Ladybug Podcast

The Hard Parts Of Engineering Management

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0000

Engineering management can look glamorous from the outside — but behind the scenes, it’s often a mix of tough calls, emotional juggling, and constant context switching. In this episode, we’re diving into the hard parts of being an engineering manager — from staying technical and handling conflict, to managing up, balancing expectations, and keeping your own sanity along the way.

06:04: Feeling productive 09:25: Staying technical 10:21: Handling conflicts 18:47: Balancing stakeholder expectations 21:30: Career growth 25:59: Isolation and pressure

Becoming An Engineering Manager Without A Technical Background

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we explore how to become an effective engineering manager—even without a technical background. We’ll unpack what the role truly entails, how to leverage your strengths in communication, strategy, and people management, and ways to bridge technical gaps with curiosity and trust. Whether you’re transitioning from another field or stepping into your first EM role, this episode will help you lead confidently and earn the respect of your engineering team.

06:52: Why technical expertise is helpful but not essential 11:18: What is the role of an EM? 13:50: Non-technical strengths 17:19: Bridging the technical gap 21:21: Earning respect from engineers 25:02: Learning / Growth strategies 28:48: Impostor syndrome

Performance Management As An Engineering Manager

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we’ll dig into how managers can balance output, impact, and quality, set meaningful goals, and coach engineers toward growth — not just manage them. We’ll also tackle how to handle underperformance, keep top talent motivated, and build teams that stay engaged without burning out.

02:04 - Why do we measure engineering performance? 03:40 - How to measure engineering performance 11:08 - SMART goals 18:39 - Handling underperformers 27:00 - Motivating and retaining high performers

Interviewing And Hiring Engineers

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Hiring great engineers is one of the most important—and difficult—parts of an engineering manager’s job. In this episode, we break down the full hiring journey: from writing effective job descriptions and structuring interviews to evaluating candidates and making the final call. We’ll also touch on building inclusive processes, avoiding common hiring pitfalls, and how to spot not just skill, but potential. Whether you're scaling a team or making your first hire, this episode is your playbook for hiring with intention.

02:04 Recruiting
08:13 Interview process
16:48 Team dynamics and collaboration
32:14 Cultural and values alignment

Managing A Remote Team Of Engineers

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Remote work is here to stay—but managing a distributed engineering team comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities. In this episode, we dive into what it takes to lead remote engineers effectively. From building trust and maintaining team cohesion to running productive async meetings and handling time zone differences, we cover the key habits and tools that make remote engineering teams thrive. Whether you're leading your first remote team or refining your remote leadership style, this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply right away.

02:56 Setting yourself up for success
03:20 Communication
08:46 Building trust
30:30 Collaboration and innovation

Working With Product Managers and Stakeholders

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Episode Notes

Engineering managers sit at the intersection of tech, product, and people—which means collaboration is key. In this episode, we explore how to build strong working relationships with product managers and stakeholders. From setting clear expectations and communicating progress to managing competing priorities and navigating tough conversations, we’ll share strategies to align teams and drive outcomes. Whether you're in a startup or a large org, this episode will help you lead more effectively across functions.

03:45 Product managers
10:58 Designers
18:57 Other stakeholders
22:40 How to build strong relationships

Project Management As An Engineering Manager

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Episode Notes

As an engineering manager, project management isn’t just a skill—it’s part of the job. In this episode, we unpack what effective project management looks like from the EM seat. From setting realistic timelines and tracking progress to balancing technical depth with stakeholder expectations, we explore how to keep projects on track without becoming a bottleneck. Whether you're new to the role or looking to sharpen your execution game, this episode offers practical advice to help you lead projects with confidence and clarity.

02:08 Fundamentals of project management
05:28 The project lifecycle
06:24 Planning and estimation
17:01 Measuring progress
23:09 Handling scope creep
31:13 Communication and stakeholder management

Your First 90 Days As An Engineering Manager

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Episode Notes

The first 90 days in any new role are crucial—but as a new engineering manager, they can make or break your trajectory. In this episode, we dive into how to approach your first three months with intention and clarity. From building trust with your team to understanding your new responsibilities, setting expectations, and avoiding common pitfalls, we lay out a roadmap to help you start strong. Whether you're stepping into management for the first time or looking to reset in a new role, this episode is your essential onboarding guide.

01:22 Our first 90 days as EMs
13:58 Building a new team vs. taking over an existing team
20:34 Observing to learn
25:07 Understanding the business and tech strategies
26:02 Building influence
31:09 Common pitfalls

The Transition From Engineer To Engineering Manager

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Episode Notes

Stepping into management for the first time can be both exciting and overwhelming. In this episode, we explore the critical shift from individual contributor to engineering manager—what changes, what stays the same, and what new challenges emerge. We’ll discuss common misconceptions, the mindset shift required, and practical tips for navigating your first few months in the role. Whether you're considering the move or already in the thick of it, this episode offers guidance to help you lead with confidence and clarity.

03:30 Responsibilities of an IC vs. EM
09:05 Shifting to delegation
15:04 Conflict resolution
26:31 Team development vs. individual performance
37:31 Communication

Find out more at https://ladybug-podcast.pinecast.co

A Brief Introduction To Engineering Management

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Episode Notes

02:52 What is engineering management?
05:27 Why are we qualified to discuss this?
12:20 What are EMs responsible for?
14:38 The difference between an EM and Tech Lead
24:15 Key skills of an EM
32:37 Challenges with engineering management

Resources

Crucial Conversations
The Making of a Manager

A Day in the Life of a Software Engineer

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0000

What is a typical day in the life like for a software engineer? To close out Season 6, we thought it’d be a great idea to give you some insight into our workdays, as we all have very different roles and are in different stages of our careers.

Show Notes

[02:54] Morning routines
[16:09] Beginning of the workday
[28:15] The rest of the workday
[49:03] Evenings and weekends
[53:57] Top 3 tools for productivity

Resources

Transcript

Here is this week's transcript

What is an API and How do You Use One?

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0000

APIs are part of our daily roles as software developers, but what are they? What different types are there? And how can you design a good one?

Show Notes

[01:53] What is an API?
[03:37] Types of APIS
[15:02] GraphQL
[19:49] REST
[28:25] API Design
[44:35] Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

Here is this week's transcript.

All About Agile

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0000

The definition of Agile is the ability to create and respond to change. Ultimately dealing with and succeeding in an uncertain or turbulent environment. I think we can all say with confidence that in the world of software development, being agile and agreeable to change helps you learn faster, connect with others better, and makes coding more fun.

Today we are talking about the agile framework of software developers, its significance in the workplace and the familiar steps an agile process takes to go from a project’s concept, to the physical minimum viable product.

Show Notes

[03:00] What is Agile?
[04:43] Agile Software Development
[15:44] Agile Manifesto For Agile Software Development
[16:00] 4 values
[19:33] 12 Principles
[34:07] Benefits
[35:45] Drawbacks
[38:34] What is Scrum?
[44:05] Careers in scrum
[53:56] Shout-Outs

Resources

Transcript

Here is this episode's transcript.

Getting Started with Java

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0000

Java is a high-level, class-based, object-oriented programming language. It’s a general-purpose programming language designed to let app developers: write once, run anywhere. Today we’re diving into the world of Java.

Show Notes

[01:30] Our experiences working with Java
[04:34] History of Java
[07:45] Five goals of Java
[13:06] Object oriented
[14:00] Threaded language
[15:35] Interpreted language
[17:39] Terminology
[22:04] Basic Syntax
[23:33] Inheritance
[26:51] Interfaces
[28:00] Classes
[29:56] Modifiers
[31:30] Constructors
[33:11] Enums
[34:39] Basic Data Types
[35:56] Overriding
[42:51] Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

Here is this episode's transcript.

How to Start a Company

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 07:00:00 -0000

Whether you’re looking to start your own side business or create a lifelong career, the process of starting a new business can be overwhelming. This week on the podcast we’re discussing how to start your own business. We’ll dig deep into setting you up for success from the beginning and then answer the most common questions I receive about building and scaling your business.

