We are kicking off a new series of episodes - Technical Tips - to give you bit-sized advice on the best practices of software engineering so your coding life is easier and more efficient. Today, we''ll answer 30 most popular questions about CI/CD. How many can you answer? Listen to the full episode or read the transcript on the Semaphore blog. Like…

We are continuing our series of episodes - Technical Tips - to give you bite-sized advice on the best practices of software engineering so your coding life is easier and more efficient. Today, we'll learn how to apply TDD (Test-Driven Development) to Large Language Models (LLMs) powered applications. Tommy, our technical writer, will be guiding us …

By challenging assumptions and embracing experimentation, individuals and teams can unlock fresh ideas. To this end, collaboration fueled by diverse perspectives further strengthens this innovation cycle. In this episode, Kelsey Hightower shares his experiences, from challenging the status quo in large organizations to embracing the collaborative s…

Testing safeguards the quality and reliability of products. And while there might be occasional misunderstandings, as in any collaborative environment, developers and testers are not inherently at odds. On this subject, veteran tester Maaret Pyhäjärvi believes in delivering feedback constructively. In this episode, she will share her thoughts on th…

Speed and agility reign supreme in software development. However, this drive can sideline the role of testing: Bugs slip through the cracks, security vulnerabilities go unnoticed, and user frustrations mount. Amidst this turmoil, James Bach stands as the voice of reason—and dissent. From his unconventional beginnings as a computer salesman to his r…

From the outbreak of cloud services to the growing complexity of development infrastructure, developers are increasingly burdened with managing technical hurdles instead of focusing on innovation. Internal platform engineering emerges as a potential solution. However, traditional platform engineering often falls short, focusing on technology implem…

Leading engineer teams through technical complexities requires creating an environment where technical expertise thrives alongside strong team spirit: empowering developers, sparking innovation, and bridging communication gaps. At WeTransfer, iOS mobile lead developer Antoine van der Lee has cultivated a culture where ideas flourish. In this episod…

Fueled by the urgency of staying ahead of the competition, hype cycles swirling around new technologies often overshadow actual business applications. Buzzwords like "AI" and "LLMs" swirl around promising revolution, but how do you untangle their potential from the hype? And if the cloud is the future, how do you avoid getting trapped in its vendor…

Despite their common subject matter, the software industry and computer science often operate on divergent assumptions and priorities, making collaboration difficult. In this episode, Maximiliano Contieri helps us understand the longstanding tension between academia and industry from an insider's perspective. Listen on for an insightful discussion …

With community and Developer Experience taking on greater priority across the technology sector, Developer Relations (DevRel) has had to adapt and connect with developers beyond technical expertise. Besides as DevRel continues to change shape across companies, it also serves as a springboard to diverse career paths given the transferable skills bui…

Companies differing motivations and resources determine their priorities and impact how they develop their products. In this way, not all companies base their business model on building a product to solve a real problem. Still, some of them do. In the case of Flagsmith, a commercial open-source feature flagging software, its developers focus on fea…

Education is one of developers’ most precious assets. Education makes the difference in adapting to changing tech trends and industry perspectives. What’s more, quality educational environments can also help developers network and find jobs. With this end in mind, Major League Hacking provides unique and intensive learning experiences that allow pa…

Keeping up with the latest trends and technologies, dealing with imposter syndrome, and finding your place in the community are just a few of the challenges developers face. Withal, for those who are passionate about technology, it can also be a rewarding and exciting career. In this episode, This Dot Labs Co-Founder and Web Developer Tracy Lee sha…

API developers must navigate evolving standards, design intuitive interfaces, ensure security, and address the ever-changing needs of clients. With diverse data formats, authentication methods, and scalability requirements, API design demands a delicate balance between simplicity and robustness, making it a dynamic field that requires constant adap…

DevOps emerged to break down the silos between development and operations teams, speeding up release cycles, reducing errors, and improving communication. For developers, this meant the opportunity to play a more central role in the software development process. In this regard, Mey Beisaron’s broad experience with programming languages and technolo…

In this episode, we delve into the experiences and insights of Peter Zaitsev, an advocate for the open-source community, as he sheds light on the complex terrain of open source, the evolving software development landscape, and the implications for developers and businesses alike. Listen to the full episode or read the transcript on the Semaphore bl…

