Mike Challis

Episode 33: How Does Modern AI Work?

November 29th, 2023  |  53 mins 34 secs

Episode 31: Should I Be A Team Lead?

November 1st, 2023  |  39 mins 30 secs

The panelists discuss the role of a team lead in a software development context. Mike shares a personal story about a family hike and draws parallels between being a team lead and guiding a group of hikers. The discussion revolves around the challenges and benefits of being a team lead, considering factors such as size, experience levels, and the balance between technical contributions and leadership responsibilities.

Afton, Matt, and Eddy share their perspectives on the role of a team lead, emphasizing that it can vary greatly depending on the team's dynamics and the individual's career goals. They discuss how being a team lead can provide opportunities for mentorship, architecture design, and a broader understanding of project management.

Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of considering one's career goals and the specific circumstances of the team when deciding whether to take on a team lead role and how it can enhance one's skill set and career trajectory.

Episode 30: Why is RSpec So Hard? (Part II)

October 25th, 2023  |  47 mins 6 secs

Episode 29: Why Is RSpec So Hard? (Part I)

October 11th, 2023  |  46 mins 20 secs

Episode 27: How Do You Keep Learning When There Are Endless Things to Do?

September 13th, 2023  |  35 mins 59 secs

Episode 24: What Project Did You Work on that Really Propelled Your Abilities to the Next Level?

August 2nd, 2023  |  38 mins 12 secs

Episode 23: Javascript vs Server-Side Rendering

July 19th, 2023  |  40 mins 42 secs

The conversation explores the complexities of modern web development, focusing on the evolution of front-end and back-end technologies. The group talks about the rise of front-end development, highlighting tools like Node and full-stack frameworks like Next.js, and covers the shift from traditional back-end frameworks like Rails to more versatile front-end-centric options like React.

Additionally, they emphasize the importance of understanding multiple languages, standardizing data-centric formats, and separating concerns. They also discuss the merits and challenges of different JavaScript frameworks, the role of Rails in quick prototyping, and Ruby's elegance as a language.

Episode 22: What Challenges Have You Faced on the Journey to Development Success?

July 5th, 2023  |  44 mins 21 secs

Episode 21: Frustration Management

June 21st, 2023  |  39 mins 32 secs

Episode 19: Why or Why Not Use Ruby?

June 7th, 2023  |  38 mins 8 secs

Episode 18: What Inspired You to Want to Become a Developer?

May 24th, 2023  |  38 mins 51 secs

Episode 16: How Do You Break Up a Product Request Into Work?

April 26th, 2023  |  44 mins 17 secs

Episode 15: What Do You Study to Continue Learning?

April 12th, 2023  |  36 mins 1 sec

Episode 14: Teaching Kids to Code

March 29th, 2023  |  39 mins 15 secs

We talk about a fun topic–teaching kids to code!

Episode 13: Skills Clinics

March 15th, 2023  |  40 mins 40 secs

We talk about something specific here at Acima with the hope that other companies will replicate our skills clinics because it's been an extremely valuable thing that we've done.

Episode 12: How Can Remote Developers Fit Into a Team?

March 1st, 2023  |  52 mins 54 secs

Have you been through a global pandemic recently? This episode is for you. Today we're going to talk about fitting remote developers into a team.