Show Notes

[02:00] What is our experience with running a business?
[05:47] Business plan
[13:58] Who are your customers?
[18:03] Market opportunities
[35:50] Boostrapping vs. raising capital
[39:41] Do you need to incorporate?
[40:54] Banking and Taxes
[51:52] Health insurance (USA)
[53:30] Understanding the bookkeeping process
[55:32] Shownotes

Resources

Transcript

Here is this episode's transcript

Diving Deep on Databases

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0000

If you have data for your application, you’ve probably used a database to store it. There are so many types of databases, NoSQL, SQL, graph, etc. Let's learn about their benefits and how to use them!

Shownotes

[02:08] What types of databases have we used?
[03:43] SQL vs. NoSQL
[15:52] How to model data
[19:20] ORM, SDK, Queries
[24:02] Horizontal vs. Vertical Scaling
[27:21] How to choose
[30:22] indexes
[37:16] Sharding
[46:44] Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

Here is this week's transcript

How to Create Great Documentation

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0000

It’s easy to overlook documentation when building an application, but documentation can make or break a consumer’s experience. Today we’re diving into the world of documentation to discuss what it takes to write good documentation, the ethics of documentation, and some popular tools you can use to get started.

Show Notes

[01:58] Why does a company or app need good documentation?
[04:09] Who do we write documentation for?
[06:01] What makes good documentation?
[11:05] Ethics of documentation
[32:47] The structure of your documentation
[34:35] What types of documentation should I write?
[40:22] Documentation tools
[44:51] Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

Here is this week's transcript.

Getting Started with TypeScript

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0000

TypeScript is an open-source programming language built on JavaScript that provides static type definitions. It has taken the front-end development community by storm over the past few years and today we’re going to give you a beginner-level rundown on the language.

Show Notes

[02:07] What is TypeScript?
[06:46] What is our experience working with TypeScript?
[08:35] Is TypeScript a replacement for JavaScript?
[11:11] Advantages of TypeScript
[13:09] Core Types
[15:19] TypeScript Types
[28:34] Union Types
[30:29] Literal types
[32:30] Aliases
[35:40] Function Return Types
[38:41] Unknown Type
[39:23] Resources for learning TS
[40:21] Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

This week's Transcript

How to Create a Study Plan

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0000

What is it about sitting down building a good study plan that... kinda sucks? Is it the planning? The execution? The Time commitment? Are we committing to learn too much? Regardless of this answer, today we’re sitting down to talk about how to better prepare to learn, how to execute a study plan to meet your goals, build better habits to help you learn and some of our own experiences learning how to learn.

Show Notes

[05:22] What is a study plan?
[14:25] How Do You execute it?
[29:05] Learning how to learn
[42:48] Make a todo list
[47:32] Start with something small
[53:06] At least touch it once a day
[1:02:03] Analyzing Your habits
[1:03:40] Showing or sharing your progress & results
[1:05:39] What If You get Stuck?
[1:09:16] Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

Here is this episode's transcript

How to Choose a Tech Stack

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -0000

Welcome back to the 6th season of the Ladybug Podcast!! In this episode, we’ll be chatting about choosing a tech stack for your project is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as an engineer. It will determine many aspects of your app, from development speed, to scalability, to the cost to run it. We’ll talk about how to choose technologies from two angles: one from an individual developer’s perspective: how do you decide what to learn? And the second from an architectural perspective: how do you decide what technologies to use for your project?

Show Notes

[02:53] What is a tech stack?
[06:01] What are some main points to think about when choosing what to learn?
[13:11] Look at job posts in your area
[19:49] How to deal with overwhelm
[25:28] Think Through your app
[31:01] Your engineering resources
[39:51] Is the technology production ready?
[52:18] Technical concerns
[1:00:09] Other important thoughts
[1:08:52] Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

This episode's Transcript

So You've got a Job Offer, Now What?

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0000

You studied a bunch, landed the interview, passed the whiteboarding exercises, nailed the behavioral interview, and finally got the job. Congratulations on your new position! So now what? Today we’re sharing some of our experiences to help your job transition happen smoothly. Let’s get into it.

Show Notes

[01:54] Salary Negotiation
[11:43] What to do in the first two weeks
[50:42] Shoutouts

Resources

Grammarly - https://www.grammarly.com/
5 Reasons Why Spotify’s onboarding is better than yours - https://compiled.blog/blog/five-reasons-why-spotifys-onboarding-is-better-than-yours
Cross-cultural Communication - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/cross-cultural-communication?rq=culture
Crucial Conversations - https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Conversations-Talking-Stakes-Second/dp/1469266822
Gusto - https://gusto.com/

Transcript

https://github.com/ladybug-podcast/ladybug-website/blob/master/transcripts/70-so-you-got-a-job.md

Getting Hooked on React Part 2

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0000

React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces and is one of the most widely used libraries to date. Last season we discussed the basics of React and today we’re going to dive into the more advanced aspects of the library. Let’s get started.

Episode Notes

[04:16] React Hooks
[22:28] State Management
[26:43] Design Patterns
[40:39] Performance
[49:33] Testing
[51:15] Prop types and TypeScript
[55:21] Shoutouts

Resources

Getting Hooked On React - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/getting-hooked-on-react?rq=react
React patterns - https://reactpatterns.com/
React Chrome Developer Tools - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/react-developer-tools/fmkadmapgofadopljbjfkapdkoienihi
react-window - https://react-window.now.sh/#/examples/list/fixed-size
react-virtualized - https://bvaughn.github.io/react-virtualized/#/components/List
Methods of Improving & Optimizing Performance In React Apps - https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2020/07/methods-performance-react-apps/
React Testing Library - https://testing-library.com/docs/react-testing-library/intro/
Enzyme - https://enzymejs.github.io/enzyme/
Jest - https://jestjs.io/docs/en/getting-started
A Complete Guide to useEffect - https://overreacted.io/a-complete-guide-to-useeffect/
Use Refs Sparingly - https://blog.logrocket.com/why-you-should-use-refs-sparingly-in-production/
Presentational and Stateful components thoughts - https://medium.com/@dan_abramov/smart-and-dumb-components-7ca2f9a7c7d0
Episode with Angie - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/teaching-code
Kent C. Dodd’s Testing React - https://testingjavascript.com/
TypeScript book Stefan Baumgartner - https://typescript-book.com/
Playground Inspector Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@lukedonkin/video/6898240190133980418?lang=en

Transcript

https://github.com/ladybug-podcast/ladybug-website/blob/master/transcripts/69-intermediate-react.md

An Introduction to E-Commerce

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -0000

2020 was one of the biggest years in the history of e-commerce. In fact, the pandemic spurred such a growth in e-commerce that the industry as a whole moved forward about 10 years in 3 months’ time. Whether you’re interested in starting your own store or learning how to develop for e-commerce, this week on the podcast we’re breaking it all down for you.

Episode Notes

[02:40] Platforms
[07:22] Why e-commerce over brick & mortar
[11:08] Starting your own store
[41:16] Developing for e-commerce
[49:03] Shoutouts

Resources

The Originals - https://www.amazon.com/Originals-How-Non-Conformists-Move-World/dp/014312885X
The Power of Habit - https://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/081298160X
Printful - https://www.printful.com/
Printify - https://printify.com/
TeeLaunch - https://teelaunch.com/
Creative Market - https://creativemarket.com/
Steve Schoger's Episode - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/design-for-devs?rq=design
Placeit.net - https://placeit.net/
Jenna Kutcher Writing a Bio - https://jennakutcherblog.com/5-ways-write-better-bio-page/
Accessibility Episode - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/web-accessibilitiy?rq=accessibility
Growth Hacker Marketing - https://www.amazon.com/Growth-Hacker-Marketing-Primer-Advertising/dp/1591847389
Such a Fun Age - https://www.amazon.com/Such-Fun-Age-Kiley-Reid/dp/052554190X
Think Again - https://www.amazon.com/Think-Again-Power-Knowing-What/dp/1984878107
Jamstack Ecommerce - https://github.com/jamstack-cms/jamstack-ecommerce
Next.js Ecommerce Starter - https://nextjs.org/commerce
Shopify.dev - https://shopify.dev/concepts/shopify-introduction
Shopify Devs Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/shopifydevs
Shopify Partners - https://www.shopify.com/partners

Transcript

https://github.com/ladybug-podcast/ladybug-website/blob/master/transcripts/68-ecommerce.md

Cryptography

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 08:00:00 -0000

Cryptography is a method of protecting information and communication through the use of code so only those for whom the information is intended can read and process it. Cryptography is used for many things from online banking to GitHub commits. Today we’ll dive into the basics of cryptography. Let’s get started!

