The Programming Podcast

The Programming Podcast
The Programming Podcast

Leon Noel and Danny Thompson explain technical problems, industry information, career advice and more on The Programming Podcast! Danny Thompson, Director of Technology @ This Dot Labs Leon Noel, Managing Director @ Resilient Coders & 100Devs

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    6 Game-Changers from Vercel Ship 2025: AI Gateway, Rolling Releases & More

    In this episode, Danny and Leon are joined by James Quick, Head of Developer Experience at BigCommerce, to unpack all the major announcements from Vercel Ship 2025. We cover: NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/ Stay in Touch: 📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business? Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com! 💡 Sponsor: Level Up Financial Planning Changing careers or increasing your income? Get financial clarity with Level Up Financial Planning—helping early and mid-career tech professionals secure their financial future. Visit LevelUpFinancialPlanning.com for a free consultation! https://www.levelupfinancialplanning.com/ Danny Thompson https://x.com/DThompsonDev https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev www.DThompsonDev.com Leon Noel https://x.com/leonnoel https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/ https://100devs.org/ 📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business? Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com! - The new AI Gateway and what “no vendor lock-in” really means - Active CPU pricing and how it can save you real money at scale - Rolling Releases vs. A/B testing for safer, incremental deployments - Bot ID: Vercel’s AI-powered bot protection for logins, checkouts, and expensive LLM endpoints - Micro-frontends and how they fit into your Next.js apps - Sandboxes for isolated testing of AI agents and prototypes - Plus, stick around for our Ask Danny & Leon Q&A on building a stand-out portfolio and getting your first software role 👍 If you enjoyed this deep dive, hit Like, Subscribe, and ring the 🔔 to never miss an episode! 💬 Drop your questions for the next Ask segment in the comments. 🌐 Follow us on Twitter: @DThompsonDev | @LeonNoel Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome & Host Introductions 01:42 – Overview of Vercel Ship 2025 07:08 – AI Gateway: One Endpoint for Every Model 10:22 – Active CPU Pricing: Pay Only for What You Use 14:46 – Rolling Releases: Safer, Incremental Deployments 20:52 – Rolling Releases vs. A/B Testing Explained 24:47 – Bot ID: Invisible AI-Powered Bot Protection 30:03 – Sponsor Break: Level Up Financial Planning 33:07 – UX & Partnership: Why Vercel’s Strategy Matters 36:05 – Sandboxes: Isolated AI & Code Testing 40:03 – The Shift to AI Cloud & Future Workflows 44:47 – Ask Danny & Leon: Portfolio, LinkedIn & Landing Jobs 53:30 – Wrap-Up & What’s Next Enjoy the show!

    54 min

  2. 26 JUN

    JavaScript Map(), Vercel, CSS Tricks, & Dev Advice to get you where you need to be!

    In this episode of The Programming Podcast, Danny Thompson and Leon Noel dive deep into three key topics that every developer should know right now: Vercel’s Fluid Compute — What it is, why it matters, and how a single toggle can slash your cloud costs. JavaScript .map() explained — Not just for beginners! Real-world enterprise use cases and how it protects your original data. New CSS features — Danny brings in a fresh concept that blew his mind over the weekend. They also share powerful insights on how to build momentum after a tech conference, including actionable tips to turn casual conversations into long-term relationships. Finally, Danny shares his AI prompting technique that radically improves the quality of responses from ChatGPT and other tools — and you’ll want to steal this trick. 💡 Whether you're junior or senior, working on side projects or leading enterprise teams, this episode packs in practical advice, strategy, and laughs. 👇 Chapters below — don’t forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review (or hit dislike twice 😉)! ⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters: 0:00 – Intro and janky apps vs. enterprise hacks 1:00 – Podcast kickoff & thank you for 219 5-star reviews 2:30 – Vercel Fluid Compute: Why this one toggle changes everything 4:45 – Multi-threading explained with real examples 7:00 – Impact on React apps, cost savings, and AI workloads 10:00 – Enterprise-scale architecture shifts 11:00 – JavaScript .map() – Real-world usage breakdown 13:40 – Map vs. original data: what juniors often miss 15:00 – Data protection and use cases with sensitive info 16:50 – Why .map() is like let for arrays 17:30 – React, enterprise component architecture, and separation of concerns 19:00 – CSS concept teaser (covered later or in next episode) 37:00 – How to improve your AI prompts dramatically 38:10 – Danny’s exact prompt to get better ChatGPT responses 39:30 – Ask Danny & Leon: How to keep momentum after a tech conference 41:00 – Leon’s tips: Thank-yous, Twitter lists, and coffee chats 42:00 – Danny’s pre-conference strategy and post-event follow-up 44:00 – Junior vs. senior approaches to networking 46:00 – Funny origin story: How this podcast started from a conference joke 47:00 – Building genuine relationships with thoughtful follow-ups 49:00 – Outro – Thanks for tuning in!

