Developer Tea

Sunk Cost Fallacy and 3 Traps to Avoid

22 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we will discuss the sunk cost fallacy and 3 traps that lead to the sunk cost fallacy that you should avoid. Mentioned Or Relevant...

Learning On The Job

20 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I discuss four tips for learning on the job. Mentioned on or relevant to today's episode: React Native ReactJS Today's episode...

Comparison Conundrums

18 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we discuss the problems we may encounter when we employ one of our brain's superpowers, comparison. Mentioned on or relevant to t...

Features You Don't Need (At Least For Now)

15 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode of Developer Tea, I talk about features your application doesn't need (at least for now). This episode is focused mostly towards ea...

Developer Tea Gear: From My Room to Your Ears

13 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode talks all about gear! We're discussing the gear I use to record this show. Mentioned on or relevant to today's episode: Shure SM7B R...

Cognitive Biases That Can Kill Your Product

11 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we discuss two cognitive biases that could kill your work, whether you are creating a startup product or working for a well establ...

Listener Question: Felix Asks, "How do I gain the experience needed for the job I want?"

08 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I respond to a question from listener Felix about getting past the "no experience" problem. Mentioned on or relevant to...

Celebrating One Year of Developer Tea

06 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I celebrate the one-year anniversary of Developer Tea! Thank you for making this year great. I look forward to many more! Mentione...

Three Tips For Practicing Focus

04 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, we talk about focus, once again! Focus is a topic that can’t be covered enough. Today's episode is sponsored by Hired! Go to H...

Making Your Resolutions Stick

01 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year! In today's episode, I talk about resolutions. It's 2016, and you're probably making resolutions for the New Year. Listen to this episo...

Part Two: Interview with Marcelo Somers & John Gully

30 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I continue my interview with Marcelo Somers and John Gully. Mentioned on today's episode Pattern Pack Marcelo on Twitter, @marce...

Part One: Interview with Marcelo Somers (@marcelosomers) & John Gully (@johngully)

28 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I interview Marcelo Somers and John Gully. Mentioned Or Relevant To Today's Episode Pattern Pack Marcelo on Twitter, @marcelosom...

Bonus Episode: Season's Greetings

25 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Holidays! Today, I simply want to thank you, and challenge you to start thinking about the upcoming year, and reflect on the past year. Develope...

When Documentation Is A Bad Thing

23 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we talk about when documentation can be a bad thing. Relevant to today's episode: Stackoverflow post where someone disagrees wit...

Part Two: Interview with Christopher Schmitt (@teleject)

21 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I finish the interview with Christopher Schmitt, author of the CSS Cookbook and part owner of Environments for Humans. Click here ...

Part One: Interview With Christopher Schmitt (@teleject)

18 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I talk with Christopher Schmitt, author of CSS Cookbook and part owner of Environments for Humans. Mentioned in today's episode: ...

Opinions: Ally or Enemy

16 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, we discuss when opinions can be helpful, and when they can be harmful. Mentioned in today's episode When opinions are a good t...

Talking about User Experience and Education w/ Jessica Ivins (@jessicaivins) - Part Two

14 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I continue my interview with Jessica Ivins. Jessica is a User Experience educator at Center Centre. Mentioned on today's episode ...

Talking about User Experience and Education with Jessica Ivins (@jessicaivins) - Part One

11 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I had a chance to interview Jessica Ivins. Jessica is a User Experience educator at Center Centre. Mentioned on today's episode ...

Listener Question: Matt Hirsch asks, "Does it make more sense to spend a lot of money on extensive resources or spend less on short courses to learn code?"

09 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I answer a question from listener Matt Hirsch. Mentioned on today's episode Hack Reactor Learn.co Viking Code School OneMonth Tr...

Making The Most Of Your Off Time

07 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we discuss how to make the most of your off time. Mentioned in today's episode The Martian (book) "Billions in Change"...

The Voice Inside Your Head

04 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode we discuss the concept of vocalizing the things you are thinking about as you work through a problem - the "voice inside your ...

7 Networking Tips for Developers

02 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I share some tips to help you start networking as a developer. We'll discuss 7 tips that you can start using today to cultivate a ...

Part Two: The Great Framework Debate

30 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we continue our discussion from last week about frameworks. Mentioned on today's episode Great Framework Debate, Part One MVC De...

Part One: The Great Framework Debate

27 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is sponsored by Delighted! Delighted is the easiest way to gather feedback from your customers. Sign up for a paid account at https://...

Turkey & Tea

26 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for listening to Developer Tea. In today's short special episode, I issue a challenge for you!

