Rails Business

Brendan Buckingham & Ryan Frisch
  • 5.0 (1)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Brendan Buckingham and Ryan Frisch talk about developing with Ruby on Rails and how to leverage it to build a business.

  1. JAN 8

    Mateus Pereira

    In this episode, we chat with Mateus Pereira from Ombu Labs about the nuances of Rails upgrades and how AI is revolutionizing the process. From tackling gem dependencies to client collaboration, Mateus shares valuable insights and tips for executing seamless upgrades. Perfect for developers looking to streamline their Rails projects and leverage AI tools effectively. 00:00 Introduction and Casual Chat 00:25 Meet Mateus: Senior Rails Engineer 01:29 Mateus' Journey into Programming 02:17 Joining Ombu Labs: Trials and Triumphs 03:33 Lessons from Rejection and Persistence 04:35 Challenges in Rails Upgrades 08:12 Tackling Gem Dependencies 20:04 The Role of AI in Rails Upgrades 30:47 Discussing Ruby Critic and Rails Bump 32:07 AI in Code Refactoring 33:58 Client Relationships and Project Management 44:14 Challenges with Test Coverage 45:32 Manual Testing and QA Processes 49:18 Using AI for Writing Tests 55:37 Final Thoughts and Sign-Off LINKS - Mateus' Blog - Mateus' X/Twitter - Mateus' LinkedIn - Ryan's Website - Brendan's X/Twitter - Brendan's Bluesky Questions or comments, email us at railsbusinesspod@gmail.com Send us a text

    57 min

  2. 12/04/2025

    Nate Berkopec

    In this episode, Nate Berkopec, the proprietor of Speedshop, a Ruby on Rails performance consultancy, author of several books including the Complete Guide to Rails Performance, and a maintainer of Puma, joins the podcast. Nate discusses his journey into Rails performance optimization, starting from his early career at startups and his breakthrough talk at the Gotham Ruby Conference. He outlines his 'Three S' framework—Speed, Scalability, and Stability—for tackling performance issues. The discussion includes practical advice for Heroku users on optimizing 'dynos' for better request queuing and performance, as well as insights on using tools like JudoScale and PG Analyze for better Sidekiq job management and database optimization. Nate also touches on the importance of setting proper performance thresholds to balance system efficiency and operational costs. 00:00 Introduction to Nate Berkopec and Speedshop 00:45 Nate's Early Career and Interest in Performance 03:36 The Impact of Nate's Conference Talk and Book 04:40 Challenges in Diagnosing Performance Issues 10:22 Framework for Tackling Performance Problems 17:27 Understanding Heroku's Load Balancing 27:39 Understanding TCP Open Failures 28:10 Optimizing Dynos on Heroku 29:16 Setting Performance Thresholds 31:12 The Importance of Monitoring and Automation 34:25 Challenges with Sidekiq and Data Processing 36:24 Best Practices for Sidekiq Queues 44:48 Ensuring Job Idempotency and Efficiency 49:26 Rapid Fire Tips for Indies 52:41 Conclusion and Final Thoughts LINKS - Speedshop - Nate's X/Twitter - The Complete Guide to Rails Performance Book - Sidekiq in Practice Book - High Availabillity Wikipedia Article - Ryan's Website - Brendan's X/Twitter - Brendan's Bluesky Questions or comments, email us at railsbusinesspod@gmail.com Send us a text

    53 min

  3. 11/21/2025

    Communicating Project Requirements

    In this episode, we tackle the nuances of communicating project requirements within development teams. From managing user stories and acceptance criteria to balancing control and flexibility, we explore best practices for ensuring clarity and efficiency. We share real-world experiences, including the effectiveness of detailed videos and spikes in guiding team members.  01:24 Communicating with Different Levels of Expertise 06:06 The Role of Videos in Communication 14:45 Challenges in Estimating and Scoping Projects 30:52 Using AI to Assist in Writing Tickets LINKS - Ryan's Website - Brendan's X/Twitter - Brendan's Bluesky Questions or comments, email us at railsbusinesspod@gmail.com Send us a text

    32 min

  4. 11/06/2025

    Stephen Anderson

    In this episode, we welcome Stephen Anderson, founder and owner of Bendyworks, a Madison, Wisconsin based Ruby on Rails consultancy. Stephen shares his journey from corporate Java consulting to building a values-driven software shop, discussing his philosophy of constantly seeking 10x productivity improvements and the pivotal moments that led him to entrepreneurship.  LINKS - Bendyworks - Ryan's Website - Brendan's X/Twitter - Brendan's Bluesky Questions or comments, email us at railsbusinesspod@gmail.com Send us a text