Show Notes

[0:25] Our experience with cryptography
[03:08] What is cryptography?
[04:21] Four objectives of cryptography
[09:44] Types of cryptography
[23:34] Historical Cryptography
[30:54] How to learn cryptography
[32:34] Shoutouts

We got this note about RSA private/public keys from a listener:

"The point of having public and private keys is that the public key can only encrypt a message, and only the private key can decrypt the message. So the public key is safe for anyone to have, since you can’t use it to read anyone else’s message. The private key needs to stay private so only you can read messages encrypted by the public key"

Thanks for the clarification, Brad!

Resources

Coursera course - https://www.coursera.org/learn/crypto#syllabus
Crash course - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhXCTbFnK8o
Khan academy - https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-science/cryptography
Passport JS - http://www.passportjs.org/
OAuth - https://oauth.net/2/
Episode with Tailor Tolliver on security - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/web-security?rq=security
The Code Book by Simon Singh - https://www.amazon.com/Code-Book-Science-Secrecy-Cryptography/dp/0385495323
Carcassonne - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/822/carcassonne
Auth0 - https://auth0.com/
Amazon Cognito - https://aws.amazon.com/cognito/

Transcript

https://github.com/ladybug-podcast/ladybug-website/blob/master/transcripts/67-cryptography.md

Financial Planning

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 08:00:00 -0000

It’s no secret that a major perk to working in development is the salary. Developers are often paid higher than the average salary, and as you move up in a company, you can see significant growth in your income. We all know financial literacy is often skipped in early education, which is why this week we’re talking all things financial planning with our special guest, Shannon Lee Simmons, to teach you what you need to know about managing your finances as a high earner.

Show Notes

[0:41] Tell us about yourself and what you do
[02:00] Where to find a financial advisor?
[03:48] What does it mean to be a high earner?
[06:47] One of the biggest questions I see asked is whether you should save your money or pay off your debt first. How do you decide what to do with your money?
[10:57] What benchmarks exist for net worth? Should we care? Where should you keep your money? How much should be kept in cash vs. investments?
[19:14] How should you balance your lifestyle with wealth building? How do you recommend avoiding lifestyle creep but on the flip side, how do you make sure you’re allowing yourself to enjoy your money while also saving for the future?
[23:09] We have an international audience so without getting too specific about different types of retirement accounts, what general advice can you give to those looking to save for retirement? When is the right time to see a financial advisor
[28:27] What are your thoughts of the FIRE movement?
[32:28] What are options and restricted stock units/RSUs? When should I consider taking equity for a lower salary?
[36:04] Do you have any thoughts/ advice to any of these Wall Street Bets people investing in GME stocks? What tools do you recommend to people to help manage their finances?
[41:42] Shoutouts
[44:29] Where can our listeners find you on the internet?

Resources

New School of Finance - https://newschooloffinance.com
Worry-Free Money - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07169VZRM
Financial Starter Kit - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B2LQ98X

Transcript

https://github.com/ladybug-podcast/ladybug-website/blob/master/transcripts/66-personal-finance.md

Getting Started With The Cloud

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 08:00:00 -0000

Episode Notes

You may have heard about the Cloud and thought, what do the fluffy things in the sky have to do with computers? Today’s episode is all about what the cloud is, how you can use it, and common cloud services.

Show Notes

2:29 - What is the cloud?
14:09 - Benefits of cloud vs. physical servers
23:06 - Four types of cloud computing
28:42 - Cloud providers
32:39 - Gettings started with AWS
36:33 - Big services

Resources

AWS Six Advantages of Cloud Computing - https://docs.aws.amazon.com/whitepapers/latest/aws-overview/six-advantages-of-cloud-computing.html (some phrasing from the benefits section is from this article)
Pummelling the Platform–Performance Testing Shopify:
https://shopify.engineering/performance-testing-shopify Explain the Cloud Like I'm 10: https://www.amazon.com/Explain-Cloud-Like-Im-10-ebook/dp/B0765C4SNR
97 Things Every Cloud Engineer Should Know - https://www.amazon.com/Things-Every-Cloud-Engineer-Should/dp/1492076732
A Cloud Guru - https://acloudguru.com/
AWS Heroes - https://aws.amazon.com/developer/community/heroes/

Transcript

https://github.com/ladybug-podcast/ladybug-website/blob/master/transcripts/65-cloud-101.md

Writing Ebooks

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 08:00:00 -0000

Last season we discussed the broader topic of creating digital content. This week on the podcast we’re doing a deeper dive into e-books: our experience with writing and releasing them, the tools you need to write your own ebook, and best practices for marketing and selling your book.

Episode Notes

[1:33] Our experience with E-books
[6:05] Self-published vs. Publisher
[11:20] Software for creating an E-book
[15:49] Where can I sell my E-book?
[25:01] Pricing
[34:51] Top tips
[43:00] Shoutouts

Resources

Canva - https://www.canva.com/
Bookwright - https://www.blurb.com/bookwright
Leanpub - https://leanpub.com/
Shopify - https://www.shopify.com/
Payhip - https://payhip.com/
Podia - https://www.podia.com/
How I Made $40,000 Off An E-Book Before I Published It - https://compiled.blog/blog/how-i-made-40000-dollars-on-a-book
10 Things I Wish I knew before learning to code - ebook.welearncode.com
The Beginner’s Guide To Blogging - https://payhip.com/b/FX8C
Start Freelancing Today - https://startfreelancing.today/
De-Coding The Technical Interview Process - https://technicalinterviews.dev/
Adobe Indesign - https://www.adobe.com/products/indesign.html
Otter.ai - https://otter.ai/
Send Owl - https://www.sendowl.com/
Nikema's Book - https://nikemaprophet.com/
Mailchimp - https://mailchimp.com/
ConvertKit - https://convertkit.com/
Stripe - https://stripe.com/
Sendy - https://sendy.co/

Transcript

https://github.com/ladybug-podcast/ladybug-website/blob/master/transcripts/64-ebooks.md

Get to Know Your Co-workers: Non-Developer Tech Roles

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 08:00:00 -0000

There are a bunch of people you’ll work with as a software engineer -- many will be other developers, but many have other jobs as well. In this episode we’ll talk about the other people you may work with: the designers, project managers, marketers, and more and how to best work with them. Let’s dive in.

Show Notes

[3:29] Product Management
[7:37] Design
[11:34] UX Research
[13:53] Management
[18:57] Marketing
[20:50] Sales
[22:06] Business Development
[22:53] Technical Writing
[25:28] Account Management
[29:16] QA Engineer
[32:22] Scrum Master
[34:35] DevRel

Resources

Growth Hacker Marketing - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18454317-growth-hacker-marketing
Project managers vs. product managers - https://www.paymoapp.com/blog/product-manager-vs-project-manager/
Google Optimize - https://optimize.google.com
LB Episode With Amal - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/engineering-management?rq=engineering%20management
The Manager’s Path - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33369254-the-manager-s-path
Crucial Conversations - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15014.Crucial_Conversations
Resilient Management - https://resilient-management.com/
Testing episode with Angie - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/testing-101?rq=testing
Kim Maida’s episode about dev advocacy - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/developer-communities?rq=developer%20advocacy

Transcript

https://github.com/ladybug-podcast/ladybug-website/blob/master/transcripts/63-non-dev-jobs.md

Web Security

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 08:00:00 -0000

It’s more important than ever to build secure web applications, but many developers forget to account for web security. In this episode, we’re joined by Tailor Herrarte, an Infosec Engineer, Cybersecurity Career consultant, beauty ambassador & content creator who goes by the moniker The Digital Empress. Today we're discussing types of web security, the dangers of lacking said security and a few things you can do to keep your site secure. Let’s get started.