Listener Question: Jean-Michel Asks, "How Do You Know When It's Time To Lead A Team That Has No Leader?"

25 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I respond to Jean-Michel's question about when it's time to step up and lead a team that currently has no leader. Mentioned on to...

Listener Question: Mark asks, "What's Happening to the Ruby Developer Community?"

23 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

What's happening to the Ruby community? Is it flailing, or doing just fine? Some evidence and simple logic says both are possible. Let's explore it a ...

Makers Versus Menders with Andrea Goulet (@andreagoulet)

20 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today I talk with Andrea Goulet about software "makers and menders." Andrea is the CEO of CorgiBytes. Listen in if you are interested in ref...

Thinking Small

18 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we talk about solving small problems. I'll give you a few tips for scoping your problems down to be smaller. Mentioned on today's...

Focus, Fear, and Missing Out: Picking Tools Without Anxiety

16 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we talk about FoMO (the fear of missing out) as it relates to deciding what tools to use. Mentioned on today's episode: FoMO rat...

The Frontend at Whiteboard

13 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode I talk about some of the front-end tools we use at Whiteboard. Join Spec on Slack: http://spec.fm/slack Mentioned on today's episo...

How To Make Small Things A Big Deal, Plus: Celebrating 2 Million Listens!

11 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Thank you for helping Developer Tea make it to 2 million listens! This is a major milestone for the show. Not many external resources were mentioned o...

Getting The Most Out Of A Conference

09 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we talk about participating in conferences, both as a speaker and as an attendee. Mentioned on or relevant to today's episode: 2015 CSS Dev C...

Code Without Fear

06 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Code without fear! Happy late Halloween, everyone. :) Mentioned on the show or otherwise relevant: Leave it Better Than You Found It (Developer Tea ...

Listener Question: Sean asks, "Where Can I Find Well Written Code?"

04 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Sean asked me where to find well written code in Slack. (You can join us by going to http://spec.fm/slack) @fat's article on Medium's CSS Chris Coyi...

How do I manage a project that feels too big for one person to handle?

02 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today I talk about managing projects that seem relatively large for one person (or a small team) to manage. Mentioned on today's show: Spec Slack ch...

Leave It Better Than The Way You Found It

30 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today I give you a short homily: Leave code (and anything, really) better than you find it! In this episode, I'll share 5 simple ways that you can ma...

Listener Question: Jake Schwartz (@jakehschwartz_) asks, "How do I suggest improvements to someone else's codebase without offending them?"

28 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today, I discuss a question Jake Schwartz asked me in the Spec.fm Slack community. You can join our Slack community by going to spec.fm/slack. Mentio...

Part Two: Paul Straw & Sean Washington (@paulstraw & @seanwashington)

26 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I talk to Paul Straw and Sean Washington from Does Not Compute, the newest member of the Spec family. Mentioned in today's episod...

Part One: Paul Straw & Sean Washington (@paulstraw & @seanwashington) talk about focus, JavaScript frameworks, and rites of passage

23 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I talk to Paul Straw and Sean Washington from Does Not Compute, the newest member of the Spec family. Mentioned in today's episod...

Not to Do List: How Warren Buffett Keeps His Priorities Straight

21 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I discuss creating a "not to-do list", inspired by Warren Buffett's "two list strategy." If you enjoy today's ...

Solving The X/Y Problem

19 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we discuss the X/Y problem. Don't know what the X/Y problem is? You definitely should. Be sure to listen in! Other discussions about the X/Y p...

9 Questions You Should Always Ask During An Interview

16 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today I talk to you about questions you should always ask a potential employer. Today's episode is sponsored by Hired.com! If you are a developer or ...

Developing Soft Skills & Cultivating Relationships

14 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we'll discuss how to cultivate relationships as a developer. Mentioned on today's episode: Recurse School manual Avdi's tweet about "We...

Feature Runways

12 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we talk about "Feature Runways." Join the Spec Slack community by going to spec.fm/slack The takeaway: We'll talk about ...

Managing Questions

09 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about saving time by managing questions. Set expectations Take questions seriously Provide opportunity for questioner to find the answe...

Listener Question: Crispin asks, "What's the threshold from executing to mastering?"

07 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I answer a question from listener Crispin Bennet! Crispin wrote in and asked me about the balance between learning something (&quo...

Constant State of Alert

05 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about avoiding a state of constant yellow alert. Signs you may be in a constant state of alert: Audit your texts, emails, etc for const...

Part Two: Gregg Pollack & Carlos Souza

02 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today I talk with Gregg Pollack and Carlos Souza from Codeschool! Codeschool.com JavaScript.com Ruby5 AMA with Mike Bostock D3.js Mapping caps-lock t...