The ability to adapt, collaborate, and continuously improve has become paramount in keeping pace with ever-changing technologies, customer demands, and market trends. In this episode, we discover how Michael Feathers, chief architect of Globant and renowned software expert, addresses the challenges of onboarding teams to complex systems and scaling…

In this episode, Stack Overflow and Discourse co-founder Jeff Atwood reveals his thoughts on the platforms that have left an indelible mark on the programming community. We delve into his achievements, reflections, and perspectives on communities, the role of AI, and the future of programming. Listen to the full episode or read the transcript at ht…

Refactoring has become an integral part of software development practices and has gained widespread recognition and adoption in the industry. In this episode, we explore code refactoring through the perspective of Kevlin Henney, an experienced consultant, trainer, and co-author of renowned programming books. Learn how his insights shed light on the…

Richard Seroter, Google Cloud’s director of product management and DevRel, shares his perspectives on the importance of learning, the disconnect between technology and business goals, and building customer-oriented teams. In this episode, we will explore his insights on career strategy, the significance of clear goals, the balance between business …

Beginners might be intimate by the amount of knowledge and available resources when getting into software development. Finding the right direction and discerning what’s most important can be challenging. On this basis, Tech Writer and DevRel Fernando Doglio shares his insights on the essential skills of a successful software engineer. We'll delve i…

How companies move during changes can determine their success, but also nurture eventual failure. In this episode, we will explore how Software Consultant Susanne Kaiser uses Wardley mapping and Domain-Driven Design to identify the core domain of businesses and apply the appropriate method per evolution stage, how to improve team organization, and …

Github has pushed the limits of collaboration in coding as a platform for discussing, sharing, and participating in code and projects. Yet, new tools are looking to push the limit even forward. Zed is a collaborative code editor that offers real-time interaction among teammates inside a code development environment. Its creator, Nathan Sobo, envisi…

The evolution of distributed systems has normalized the benefits of cloud systems. From an end-user perspective, collaborating in real time has to feel smooth and organic. Still, developing one of these applications isn’t as clear-cut. In this episode, we hear from Adam Wulf, one of the developers behind the whiteboard application Muse, on the many…

In the tech industry, diversity and inclusivity have been long-standing challenges. Head of Engineering Florence Chabanois understands the importance of creating a work environment that celebrates differences and the role of management in addressing inclusion issues. With over a decade of experience in tech, Florence shares her insights on team man…

Building resilient systems is crucial in ensuring that applications can keep functioning even while facing unexpected failures and disruptions. In fact, designing systems that can bounce back quickly and effectively is essential for long-term success. In this episode, we speak with Software Developer Bart de Water, who will share his expertise on t…

Software testing has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. It has evolved from being an isolated, time-consuming activity performed at the end of the development cycle, to an integrated and ongoing process tied to customer success. Various factors have driven this shift, including the rise of agile development methodologies and th…

Continuous Integration (CI) pipelines enable software development teams to build and test code quickly and efficiently. However, the need for robust security measures becomes increasingly important. On this episode, we interview Solutions Engineer Adib Saikali about his experience with CI pipeline security. From protecting sensitive data to detecti…

The availability and quality of documentation are perhaps the most valuable assets for helping developers do their job. Likewise, good documentation will make the difference for users in choosing one product instead of another. However, finding the right tooling for managing and hosting documentation it’s a whole task on its own. It is even harder …

The complexity of business and business processes can pull us away from the big picture. Internal documents, graphs, and other visual representations are there to aid us, but they might not be detailed enough, intuitive, or easy to read. In this regard, Wardley maps are business management tools that help organizations visualize their processes by …

The prominence of venture capital in the software industry continues to shape how companies grow, set their budget and goals, and model their teams. It even affects how developers perceive their abilities. Nevertheless, Ruby on Rails creator and CTO of 37signals (Basecamp & HEY) David Heinemeier Hansson invites those looking to start a company in t…

As the code base of a company grows, it becomes more complex. This complexity can lead to different sorts of communication problems capable of affecting both monolith and microservice architectures. In this regard, domain driven design is a tool for enhancing and clearing communication and putting together cohesive software development teams. In th…

Over the years, the software development community has created several tools for making their work easier and more efficient. As a result, building applications has become simpler than ever. But with so many options to choose from, which one would be the best for your project? In terms of flexibility and cost-effectiveness, hybrid apps are the futu…