Show Notes

[2:20] All About Tailor
[12:33] Content Security
[27:36] Connection Security
[30:35] Data Security
[35:02] Integrity
[39:40] Clickjacking
[43:28] Questions from Twitter
[52:09] Shoutouts

Resources

Tailor’s Website - https://thedigitalempress.com/
Tailor’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/digitalempress
Tailor’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_zhS3gcMQrruGcv6WVm_w
The Ultimate Guide For Getting Into Cybersecurity For Beginners - https://thedigitalempress.com/store/p/the-ultimate-guide-for-getting-into-cybersecurity-for-beginners-ebook
Proton Mail - https://protonmail.com/
Dashlane - https://www.dashlane.com/
LastPass - https://www.lastpass.com/
OnePass - https://1password.com/
Security Plus - https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security
MDN Security - https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Security

Transcript

https://github.com/ladybug-podcast/ladybug-website/blob/master/transcripts/62-security.md

Coding Bootcamps: What You Should Consider Before Signing Up

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 08:00:00 -0000

Episode Notes

Coding bootcamps aim to help students gain the skills they need to land their first job in web development in months instead of years. Today we’ll be diving into some of the benefits and drawbacks of coding bootcamps, and we’ll explore our personal experiences learning from them and teaching at them.

Shownotes

[3:01] Our Bootcamp experiences
[9:58] What are bootcamps
[21:05] Benefits and drawbacks of bootcamps
[42:29] What comes after the bootcamp
[46:31] Shoutouts

Resources

Sidney's video on bootcamps - https://youtu.be/TTu8KQ1BdGs
General Assembly - https://generalassemb.ly/
Emma’s DeCoding The Technical Interview Process - https://technicalinterviews.dev/
Launch Code - https://www.launchcode.org/
Savvy Coders - https://savvycoders.com/
Ladybug Learning how to Learn Episode - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/learning-to-learn
Georgia Tech Masters Degree - https://www.cc.gatech.edu/
Coursera Degree Programs - https://www.coursera.org/degrees/bachelors
Emma’s Technical Resume Course - https://www.linkedin.com/learning/writing-a-tech-resume
Ladybug Portfolio Episode - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/technical-portfolios?rq=portfolio
200 Black women in tech to follow - https://hackernoon.com/200-black-women-in-tech-to-follow-on-twitter-2020-list-1uck31a9
Ladybug Technical Resume Episode - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/resumes?rq=resume
Ladybug Podcast YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCakPieAEGG42zBuaf-qZCBA

Transcript

https://github.com/ladybug-podcast/ladybug-website/blob/master/transcripts/61-bootcamps.md

Getting Started with Next.js

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 08:00:00 -0000

One of the hottest new technologies in the frontend ecosystem is Next.js. Why is it so awesome? And what can you use it for? In this episode we’ll be talking all about it.

Show Notes

01:45 - What is Next.js 7:05 - What are some of its benefits 23:09 - SSG vs. SSR 27:38 - Routing 38:17 - Shoutouts

Resources

Ladybug YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCakPieAEGG42zBuaf-qZCBA
Chris Enns https://www.lemonproductions.ca/
Teenage Bounty Hunters https://www.netflix.com/title/80244296
DEV Toast Post https://dev.to/ekafyi/a-bite-of-toast-the-new-jamstack-meta-framework-4nel
Toast GitHub Repo https://github.com/toastdotdev/toast
Next.js Documentation https://nextjs.org/
Next.js E-commerce Starter https://nextjs.org/commerce
Gatsby https://www.gatsbyjs.com/
Nuxt.js https://nuxtjs.org/
Nest https://nestjs.com/

Transcript

https://github.com/ladybug-podcast/ladybug-website/blob/master/transcripts/60-nextjs.md

21 Web Development Trends We're Watching in 2021

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 08:00:00 -0000

Season 5 is finally here and we are so excited to kick it off with a new host, Sidney! We have finally said goodbye to 2020, so what can we expect to be the new trends, the hip tech. We can't predict the future but we can tell you our predictions for trends in 2021.

[3:47] 1) Working Remotely
[6:50] 2) Cloud Security
[11:36] 3) Decentralization of tech workers
[14:54] 4) Framer motion
[16:50] 5) Metaframeworks
[21:42] 6) Headless CMS
[23:39] 7) Online IDEs
[26:37] 8) Low code
[29:15] 9) TypeScript
[33:16] 10) Progressive Web Apps
[36:20] 11) Styled components
[38:47] 12) AI/ML
[41:56] 13) Alternative interface development
[45:37] 14) Minimalist web frameworks
[47:04] 15) New CSS Libraries
[50:24] 16) Static site deployment tools
[52:25] 17) Responsive design
[54:58] 18) Deno
[57:13] 19) Ecommerce
[59:46] 20) Server-side rendering
[1:01:50] 21) System design
[1:04:23] Shoutouts

Resources

A Software Engineer's Guide to Seniority - https://www.gitcuteguide.dev
Jarvis Johnson’s Twitter Hack Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMG_KN7GMXI
2PM's book list for 2021 - https://2pml.com/2020/11/02/essential-reading
Ladybug Animation Episode - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/micro-interactions-and-animation-libraries?rq=animation
Ladybug Working Remote Episode - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/working-remotely
Ladybug Microinteractions Episode - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/micro-interactions-and-animation-libraries
Scott Tolinski’s Framer Motion Course - https://www.leveluptutorials.com/tutorials/animating-react-with-framer-motion
Ladybug Podcast Content Creation Episode - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/creating-digital-content
Code Sandbox - https://codesandbox.io/s
Ives' Twitter - https://twitter.com/CompuIves
Cloud9 - https://www.cloud9.gg/
Codespaces - https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/remote/codespaces
Nacelle - https://getnacelle.com
Scott Tolinski's Styled Components Course - https://www.leveluptutorials.com/tutorials/styled-components
Styled Components - https://styled-components.com/
Ladybug CSS Part 2 Episode - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/css-part-2?rq=flexbox
Ladybug Systems Design Episode - https://www.ladybug.dev/episodes/systems-design
Tiny Habits - https://www.tinyhabits.com/

Transcript

https://github.com/ladybug-podcast/ladybug-website/blob/e598a02a814f551cf8091729fe3b7b8944262979/transcripts/59-21-trends-2021.md

Python

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Normally, we talk about frontend development -- but there’s so many other niches within programming out there. Today we’re going to talk about Python what it’s used for, why it’s great, and how it’s different than JavaScript.

Shownotes

01:16 - Our experiences with Python 03:37 - What is Python? 15:50 - What is it used for? 23:37 - How is it different from JavaScript? 32:35 - Resources for learning more 34:15 - Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

Here is the transcript for this week's episode.

Creating Digital Content

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 08:00:00 -0000

Blogs, YouTube videos, podcasts, e-books, and online courses are all types of digital content. If you’ve ever wondered how you can get started creating digital content of your own, then look no further. Today we’re joined by Sidney Buckner, a Software Engineer and YouTuber, to discuss how we got started creating digital content, how much you can make from publishing content, and more! Let’s get started.

Shownotes

03:00 - What kinds of content do we create? 06:08 - Pros of creating digital content 14:19 - Cons of creating digital content 19:01 - Online courses 24:27 - YouTube 37:38 - E-books 41:17 - Blogs + podcasts 44:17 - How to monetize your digital content 47:13 - Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

[](https://github.com/ladybug-podcast/ladybug-website/blob/master/transcripts/57-digital-content.md)Here is the transcript for this week's episode.

Productivity Tips and Tricks

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0000

If you often find your days spiraling out of control, you’re not alone! Ensuring you have a productive workday isn’t always easy. There are many ways you can structure your day, and everyone has a different method that works best for them.

This week on the podcast we’re giving you a rundown of our favorite productivity hacks you can use to improve your everyday life, both at work and at home. Let’s dig in!

