Technical Debt
Measuring, communicating, and paying down tech debt and product debt without freezing delivery.
Episodes
S1E39
Navigating BADD vs. FaDD: Strategic Refactoring in Software Development
Brad & Scott
Brad & Scott dive deep into the engineering crossroads between Better Architecture Driven Development (BADD) and Feature Driven Development (FaDD) . They unpack the eternal question faced by every CTO and engineering leader: Should we refactor now for a better tomorrow, or build features today and clean up as we go?
Technical Debt
S1E36
Product Debt: The Hidden Drag on Innovation
Brad & Scott
Brad & Scott dive into the concept of product debt : what it is, how it differs from technical debt, and why it matters. They unpack how hidden or forgotten product features can quietly slow down innovation, complicate modernization efforts, and create pitfalls when deciding whether to refactor or rewrite.
Technical Debt
S1E32
From Bugs to Bloat: Product Debt, KPIs, and the Cost of Features
Brad & Scott
Brad & Scott dig into the messy reality of product management effectiveness, and what happens when bugs reveal deeper product debt. They kick things off with a retrospective on a critical login bug that exposed lingering legacy code, sparking a conversation about how product decisions and technical debt intertwine .
Technical Debt
S1E21
Fake Profiles, Real Disruption: What AI Is (and Isn't) Doing to Tech Recruiting with Dave Hardwick
with Dave Hardwick
Brad & Scott discuss with Dave Hardwick, the disruptive yet beneficial impact of AI on recruitment processes. They explore how AI tools are revolutionizing candidate searches for recruiters, but also touch upon the challenge of encountering fake profiles.
Technical Debt
S1E20
Beyond the Resume: How to Hire and Get Hired in Tech with Dave Hardwick
with Dave Hardwick
Brad & Scott welcome Dave Hardwick, a seasoned technical recruiter. Together, they explore the intricacies of recruiting engineering talent, the gaps between what CTOs think they want and what they actually hire, and the importance of clear job descriptions and scorecards in the hiring process.
Technical Debt
S1E19
Bonus Episode with Greg Conklin: Navigating Hyper-growth and Tech Debt at Groupon and Dropbox
with Greg Conklin
Brad & Scott dive into a conversation with Greg Conklin, exploring his experiences at two hypergrowth companies, Groupon and Dropbox. Greg shares insights on the unique cultural and technical strategies employed at both organizations during their rapid expansion phases.
Technical Debt
S1E18
Culture, Quality, and Tech Debt: Lessons from the Front Lines with Greg Conklin
with Greg Conklin
Brad & Scott are joined by special guest Greg Conklin for a candid and insightful conversation on what it takes to build high-performing engineering teams. Drawing from their shared time at the telemedicine startup 98point6, the trio unpacks hard-earned lessons around tech debt, operational excellence, and culture-first leadership .
Technical Debt
S1E15
Understanding and Managing Technical Debt: Insights from John Helm
with John Helm
Brad & Scott welcome guest John Helm to discuss the complexities and ramifications of technical debt within software projects. The conversation explores various analogies, including financial bonds and naked calls, to explain the impact of technical debt on project timelines and functionality.
Technical Debt
S1E14
The Ball of Mud - Tackling Software Monoliths and Decomposing Tech Debt: Strategies and Challenges
Brad & Scott
Brad & Scott discuss the intricate challenges of engineering leadership, focusing on the decomposition of monolithic software systems and the monumental task of managing tech debt. They delve into the practical strategies for breaking down monoliths, the complexity of interdependencies and 'God objects,' and debate the merits of incremental rewrites versus complete overhauls.
Technical Debt
S1E13
Embracing Failure and Innovation: Lessons from Punk Rock with Kevin Goldsmith
with Kevin Goldsmith
Brad & Scott are joined by Kevin Goldsmith, a seasoned tech leader with a background in both music and technology. Kevin shares insights from his early career in the music industry, his journey through various tech roles, and his book 'It Depends'.
Technical Debt
S1E12
Navigating Technical Debt and Code Quality in Agile Teams
Brad & Scott
Brad & Scott discuss a recent incident in a small engineering team that highlights challenges of managing technical debt even with skilled developers and robust code review processes. They explore the importance of refactoring in agile methodologies, the pitfalls of large pull requests, and the complexities of quantifying and prioritizing technical debt.
Technical Debt
S1E11
The Reality of AI in Software Engineering and the Future of Work
Brad & Scott
Brad & Scott discuss a recent OpenAI study on AI's effectiveness in completing real-world freelance software engineering tasks. They delve into the results showing that AI models completed only 26% of tasks successfully, highlighting current limitations.
Technical Debt
S1E10
Tackling Tech Culture and Interviewing: Insights from Ted Neward
with Ted Neward
Brad & Scott welcome special guest Ted Neward, a senior distinguished engineer at Capital One, joins the hosts to discuss the challenges and intricacies of engineering leadership and technology culture. Ted shares his diverse experiences, from his previous roles at Rocket Mortgage and Smartsheet to his current position.
Technical Debt
Articles
How can businesses measure the impact of addressing technical debt?
How can companies effectively learn from both failures and successes?
How can companies improve their technical interview processes to better assess candidates' skills?
How can engineering leaders effectively manage technical debt in a startup environment?
How can product debt affect a company's ability to innovate?
How can product management be quantitatively evaluated for performance?
How can teams effectively evaluate and prioritize technical debt?
How did Groupon and Dropbox handle hyper-growth differently?
How effective is AI in completing real-world freelance software engineering tasks?
How is AI transforming the tools used by tech recruiters?
What are the challenges and strategies for decomposing a software monolith?
What are the key elements to include in a resume for a software engineering role?
What are the risks associated with adopting Better Architecture Driven Development (BADD) in a software project?
What challenges do fake profiles pose in tech recruiting?
What is product debt and how does it differ from technical debt?
What is the fundamental definition of technical debt according to John Helm?
What role does company culture play in the success of engineering teams?
What role does tech culture play in transforming a company from a traditional business to a tech-focused organization?
What strategies did Groupon use to manage technical debt during its rapid expansion?
Why is software prone to bloat and how can teams manage it?
Why might a company choose Feature-Driven Development over Better Architecture Driven Development for refactoring?