The Programming Podcast

Are you studying for hours but still not retaining anything? 🧠 It's probably not your fault, you've likely been taught to learn all wrong.In this landmark episode, we sit down with the legendary Dr. Barbara Oakley, a Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Oakland University, a globally recognized expert on the science of learning, and the creator of the world's most popular online course, "Learning How to Learn," which has reached millions worldwide. Dr. Oakley shares her incredible journey from flunking math and hating school to becoming a world-renowned expert on the neuroscience of learning.Get ready to have your mind blown as Dr. Oakley debunks the biggest myths about studying, reveals the simple, science-backed secrets to mastering any subject, and explains how to beat procrastination for good. You'll walk away with actionable techniques to unlock your brain's true potential.She is best known for making complex concepts from neuroscience and cognitive psychology accessible to a mass audience, empowering millions to learn more effectively. Her own life story is a testament to her core message: anyone can learn anything.Dr. Oakley is most famous as the co-creator of "Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You Master Tough Subjects," one of the most popular massive open online courses (MOOCs) in the world. Hosted on Coursera, the course has enrolled millions of learners from every country, teaching them practical, science-backed strategies for learning.Her work has been featured in major publications like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. She is also the author of several books, including the bestseller "A Mind for Numbers," which serves as a companion to her course.Places you can follow Dr. Barbara Oakley📚 Dr. Oakley's Book | A Mind for Numbers: https://barbaraoakley.com/books/a-mind-for-numbers/🎓 The "Learning How to Learn" Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learnStay in Touch:📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com!Danny Thompsonhttps://x.com/DThompsonDevhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDevwww.DThompsonDev.comLeon Noelhttps://x.com/leonnoelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/https://100devs.org/📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com!Chapters0:00 - A Teacher's Powerful Introduction to Dr. Barb Oakley4:05 - From "I Will Never Learn Mathematics" to Distinguished Professor5:42 - The Single Most Critical Skill in the Age of AI8:12 - How Learning a Language Unlocks Your Brain for Math & Science9:58 - The #1 Mistake We All Make When Learning a Difficult Subject14:30 - The Unconventional Path to Becoming a Professor23:11 - The 2 Brain Modes You MUST Understand (Focused vs. Diffuse) 🤯29:22 - A Modern, Scientific Twist on the Pomodoro Technique32:38 - WARNING: This Popular Study Method is a Waste of Your Time34:18 - The Surprising Problem with "Student-Centered" Classrooms40:12 - Proof That Your Phone is Destroying Your Ability to Focus45:35 - The Neuroscience of Dyslexia & Autism: Your Brain's Secret Superpower51:11 - The Emotional Side of Learning: Dealing with Fear, Shame & Procrastination56:33 - Why Impostor Syndrome is Actually a GOOD Thing1:07:28 - How to Use Sleep to Supercharge Your Memory 😴1:15:17 - The Future of Learning: How AI Will Change Everything1:23:36 - How to Use AI to Learn (Without Cheating Yourself)1:32:32 - Q&A: The Best Way to Create a Daily Structure for Learning1:44:52 - Dr. Oakley's Final Inspiring Message

Discover how JSON is crucial for reliable conversational AI, dramatically reducing intent errors. Learn the benefits of structured prompts in multimodal models and the importance of context windows for maintaining conversation flow. Hear about practical use cases in voice technology, like automating drive-thrus and call centers. Delve into the impact of AI on job markets, highlighting roles at risk and strategies for reskilling. Plus, get tips on negotiating job offers and applying AI practically in development.

Transform your tech conference experience from a simple excursion into a career goldmine! Discover how to adopt an 'architect mindset' to focus on real opportunities. Learn essential pre-conference strategies like research, goal-setting, and networking with speakers. Master the art of impactful conversations and effective follow-ups to make lasting connections. With expert tips, you’ll be ready to leave your next conference with more than just swag!