Show Notes

2:30 - Take care of your physical and mental health

11:33 - Scheduling your day and week

15:46 - Prioritizing your work

21:40 - Motivation

28:04 - Communication

37:13 - Taking notes & to-do lists

39:48 - Forming habits

41:59 - Batching

43:11 - Balancing work and life

02:19 The use of "engineer" in titles
04:43 What levels are there for developers?
08:24 The importance of job titles
11:22 Does years of experience matter?
17:17 What knowledge should you have at each level?
27:57 What communication skills should you have at each level?
30:17 How do you know you're ready to be a senior developer?
32:05 Tips for becoming senior
33:33 Shoutouts

Transcript

Here is the transcript for this week's episode.

Get A < Head > Start With HTML

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Today we’re talking about everyone’s favorite programming language: HTML! Hypertext Markup Language is the structure of a web page and while it’s not necessarily the hardest syntax to learn, it’s vital to your web applications.

Show Notes

01:20 What is HTML?
06:44 How did we learn HTML?
09:54 Elements
12:10 Attributes
21:59 Formatting
27:17 Semantic elements
33:04 Styles
38:28 CORS
44:57 Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

Here is the transcript for this week's episode.

The Traveling Dev: Move and Work Anywhere

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Have you ever dreamed about selling everything you owned and moving across the world to begin a new life? In this episode we’re chatting with Rachel Nabors, an American abroad on the React Core team in London. We’ll chat about the pros and cons of moving abroad as well as the logistics. Let’s get started!

Show Notes

01:25 Our experiences moving
06:44 Immigrant vs. Expat vs. Digital Nomad
11:04 Pros of moving abroad
35:21 Cons of moving abroad
53:57 Logistics of moving abroad
01:02:39 Questions to ask
01:07:48 Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

Here is the transcript for this week's episode.

How the Internet Works

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -0000

There’s a classic interview question: what happens when you type a URL into the browser? To answer this question, we need to explore how the internet works. In this episode, our first of season 4, we’ll dive into URLs, DNS, basic networking, and how the browser works.

Show Notes

02:08 Life updates!
04:19 How much do we know about the internet?
06:11 Servers
12:08 DNS lookup
19:04 Request/Response Cycle
27:48 TCP/IP
28:46 The browser
33:13 Internet history
36:09 Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

Here is the transcript for this week's episode.

Systems Design

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Systems design interviews are becoming more and more prevalent and can indicate your ability to work with complex systems. Many engineers struggle with the systems design interviews as a result of their inexperience developing large-scale systems.

Today we’ll teach you some of the foundational elements of systems design so you can nail your next interview.

Show Notes

01:30 What is systems design
07:20 Key characteristics of a distributed system
13:24 Load balancing
17:48 Caching
31:05 Data partitioning
35:24 SQL vs. NoSQL
46:50 How to learn systems design
48:00 Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

Here is the transcript for this week's episode.

Testing 101

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Have you ever written code to add a new feature that ended up breaking an existing feature? Or, have you ever written code that works in one scenario but breaks in a bunch of others? I think we can all admit to this as developers!

Well, this is where testing shines -- we write code to test our other code so we immediately get warned if our code breaks something else! OR doesn’t work in every scenario. In this episode, we’ll talk about a bunch of types of testing and why they’re helpful. Let’s dive in.

Show Notes

01:39 What is our experience with testing?
05:12 What types of code do you write tests for normally?
06:38 What different types of testing are there?
14:26 Why is testing important?
18:50 TDD vs adding tests after
23:33 What types of tools can you use?

Resources

Transcript

Here is the transcript for this week's episode.

Mobile Development

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 07:00:00 -0000

One niche in development that we have no experience with is building mobile apps. Luckily, today we have an expert to teach us all about it: Timirah James who is the founder of TechniGal LA and a developer evangelist.

Show Notes

02:00 - Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
05:20 - What was your path to becoming a developer?
18:00 - What’s your day-to-day like?
21:00 - What technologies does an iOS dev work with?
33:19 - How do you get your app accepted into the App Store?
40:22 - What is the interview process like for an iOS developer?
50:50 - Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

Here is the transcript for this week's episode.

Micro-Interactions & Animation Libraries

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Micro-interactions are small animations that delight our users and they are changing the way we design and build our applications. Micro-interactions have many benefits like enhancing perceived performance, indicating state change, and drawing users’ attention to something on the page. Today we’ll dive into micro-interactions and the animation libraries you can use to build them.

Show Notes

02:25 - What are micro-interactions? 05:48 - Why are they important? 10:55 - How do we build one? 29:07 - Animation libraries 33:16 - Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

Here is the transcript for this week's episode.

Hiring a Diverse Workforce

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 06:00:00 -0000

We’ve talked a lot about interviewing and getting hired in tech from the engineering perspective, and today we’re going to build on that. We have a special guest, Hilliary Turnipseed, the founder of Hill Street Strategies to talk about hiring from the recruiting perspective. She specializes in hiring and maintaining diverse teams.

We also want to give a big shoutout to Black Girls Code, if you're able to, please donate!

Show Notes

01:13 - Tell us about yourself! 08:37 - Tell us about Hill Street Strategies 23:12 - What advice would you give to someone who is looking to get their first role in tech? 35:09 - You focus a lot on hiring a diverse tech workforce, what advice would you give to a company trying to diversify their hiring? 42:42 - You are super involved with the DC tech community, why is that involvement so important to you? 48:48 - Where can people find you online? 50:06 - Shoutouts

Resources from Hilliary

Transcript

Black Lives Matter

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Shortly after midnight on March 13, 2020, Louisville police entered the apartment of Breonna Taylor and Kenneth Walker using a battering ram to force open the door. Breonna Taylor was shot at least eight times and pronounced dead at the scene. No drugs were found in the apartment. June 5th would have been Breonna’s 27th birthday.

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes while he was handcuffed face down in the street. And for the past week and a half protest have been held throughout the world demanding justice for not just George Floyd, but all Black people murdered from police brutality.

Police brutality is not new. It has been happening for many years as the result of systemic racism, and it must be stopped. Too many Black lives have been stolen at the hands of white police officers who walk away with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

Today we’re joined by Jocelyn Harper, host of the Git Cute Podcast to discuss the Black Lives Matter movement and to learn more about how you can get involved.

Outliers

Wed, 27 May 2020 06:00:00 -0000

For the month of May we read "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. "Outliers" examines the factors which contribute to high-levels of success and while we often attribute success to circumstance today we’ll discuss our thoughts to see if we agree.

Show notes

1:08 - What does it mean to be successful? 6:12 - How does privilege play into success? 22:12 - Practical intelligence versus analytical intelligence 30:52 - Our thoughts on the book

Resources

Transcript

We provide transcripts for all of our episodes. You can find them here!

Networking

Mon, 25 May 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Today we're talking about routing and switching, starting with layer 1 of the OSI model. Let's dig in. JUST KIDDING I know nothing about that kind of networking, but we ARE talking about networking today!

Networking is a great opportunity to meet new people in the same industry, learn new skills, and develop your career. This week we’re talking all things networking: why we network, how to network, and what to do if you’re really not that into networking. Let’s jump in!

Building Developer Communities

Mon, 18 May 2020 05:54:54 -0000

Developer community is centered around the idea of nurturing and amplifying community voices within a company and the head of developer community is responsible for leading this effort. Today we’re joined by Kim Maida, Head of Developer Relations and Community at Gatsby. We’ll discuss what her job entails, the ins and outs of developer advocacy, advice for someone looking to get into this field, and more.

Show notes

2:34 - Can you tell us a bit about yourself? 3:27 - What does it mean to be the head of developer relations and community? 6:38 - What is devrel/dev advocacy? 10:45 - Do the skills vary between these 4 roles? What do you need to know? 13:25 - How can you build empathy into your content? 16:40 - Do you need to be a software engineer first? 19:32 - What is your advice for someone looking to get into your field? 24:55 - What’s your advice for becoming a better dev advocate? 29:56 - Where do you see the field going in the near future? How does the current COVID situation impact your day to day? 36:33 - Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

We provide transcripts for all of our episodes. You can find them here!

Level up with JavaScript

Mon, 11 May 2020 06:00:00 -0000

JavaScript is notorious for being one of the most popular, yet also one of the most despised programming languages to learn, so today we’re covering some of the intermediate and advanced JavaScript concepts! We’ll discuss convoluted topics like generators, prototypal inheritance, and the rendering engine.

