Rails Business

In this episode, Nate Berkopec, the proprietor of Speedshop, a Ruby on Rails performance consultancy, author of several books including the Complete Guide to Rails Performance, and a maintainer of Puma, joins the podcast. Nate discusses his journey into Rails performance optimization, starting from his early career at startups and his breakthrough talk at the Gotham Ruby Conference. He outlines his 'Three S' framework—Speed, Scalability, and Stability—for tackling performance issues. The discussion includes practical advice for Heroku users on optimizing 'dynos' for better request queuing and performance, as well as insights on using tools like JudoScale and PG Analyze for better Sidekiq job management and database optimization. Nate also touches on the importance of setting proper performance thresholds to balance system efficiency and operational costs.00:00 Introduction to Nate Berkopec and Speedshop00:45 Nate's Early Career and Interest in Performance03:36 The Impact of Nate's Conference Talk and Book04:40 Challenges in Diagnosing Performance Issues10:22 Framework for Tackling Performance Problems17:27 Understanding Heroku's Load Balancing27:39 Understanding TCP Open Failures28:10 Optimizing Dynos on Heroku29:16 Setting Performance Thresholds31:12 The Importance of Monitoring and Automation34:25 Challenges with Sidekiq and Data Processing36:24 Best Practices for Sidekiq Queues44:48 Ensuring Job Idempotency and Efficiency49:26 Rapid Fire Tips for Indies52:41 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsLINKS- Speedshop- Nate's X/Twitter- The Complete Guide to Rails Performance Book- Sidekiq in Practice Book- High Availabillity Wikipedia Article- Ryan's Website- Brendan's X/Twitter- Brendan's BlueskyQuestions or comments, email us at railsbusinesspod@gmail.comSend us a text

In this episode, we tackle the nuances of communicating project requirements within development teams. From managing user stories and acceptance criteria to balancing control and flexibility, we explore best practices for ensuring clarity and efficiency. We share real-world experiences, including the effectiveness of detailed videos and spikes in guiding team members. 01:24 Communicating with Different Levels of Expertise06:06 The Role of Videos in Communication14:45 Challenges in Estimating and Scoping Projects30:52 Using AI to Assist in Writing TicketsLINKS- Ryan's Website- Brendan's X/Twitter- Brendan's BlueskyQuestions or comments, email us at railsbusinesspod@gmail.comSend us a text

 In this episode, we welcome Stephen Anderson, founder and owner of Bendyworks, a Madison, Wisconsin based Ruby on Rails consultancy. Stephen shares his journey from corporate Java consulting to building a values-driven software shop, discussing his philosophy of constantly seeking 10x productivity improvements and the pivotal moments that led him to entrepreneurship. LINKS- Bendyworks- Ryan's Website- Brendan's X/Twitter- Brendan's BlueskyQuestions or comments, email us at railsbusinesspod@gmail.comSend us a text

In this episode, we welcome Scott Werner, CEO of Sublayer, to discuss the future of software development and how AI is transforming the industry. Scott shares his experiences and insights on how AI is changing the way startups build and maintain software products, including Sublayer’s AI-driven tools like APM, Augmentations, and Artificial Ruby. They explore practical applications of AI in software engineering, the concept of MCP, and the fast-evolving landscape of AI technology, offering valuable takeaways for developers and tech entrepreneurs.00:20 Overview of Sublayer's AI Focus01:20 Main Products and Innovations03:29 AI in Software Development07:00 Triggers and AI Automation08:58 MCP and Structured Outputs17:53 Open Source and AI Agents20:05 The Future of AI in Development21:15 Journey to Sublayer: A Winding Road23:10 Challenges and Innovations in AI Product Development28:09 The Fast Fashion Era of Software33:14 The Future of AI and Business Models40:17 Concluding Thoughts and Future PlansLINKS- Sublayer Website- Scott's Blog (Works on My Machine)- Ryan's Website- Brendan's X/Twitter- Brendan's BlueskyQuestions or comments, email us at railsbusinesspod@gmail.comSend us a text

This week, Chris Gaffney, owner of Dead Man's Snitch, a niche monitoring service for CRON jobs and service heartbeats joined us. Discover the origins of the company, its growth journey, and the challenges faced in achieving uptime and scalability. Chris also shares insights on the tech stack used, the role of Rails in their development, and the impact of market strategies like Heroku integration.00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:21 Overview of Dead Man's Snitch03:03 Challenges and Achievements03:49 Current Focus and Full-Time Commitment04:12 Product Use Cases and Platforms10:02 Heroku Integration Experience16:09 Marketing Strategies and Developer Challenges19:26 Future Plans and Dreams20:08 Balancing Business and Family23:56 The Value of Personal Touch in Business25:40 Technical Challenges and Solutions31:38 Data Management Strategies37:19 The Role of Rails in Business Success39:37 Conclusion and Contact InformationQuestions or comments, email us at railsbusinesspod@gmail.comSend us a text

