Decoded: Recent Episodes
OutSystems
Developers make the world go round. But the world is changing fast. From shifting demographics to higher expectations to new technologies, the only constant for today’s and tomorrow’s developers is change. Decoded is a podcast that brings the voices of developers forward. Join us as we chat with developers about their personal stories, their insight into the world’s leading apps and products, and the trends that are continually shaping the lives and work of the global developer community.
Brittney Ball proves that your past doesn’t define your future. Six years ago, she was a single mom living in a shelter. Now, the self-taught developer is a Documentation Engineer at Meta (formerly Facebook), as well as a keynote speaker and mentor.
In this episode of Decoded, host Sydney Lai learns from Brittney what inspired her to teach herself to code and how her career path took her to Meta. They also discuss what makes up a great documentation team and the importance of an inclusive learning environment in the developer community.
Other talking points include:
- The role of documentation in educating developers and helping them continue on their learning journey
- The differences and similarities between internal and external documentation
- The growing prominence of self-taught developers and how the community can better cater to them
As developers, there’s always something for us to learn. Formal education provides a great foundation, but what we learn from our community of fellow developers is what really helps us grow.
In this episode of Decoded, host Sydney Lai is joined by Ali Diamond, a Developer Advocate at New Relic who has started a unique learning community on her Twitch stream. Ali shares what it's like to learn in public with other developers, what she’s learned from growing her online community, and what it means to be authentic in such a public space.
Other talking points include:
- Why developers are starting to use platforms like Twitch for communal learning
- The benefits of “learning by watching” in the moment versus learning through keynotes, seminars, and other formal learning environments
- Why learning to build in public can be a double-edged sword
It's no secret that software developers have a love-hate relationship with legacy code. On the one hand, it can be frustrating to work with outdated code that doesn't follow modern conventions. On the other hand, it's often gratifying to successfully update and improve a legacy codebase. Regardless of how you feel about legacy code, supporting it is an important part of any developer's job.
In this episode of Decoded, host Sydney Lai is joined by Joe Eames, CEO of Thinkster, an online full-stack development education group that provides a single source of learning for front- and back-end web development. They discuss what developers should keep top-of-mind when working with legacy code and how to properly support that code to provide modern experiences to end-users.
Other talking points include:
- Joe’s history in the software development space and how Thinkster came to be
- The importance of communal learning for creativity and innovation
- Joe’s recollection of how the software development scene has grown over the past 30 years.
- The role of the internet in future OS development for emerging developers.
Every technology user has struggled with notifications — getting too many of them, getting ones we don’t care about, or watching our email inboxes and other communication channels overrun by them. Troy Goode knew this experience all too well, so he started Courier, which makes it simpler to build notification templates and manage channels so that companies can send thoughtful and personalized notifications in whatever ways users want to be reached.
In this episode of Decoded, host Sydney Lai talks with Troy about the considerations and processes around building notifications. Talking points include:
- Troy’s experience as a developer before founding Courier
- The entirely new role notifications play in user experience
- How notification infrastructures have evolved over the past several years
- Best practices for developing notifications that get attention without annoying users
Video integration is quickly becoming an integral part of web design. It's no longer just about embedding a video in your site with YouTube or Vimeo, but about how you can use video to improve the user experience, increase conversion rates, and engage with viewers.
Kwindla Hultman Kramer is a technology developer, engineering lead, and startup company executive. As the CEO of Daily.co, his goal is to help developers build the best possible video experiences, with ease and scalability.
In this episode of Decoded, our host Sydney Lai talks with Kwindla about the challenges and opportunities of video for today’s developers. They also explore the different ways you can make use of video integrations in your software development process.
Other talking points include:
- Why video integration development is so difficult
- How current developer trends limit or influence decisions around video integration
- Implications of developing video within web browsers versus web applications
At the end of the day, what is most important to you, your company, and your customers? Surely it's not just about creating cool stuff. It's about building relationships that lead to long-term success for all parties involved. That is why developer advocacy matters.
In this episode of Decoded, our host Sydney Lai talks with Cassidy Williams — Director of Developer Experience at Netlify and a legend in her own right — about what developer advocacy is and how it has evolved over the past decade. The pair also talk about how to discuss and promote developer advocacy internally at your company.