Knowing intermediate JavaScript concepts like the call stack, context, scope, the prototype chain, higher order functions, async programming, and the event loop is invaluable and will help with learning frameworks. The fundamentals won't change even if the ecosystem does.

Show notes

03:24 - Functional Programming vs OOP 06:28 - Prototypal inheritance 20:34 - Higher order functions 25:54 - Callback functions 27:10 - Closures 27:46 - Scope + Context 31:12 - Iterators & Generators 34:26 - Rendering engine 37:54 - Call Stack 40:33 - Event loop 43:39 - Throttle and debounce 46:21 - Asynchronous programming 52:09 - Hoisting 54:44 - Primitive vs reference 56:59 - Debugging 58:48 - Shoutouts

Resources

Advice to our Past Selves

Mon, 04 May 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Welcome to season 3 of the LB podcast. This season we’ll cover topics ranging from advanced JavaScript to networking. We’ll chat about Git & GitHub, making money outside your 9-5 job, and many more topics.

For our first episode of this new season, we’ll be reminiscing about our coding history and discussing some advice we wished we had when learning to code ranging from asking more questions to negotiating job offers.

Show notes

01:50 - Our stories 09:29 - Find a community 10:43 - Take breaks - you don’t have to code all the time 13:36 - Ask questions 16:50 - Overcome imposter syndrome 18:09 - Sharing your learning journey can help not only yourself but others too 20:24 - Surround yourself with people who support you 21:33 - Don’t get stuck in the cycle of tutorials 23:28 - Get comfortable with being uncomfortable 25:02 - Ask for feedback early and often 26:23 - Stop being such a perfectionist 28:06 - Document your learning journey 30:00 - Learn how to Google 31:45 - Different ways to learn 32:32 - Try to be honest w/ ur manager 34:42 - Celebrate your small wins 35:20 - Interview to challenge yourself 36:54 - Talk to people who have your dream job 38:04 - Negotiate offers 40:20 - You can be a people person in tech 41:40 - Don’t fall into shiny object syndrome 42:21 - You belong in the industry

Resources

Transcript

We provide transcripts for all of our episodes. You can find them here!

Web Developer Learning Path

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 05:47:45 -0000

There are so many ways to learn to code, and so many things to know. Today we’ll give our perspectives on different paths you can take. Whether you’re looking for your first dev job or you’re looking to advance your web development knowledge, we’ll be covering a ton of different options for you.

01:50 - What did we know before getting our first jobs?
06:40 - T-shaped knowledge
08:38 - HTML
14:07 - CSS
18:24 - JavaScript
25:00 - Backend
31:00- How the web works
32:15 - Testing
37:13 - Tooling 43:46 - Git
46:12 - Terminal
47:12 - Design patterns
48:26 - Data structures & algorithms
49:07 - How to level up

Learning How to Learn

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 06:00:00 -0000

On our podcast, we talk a LOT about what to learn as a developer. But today we’re switching gears and talking about HOW to actually learn all this information. We’ll discuss the concept of metacognition, or how we learn and retain information as well as some strategies for making the process easier.

Indie Hacking

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 06:00:00 -0000

This week we have a super exciting episode, we’re chatting with Courtland Allen, the founder of Indie Hackers. We’re going to talk about what indie hacking is, how to get started with it, and his advice for gaining traction with indie products. Let’s get started!

What's on Our Computers?

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 06:00:00 -0000

This week we’re giving you all the details about our computer setups including our hardware preferences, browsers, desktop software, code editor and CLI settings, and top productivity tools. We’ll also tell you some of our miscellaneous preferences like most used emoji and current desktop photo.

Behavioral Interviews

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 06:00:00 -0000

Show notes

1:43 - What is the flow of the technical interview process

6:50 - The salary conversation

15:25 - Behavioral questions

27:32 - Interview prep strategies

34:17 - Red flags

45:17 - Shoutouts

Resources

Transcript

We provide transcripts for all of our episodes. You can find them here.

Engineering Management

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 07:00:00 -0000

In one of our previous episodes, we talked about different jobs within tech, one of which is engineering management. Today we’re joined by the wonderful Amal Hussein, engineering manager at NPM and we’re going to chat more in-depth about her career path.

1:27 - Tell us about yourself

3:10 - Last fall you transitioned into a new role as an Engineering Manager at NPM. How did you make that leap?

5:38 - What does your day to day schedule look like?

8:32 - What’s the hardest thing about being a manager?

13:37 - Hands on vs. hands off management style

17:01- How long have you been in engineering management?

18:33 - What’s the best thing about being a manager?

21:49 - Do you think someone should be an engineer prior to being a manager?

30:15 - Do you still write code?

33:13 - Do you have any book recommendations for management?

36:53 - How do you build personal relationships w/ employees while working remotely?

42:13 - Advice for those looking to become an engineering manager

46:44 - Where can we find you online?

Invisible Women

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Imagine a world where your phone is too big for your hand, where your doctor prescribes a drug that is wrong for your body, where in a car accident you are 47% more likely to be seriously injured, where every week the countless hours of work you do are not recognized or valued. If any of this sounds familiar, chances are that you're a woman.

This month for the Ladybug Podcast book club we read Invisible Women: Data Bias In A World Designed For Men by Caroline Criado-Pérez. In this episode we’ll discuss our thoughts on the book, what shocked us, what felt a bit forced, and have a discussion about gender bias in the world around us.

Frontend Interviews

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Programming interviews are terrifying. There’s so much to learn and nobody enjoys answering technical questions in front of a complete stranger.

In this episode, we’ll dive into the frontend technical interview and give some tips and tricks for nailing it.

2:06 - Our experiences with technical interviews

3:36 - The interview process

14:15 - Phone screens

20:32 - Take home challenges

34:43 - In-person interviews

46:08 - Resources to get better at interviewing

49:00 - Shoutouts

Building a Resume

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 12:02:48 -0000

Whether you’re seeking your first developer job or you’re looking to move to a new company, your resume is the first thing employers will see. Having a strong resume is what sets you apart from the competition. In this week’s episode we’re discussing all things resume-building, including what’s important to include, what can be skipped, and best practices for creating your resume.

1:24 - What do our resumes look like?

3:40 - CVs vs. Resumes

12:20 - Resume design

17:09 - What if I don’t have formal computer science education?

23:44 - Should you have an objective or a summary?

25:00 - Should you put references on there?

29:02 - How can I create a resume?

35:57 - Using social media and personal portfolio to back up your resume

37:57 - Shoutouts

Game Development

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 07:00:00 -0000

This week we’re talking all things game development! Joining us today is Arianna Rudawski, a software engineer with a super cool job. We’ll be discussing what a career in game development is like, the skills needed to become a game developer, and advice for getting into game development.

Data Structures and Algorithms

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Computer science concepts like data structures and algorithms can be super intimidating, especially if you’re cramming the night before an interview.

In this episode, we’ll discuss common algorithms and data structures and give you some tips for your next whiteboarding challenge.

01:44 - Our experience with data structures and algorithms

05:00 - What are algorithms?

06:17 - What is Big O notation?

13:57 - Sorting algorithms

17:55 - Graph traversal

19:20 - Searching algorithms

20:04 - What are data structures

23:05 - Arrays

26:03 - Linked Lists

29:15 - Sets

30:22 - Objects, maps, heaps

34:50 - Binary Trees

35:47 - Stacks and queues

40:08 - Graphs

41:00 - Common interview questions

43:27 - Tips for interviews and where to learn more

Book Club: Atomic Habits

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 07:00:00 -0000

We're so excited for the first-ever Ladybug Podcast book club episode! This is a bonus episode which will occur at the end of each month. This month we’re discussing Atomic Habits by James Clear.

If you want to follow along you can check out our Goodreads group and ladybug.dev/books.