One phishy email to an npm maintainer set off a supply-chain scare that could’ve torched the web—yet the real on-chain damage was… cents. In this episode, we break down how a fake npm 2FA reset (from npmjs.help) led to malicious releases of popular packages like chalk and debug, how the payload hijacked browser crypto flows (monkey-patching window.ethereum, fetch, and XHR), why the blast radius stayed small, and what teams did right (shoutout to Aikido & Vercel).We finish with a rapid “Career Corner” on how to follow up after an interview—with copy-ready lines you can use.SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/Stay in Touch:📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com!Danny Thompsonhttps://x.com/DThompsonDevhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDevwww.DThompsonDev.comLeon Noelhttps://x.com/leonnoelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/https://100devs.org/📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com!You’ll learn:- Spotting modern phishing (look-alike TLDs, urgency cues)- What the malware did and why front-end focus limited impact- The minute-by-minute timeline from phish → publish → takedown- Practical defenses: pin versions, lockfiles, audits, password managers, least-privilege tokens- How to write a follow-up email that closesIf this helps, hit 👍 and share with a teammate.Chapters0:00 – The phish that “almost destroyed the internet” (cold open)0:24 – Who clicked: maintainer behind big OSS (chalk, debug)0:44 – Payload in plain English (browser wallet-drainer)1:04 – Actual impact vs. potential blast radius1:20 – Intro + what we’ll cover2:23 – Why this story is everywhere & our plan3:43 – What you’ll know by the end (safety + lessons)4:20 – Act 1: The Email — npmjs.help and urgency tactics6:08 – Phishing 101: quick checks before you click8:25 – Psychology of scams (filtering + anecdotes)12:17 – Act 2: The Payload — monkey-patching fetch/XHR/window.ethereum14:44 – Why front-end focus limited the damage16:41 – How it was caught (Node fetch ReferenceErrors)17:52 – Six–eight hours to fix: containment recap20:04 – Magic links & password managers (practical wins)22:15 – Act 3: The Timeline — 18 packages, what happened when23:39 – Minutes matter: publish → detection → takedown25:12 – Community/GitHub issues light up; npm intervenes26:48 – Root-cause analysis & related accounts28:32 – “System worked” takeaways (+ why that’s good)31:18 – Dev hygiene: pin versions, audits, reduce deps33:10 – Myths debunked (no, every machine wasn’t “fully owned”)35:04 – Shout-outs: Aikido, Vercel, others that responded fast38:22 – Career Corner: following up after interviews (templates)53:22 – Wrap-up & next stepsHelpful links (add your URLs)Aikido write-up / detection notesVercel incident summary + cache purge notesnpm/GitHub advisories for affected packagesPassword manager recommendations / setup guide

Two developers, identical in skill, reveal how process trumps talent in job hunting. They discuss targeted company research and warm outreach strategies that attract attention. Learn how to overcome interview hurdles with effective communication and the Thrive framework to share your narrative. Innovative AI voice tools for interview prep are explored, emphasizing self-reflection. The importance of kindness and persistent effort in navigating the tech job market is highlighted, showcasing that success is more than just technical knowledge.

Discover why Full-Stack Development has emerged as the top software role for 2025, according to 49,000 developers. Explore the battle between SQL and NoSQL databases and the must-know programming languages and frameworks like TypeScript and React. Gain insights into the impact of AI tools on workflow, emphasizing the need for strong programming fundamentals. Dive into trends shaping the tech landscape, including the rise of cloud services and the importance of financial literacy for tech professionals. Stay ahead in your career with practical advice and actionable tips!

