Build and Learn

In this episode, Colin shares insights from the Game Developers Conference (GDC) on cutting-edge technologies like motion capture and AI-powered game creation. We'll chat candidly about the challenges of achieving work-life balance, recognizing burnout signs, and staying productive amid demanding software projects. Additionally, we'll explore personal finance topics, such as budgeting, emergency funds, and leveraging AI and APIs to optimize spending and financial planning.Resourcesfrvr.ai https://www.frvr.ai/ Robin desk booking software https://robinpowered.com/Tailwind UI Calendars https://tailwindui.com/components/application-ui/data-display/calendars Tailwind Catalyst https://tailwindcss.com/blog/introducing-catalyst Fullcalendar https://fullcalendar.io/ GDScream https://twitter.com/search?q=%23GDC2024&src=typeahead_click

In this episode, we talk about that subscription fatigue that is coming for us all. CJ has been working on some homesteading projects, including maple syrup harvesting and an AI birdspotting camera. Colin finally reveals what he's been working on at work: a new SDK! What we're building- CJ is homesteading: maple syrup - Raspberry PI + camera + AI to detect birds in the yard- Colin finally shares what he's been working on at work: documenting a new Discord SDK!What we're learning- Our lessons learned when buying (or not buying) a house

In this episode, we'll dive into the codebase of Campfire, a product released by the 37signals (now Basecamp) team. Sharing our initial impressions of the codebase hitting some of these topics:- The use of helpers and views in this Rails app- The gems and dependencies- The decision to use SQLite- The integration of Hotwire, Stimulus, and front-end tech- The inclusion of Go code for the Thruster proxy accelerator- The CSS files and design choicesResourceshttps://twitter.com/dhh/status/1748378865725329495https://world.hey.com/dhh/finished-software-8ee43637

This week, Colin and CJ discuss how differently we can feel when we get caught in the mindless doomscrolling traps of consuming content rather than creating things, interacting with other IRL humans, and more! - Accountability/fitness update- Quick update on Buckets!- Consumption vs Creation- Learning styles- Badass Course Creators podcast: Raising the bar for online learning with Greg RogNext episode, we're digging into the Campfire codebase from 37Signals/Once.glhf!

In this episode of Build and Learn you'll hear CJ and Colin discuss the following:CJ's weekend project of installing new kitchen cabinets. They share the DIY process of customizing and installing inexpensive cabinets from Lowe's.Running and training tips, including focusing on "zone two" aerobic base training. Colin shares his goals to rebuild his running foundation and get faster this year.How performance reviews work at their companies, the process of self-reviews and peer feedback, and how 5:15s "five fifteens" help document accomplishments.CJ is building API documentation using OpenAPI spec and integrating Twilio APIs into his product. He realized he needed both Twilio's legacy and modern APIs.Colin is working on a Google Calendar integration for Discord, allowing users to schedule meetings in Discord voice channels. He discusses the challenges with Discord's permanent voice channel URLs.Interviewing and pair programming with candidates using Tuple. They wish for ephemeral URLs to avoid overlaps.Strategies for ramping up on and understanding a new codebase, like tracing the flow of a request. An LLM tool for summarizing codebases could be useful.Encouragement to get outdoors, avoid burnout, and "touch grass"!

2024! This week, we're sharing the various tools we use day-to-day in our work and side projects. Let us know if you have any favorites on Twitter @buildandlearn_BuildingCJ: working on a side project, https://buckets.cjav.devColin: working on some fun docs projects at workLearning: Sharing Our Tools in 2024Tools by CategoryTerminalEditorAPI tools/clientsContent Creation/EditingMac Helper AppsNotesCalendarEmailCJ's ToolkitWarp terminal ohmyzsh with my own theme which is based on Sarah Drasner’s night owlRaycastneovimfzf and telescopetpope: vim-rails, vim-commentary, vim-fugitivevim-testale - lintingAI: copilot + butterfishSkitch for screenshot annotationsPostman (Used to use Insomnia a lot, but many companies have Postman collections so that’s easy to drop in)Descript for screen recordingsTuple for pairingColin's ToolkitiTerm2 as my main terminalohmyzsh with Dracula ThemeVSCode as a daily driver for code and markdown (also Dracula themed)RapidAPI client (formerly Paw)Descript for audio-editingScreenflow for screencast video editingMac Workflow AppsCleanshot for screenshotting, annotations, and recording screen gifsRaycast for moving around apps quicklyMagnet for window managementHandMirror for monitoring videoHiddenMe for hiding icons on desktopNote Apps (too many lol)Notion for work and podcast notesObsidian for 2nd brain, brainstormingTextmate for scratchpads while working on a projectApple Notes for personal on-the-go and collaborative notes for homeFantastical for desktop calendars Apple Mail on phone for personal inboxes, Gmail app for work emailsBuild and Learn around the webTwitter: @buildandlearn_Colin: @colinloretzCJ: @cjav_dev