Other talking points include:
- The story behind Cassidy’s kickstarter project for a copy/paste keyboard
- How to develop products and experiences that resonate
- The process behind building for personal and professional needs
- Creating developer “rituals” to build advocacy
- How developer communities differ across various platforms
Full-stack designer Jesse Showalter is on a mission to help every developer and creative make an impact on the world. With more than 10 years of experience across all aspects of software development, Jesse is now helping a large audience of developers through YouTube, Instagram, and more to build what they dream up.
In this episode of Decoded, our host Sydney Lai chats with Jesse about the tools that put power into the hands of today’s developers. They also discuss Jesse’s journey to becoming a teacher and content creator for his nearly 200,000 subscribers.
Listen to the full episode to learn:
- How Jesse transitioned from back-end to front-end development
- How to evolve your skill sets to stay ahead of changes in the industry
- Fundamental skills that will help developers advance throughout their careers
- Tools that are helping to break down barriers for developers
Check out the video episode here!
Courtland Allen, founder of Indie Hackers, is all about helping developers find financial independence, creative freedom, and the ability to work on their own schedules. It’s easier now than ever for developers to kick off side projects that allow them to generate revenue — whether it's an extra $500 a month or enough income to quit their day jobs.
In this episode of Decoded, host Sydney Lai chats with Courtland about how developers can take a side project from a supporting role to their main act. Other talking points include:
- The story of how Courtland built Indie Hackers, and how it’s adding value as part of Stripe
- Best practices of profitable Indie Hackers
- The importance of incorporating storytelling into the development process
- How to make end-users the superheroes in your projects
Interested in building the future of software development? Save your spot at the OutSystems Developer Conference today! https://outsyste.ms/osdc
Movies and TV shows are filled with magic — from the viewers’ perspective, at least. Getting a production off the ground can be less than magical. It’s surprisingly riddled with manual processes and inefficiency — but not if Chris Dhanaraj has anything to say about it.
As a Senior UI Engineer at Netflix Studios, Chris builds apps that make the complex movie and TV production process simpler and more streamlined. In this episode of Decoded, host Sydney Lai chats with Chris about the evolution of Netflix from a DVD-shipping service into a SaaS platform that millions of people invite into their lives each day. They also discuss the differences between building software for consumer use vs. business use, as well as how creativity can be expressed in a B2B environment.
Listen to the episode to learn:
- How to design a unified style across a suite of applications
- How Chris leverages React, an open-source front-end JavaScript library for building user interfaces or UI components
- Insights from scaling Netflix engineering into the company it is today
- What engineers should be mindful of when building for business users
Interested in building the future of software development? Save your spot at the OutSystems Developer Conference today! https://outsyste.ms/osdc
Almost every website can be built as a progressive web app (PWA), but developers aren’t doing it. Why — or rather, why now? Their reluctance isn’t necessarily due to technical reasons; instead, cultural reasons may explain why adoption hasn’t grown rapidly.
Our guest for this episode, Jeremy Keith, is a long-time contributor to the developer ecosystem and an engineer who builds progressive web apps and resilient web design. He chats with our host Sydney Lai about the present and future of PWAs and how they’ll impact software development.
Other talking points include:
- What it takes to develop PWAs
- The reasons PWAs aren’t used more often
- Considerations developers should keep in mind during their creative process
- How resilient web design will influence the evolution of software development
Interested in building the future of software development? Save your spot at the OutSystems Developer Conference today! https://outsyste.ms/osdc
When you think about getting creative with software development, you might not think of the financial services industry. But, despite being known for a rigid regulatory environment, the industry is brimming with creativity.
In this episode, Tim Mitra, iOS Engineering Manager at a leading global bank, joins host Sydney Lai to explain how the right mix of artistic, engineering, and creative skill can deliver digital banking experiences that exceed users’ expectations. Tim shares how mobile applications are developed at the enterprise level for financial institutions and discusses what the future has in store for financial services software.
Other topics include:
- Tim’s journey into software development, including how art and technology have come together in his career as a developer
- The unique challenges developers in financial services face working in an industry that impacts millions of people daily
- Shifts in the finance industry that impacted software development — from the early days of the tech boom to the evolution of mobile apps
Interested in building the future of software development? Save your spot at the OutSystems Developer Conference today! https://outsyste.ms/osdc
The world of software development is constantly evolving. So, sometimes it’s important to take a step back and reflect on how the industry has changed over the past few years to help us better understand where it’s going.