On this episode of The Programming Podcast, Danny Thompson and Leon Noel unpack the biggest programming myths that confuse developers at every level. From “AI will take all dev jobs” to “DRY at all costs,” they separate hype from reality and share hard-won lessons from real teams in production.You will hear why paper Big-O is not the whole story, how cache behavior and data size impact real performance, and why map/reduce vs for loops is a wash on modern engines. We get into testing culture too: why E2E does not replace unit tests, how to use AI for test scaffolding without losing your engineering brain, and what actually improves product reliability. Danny also tackles the myths that Java is slow and GC is always bad, and both hosts talk about the cost curve where cloud is not cheaper than on-prem.The conversation closes with an “Ask Danny and Leon” mailbag on what really separates junior, mid, and senior engineers: independence, guardrails, impact, and the quality of questions you ask.If this helped, drop a comment with a myth you want us to tackle next, and subscribe for more practical, no-fluff engineering talk.Topics include:AI as a productivity tool vs one-click magicBig-O vs real-world performance and memory behaviorjQuery, Deno, Bun, and the hype cycleJavaScript the language vs browser APIsmap/reduce vs for loops on modern enginesUnit tests, integration tests, E2E, and using AI wiselyJava performance and garbage collection tuningDRY vs duplication and over-abstractionAccessibility as a defaultCloud costs vs on-prem at scaleCareer ladder: junior, mid, senior traitsHosts: Danny Thompson (Director of Technology, This Dot Labs; Commit Your Code Conference) and Leon Noel (Managing Director of Engineering, Resilient Coders; instructor at 100Devs)Chapters00:00 Intro and why myths still persist00:58 Host intros and setup for “Gem City” episode02:00 Myth 1: “AI is taking all dev jobs”03:33 When AI image gen goes sideways and why it is a tool, not a replacement06:03 Leon’s motion-blur trick for more believable AI images07:08 Myth 2: Big-O vs real performance in the wild09:52 Cache misses, allocation, data size, and why paper math can mislead11:30 Myth 3: “jQuery is dead” and the reality in legacy estates12:23 Deno and Bun hype vs actual employer adoption13:32 Why jQuery still ships and what we lost chasing complexity15:30 JavaScript the language vs DOM and host environment APIs16:58 Myth 4: “map/reduce are slower than for loops” on modern engines18:11 Myth 5: “E2E replaces unit tests”20:57 When testing cultures go wrong and how to course-correct22:46 Using AI for tests without losing critical thinking25:03 The 80-20 way to use AI on tickets and test suites27:01 Danny gets baited, Leon laughs28:01 Myth 6: “Java is slow” and “GC is always bad”30:30 Region and concurrent collectors, and why allocation patterns matter31:02 Engine differences and mental models across stacks31:58 Myth 7: “Everything must be DRY” vs useful duplication33:01 Strong opinions held weekly and leaving dogma behind34:22 How dev opinions evolve with experience34:52 Accessibility as a default, not a later task36:29 Myth 8: “Cloud is always cheaper than on-prem”37:17 Real-world cost surprises and pulling workloads back38:30 Hype cycles, Jamstack memories, and maintenance pain41:56 On-prem done right and budget realities43:49 Mailbag: junior vs mid vs senior, company variance45:25 Danny’s framework for levels: guardrails, impact, and ownership51:10 The power of high-quality questions at senior and staff levels52:10 Leveling up from mid: own initiatives and become the firefighter53:31 Wrap-up and sign-off