In this episode, we'll touch on office setup and soundproofing, with a focus on effective techniques and materials. We talk about the challenges and strategies in finding non-technical co-founders for startups, emphasizing the importance of shared values and complementary skills. The episode also delves into the impact of AI on the tech industry, particularly concerning recent layoffs. Additionally, we discuss technical topics like API documentation, memory management in Ruby and Rails, and the art of content creation and screencasting.Resources:Google Music FX - Text to Music https://aitestkitchen.withgoogle.com/tools/music-fxHammerstone Dev Podcast - https://hammerstone.dev/podcastTweets mentioned: https://twitter.com/cjav_dev/status/1742909106795528581Job Boards We like: https://railsdevs.com/https://remoteok.com/https://weworkremotely.com/Stripe OpenAPI https://github.com/stripe/openapiScoutAPM - https://scoutapm.com/Screen casting course - https://screencasting.com/KeyCastr - https://github.com/keycastr/keycastrKeyboarding Videos https://youtube.com/shorts/-Ibq3zbvvSYhttps://youtube.com/shorts/xMWugPr2u-Uhttps://youtube.com/shorts/f0rFJn1gI24https://youtube.com/shorts/8FWJqqTzUak

Chris and Colin wrap up 2023 chatting about personal finance, website annotations, vim and a growing need to "finish" something over starting yet another thing.Replacing Mint Colin is using Copilot moneyCJ was using YNAB earlier this yearTagging + podcast expenses: notion, zencastr, transistor, descriptUse our referral code 7X6AQD to get 2 months free https://copilot.money/link/9p7G8LwLqNWGkfrL6BuildingColin: Website AnnotationsAnnotate the webRap GeniusCJ: Lots of little API integrations: PostHog, Segment, Deputy, TwilioLearningColin: Actually finishing projects before starting new onesStartup weekend vs Finish weekendResolutions and goalsCJ: Couple new vim things -The missing semester of CS from MIT`:g` global command which lets you run ex aka command line commands on multiple lines at once it has two arguments, a pattern to match to find which lines to run on and the command to run. I’m excited to use this instead of macros for some common editing cases.Tried out using Descript’s built in video recorder / editor for a video this week and it worked out pretty well except I couldn’t figure out the camera preview thingNow Colin wants to learn vimHappy 2024!

In this episode, Colin and CJ discuss their experience with Advent of Code challenges. They use it as a virtual meetup for their local developer group and the value of solving problems in new languages.They also talk about live streaming using Twitch's built-in Stream Together feature and alternatives like Meld Studio for multi-person streaming setups.Other topics include potentially writing code with voice in the future, resources for learning Ruby like Avdi Grimm's Graceful Dev, and managing home maintenance through preventative care rather than reactively.Advent of Code- The coding challenges we discussedJonathan Paulson's YouTube - Videos solving Advent of Code challenges Bash Bunny on Twitch - Learning Zig with Advent of CodeStream Together on Twitch - Built-in multi-person streamingMeld Studio - Alternative to OBS for Mac streamingScreencasting Course - The course about recording screencastsWhale Quench Talk - Emily's talk about coding with voiceGraceful Dev - Avdi Grimm's site with Ruby resources City Authentic: How the Attention Economy Builds Urban America by David Banks How to Outsmart Your Brain Replit mobile