    48 min

  5. 10/23/2025

    Scott Werner

    In this episode, we welcome Scott Werner, CEO of Sublayer, to discuss the future of software development and how AI is transforming the industry. Scott shares his experiences and insights on how AI is changing the way startups build and maintain software products, including Sublayer’s AI-driven tools like APM, Augmentations, and Artificial Ruby. They explore practical applications of AI in software engineering, the concept of MCP, and the fast-evolving landscape of AI technology, offering valuable takeaways for developers and tech entrepreneurs. 00:20 Overview of Sublayer's AI Focus 01:20 Main Products and Innovations 03:29 AI in Software Development 07:00 Triggers and AI Automation 08:58 MCP and Structured Outputs 17:53 Open Source and AI Agents 20:05 The Future of AI in Development 21:15 Journey to Sublayer: A Winding Road 23:10 Challenges and Innovations in AI Product Development 28:09 The Fast Fashion Era of Software 33:14 The Future of AI and Business Models 40:17 Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans LINKS - Sublayer Website - Scott's Blog (Works on My Machine) - Ryan's Website - Brendan's X/Twitter - Brendan's Bluesky Questions or comments, email us at railsbusinesspod@gmail.com Send us a text

    41 min

  6. 10/09/2025

    Chris Gaffney

    This week, Chris Gaffney, owner of Dead Man's Snitch, a niche monitoring service for CRON jobs and service heartbeats joined us. Discover the origins of the company, its growth journey, and the challenges faced in achieving uptime and scalability. Chris also shares insights on the tech stack used, the role of Rails in their development, and the impact of market strategies like Heroku integration. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:21 Overview of Dead Man's Snitch 03:03 Challenges and Achievements 03:49 Current Focus and Full-Time Commitment 04:12 Product Use Cases and Platforms 10:02 Heroku Integration Experience 16:09 Marketing Strategies and Developer Challenges 19:26 Future Plans and Dreams 20:08 Balancing Business and Family 23:56 The Value of Personal Touch in Business 25:40 Technical Challenges and Solutions 31:38 Data Management Strategies 37:19 The Role of Rails in Business Success 39:37 Conclusion and Contact Information Questions or comments, email us at railsbusinesspod@gmail.com Send us a text

    40 min

  7. 09/25/2025

    Leveraging AI to Enhance User Productivity

    In this episode, we explore how AI can be leveraged to build engaging features in our applications. We discuss the development of a 'guided blogging' feature using AI, its benefits for users, and the challenges faced in implementing conversational interfaces. We also discuss a bit about the future of AI in SaaS, the role of AI in content curation, and how to balance automation with human oversight. 00:00 Introduction and Catching Up 00:41 Discussing AI feature Ryan is building 02:35 Technical Challenges and Solutions 05:49 Exploring AI Integration 14:41 Future of AI in SaaS 25:13 Human Element in AI 31:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts LINKS - Ryan's Website - Brendan's X/Twitter - Brendan's Bluesky Questions or comments, email us at railsbusinesspod@gmail.com Send us a text

    33 min

  8. 09/12/2025

    Challenges of Performance Monitoring in Rails

    In this episode, we dive into the complexities of performance monitoring in Rails applications. Our discussion revolves around popular tools like Honey Badger, New Relic, Skylight, and App Signal, and the challenges of effectively using them. We explore specific pain points such as queue times, slow endpoints, and memory usage, and contemplate whether rolling your own solution is viable. Listen in for insights, tips, and relatable struggles in maintaining and optimizing Rails apps, especially for smaller teams and solo developers. 00:31 Challenges with Performance Monitoring Tools 01:17 Specific Tools and Their Limitations 02:07 The Cost and Complexity of Monitoring 04:02 Seeking Solutions and Alternatives 09:13 Database Monitoring and Additional Tools 14:18 Considering Building Custom Solutions 16:23 Seeking Help from App Signal 17:01 Discussing Nate Berkopec's Speed Book 19:10 Challenges with Performance Monitoring 22:12 Complexity of Building Web Apps 25:00 Prioritizing Development Tasks 29:16 Concluding Thoughts LINKS - Ryan's Website - Brendan's X/Twitter - Brendan's Bluesky Send us a text

    31 min
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About

Brendan Buckingham and Ryan Frisch talk about developing with Ruby on Rails and how to leverage it to build a business.

Information

  • Creator
    Brendan Buckingham & Ryan Frisch
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Rails Business
  • Show Website
    Rails Business

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