    49 min

  3. 19 JUN

    How To EFFECTIVELY Learn JavaScript FAST in 2025

    Struggling to learn JavaScript in 2025? You're not alone—and it's not your fault. In this episode of The Programming Podcast, Leon Noel and Danny Thompson break down the real strategies for mastering JavaScript (and TypeScript) in today’s dev landscape. From avoiding tutorial hell to embracing project-based learning, we cover everything you need to finally make progress. Whether you're just starting out or restarting your coding journey, this episode is packed with hard truths, practical tools, and motivational gems to keep you going—even when it gets tough. We talk about: Learning strategies that actually work Why visual wins matter When to start learning TypeScript Why floats still get taught?! How to avoid false expectations (aka thinking you’re job-ready after one birdhouse) 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode! 🔥 Real advice. Real experience. Real value. Hit that like & subscribe button to support more episodes like this! 💡 Sponsor: Level Up Financial Planning Changing careers or increasing your income? Get financial clarity with Level Up Financial Planning—helping early and mid-career tech professionals secure their financial future. Visit LevelUpFinancialPlanning.com for a free consultation! NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/ Stay in Touch: 📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business? Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com! Danny Thompson https://x.com/DThompsonDev https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev www.DThompsonDev.com Leon Noel https://x.com/leonnoel https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/ https://100devs.org/ 📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business? Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com! ⏱️ Chapters: 0:00 – Intro: Two kinds of projects 0:50 – Learning how to learn: Dr. Barbara Oakley 4:15 – Active recall & spaced repetition 7:30 – Building through pain (the right kind) 10:00 – Why JavaScript feels hard 12:00 – JavaScript vs HTML/CSS: Mental shift 13:10 – Should you start with TypeScript in 2025? 16:00 – Project-based learning: The underrated MVP 18:30 – Learning through fumbling: Leon’s take on floats 21:00 – The ES6/legacy debate: Var vs Let/Const 25:00 – Principles over implementation in the AI age 28:00 – Starting with early wins and momentum 31:00 – Why visual feedback is addictive for beginners 34:00 – Learning from different teachers 36:00 – Debunking "learning styles"? 40:00 – Why some formats (like video) just don’t work for everyone 42:30 – Must-know JavaScript resources in 2025 47:00 – FreeCodeCamp, HeroDev, The Odin Project, Full Stack Open 50:00 – Freelancing and the 100-Hour Project 52:30 – Aligning effort with expectations 54:00 – Birdhouses and burnout: Understanding trade-offs 57:30 – Build your learning identity 59:00 – Ask Danny & Leon: Should I travel 3 hours for a first-round interview? 1:05:00 – How to ask for help (and not sound rude)

    1h 7m

  4. 12 JUN

    Inside the AI Engineer World’s Fair: How Tiny Teams Built $10M Startups in Months