Part One: Gregg Pollack & Carlos Souza (@caike and @greggpollack)

30 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today I talk with Gregg Pollack and Carlos Souza from Codeschool! Codeschool.com JavaScript.com Ruby5 5 Minutes of JavaScript iOS Bytes If you are a ...

Destigmatizing Failure

28 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I underline the importance of failure to the learning process, and then we discuss why failure should be destigmatized and looked ...

Fixing the Broken Hiring Process: It's All About Context

25 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we talk about the flawed process we use in the development industry for hiring. Mentioned: Code Complete Go to https://digitaloc...

Part Two: Cap Watkins (@cap)

23 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In this second part of my interview with Cap Watkins, we discuss the coexistence of specialization and generalization. If you enjoy Developer Tea, the...

Part One: Cap Watkins (@cap)

21 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I had a chance to talk with Cap Watkins, the VP of Design at Buzzfeed, about quite a few things - most importantly, collaboration....

False Dichotomies

18 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we're talking about ways to avoid false dichotomies. Decisive "The Infinite Toolset" - article about why we shouldn't s...

Automation: Creating Higher Order Functionality and Building an Automatic Schedule

16 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is a short discussion on automation. We'll explore some helpful ways to look at automation that help make it more than simply scriptin...

Interview with Eric Elliott: On JavaScript, Writing, and Creating High Velocity Development Teams

14 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I interview Eric Elliott. Eric is a JavaScript developer and author with a lot of knowledge to share! Be sure to check out JavaScr...

Subjective vs. Concrete Decisions

11 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today, I talk about a particular framework for making decisions. The framework presents a specific dichotomy between concreteness and subjectivity. Ty...

Listener Pubudu Asks How to Avoid Procrastination and Boredom, and Find Renewed Energy for Work

09 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today, I discuss listener Pubudu's questions about how to find energy and enjoyment in his work, and how to stop procrastinating. Mentioned on the sho...

Listener Question: Sahar asks, "How do I get more out of my day?"

07 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I answer a question from listener Sahar. Remote (37 Signals / Bsecamp The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod In this episode, I cover ...

The Messaging Paradigm: Building Programs Around the Concept of Messengers and Receivers

04 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode we talk about a message passing paradigm for programming. We'll discuss the concept of message passing as a lens for understanding ...

Closures, Private & Methods

02 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we talk about closures and private object methods. Spec.fm Closures in JavaScript (Mozilla) Private methods in Ruby (documentation) Private :a...

The Best Tool vs. The Right Tool: Don't Forsake Personality When Picking Frameworks or Languages

31 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I'll talk about choosing the best tool vs. choosing the right tool for a job. Stopping assumptions about faster being better or us...

Decorator vs. Facade Patterns & Knowing When To Use Them

28 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode I review decorator and facade patterns. I'll go over strengths, weaknesses, similarities and difference between decorator and facad...

Listener Question: Simon asks, "How do I switch mindset from personal project to day job?"

26 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today's listener question is about working on side projects in the same space as your day job. Simon, who wrote into Developer Tea via email asks, &qu...

Rejecting the DRY Principle

24 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is about repeating yourself, and knowing when to repeat yourself and when not to. This episode was inspired by Sandy Metz. One of Sand...

Time vs. Value: Billing for Features

21 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today I'm going to be sharing the simple perspective shift that helped me understand how valuable programming is. In this episode, I'll go over how t...

The Twelve-Factor App, Part 2: Dependencies & Config

19 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode we to continue or discussion on The Twelve-Factor App. Specifically reviewing the importance of dependencies and config. In this ep...

The Twelve-Factor App, Part 1: Codebase

17 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

This week, I'm going to go dig into a few of Heroku's Twelve-Factor Application Model. Today's episode will be focused around codebase also known as a...

Mutable States, Refactory Tips & Reasonable Code Techniques

15 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode I'll dig into mutable states and go over two things you can do to get away from relying on external states so you can read and test...

Reading the Manual

12 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I talk about the importance of stopping assumptions in their tracks by reading manuals. I'll go over documentation, and tips to ge...

Intentional Problem Solving: How To Work It Out, Without Google

10 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I talk about intentional problem solving and challenge listeners to stop reaching for the quickest answer and instead experience t...

Listener Question: Dhruv Asks, "What should a beginner like me work on?"

07 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode I respond to a listener question that came in from Dhruv, who asks, "What should a beginner like me work on?" Aside from ...