0:36 - Our thoughts on the book

04:15 - The importance of habits

06:16 - Systems vs. Goals

08:01 - Layers of behavioral change

09:58 - Stages of habit formation

13:43 - Steps of breaking a bad habit

15:52 - Habit stacking

17:40 - Reward systems

22:00 - What makes habits attractive

28:49 - Our ratings of the book

Personal Branding

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Every day we see companies market to us with a specific brand voice, and we can recognize the differences from one brand to the next. But what about personal brands? You as a person are a brand - it’s how you portray yourself on the internet and how others perceive you. I’m a brand, Emma’s a brand, Ali’s a brand. We’re all our own unique representations of ourselves. This week we’re discussing what it means to have your own personal brand and everything you need to know about building and managing your brand.

1:43 - What is a personal brand?

8:21 - Why would you want to build a brand?

11:10 - What are the benefits of having a personal brand?

13:29 - Who in tech has done a really good job of branding themselves?

15:29 - How did we build our brands?

18:03 - What platforms can you use to build a brand?

22:55 - The downsides of social media branding.

28:32 - How to build an audience.

32:08 - What we’re excited about in 2020.

Design for Developers

Mon, 20 Jan 2020 07:00:00 -0000

Design for Developers

One of the biggest things that developers struggle with is design. It’s easy to look at an application and know that it looks terrible, but hard to explain why.

This episode we’re joined by Steve Schoger, co-author of the hugely popular Refactoring UI. We’ll learn some design tips and dive into the story behind the book as well as his other projects Hero Patterns and Hero Icons.

Show notes

1:40 - Who are you? Tell us a bit more about your coding/design journey.

10:22 - What is your typical day-to-day?

15:40 - What are Hero Patterns and Hero Icons?

21:25 - What is Refactoring UI?

31:40 - What area of design do you think developers struggle the most with?

34:11 - What are the differences between UX design and visual design?

36:56 - Design tips for developers.

41:40 - Where to find Steve online.

Resources

Transcript

We provide transcripts for all of our episodes. You can find them here!

20 Tips for Developers in 2020

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 08:00:00 -0000

To kick off our new season and a new year, this week we’ll be discussing 20 tips to start off strong in 2020. From mentorship to debugging to strategizing your learning, we'll give you all the advice you need for starting the year off right!

0:32 - 1. Challenge yourself to do something new.

04:30 - 2. Do a little bit each day.

07:03 - 3. Track your wins.

09:30 - 4. Get comfortable with failure.

12:08 - 5. Don't compare yourself to others.

16:28 - 6. Find a community.

19:24 - 7. People can be assholes, that's on them not you.

21:50 - 8. Find a mentor.

25:05 - 9. Take time to learn keyboard shortcuts.

30:30 - 10. Create your toolbox.

34:45 - 11. Learn how to debug.

38:30 - 12. Figure out how to stay up to date.

40:37 - 13. Overcome shiny object syndrome.

44:14 - 14. Pick one skill at a time to work on and learn it until you feel comfortable.

46:50 - 15. Decide if you want to be vertical or horizontal in knowledge.

50:09 - 16. Identify your learning style.

52:18 - 17. Take breaks.

54:29 - 18. Prioritize your values.

57:48 - 19. Use your powers for good.

59:33 - 20. Don’t forget that working in this field is a massive privilege.

01:02:59 - Shoutouts of the week

Speaking At Conferences

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 09:00:00 -0000

Have you ever watched or attended a conference and been in awe of the speakers? How do they know so much information? How do they prepare a talk? How do they even get the courage to speak in the first place and what is that process like?

In this episode we’ll delve into all things conference talks. This is a very special episode because it’s our last episode this season. We’ve decided to release our podcast in seasons, which gives us more time to plan out our episodes and schedule guests ahead of time. We’ll be taking the month of December off and will be back with brand new episodes in January.

Show Notes

Our speaking experience - 1:31
What can I speak about? - 8:03
What is a CFP? - 11:51
Benefits of speaking - 17:22
Drawback of speaking - 19:53
Speaker fees - 24:19
Preparing your talk - 32:19
Speaking advice - 39:27
How do I get started? - 46:04

For full show notes, visit our website

Web Performance

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 09:00:00 -0000

Today we’re talking about web performance. Did you know that 40% of users abandon sites that take more than 3s to load? Turns out making your sites fast is pretty important! In this episode we’ll talk about what web performance is, why we should care, and we’ll give you tips for optimizing performance and measuring it.

Show Notes

What is web performance? - 1:18
Why should I care about performance? - 3:48
The cost of JavaScript - 6:59
What should I be measuring? - 14:02
Performance tools - 17:46
Performance-improving methods - 19:40
Progressive web apps - 26:49

For full show notes, check out our website.

Debugging 101

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 09:00:00 -0000

How often have you encountered a problem and struggled to figure out where to start? Or maybe you aren’t super familiar with the browser tools available to debug your JavaScript code. So today we’ve brought on a special guest, Rebecca Hill, to help us learn about the world of debugging.

Show Notes

Who are you? - 1:12
How did you learn so much about debugging? - 2:00
Basic debugging steps - 3:12
Is debugging language agnostic? - 6:21
Why don't we teach debugging? - 9:36
Different types of debugging - 13:45
Common debugging mistakes - 17:09
Testing - 19:39
Browser features for debugging - 20:50
Tips for new developers - 22:40
Which browser is best for debugging? - 24:55
Where can you learn more? - 26:08

For full show notes, visit our website

Working Remotely

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 09:00:00 -0000

In recent years, working remotely has become a more popular office perk not only among startups but enterprise businesses as well. Some companies even ONLY work remotely. In this week's episode, we'll discuss our experiences working remotely, the pros and cons from an employer and employee standpoint, and provide some advice on whether or not working remotely is a good fit for you.

Show Notes

What does it mean to work remotely? - 1:36
What is our experience working remotely? - 2:34
Pros & cons - 7:08
What makes a successful remote work experience? - 21:05
Should you work remotely as your first job? - 27:11
Personality traits for a healthy remote work experience - 31:35
Tips for working remotely - 33:31

For full show notes, check out our website.

Shopify & E-Commerce

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 06:00:00 -0000

If you’ve ever seen Kelly’s Twitter account then you’ve probably heard of Shopify, an E-commerce platform that gives you everything you need to sell online. This week we’re talking to JML, CTO at Shopify, and we’re giving you all the details.

Show notes

Who are you and what is your role at Shopify? - 1:05
What does a typical day at Shopify look like? - 1:41
What was your path in tech? - 3:36
What is Shopify & e-commerce in general? - 7:44 What makes Shopify different from competitors? - 12:41
Why should developers pay attention to Shopify? - 13:42
What are your favorite things that have been built by Shopify? - 22:09 How has Shopify's design system, Polaris, changed development? - 24:28 What tech stack do you recommend focusing on for new Shopify developers? - 30:06
What does the day in the life of a Shopify developer look like? - 31:01

For full show notes and transcript, check out our website

All About Technical Portfolios

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 12:00:00 -0000

This week we're talking all things portfolios. What can a portfolio do for you? How can you build one? Do you even need a portfolio to be successful? This week we'll delve into the world of portfolios.

Show Notes

What is a technical portfolio? - 1:16
Do we have portfolios? - 8:13
Why would you want a portfolio? - 8:21
How do you build a portfolio as a backend developer? - 17:06
What can you put in your portfolio? - 18:11
What if I'm bad at design? - 20:26
What should developers focus on when building a portfolio? - 23:15
Fun portfolio examples - 25:24
Wins - 29:18

For full show notes, visit our website.

React, Vue, && Angular, OH MY!

Mon, 14 Oct 2019 10:35:43 -0000

You've probably heard about some of the JavaScript frameworks that dominate the front end ecosystem. And this week's podcast we'll be discussing the pros and cons of JavaScript frameworks, go into detail about React, Vue, and Angular, and discuss tools and resources for how you can get started with these frameworks.

Difference between a library & a framework - 1:04 Do we even need a framework? - 4:37 Pros & cons of using frameworks - 13:25 Popularity of different frameworks - 16:54 React - 25:31 Vue.js - 34:14 Angular - 39:34 Which framework is right for me? - 44:23 Evolution & speed of frontend development - 45:44 Learning these frameworks - 47:31

For the full show notes, check out our website.

Hacktoberfest Pt. 2

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 05:00:00 -0000

October means it's time for Hacktoberfest. We're talking with Shannon Crabill about what open source is, how to get involved with Hacktoberfest, and tips & tricks for maintaining open source projects.