This week we're digging into when to hold on and when to call it quits when it comes to a business. The team at Craftwork is paying down tech debt with Polish week. We also chat about USB hubs, llamas, and how to get started on YouTube.BUILDING CJ: Polish week at Craftwork - cleaning up code formatting, todos, tests, UI polish and clean up, DX clean up, etc. Colin: Coworking space deep dive Running numbers on business models Using chatGPT to run forecasts Sustainability Book: Quit by Annie Duke Grit vs Quit Sunk Cost & Identity LEARNING CJ: Started doing these mob pairing sessions this week. Mike showed some React Native, Drew showed some UX/UI stuff, Nik showed how to fine tune. Got access to the llama2 models and trying to use ankane’s informers gem to run onnx models locally with Ruby. Colin: Curious if you have any tips on getting started with youtube  How to egghead Aaron Francis - Screencasting.com  TubeBuddy Sean Cannell - ThinkMedia  Ali Abdul Skillshare Course

In this episode, we catch up on recent tech events, discussing in detail the AI launches at both OpenAI and GitHub. We chat about the Hu.ma.ne AI pin, and touch on GitHub Universe. We also talk about Docs implementations and the challenges of managing and maintaining code snippets in documentation. Show notes: Docs  Astro Starlight - https://starlight.astro.build/ Tailwind UI protocol - https://tailwindui.com/templates/protocol Angular - angular.dev Markdoc - https://markdoc.dev/ Calendars  cal.com infrastructure https://cal.com/infrastructure Calendly - https://calendly.com/ Nylas - https://info.nylas.com/ Full Calendar - https://fullcalendar.io/ StoryFuel.app Humane AI pin https://hu.ma.ne/ Github monaspace https://monaspace.githubnext.com/ Crochet talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FtbmlZOk44 Jupyter notebook episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTmcdixuqcY 

Episode 31 Intuit is apparently shutting down Mint, pushing folks to Credit Karma  Colin's school bus update Building CJ is continuing to build out a comms center for managing customer comms in a scalable way for Craftwork. SAML` Colin is working on the conference room booking app,Likely use jumpstart for all stuff you need when you build something new CJ talks more about his new side project, Story Fuel  Learning Colin is also learning a lot about sending/receiving audio over socket connections The ‘Enshittification’ of TikTok Or how, exactly, platforms die." from Cory Doctorow The Imminent Enshittification of the Internet from Gary Marcus

In this episode, we'll share updates and talk about what we're learning and working on. First up, is the exciting prospect of buying a short school bus and converting it into a fun project. We'll touch on UI frameworks like PhlexUI, as well as share updates about our experiences with different diet and fitness regimens. We'll chat about some more AI tools. Lastly, we'll share updates on the conference room booking app and the Reno Colective co-working space's accountability group.Resources PhlexUI - https://www.phlexui.com/ RailsUI - https://railsui.com/ ShadCN - https://ui.shadcn.com/ v0.dev - https://v0.dev/ Macrofactor - https://macrofactorapp.com/ Chronometer - https://cronometer.com/ LangChain.rb - https://github.com/andreibondarev/langchainrb/ Detangle - https://detangle.ai/

No cut off date + multi-modal ChatGPTGenerating AI voices with ElevenLabsLooking cool with New Ray Ban + Meta Smart Glasses?Making an epic screencast set up with Screencasting.com from Aaron FrancisWho’s upgrading to the new iPhone 15 with USB CTraveling with international / regional esim cards from AiraloBetting against SaaS? Once from 37SignalsCalculating customer lifetime valueNot having to deal with churnHashicorp and the Business Software License OpenTofu - open terraform initiativeCJ is working on calendaring with FullCalendar and tinkering with Rails generators.Colin is exploring prose linter options for docs and keeping docs quality high without relying purely on human. Working on some open-source project maintenance.Btw, Craftwerk is hiring!

This time around Colin and CJ talk about learning styles and how to learn to learn. We highlight a documentation framework called "Diataxis," which provides a structured approach to content categorization, differentiating between tutorials, how-to guides, explanations, and references. The significance of recognizing and adapting to varied learning styles, such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. We share our personal experiences and emphasize the importance of diverse teaching methods and creating content even when the subject might have been covered elsewhere. Mentioned were unique projects like an offline Wikipedia on a tablet and a hacked Casio watch that serves as a two-factor authentication generator. The session ends with considerations on video creation and the challenges of live streaming.Resources: Hackers Inc Fitness Episode - https://hackersincorporated.com/episodes/losing-70-lbs-getting-in-shape-and-15-minute-workouts  By Mody Tutor - https://www.mybodytutor.com/ My Fitness Pal - https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ Sendgrid - https://sendgrid.com/ Resend - https://resend.com/ Rails Conf Webhook Workshop - https://github.com/colinloretz/railsconf-webhooks diataxis - https://diataxis.fr/ Cloudflare Docs - https://developers.cloudflare.com/ Crunchy Data Postgres Sandbox - https://www.crunchydata.com/blog/learn-postgres-at-the-playground Pragmatic Thinking and Learning - https://www.amazon.com/Pragmatic-Thinking-Learning-Refactor-Programmers/dp/1934356050 The Dreyfus Model - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyfus_model_of_skill_acquisition