In this episode, we explore how AI can be leveraged to build engaging features in our applications. We discuss the development of a 'guided blogging' feature using AI, its benefits for users, and the challenges faced in implementing conversational interfaces. We also discuss a bit about the future of AI in SaaS, the role of AI in content curation, and how to balance automation with human oversight.00:00 Introduction and Catching Up00:41 Discussing AI feature Ryan is building02:35 Technical Challenges and Solutions05:49 Exploring AI Integration14:41 Future of AI in SaaS25:13 Human Element in AI31:42 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsLINKS- Ryan's Website- Brendan's X/Twitter- Brendan's BlueskyQuestions or comments, email us at railsbusinesspod@gmail.comSend us a text

In this episode, we dive into the complexities of performance monitoring in Rails applications. Our discussion revolves around popular tools like Honey Badger, New Relic, Skylight, and App Signal, and the challenges of effectively using them. We explore specific pain points such as queue times, slow endpoints, and memory usage, and contemplate whether rolling your own solution is viable. Listen in for insights, tips, and relatable struggles in maintaining and optimizing Rails apps, especially for smaller teams and solo developers.00:31 Challenges with Performance Monitoring Tools01:17 Specific Tools and Their Limitations02:07 The Cost and Complexity of Monitoring04:02 Seeking Solutions and Alternatives09:13 Database Monitoring and Additional Tools14:18 Considering Building Custom Solutions16:23 Seeking Help from App Signal17:01 Discussing Nate Berkopec's Speed Book19:10 Challenges with Performance Monitoring22:12 Complexity of Building Web Apps25:00 Prioritizing Development Tasks29:16 Concluding ThoughtsLINKS- Ryan's Website- Brendan's X/Twitter- Brendan's BlueskySend us a text

In this episode, the hosts welcome Chris Oliver, a prominent figure in the Rails community, known for his work on numerous projects including GoRails, Hatchbox, and Jumpstart Pro to name a few. Chris shares his programming origin story, his academic journey and numerous early projects, explaining how he transitioned from Python to Rails. He recounts his experiences starting GoRails, managing multiple projects, and the challenges faced with Hatchbox. Chris elaborates on the impact of AI on the programming landscape and its potential risks and benefits. He offers advice to aspiring developers and reflects on his journey of self-driven learning and continuous improvement.LINKS- Chris's X/Twitter- GoRails- Ryan's Website- Brendan's X/Twitter- Brendan's BlueskySend us feedback or questions to railsbusinesspod@gmail.comSend us a text

In this episode, Irina Nazarova, CEO of Evil Martians, shares her unconventional journey from earning a degree in computer science and working in finance to eventually becoming a leader in the Rails community. She discusses her entry into web development via WordPress and WooCommerce, her unfavorable experiences with PHP, and eventual discovery of Ruby on Rails. Irina provides insights into the company's culture, the advantages of using Rails for startups, and the importance of open-source contributions. The conversation also highlights Evil Martians' consulting and product strategies, the importance of company transparency and teamwork, and details about the upcoming San Francisco Ruby Conference.LINKS- Evil Martians- AnyCable- San Francisco Ruby Conference- How to do well in consulting (Irina's talk from Balkin Ruby 2024)- Ryan's Website- Brendan's X/Twitter- Brendan's BlueskySend us a text

In this episode, Ryan and Brendan discuss the importance of documentation within a business and development context. They cover various types of documentation, including internal, user-facing, and code comments, and highlight the necessity of clear communication from story writing to feature documentation.  They also share insights on tools and methods for keeping documentation organized and accessible within their teams.00:00 Introduction and Greetings00:26 Diving into Documentation02:48 Defining Documentation05:12 User Stories and Documentation08:12 Internal vs External Documentation15:54 Organizing Documentation21:09 Centralizing Resources with Trello23:02 Balancing Multiple Documentation Tools23:40 Challenges with Search Functionality24:41 Effective Use of Trello Tags and Labels27:54 The Importance of Code Comments and Commit Messages29:28 Rebase vs. Merge: A Developer's Dilemma30:16 Interactive Rebase: Cleaning Up Commit History36:02 Concluding Thoughts on Rebase and Merge- Thoughtbot Rebase Workflow- Ryan's Website- Brendan's X/Twitter- Brendan's BlueskySend us a text