Show Notes

Who is Shannon? - 1:17
What is open source? - 4:19
How did you get involved in Hacktoberfest? - 4:55
What is it like to maintain an open source project? - 6:27
Tips && tricks for people wanting to work on maintaining an open source project - 7:35
How to contribute to Hacktoberfest projects? - 8:54
Advice for beginners getting started in open source - 11:51
How do you find projects to contribute to? - 13:09
Hard parts of open source - 14:30
Best parts of open source - 15:38
How to gain confidence to contribute - 16:52
Advice to someone beginning their coding journey - 18:06

For the full show notes, head over to our website!

Hacktoberfest Pt. 1

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 04:00:00 -0000

October means it's time for Hacktoberfest. Hacktoberfest is an awesome event where you can get involved in open source whether it's your first time contributing or you're a seasoned pro.

In this episode we'll discuss what Hacktoberfest is, how you can start contributing to open source, and with our special guests Peter and Jess from Dev, we'll talk about how you can maintain your own open source project.

For full show notes, check out our website.

Design Systems

Mon, 30 Sep 2019 05:19:51 -0000

Design systems are in the world around us from the signs on the side of the highway to the setup of a grocery store and our products are no exception. But what exactly our design systems and how do we build them? In this episode, we'll take a look at the foundations of design systems, the benefits and drawbacks, and the process for creating one from the ground up.

1:23 What are design systems? 2:58 Emma's experience with design systems 3:52 Ali's experience with design systems 4:41 Kelly's experience with design systems 5:00 Do you need a design system and who are design systems for? 7:46 Benefits of design systems 11:11 Drawbacks of design systems and team structure 13:11 How do you measure success? 14:24 Challenges of building a design system 15:34 How to build a design system 18:19 Styling components 19:03 Documentation tools 21:09 Style guides 23:42 Why design systems fail 25:08 Who builds design systems 29:20 Tools for building design systems 32:54 Notable people in design systems 36:54 Wins

For the full show notes and links to the speakers, check out our website!

Teaching Code with Angie Jones

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 07:00:00 -0000

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an effective teacher in the tech industry? Well wonder no more!

We had the pleasure of chatting with Angie Jones, Senior Developer Advocate at Applitools and Director at Test Automation University about her experience as a teacher. Angie talks to us about her teaching and learning styles and shares some advice for those looking to get into the world of teaching.

In this episode, we discussed how to teach to multiple skill levels, common misconceptions about being a teacher, and much more!

For the full show notes and links to the speakers, check out our website!

What The Heck Is GraphQL?

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 05:00:00 -0000

GraphQL has taken this industry by storm, but what is it exactly? In this special episode of the Ladybug Podcast we’ve invited 14 GraphQL experts from the community to educate us on all things GraphQL!

2:00 - What Is GraphQL? (Erin Fox)

8:21 - Benefits Of GraphQL (Akshar Takle)

11:19 - History Of GraphQL (Brian Douglas)

14:01 - Syntax (Chris Biscardi)

17:01 - Schemas (Kurt Kemple)

20:02 - Variables (Swyx)

24:24 - Fragments (Emma Wedekind)

25:36 - Directives (Jon Wong)

32:10 - Toolkit (Alan Johnson)

38:49 - React Hooks & GraphQL (Shruti Kapoor)

46:13 - GraphQL vs. REST (Chantastic)

49:20 - When NOT To Use GraphQL (Zach Lendon)

54:37 - Useful Tools For Learning/Using GraphQL (Manjula Dube)

1:01:27 - Making GraphQL Development Easier With Hasura (Rajoshi Ghosh)

1:05:06 - Wins!

For the full show notes and links to the speakers, check out our website!

Career Paths in Tech

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0000

There are so many different paths your career can follow in the tech industry. There's frontend, backend, or even full-stack development. You could also be a software engineer, quality assurance engineer, UX engineer, manager, developer advocate, or something else entirely!

For full show notes and resources for today's episode, check out the episode page on our website

Ask Kelly about Entrepreneurship

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Today we are doing a deep dive about entrepreneurship with our in house business owner, Kelly! Everyone can benefit from thinking entrepreneurially, even people who don’t want to start their own business. We’re going to ask Kelly about all the things that we are curious about and scare us about entrepreneurship.

Check out full show notes and resources for today's episode, check out the episode page on our website

Level Up with CSS - Part 2

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 06:00:00 -0000

In our first part of our CSS episode, we discussed the foundations. In this special bonus episode we'll continue the conversation by covering some more in-depth areas of CSS, like layouts with Grid and Flexbox, animations, media queries, naming conventions, pre-processors, and frameworks.

Read the full shownotes and transcripts on our site: ladybug.dev/css-part-2

Level Up With CSS - Part 1

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0000

We all know that Peter Griffin Family Guy gif of him unable to work some blinds. This gif is always associated with the frustrations of CSS. Something changes, then something breaks. Why do people have these issues? How can you improve your CSS skills? What are the key concepts that you need to understand to write clean, maintainable styles?

In this episode, we'll talk all about the nuances of CSS -- what it is, how it works, and how to get better at it.

Read the full shownotes and transcripts at our site: ladybug.dev/css-part-1

Impostor Syndrome

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Have you ever been scared to contribute to a conversation or publish a blog post because you were worried you weren’t qualified enough? Wondered how you got to the point you’re at in your career because you feel you don’t belong? Or that you’re a fraud? You’re not alone!

In this episode, we discuss how we have experienced impostor syndrome and our personal strategies for combatting it.

0:36 How have we experienced Impostor Syndrome

Job Interviews (0:48)
Quitting Computer Science & feeling like you stick out (2:04)
Speaking for the first time at a conference (7:19)
Feeling like you’re not qualified to teach something (11:46)
When people say mean things about you (13:11)
Running a company as someone young (16:32)
Getting criticism (17:56)

21:21 Impostor Syndrome as a Business Owner

21:55 Impostor Syndrome pushing us to be better

24:40 Combatting Impostor Syndrome

Tracking your wins
Focusing on your personal journey instead of others’
Being open about it and community w/ others

37:24 WINS

Cecilia who just graduated from the full-stack software engineering boot camp at Georgia Tech and landed her first job as a junior software developer.
Emma - Coding Coach Team is doing incredible things
Lindsey - Survived 106 heat index for her engagement pics!
Kelly - Started her own online store!
Ali - Spoke at CodeLand which was her most difficult talk to date because of how personal it was

Additional Links:

Check out the full shownotes and transcripts on our site!

How the Ladybugs Got Their Spots

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode, we're getting to know the ladybug hosts, both on technical and non-technical topics. Listen in to learn about our favorite tech stacks, our biggest career milestones, favorite books, and more.

Be sure to review the show notes on our website for links to all resources we discuss. We also have full transcripts listed there!

Web Technologies We're Excited About

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0000

The landscape of technologies you can learn in the development world can be overwhelming if you don't know where to go next. In this episode, we discuss the technologies we're most excited about. From CSS to GraphQL, Django to WebAssembly, and design to augmented reality - we cover it all.

Be sure to review the show notes on our website for links to all resources we discuss.

Blogging 101

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0000

One of the most popular outlets for programmers is through blogging. In this episode, we discuss why each of us got into blogging, the pros and cons of starting your own blog, and tips on how to make your blog a success.

View the show notes and a full transcript at ladybug.dev.

Side Project Balancing Act

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 08:00:00 -0000

Side projects are an excellent way to express yourself creatively and build up your tech stack. But how do you find time to work on your side project when you have a full-time job and other responsibilities at home? In this episode, we discuss our personal side projects, along with some useful strategies for giving your side projects the attention they deserve.

View the show notes and a full transcript at ladybug.dev.

New Career, Who Dis?

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 10:00:00 -0000

There are several different ways you can learn how to code. In this episode, we discuss computer science degrees, bootcamps, and self-directed learning. Each has benefits and have brought a lot of people into the world of programming. Each also has challenges.

We all have had unique paths to programming, so we'll incorporate our experiences and observations.

Visit ladybug.dev for the full transcript and show notes!