.com/archive/code-reviews-a-how-to-guide/ The Balanced Engineer Newsletter: Code reviews - Writing good PRs: https://archives.balancedengineer.com/archive/code-reviews-writing-good-prs/The Balanced Engineer Newsletter: Code reviews - Managing review workload: https://archives.balancedengineer.com/archive/code-reviews-managing-review-workload/ Erika’s PR Template: https://github.com/eggyhead/obsidian-public/blob/main/templates/pr-review-note.md Ben Balter: How I manage GitHub notifications: https://ben.balter.com/2020/08/25/how-i-manage-github-notifications/ Hosts⁠Overcommitted.dev⁠Bethany Janos: ⁠https://github.com/bethanyj28⁠ Brittany Ellich: ⁠https://brittanyellich.com⁠ Eggyhead: ⁠https://github.com/eggyhead⁠Jonathan Tamsut: ⁠https://infinitely-fallible.bearblog.dev/⁠

SummaryIn this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Jonathan Tamsut, Brittany Ellich, Bethany, and Erika delve into the predictions made by the AI Futures Project regarding the future of artificial intelligence by 2027. They discuss the potential for AI to self-improve, the implications of an AI arms race, and the importance of regulation in ensuring safe AI development. The conversation also touches on the risks of AI misalignment with human values, the future of work in an AI-driven world, and the influence of corporate interests on AI regulation. The hosts conclude by assessing the probability of existential risks posed by AI, known as P-Doom, and the need for a code of ethics in the tech industry.TakeawaysThe AI Futures Project predicts significant advancements in AI by 2027.AI models may train themselves, leading to recursive self-improvement.Regulation is crucial to prevent potential risks associated with AI.Misalignment of AI with human values poses serious risks.The future of work may shift towards managing AI agents rather than coding.Corporate interests may hinder the safe development of AI technologies.The concept of P-Doom assesses the existential risks of AI.A code of ethics for software developers could be more effective than government regulation.The conversation highlights skepticism towards aggressive AI predictions.The hosts express concerns about the implications of AI on society. LinksAI 2027Scaling laws for neural language modelsP doom websiteThe next big idea podcastThe illusion of thinking paperHostsOvercommitted.devBethany Janos: https://github.com/bethanyj28 Brittany Ellich: https://brittanyellich.com Eggyhead: https://github.com/eggyheadJonathan Tamsut: https://infinitely-fallible.bearblog.dev/

SummaryIn this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Brittany Ellich, Jonathan Tamsut, Bethany Janos, and Erika discuss their experiences with tech events, including how to choose which events to attend, strategies for networking, maximizing time at conferences, and the value of speaking and volunteering. They share personal anecdotes and tips for making the most out of these opportunities while also addressing the challenges of social anxiety and the importance of setting boundaries. The conversation wraps up with some light-hearted unpopular opinions about tech events.Links⁠GopherconMicrosoft buildAll things openDefconEpic Web ConfGopherconEUTakeawaysChoosing the right tech events is crucial for personal growth.Networking can be approached with prepared questions to ease anxiety.It's important to recognize that everyone at events wants to connect.Setting boundaries at conferences can help manage social fatigue.Leaving a talk that isn't engaging is perfectly acceptable.Collecting swag is a fun part of attending conferences.Speaking at events can provide unique opportunities for travel and learning.Volunteering at conferences offers valuable insights into customer perspectives.Finding a balance between attending talks and networking is key.Enjoying yourself at events should be a priority.Hostsovercommitted.devBethany Janos: https://github.com/bethanyj28Brittany Ellich: https://brittanyellich.comEggyhead: https://github.com/eggyheadJonathan Tamsut: https://infinitely-fallible.bearblog.dev/