    In this episode, Danny and Leon dive into their firsthand takeaways from the AI Engineer World’s Fair in San Francisco. They share what it felt like to be among the brightest minds shaping the future of AI, why “tiny teams” are the hottest trend right now, and how rapid prototyping tools are changing the game. You’ll hear real-world use cases for AI agents (from meal ordering to personal finance audits), a deep discussion of Model Context Protocol (MCP) and the push for industry standards, plus a glimpse at conversational AI’s next frontier—attaching your bots to phone lines and AR glasses. They also preview the upcoming Commit Your Code conference and cap it off with a listener Q&A on resume and ATS strategies. 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode! 🔥 Real advice. Real experience. Real value. Hit that like & subscribe button to support more episodes like this! 💡 Sponsor: Level Up Financial Planning Changing careers or increasing your income? Get financial clarity with Level Up Financial Planning—helping early and mid-career tech professionals secure their financial future. Visit LevelUpFinancialPlanning.com for a free consultation! NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/ Stay in Touch: 📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business? Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com! Danny Thompson https://x.com/DThompsonDev https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev www.DThompsonDev.com Leon Noel https://x.com/leonnoel https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/ https://100devs.org/ 📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business? Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com! Chapters 0:00 Welcome & AI Engineer World’s Fair Overview 4:50 Insights from Tracy Lee & Conference Atmosphere 7:00 “Tiny Teams” & Building Million-Dollar Startups 11:50 AI Agents in Action: Personalized Meal Planning & Finance Tracking 15:54 AI as a Productivity Multiplier, Not a Headcount Cutter 20:02 Model Context Protocol (MCP) & the Need for Standards 22:55 Advancements in Retrieval, Augmentation & Agentic Flows 26:43 This Dot Labs’ New AI Service Offering 30:42 Conversational AI Meets Telephony: Easy Phone Integration 34:50 AR Glasses, Voice AI & the Future of Human–Machine Interaction 35:58 Evaluating Prompts & Information Quality: Why It Matters 37:45 Preview: Commit Your Code Conference Growth & What’s Next 38:08 Listener Q&A: Ask Danny & Leon Segment 42:00 Resume Rescue: ATS Tips & Bullet-Point Best Practices 45:03 Closing Thoughts & Next Episode Teaser

    46 min

  5. 5 JUN

    Is HTML, CSS & JavaScript STILL Enough in 2025?

    Is HTML, CSS, and JavaScript still enough to land a job in 2025 — especially with AI reshaping everything? Danny and Leon go all in on this question with unfiltered, experience-backed advice that every aspiring developer needs to hear.🔥 Topics we dive into:The real expectations for entry-level devs in today’s marketWhy listing HTML on your resume might actually hurt youHow to develop confidence through "evidence"Why AI tools aren’t the shortcut you think they areWhat actually sets you apart from the competitionAnd why taste, design, and judgment are becoming the new moatWhether you're just starting out or trying to level up, this is the episode that clears the fog and gives you direction.👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe if you found value!00:00 - The Job Market Is a Fight — Are You Ready?01:20 - The Cost of Wasting Resume Real Estate02:00 - What Employers Assume You Know03:45 - Danny and Leon Introduce the Show05:00 - The Big Question: Is HTML/CSS/JS Still Enough in 2025?06:30 - Leon’s Take: “Yes, but...”08:20 - Danny’s Take: “No, and here’s why...”10:00 - Why Most People Asking This Question Are Stuck in JS11:00 - The Decline of Frontend-Only Roles12:20 - Fullstack Is the New Baseline13:30 - What Grads from 100Devs & Resilient Coders Are Actually Learning14:15 - HTML/CSS on Resumes? It’s a Red Flag16:00 - Focus on Achievements, Not Basics17:30 - Why TypeScript and Deeper Skills Matter More Than Ever19:00 - If You’re Missing Resume Wins… Go Make Them20:00 - Why We're Blunt: It's About Getting You Hired21:00 - AI Tools Won’t Replace Hard Work22:30 - Designers & Frontend Devs Are About to Thrive Again24:00 - Taste and Judgment Will Be the Competitive Edge25:00 - Software’s Moat Is Still There — Use It to Your Advantage26:45 - Ask Danny & Leon: “How Do I Fit In as a 19-Year-Old?”28:00 - Confidence Comes from Evidence29:40 - Stop Applying for Internships if You're Not in College31:00 - New Blood and Enthusiasm Are Valuable in Tech32:00 - Final Words: Be Unapologetically Hungry