Jeff Meyerson, host of Software Engineering Daily, started his career as a developer at Amazon and went on to become a tech investor and collaborator — and has grown into a thought leader in the software development space. In this debut episode of Season 3 of Decoded, host Sydney Lai chats with Jeff about how he’s helping developers find their niche and joining him to reflect on the industry’s future as a whole.
Listen to find out:
- How companies can future-proof their development infrastructure to ensure top developer talent is happy to work there
- The importance of an agnostic view to building software, and building with software
- What role AI has in the evolution of software development
- Jeff’s outlook on the future for developer platforms and how they’ll impact the industry
Interested in building the future of software development? Save your spot at the OutSystems Developer Conference today! outsyste.ms/osdc
Money makes the world go ‘round. That’s why there’s recently been a lot of innovation in the fintech space when it comes to building online payments solutions for businesses.
Bernie Torres, software engineer at Stripe, is helping lead the charge toward building a financial infrastructure for the internet. Stripe is now a legend in the fintech world for its developer-first approach to online payments — leading to companies like Facebook and Salesforce adopting the platform.
In this episode of Decoded, our host Sydney Lai sits down with Berni to discuss how Stripe tackles security issues and how they affect the development of Stripe’s fintech solutions. The pair also dive deep into the ongoing complexities of fintech development.
Other topics discussed include:
- The history of Stripe and how it evolved into one of the biggest financial operations companies
- Stripe’s early days as a developer tool designed to help companies integrate online payments into what they were working on
- Some of the unique challenges Berni has seen Stripe tackle, and how the company did it
- How Stripe has evolved to accommodate a plethora of payment options all while navigating government regulations in countries around the globe
Data is the digital currency for most businesses. That’s why database management is a hot topic within the developer community — and why MongoDB wants developers to build with databases in mind.
Nic Raboy, Senior Developer Advocate at MongoDB, is a pioneer in educating developers on how to manage, secure, and streamline the databases behind their applications. In this episode of Decoded, host Sydney Lai chats with Nic about document databases and how they can help simplify processes for developers and power their applications.
Other talking points include:
- The history of MongoDB and why it was created
- How MongoDB evolved from serving primarily game developers to powering apps for all industries
- Data management strategies and document database use cases
- MongoDB Realm and how developers can use it to fuel mobile apps
Most developers use GitHub every day, and many can even attribute their first steps into the development world to the source code management functionality of GitHub. For the team behind the platform, nothing is more exciting than cultivating an open source community that helps make developers into innovators.
That’s why Keerthana “KK” Kumar, director of engineering at GitHub, is able to wake up with a smile on her face everyday to do what she loves — coaching engineering teams to build products that bring out the best work in other developers and, ultimately, make the world better.
In this episode of Decoded, host Sydney Lai sits down with KK to discuss her developer journey, from first using GitHub to eventually working for the company. They also chat about the history of GitHub within the developer community and what it is like to work at such a wonderfully quirky company.
Other discussion topics include:
- How GitHub became so prominent among those studying software development in the late-2000s.
- How development tools are being streamlined to make it easier for people to get up and running on their developer journey.
- How code storage and version management helped set the stage for more collaborative working environments in the developer community.
- How GitHub decides on the projects it works on to meld work cultures across various industries and make software development simpler.
- What KK believes GitHub is really good at.
- How GitHub tackles technical debt and other head-scratchers in the community.
For many people, “blockchain” means cryptocurrency. But there’s so much more to blockchain technology. It is revolutionizing how digital interactions are structured and secured — and developers are driving this change.
In this episode of Decoded, host Sydney Lai speaks with Patrick Collins, developer advocate at Chainlink Labs and founder and CEO of Alpha Chain, to learn what developers are building using blockchain, and how blockchain-based smart contracts will reshape the internet. Patrick also shares his own journey from hedge fund firm to his current role at Chainlink and founder of his own firm.
Other discussion topics include:
- The evolution and future of Web3, and the opportunities it offers developers
- How oracle networks work and their role in securing smart contracts
- The challenges the industry currently faces in terms of blockchain development
When you think of Adobe, you may think of it as a design tool rather than a developer tool. But with offerings like Adobe XD, the company is helping blur the lines between web design and development.