The Power of the Minute & Engineering Memorable Experiences

05 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

On Today's episode, I talk about making a good first impression. How can we engineer memorable moments that will create a positive impact on how peopl...

Single Responsibility Principle: A Class Should Have One, and Only One Reason to Change

03 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode I review why focus is so important to coding by diving into the Solid Principles developed by Robert C. Martin also known as "...

Listener Question: Janus asks, As a Designer, when should I let someone else do the code heavy lifting?

31 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode, I answer a listener question from Janus, who focuses primarily on User Experience and Design. Janus asks, How much code should I know...

How to Play to Your Strengths

29 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Strengths and skills are two different things, but when should you learn a new skill or improve a current skill? During today's episode, I'll talk abo...

The Disposability of Computing Resources & Fixing Future Bug Anxiety

27 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever felt like you've had to plan everything before beginning to write your code? In today's episode, I talk about the disposability of our c...

Anchoring Your Estimations: How to Keep Clients Happy

24 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Clients are never happy when hearing that you've underestimated how long a project will take in reality. In today's episode, I talk about how to ancho...

Why You Should Refactor Your Software

22 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode I'll talk about the importance of refactoring your software, identifying when you should refactor your code and tips and techniques...

Listener Question: What's The Difference Between a Junior and Senior Developer?

20 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

What is the difference between a Junior and Senior Developer? In today's episode, I talk about what it takes to get from Junior level programmer to a ...

Patrick Hill: Hobby Life vs. Work Life

17 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

in today's episode, I get to talk with fellow developer and podcaster Patrick Hill about how to balance hobbies and work life. We talk about goals, mo...

Grant Ingersoll: The Numbers Don't Lie

15 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

I had the pleasure of talking with Grant Ingersoll. Grant is a search and NLP engineer, author of Taming Text and CTO at Lucidworks. In today's episod...

Episode 100!

13 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today marks our 100th episode! Special thanks to you, the listener for tuning in, submitting your many listener questions, sending feedback, and for n...

Daily routines and controlling impulsive behaviors

10 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today I talk about the pros and cons to the restraint bias or impulsive behaviors. Tools like a daily routine help to refocus your impulses. I'll go o...

Your Brain: On IKEA as a cognitive bias

08 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

How many times have you seen someone create a framework, realize it has bugs, and instead of adopting a bigger framework, would rather spend the extra...

Useful Laziness

06 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode I talk about the positive and negative effects of laziness, and the overlap between simplicity and complexity, especially in your c...

Estimation and shifting focus from absolute to relative

03 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Estimation is so hard to do. Today, I talk about overcoming estimation obstacles, and some tactics to help you along the way. It's difficult to know w...

Russ Taylor, Part Two: Bulletproof Vest

01 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

During today's second half of our two-part interview, Russ Taylor and I talk about the importance of testing. We dive into methods for testing like H...

Russ Taylor, Part One: Continuous Integration

30 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

During today's first half of a two-part interview, I have the pleasure of talking with Russ Taylor. Russ works on the continuous integration team at E...

Don't Delay, Say No

26 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Don't Delay In today's episode, I talk about the fatal flaw of putting things off 'til tomorrow, and the simple, yet difficult, solution to the imbala...

Mackenzie Child, Part Two: Design Background, Developer Skill

24 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In the second half of this episode, Mackenzie Child and I talk about his 12 in 12 challenge, and what it was like to make the switch from designer to ...

Mackenzie Child, Part One: Concrete Goals

22 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

I caught up with Mackenzie Child to talk about his 12 in 12 challenge. In which he challenges himself to learn Ruby on Rails by building 12 web apps i...

Benefits of Knowledge: Teaching to Learn

19 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today, I talk about teaching in order to learn. This isn't reserved to just those in or going through school, but anyone who has learned a skill. The...

Listener Question: How to Separate Your Social Media Identities

17 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

This is a question that I think needs to come up more often. That is, how do we integrate our professional lives with our personal lives? in today's e...

Internship Tips

16 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

If you're serious about becoming a developer, you should consider getting an internship. Today I'll give you three tips on choosing an internship. Alo...

1 Million

15 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today is a very special inspiration episode. Thanks to each and every one of you, our listeners, Developer Tea has reached over 1,000,000 unique downl...

Answering Front-End Interview Questions: Call vs. Apply and Integrating Multiple Stylesheets

12 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, I discuss the importance of forming an informed opinion by disecting two questions in github's Front-End Developer Interview Quest...

Beyond The Skillset

11 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode was inspired by a listener question on job hunting and what makes you employable. In this episode I cover the minimum requirements of ...