With so much sensitive data going on through software applications, software products need to be robust enough to protect its users from malicious actors. VP of Engineering Ken Kantzer believes successful code audits combine the efforts of management, software engineers, and cybersecurity to create a safer web environment. In this episode, Ken shar…

Communities have nourished the tech industry —and academia— for ages. Aside from acting as a knowledge base, communities also allow their members to build a network and find and offer job opportunities. Besides, tech communities, says TechLadies Vice President Caro Griffin, can help us close the gender gap in tech. According to Caro, not only women…

Nowadays, Agile methodologies are applied and well-known all over the software development industry. But are they actually implemented as they should? According to Software Architect and author Allen Holub, while Agile is the way to go, it does not mix well with other practices just as widespread in the industry—chiefly, estimates and project-based…

In Agile methodologies, testing is one of the pillars of the product-building process. Still, tests can be detrimental if not properly set. Even more so when they pile up and get in the way of developers. In this episode, Software Developer Daniel North teaches us how to simplify tests. In like manner, he advises us how companies should conform the…

Microservice architecture offers no end of advantages over monolithic applications, including continuous delivery, more room for experimenting with new features, and flexibility for working with different technologies. Still, it also has its constraints. Especially, for teams who are transitioning from monolithic applications. In this episode, we w…

Describing information systems is vital for software design. As a result, multiple tools have appeared over the years to optimize the process. In this way, event modeling is an evolution from traditional approaches. We asked Software Developer, CEO and founder of AdapTech Adam Dymitruk about event modeling and its relation with event sourcing, doma…

What happens when companies go from a single small team of developers to tenfold their size as a result of becoming market fit? Could it be that the same patterns that once helped them grow will now halt their progress? Developer and Agile Consultant Arlo Belshee will teach us about the patterns behind inefficient teams, illegible code, and —of cou…

Testing plays a big role in software development; especially, in quality assurance. However, when these tasks are rigorously divided, testers can find problems getting along with engineers. Still, to Agile Consultant Janet Gregory, testers and engineer teams only thrive when working together. In this episode, Janet will help us understand the nuanc…

Microservices architecture is one of the most popular options for companies going through application modernization or migrating to the cloud. However, companies may end up abandoning them altogether as the hype comes to an end. In fact, for Senior Principal Software Engineer Holly Cummins, microservices can be a bitter drink for migrating companie…

Mob programming challenges the idea of developer teams as a group of individuals with a common goal yet who do most of the work separately. Hence, mob programming emphasizes the importance of collaboration, having faith that software development can benefit from it just as human enterprises have done throughout history. To teach us about the benefi…

Mob and pair programming are meant to ease collaboration and improve communication between team members. Still, other aspects of software development can also gain something from it. This is the case for testing optimization, as well as for preserving an organization’s culture and growing teams. To shed light on these topics, we interviewed Llewell…

In software development, testing is a vital part of ensuring quality products. However, how to test and why isn’t always clear or in the mind of developers, who may see it as beyond the scope of their job. To Gaspar Nagy, the person behind SpecFlow, testing is a matter of collaboration, constant feedback, and handling overconfidence. To discuss the…

Imagine those old days of building for the web, when everything was simple. Now imagine that you could have the user experience we have today mixed with the developer experience of yesteryear, of what felt like years ago. That’s what Remix is, a web framework with laser focus on user experience. In this episode, Darko welcomes Kent C. Dodds, Direct…

If you need to cover a distance of 30 kilometers, you can walk for 6 hours. Or you can learn how to drive a car and get there in 30. That’s what Shai Reznik, Test Effective Coach, learned the hard way. He worked so hard trying to juggle a 9-to-5 job with growing a startup that he got a panic attack. In the end, he decided automated what could be au…

How do people end up in test automation? Is it a skill people can learn at universities or it’s more of a vocation, really? There is no one path that leads to QA. What’s more important is that testing is just a subset of quality assurance. There're so many aspects to think about when people talk about signing anything off from a QA perspective. In …

There's so much more to testing than just writing automated tests that run in CI. Testers on high-performing teams don't just write tests. They work closely with site reliability engineers, ensuring that the infrastructure is tested as well. They get involved in production. But how does one introduce this holistic approach to testing to one's team?…

When your engineering team grows from 10 to 100 engineers in the course of a year, there are so many things that you need to focus on, from operations and developer tooling to testing. Maintaining the health of the application is perhaps the most difficult part of all. Where exactly do you start? We sat down with Justin Searls, the co-founder and C…