Joining us on this episode of Decoded is Kerri Shotts, Principal Product Manager at Adobe. She is passionate about extending creative tools in new and innovative ways, as well as advocating for a fantastic developer experience.
Host Sydney Lai sits down with Kerri to discuss how Adobe has evolved its product offerings to help developers and designers alike create unique web and mobile experiences. They also chat about how development is built into the fabric of Adobe, and how that affects the intersection of development and design.
One of the most exciting things about development is that we no longer have to build everything from scratch. Developers can now focus more on conducting and orchestrating different APIs between systems to create something truly unique.
Arlemi Turpault sees this firsthand at Postman, a developer tool that allows devs to build, integrate and test APIs. As a developer advocate, Arlemi strives to empower developers and make it easier to collaborate and build amazing things.
In this episode of Decoded, host Sydney Lai sits down with Arlemi to discuss why tools like Postman are so exciting for developers. They also chat about democratizing the ability to build software integrations.
Corey Weathers, Developer Evangelist at Twilio, has made it his mission to empower people to communicate in ways that work best for them. Twilio, in particular, has led the charge in revolutionizing the tools developers use each day to make these meaningful connections and do it at scale.
In this episode of Decoded, host Sydney Lai sits down with Corey to discuss how he started his career in software development and how he found himself at Twilio. They also explore the evolution of communication apps and how developers’ relationships with the platforms they use have changed.
The rise of voice-controlled devices has been exciting not just for consumers, but also for developers. Few people understand the intricacies of building voice-powered applications like Jessica Earley-Cha, developer relations engineer on the Google Assistant team. In this episode of Decoded, host Sydney Lai is joined by guest co-host Antonio Alegria, head of AI at OutSystems, to chat with Jessica about her developer journey and how she landed in her role at Google, the history of voice and AI, and how these technologies are shaping the future of software development.
In the second episode of Season 2, Nicki Stone takes us behind the scenes at Amplify and shares how it works with the entire AWS ecosystem.
Justin Hardin, Senior Software Engineer at Slack, has seen firsthand how Slack has evolved from a platform designed for gamers into a digital workspace solution helping companies communicate and work together — especially in an increasingly remote environment.
In this episode, Decoded host Sydney Lai chats with Justin about how Slack started and some of the technical challenges faced when developing the platform. The pair also discuss the future of work — and how tools like Slack are helping develop the remote workspaces businesses need to succeed.
Almost 20% of the U.S. population is Latinx. So, how do we provide opportunities for diversity in the programming world, particularly for the Latinx community? David Silva, Co-Founder of the nonprofit Techqueria, has worked tirelessly to help members of the Latinx community uncover their potential in the programming world.
During this episode, Decoded host Sydney Lai chats with David about what drives developers to build, as well as the skills and opportunities that exist in diverse communities of developers. They also talk about David’s work as a community leader and how this work impacts tech companies and their hiring of Latinx developers.
Other discussion topics include:* David’s experience getting started in software development
* What inspires David to continue driving the Latinx movement in the tech industry
* How David has seen the tech industry disrupt the Latinx community
* How aspiring developers in the Latinx community can position themselves to succeed
RELATED LINKS* Check out David’s organization, Techqueria. * Follow David on Twitter and LinkedIn. * Learn more about OutSystems.
Apply for the OutSystems App-Development School -- 2 weeks of remote training in OutSystems with a certification exam and introductions to employers who are actively hiring within your region!
Rejoining the workforce can be tough, but rejoining the workforce as a developer can be even tougher. For Dave Fontenot, General Partner at Backend Capital and Founder of the developer networking website HackMatch, he has lived the life of a developer, a monk, and a Hackathon whiz. He also started his own VC fund based on the thesis of investing in great developers. Dave has experienced rejoining the workforce first-hand, and even created tools and communities to make that change simpler.
Dave sat down with Decoded host Sydney Lai to chat about how to find your way back into the industry after a hiatus. The pair also shared tips and ideas that developers may need to thrive after rejoining the workforce.
Other discussion topics include:* Dave’s experience getting into programming.
* Making the decision to take a sabbatical.