6,000 Applications. 0 Jobs. What Went Wrong?In this episode, Danny & Leon break down the recent New York Times article about the collapse of $165,000 tech jobs — and why so many new computer science graduates are struggling to find work.This one gets personal. We dig into salary expectations, the rise of AI coding tools, offshoring, and the real reasons grads are stuck. Plus, we share how bad advice keeps job seekers trapped, and why networking + projects matter more than ever.⚠️ Disclaimer: This episode is heavier than usual. We felt deeply for the people featured in this article — so much so that we reached out to one of them, Zach, who applied to nearly 6,000 jobs, and spent 90 minutes helping him reframe his job search strategy. Our goal isn’t to mock, but to help anyone who feels stuck right now.If you’re in the middle of the job hunt, or just want to understand what’s happening in tech careers in 2025 — this is a must-listen.NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/Stay in Touch:📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com!Danny Thompsonhttps://x.com/DThompsonDevhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDevwww.DThompsonDev.comLeon Noelhttps://x.com/leonnoelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/https://100devs.org/📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com!⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Disclaimer & why this episode is different03:19 – Why we reacted to the NYT article live05:25 – Setting the stage: “Goodbye $165K tech jobs”06:59 – The salary inflation problem08:03 – Networking: why tech is no longer a free pass10:10 – Purdue grad struggles despite strong background15:23 – The promise (and failure) of the CS degree18:18 – The “learn to code = six figures” myth20:22 – FANG vs. reality: most jobs aren’t like that22:01 – Is AI really taking developer jobs? (spoiler: no)23:53 – Offshoring is the real threat25:39 – Headcount growth vs. layoff panic26:32 – Unemployment rates: myth vs. reality29:20 – The hidden flaw in applying to 6,000 jobs32:21 – “Clickers” & why mass-applying doesn’t work34:02 – Bootcamps & the cycle of bad advice35:38 – Ghosting, coding assessments & job search burnout39:02 – Zach’s story: 5,762 applications, 0 jobs41:01 – Why customizing your resume matters43:08 – The wrong vs. right way to job hunt46:13 – Reddit resumes & bad job hunt advice47:23 – Misreporting AI tools (CodeRabbit example)49:24 – The AI doom loop in job search52:12 – Government jobs, hiring freezes & policy shifts53:00 – The Purdue grad pivots to tech sales55:03 – Why the article fails its own subjects57:22 – Offshoring vs. AI (the real culprit)58:00 – What job seekers should be doing now59:32 – Listener Q&A: networking while still learning01:03:46 – The power of small, intentional networking01:06:11 – Balancing a non-tech job & coding journey01:09:49 – Final advice & episode wrap-up

In this episode of The Programming Podcast, Leon Noel and Danny Thompson dive deep into the wild, twist-filled journey of Figma, from a college side project that almost became a meme generator to a $58 billion IPO.We break Figma’s story into five acts, uncovering the pivotal moments, technical breakthroughs, and business decisions that made it one of the most beloved design tools in the world. From WebGL wizardry to multiplayer design magic, early skepticism to industry adoption by giants like Uber and Notion, we explore how Dylan Field and Evan Wallace built a browser-based platform that changed design forever.NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/Stay in Touch:📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com!💡 Sponsor: Level Up Financial PlanningChanging careers or increasing your income? Get financial clarity with Level Up Financial Planning—helping early and mid-career tech professionals secure their financial future. Visit LevelUpFinancialPlanning.com for a free consultation!https://www.levelupfinancialplanning.com/Danny Thompsonhttps://x.com/DThompsonDevhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDevwww.DThompsonDev.comLeon Noelhttps://x.com/leonnoelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/https://100devs.org/📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com!You’ll hear about:- The origin story and near-misses (drones, memes, and more)- Technical innovations with WebGL, WebAssembly, and real-time collaboration- The leadership and hiring lessons learned the hard way- Figma’s breakout moments during Adobe Fireworks’ demise and the pandemic- The $20 billion Adobe acquisition that never happened — and the $1 billion breakup fee- How Figma stayed true to its vision and went public with massive momentumWhether you’re a designer, developer, startup founder, or just curious about how tech products scale from scrappy beginnings to global dominance, this is a masterclass in perseverance, timing, and execution.🎧 Listen in, drop a like, and let us know in the comments if you use Figma!Chapters00:00 – Intro & Setting the Stage01:14 – Figma in Five Acts02:54 – Act 1: The Idea Maze – Drones, Memes, and Crossroads06:13 – The Best Meme Generator Nobody Needed08:56 – WebGL Breakthroughs and Browser-Based Design12:29 – The Power of GPU Rendering & WebAssembly15:53 – Key Performance Tricks – Batch & Delta Rendering17:57 – Building a Custom Text Engine & Multiplayer Vision27:00 – The Adobe Fireworks Discontinuation Moment29:12 – Naming the Product – Why “Figma” Stayed31:13 – Act 2: Building and Struggling with Perseverance33:40 – Early Management Struggles and Leadership Pivot36:33 – Choosing Urgency Over Perfection37:14 – Early Launch Without Multiplayer39:18 – Harsh Early Feedback and User Skepticism40:59 – Securing New Funding & Preparing for Multiplayer41:23 – Act 3: Unlocking Multiplayer Design42:41 – Design Parties and Winning Over Skeptics44:27 – Big-Name Adoption: Uber, Notion, and Market Validation46:44 – Series B & C Fundraising Momentum46:50 – Act 4: Scale and Impact47:04 – Engineers Handling Support for Deep Empathy48:22 – Browser-Based Updates and Rapid Iteration49:43 – Monetization Debate & Investor Pushback51:44 – Act 5: The Pandemic Changes Everything52:57 – Figma’s Remote Collaboration Advantage54:37 – The Launch of FigJam55:39 – Capitalizing on Two Key Market Moments56:39 – Adobe’s $20B Acquisition Attempt58:08 – Regulatory Block & $1B Breakup Fee59:31 – Secondary Funding and IPO Readiness1:00:41 – Dylan Field’s Final Lessons & Closing Thoughts1:02:02 – Outro

