The Pragmatic Engineer

Tomas Reimers, a former engineer at Meta and co-founder of Graphite, shares fascinating insights into Meta's custom developer tools. Discover why Meta opted for in-house solutions over industry standards like GitHub. He explains the benefits of stacked diffs and monorepos, which have redefined coding practices at Meta. The discussion dives into how AI's rise is reshaping code reviews and testing, emphasizing the need for rigorous oversight. Reimers also touches on Graphite's evolution and why tool integration is crucial for developer productivity.

Noah Finer and Jonathan Kaufman, founding engineers of Figma Slides, share their journey of transforming a hackathon project into a widely used tool with over 4.5 million slide decks. They discuss the innovative tech stack behind Figma Slides, the challenges of prioritizing grid view over single slide view, and their unique 'vibe testing' approach. The duo also delves into how beta testing shaped the product and the importance of managing slide order in collaborative settings, offering insights into the complexities of real-time design collaboration.

Join Greg Kroah-Hartman, a Linux kernel maintainer for 25 years and a Linux Kernel Foundation Fellow, as he dives into the fascinating world of Linux development. He shares insights on the kernel's nine-week release cycle and the complexities of integrating code changes. Greg emphasizes the unique trust model that drives its reliability and advocates for contributions to open source. Discover why Linux is so widespread and how it serves as an interface for diverse hardware. Plus, learn about the exciting integration of Rust into the Linux kernel!

Gautam Korlam, co-founder of the AI startup Gitar and former mobile engineer at Uber, shares hilarious tales from his time at Uber, including the infamous accidental deletion of their Java monorepo. He discusses the pros and cons of monorepos while detailing unique engineering solutions like SubmitQueue. Gautam highlights the importance of building trust among engineers and how AI tools are revolutionizing developer productivity. He also dives into the evolving skills needed as automation transforms the industry, making for an insightful conversation on future tech trends.

Balint Orosz, Founder and CEO of Craft, shares his journey in designing user-friendly software. He discusses the complexities of blending engineering with a design-first approach. Balint emphasizes the importance of dynamic animations in enhancing UI experiences and the emotional connections users form with their tools. He reflects on navigating from startup culture to corporate challenges, the significance of small teams, and how AI is shaping modern software development. His insights challenge conventional views on engineering and design in tech.

Manu Cornet, a senior software engineer and cartoonist renowned for his tech-themed comics, shares his unique insights in this conversation. He discusses his viral org chart comic that humorously depicts Big Tech's complexities. Manu reveals how Google's 20% time policy spurred innovation and his comic that predicted the failure of Google Stadia. He also reflects on the atmosphere at Twitter post-Elon Musk's acquisition, highlighting the chaotic environment and its impact on employees. Expect laughs and thought-provoking commentary on tech culture!

In this engaging discussion, Dr. Nicole Forsgren, a leading expert in developer productivity and co-creator of the DORA and SPACE frameworks, dives into the complexities of measuring productivity in software development. She explores the importance of holistic metrics that prioritize developer well-being and communication. Nicole shares insightful strategies for improving team dynamics, the impact of AI tools on workflows, and the value of investment in platform teams to boost productivity. It's a treasure trove of knowledge for tech leaders and engineers alike!

Ashutosh Agrawal, former Chief Architect of JioCinema and current Staff Software Engineer at Google DeepMind, shares insights from architecting a live streaming system that achieved a world record with 32 million streams. He discusses the complexities of video streaming architecture, the trade-offs in optimizing performance, and the challenges of capacity planning, especially in the APAC region. Ashutosh also reveals why he dislikes APMs and offers valuable advice for improving systems design expertise. Tune in for a tech deep dive!

Chip Huyen, a computer scientist and author with experience at Netflix and NVIDIA, joins the conversation to explore AI Engineering. They discuss how AI Engineering differs from Machine Learning Engineering and express caution over fine-tuning tactics. The episode highlights practical steps to build AI applications and emphasizes the value of structured learning paired with project-based methods. Chip also shares insights into deploying AI for customer service and the importance of human oversight in integrating AI into business processes.

Jonas Tyroller, co-developer of the indie game Thronefall, shares his journey from concept to creation in the world of game development. He discusses the importance of rapid prototyping, revealing why he spent months refining game ideas in just days. Jonas explains the workflows using Unity and addresses the challenges of game testing without traditional methods. He highlights how he integrates AI tools like ChatGPT to streamline processes and offers tips on making games that sell in a competitive market.