* Avoiding programming burnout.
* How jobs in other industries impact your programming, and vice versa.
RELATED LINKS* Learn more about Dave’s VC fund Backend Capital. * Follow Dave on Twitter and LinkedIn. * Check out Dave’s companies HackMatch and MHacks. * Learn more about OutSystems.
Apply for the OutSystems App-Development School — 2 weeks of remote training in OutSystems with a certification exam and introductions to employers who are actively hiring within your region!
It’s funny to think about what has — and hasn’t — changed for fledgling developer careers over the past several decades. Both Katie Mallinson, Full Stack Developer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and Royce Willmschen, Senior Manager of Software Engineering at HPE, have unique upbringings in the development space. Royce began his development career in the early 1980s and has since become a senior manager at one of the most notable IT companies in the world, while Katie’s development repertoire is beginning to flourish as her career continues to grow.
Decoded host Sydney Lai sat down with Katie and Royce to discuss their career journeys and how to successfully transition from student to junior developer. Royce and Katie also discuss the importance of mentorships and how that can help shape the course of your career as a developer.
Other discussion topics include:* What got both Katie and Royce interested in software development;
* What the hiring process looked like for them at the beginning of their careers;
* Aspects of the developer world that Katie wasn’t aware prior to getting her first gig; and
* How junior developers can continue to climb up the professional ladder by understanding how top-tier companies recruit, retain, and mentor their employees.
RELATED LINKS* Check out everything going on at HPE. * Follow Katie on LinkedIn. * Follow Royce on Twitter and LinkedIn. * Learn more about OutSystems.
Apply for the OutSystems App-Development School — 2 weeks of remote training in OutSystems with a certification exam and introductions to employers who are actively hiring within your region!
The journey of a developer can lead to a variety of paths, and oftentimes the lessons and skills learned can be priceless for scrappy entrepreneurs looking to develop their own offering to better the world.
A notable example can be found in the highly successful career of Philip Thomas, VP of Product and Engineering at Zyper. Initially beginning as a meetup organizer for the developer community, Philip’s career grew to founding the developer community platform Moonlight, which was recently acquired by PullRequest. He is now a VP for one of the biggest brand community software companies in the world.Philip sits down with Decoded host Sydney Lai to share the story of his career as a developer and how it positioned him for success as a founder and entrepreneur. Other discussion topics include:
* How Philip's path toward a career as a doctor led to him find his true passion in development;
* How his developer journey brought him into the role of a founder/entrepreneur in the $4 billion influencer economy;
* Building awesome products in the developer community and how that art is keeping people connected;
* Ways to ensure you’re having fun with what you develop for work; and
* How to grow as a developer and what a transition to C-level leadership looks like.
RELATED LINKS* Check out Philip’s company, Zyper. * Get weekly content from Philip on building online businesses. * Learn more about the developer community Moonlight. * Follow Philip on Twitter and LinkedIn. * Learn more about OutSystems. * Reach out to Sydney Lai on Twitter, guest recommendations welcomed!
Apply for the OutSystems App-Development School — 2 weeks of remote training in OutSystems with a certification exam and introductions to employers who are actively hiring within your region!
In a male-dominated industry, how can the community come together to help close the gender gap? Joey Rosenberg, Chief Leadership Officer for the international nonprofit Women Who Code, has experienced everything the industry has to offer — from getting her hands dirty in the startup world to working for Fortune 50 companies and supporting organizations like Girl Scouts of America. Therefore, it's a wonderful opportunity to chat with Joey about how to inspire women to excel in technology and development careers.
Joey sits down with Decoded host Sydney Lai to discuss how women can find their true selves within the industry. Other topics covered in the discussion include:* Joey’s unexpected journey into the tech world;
* The history of Women Who Code and where it stands in the industry;
* The hurdles women have to overcome in the tech world;
* How diversity fuels innovation; and
* What works well when building diverse teams that will succeed.
RELATED LINKS* Learn more about OutSystems. * Check out Women Who Code. * Follow Joey on Twitter and LinkedIn. * Get in touch with the OutSystems community.
Apply for the OutSystems App-Development School — 2 weeks of remote training in OutSystems with a certification exam and introductions to employers who are actively hiring within your region!
What does it mean for developers to age in an industry that grows and evolves so quickly?