If you're learning JavaScript in 2025, **this is the definitive roadmap** you didn’t know you needed. Whether you're just opening your first `.js` file or you’ve been dabbling and finally want to get serious, this episode of *The Programming Podcast* with Danny Thompson and Leon Noel is a *masterclass in what actually matters*.NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/Stay in Touch:📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com!💡 Sponsor: Level Up Financial PlanningChanging careers or increasing your income? Get financial clarity with Level Up Financial Planning—helping early and mid-career tech professionals secure their financial future. Visit LevelUpFinancialPlanning.com for a free consultation!https://www.levelupfinancialplanning.com/Danny Thompsonhttps://x.com/DThompsonDevhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDevwww.DThompsonDev.comLeon Noelhttps://x.com/leonnoelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/https://100devs.org/📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business?Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com!We break down:* ✅ What to learn (and **why** each concept matters)* ✅ How to structure your learning path without getting overwhelmed* ✅ The **hard truths** about JavaScript in the real world* ✅ Mistakes that beginners make (and how to avoid them)* ✅ How to go from *tutorial nightmares* to building projects that actually get you hired “You don’t need 50 tutorials, you need 20 projects that work your brain in the right way.”We cover everything from fundamentals (variables, loops, functions) to advanced topics like async/await, the event loop, testing, and working with frameworks like React and backend tools like Node.js. We don’t just tell you *what* to learn — we tell you *how to think like a developer*.Whether you're headed toward a front-end career, full stack mastery, or just want to build real apps, this roadmap will serve you today and 10 years from now. No fluff. No hype. Just honest, actionable advice from two developers who have taught thousands of devs to land six-figure jobs.Leave a comment with the word (gotta watch to the end) if you made it to the end. We want to shout out the real ones.🔔 Subscribe for more episodes, and drop a like if you got value, it costs nothing but tells us to keep going.Chapters00:00 – Why This Roadmap Had to Be Made03:15 – The Only Reason to Learn JavaScript in 202506:30 – What Companies Actually Use JavaScript For10:00 – The Big 4: Variables, Loops, Conditionals, Functions17:00 – Arrays, Objects, and the Must-Know Methods (Map, Filter, Reduce)23:30 – Practice Over Theory: Codewars, Repetition & Your First 20 Projects29:00 – Async/Await, APIs, and What the Event Loop Actually Does35:00 – DOM Manipulation vs. JavaScript: What’s Really Going On38:30 – When to Learn React, Node, and TypeScript44:00 – Why Testing (Especially Unit Testing) Makes You Stand Out51:00 – Git, GitHub, and Getting Comfortable with Deployment56:00 – Stop Being Scared of Errors — Learn to Debug Like a Dev01:00:00 – Building the Mindset to Learn Forever01:05:00 – Final Thoughts + Community Q&A Prompt