Episodes

  • 10 challenging coding projects to do in a weekend
    Nov 7 2023

    Build momentum with these small projects that you can finish in an afternoon. Start, implement, and finish. Working through projects quickly will dramatically improve your self-esteem and skills.

    00:00 Why quick wins are so important
    00:35 Not for beginners
    01:14 Connect Four
    02:07 Build an API for public information
    02:50 Deploy a dice roll Lambda
    04:03 Create a simple mobile app
    04:57 Real-time transit data feed
    05:45 Build a live chat with websockets
    06:40 Pull your financial data using Plaid
    07:42 JSON load/dump in a low-level language
    08:43 Visualize & analyze large data sets
    09:36 Manipulate audio files
    10:31 Do these projects quickly

    I write an email every day for 2k software developers. Get on the daily list: https://bennettgarner.ck.page/youtube

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    12 mins
  • How I'd start a software consulting business from scratch
    Jul 24 2023

    This week on the podcast, I share my experience and insights on starting a consulting business.


    Covered in this episode:

    • How to find your niche
    • Horizontal vs vertical specializations
    • Product, service, or productized service
    • How to acquire your first clients
    • Scoping projects
    • Pricing services based on value

    Starting a consulting business is really hard! It won’t solve all your problems to work for yourself — in fact you’ll probably have more problems.

    But it can also be really cool, if you can build a business that works for you.

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    10 mins
  • The code works. Is refactoring worth it?
    Jul 10 2023

    I discuss the dilemma of whether or not to refactor code that may not have the best design.


    There are always trade-offs involved in leaving messy code versus investing time in making it better designed. It’s not straightforward whether you should undertake a refactor.


    Understanding the scope of the refactor is also critical. Your changes can have a big impact on future developers and the overall system. In the video, I provide a set of questions to ask oneself before undertaking a refactor and emphasize the need for collaboration with the team.


    Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that refactors drive value and benefit both developers and end users.

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    8 mins
  • You're commenting your code too much!
    Jun 1 2023

    Over-commented code is often more difficult to understand than code without comments. If you can avoid writing a comment then don’t. Let your code stand on its own!

    Article: https://levelup.gitconnected.com/youre-commenting-your-code-too-much-and-other-controversial-thoughts-on-documentation-1ee617ed46af
    Daily email: https://bennettgarner.ck.page

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    6 mins
  • You're not a junior developer. Stop calling yourself that!
    Apr 28 2023

    When you assume the junior title, you undercut your career & growth. You probably have what it takes - right now - to work as a full software engineer.

    Site: www.developerpupose.com
    Daily email to 2k developers: https://bennettgarner.ck.page

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    6 mins
  • One daily habit that changed my developer career
    Jan 20 2023
    Consistently working on something every single day produces more results than massive effort that you allow to fizzle.
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    10 mins
  • How to respond when (not if) you break production
    Dec 20 2022

    It happens to all of us.

    The code you released creates an issue in production. The site is down (or part of it is broken), and you’re responsible.

    But you’re not to blame!

    While you should take 100% responsibility for fixing the issue and getting the site back up as soon as possible, don’t feel guilty about creating the issue in the first place.

    Everybody makes mistakes. This is an opportunity to learn!


    --
    Get daily email updates from me: https://bennettgarner.ck.page/

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    10 mins
  • Technical interviews are insulting to developers
    Dec 6 2022

    Veteran developers go through an insulting interview process. The interviews usually happen one of two ways:

    They ask for ridiculously time-intensive take home assignments
    Whiteboard interviews that are useless for the candidate and interviewer

    Let’s talk about the problems and why I recommend you turn down insulting opportunities.

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    11 mins