It's the One Year Anniversary of Build & Learn! In this episode we chat about refreshing OAuth tokens and building CRM features with SMS/voice APIs. CJ and Colin also talk about the tradeoffs of building "calm", bootstrapped companies versus venture-backed startups. It seems like everything that is old is new again! What startups from the 2009-2012 vintages do you think could do with some disruption today?Some resources mentioned: GoRails Twilio Flex Follow along off-pod! @colinloretz on Twitter @cjav_dev on Twitter

In this episode you'll hear about Colin's adventure of building a Google Calendar Discord bot using CloudFlare, mastering Google Calendar APIs, and navigating serverless Postgres with neon.tech. We'll also share our insights on the benefits of being part of Y Combinator, and the unexpected hiccups we faced with Rails' Turbo Streams. Dive in and learn from our experiences!Resources:* https://neon.tech/* Jason's tweet: https://twitter.com/jmcharnes/status/1687286039356829698 * Cloudflare Worker docs: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/* Jumpstart Pro starter kit for Ruby on Rails: https://jumpstartrails.com/* Turbo Streams documentation: https://turbo.hotwired.dev/handbook/streams* YCombinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/* Google Calendar API docs: https://developers.google.com/calendar/api/guides/overview * Microsoft Startup program for credits: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/startups

Welcome back after the summer break! CJ and Colin get caught up after a summer of adventure and... new job announcements!CJ update Tahoe Time / Family TimeE-Bike with DadBoat / Plane flight simulatorColin update Spending time on the coworking spaceSummer campingRole reversals and announcement We have new jobs!Context switching Colin: product & engineering → developer relationsCJ: developer relations → product & engineeringFewer guard rails, much less narrow focus, wearing more hats, more autonomy, freedom and responsibilityCJ is now at CraftwerkNextJST3 stackMySQL with PlanetscaleDrizzle ORMZod schema validationBack office/Admin CRUD app in RailsColin is now at DiscordCurrently onboarding and learningBuilding a Google Calendar app to get fully up to speed on all the areas of the developer experienceOther happenings: RailsWorld is happening later this year in AmsterdamTickets sold out in 45 minutesSpeakers announced this weekMust download calendar app for MacOS folks: Fantastical

In this episode, we chat with Dave Paola, the founder of the Agency of Learning, an organization aimed at getting early-career developers job-ready, especially developer boot camp graduates. We delve into the history of boot camps, identify key gaps in current education methods, and explore how the Agency of Learning addresses these gaps by simulating a real-team environment and emphasizing technical and non-technical skills.Resources and LinksVisit the Agency of Learning to learn more about Dave's innovative approach to junior engineer hiring and management.For a more in-depth understanding of teaching for mastery, check out Sal Khan's illuminating TED Talk.Get involved with open-source contributions and support social good with Ruby for Good.Discover Casa, a case management open-source app that supports volunteer work for children in foster care.Dive deeper into the tech industry's professional growth and career progression with Engineering Ladders.Check out "Engineering Management for the Rest of Us" by Sarah Drasner for relatable and pragmatic advice on engineering management.Read David Marquet's transformative leadership book, "Turn the Ship Around" for a novel perspective on leadership and management.Connect with our guest on Twitter @dpaola2 for more enriching content and discussions.

In this episode, we talk with Chris Oliver about his deliberate approach to building GoRails and his other businesses on Rails. In a tech world that only seems to be moving faster and faster, we discuss the slow and steady path he has followed to create a fulfilling life for himself and his team while shipping awesome Rails things for his customers.Some links to things we discussed:Build Your Saas Episode: Nobody in SaaS wants to talk about thisBuild Your SaaS Episode: Super Fun SaaS Sales Tax (Part Deux)Die With Zero bookSome of the things Chris and his team work on:GoRails Jumpstart RailsHatchbox HostingThe Remote Ruby Podcast and many other things you can find at https://excid3.com/