    32 min

  6. 29 MAY

    Google Just Changed Everything. Here's What You Missed from I/O

    In this episode of The Programming Podcast, Leon Noel and Danny Thompson dive deep into how to get the most out of tech conferences — including unique strategies used at Commit Your Code, what it really takes to build a network from scratch, and how AI is completely changing the developer landscape. From portable mini golf to prompt cards that kickstart conversations, Danny unveils how CYC is engineered to spark real connections — not just QR-code scans. Then, the duo unpacks Google I/O 2025, including wild use cases for AI-generated video, Android XR glasses, and what companies are really doing with AI budgets (spoiler: it’s not layoffs). Whether you're a developer looking to network better, a freelancer trying to close more deals, or just someone curious about how AI is disrupting everything — this episode is for you. 🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode! 🔥 Real advice. Real experience. Real value. Hit that like & subscribe button to support more episodes like this! 💡 Sponsor: Level Up Financial Planning Changing careers or increasing your income? Get financial clarity with Level Up Financial Planning—helping early and mid-career tech professionals secure their financial future. Visit LevelUpFinancialPlanning.com for a free consultation! NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/ Stay in Touch: 📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business? Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com! Danny Thompson https://x.com/DThompsonDev https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev www.DThompsonDev.com Leon Noel https://x.com/leonnoel https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/ https://100devs.org/ 📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business? Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com! Chapters: 00:00 - Strategy for Building Real Connections at Conferences 01:45 - Introducing Commit Your Code & This Year’s Upgrades 03:10 - Mini Golf as a Networking Tool? Here’s Why 04:30 - Free Professional Headshots & The Morning Connect 05:25 - Prompt Cards & the “Start in the Middle” Philosophy 06:15 - The 5-Minute Pass System for Intros 07:50 - How Employers Are Involved at CYC 09:40 - Leon’s Early Networking Strategy: Never Eat Alone 11:00 - The Power of Volunteering at Conferences 13:00 - Shifting the Focus from Collecting Contacts to Creating Relationships 14:15 - “Read the Room” & Breathers During Conversations 15:30 - Making Conferences Less Awkward and More Genuine 16:55 - Transitioning from Online to In-Person Relationships 18:00 - From CYC to Google I/O: Huge Shifts in Tech 20:10 - AI-Generated Video and the Wild Future of Media 21:55 - AI Search and the Changing Behavior Around Google 23:30 - Real-Time Translation with Android XR Glasses 25:05 - Will Smart Glasses Finally Go Mainstream? 27:00 - Google’s Ecosystem Advantage in AI Integration 29:00 - Why Google Glass Was Too Early 30:50 - Stripe Sessions & Corporate AI Investments 32:30 - AI as a Productivity Tool, Not a Layoff Excuse 34:15 - Freelance Client Discovery: Ask the Right Questions 36:00 - What Makes a $30K+ Project Work 37:40 - From $1.8K Projects to $275K+ Consulting Deals 39:10 - Auditing AI-Generated Code Responsibly 40:15 - Why Now Is the Time to Learn AI Tools as a Developer 42:00 - Final Thoughts: Real Problems great than Shiny Tech 43:00 - Ask Danny & Leon: Questions to Ask Freelance Clients

    54 min

  7. 22 MAY

    Devs Are Losing Job Offers Due to THESE Common Mistakes!

    In this power-packed episode of The Programming Podcast, Danny Thompson (Director of Technology at This Dot Labs) and Leon Noel (Managing Director of Engineering at Resilient Coders) break down everything you need to know to get your first job in tech. We go deep on: - Recruiter secrets - Nailing behavioral interviews - Technical interview mindset - Salary negotiation mistakes - Job hunt strategy - Real stories from our own journeys Whether you're just getting started or stuck mid-hunt, this episode is your ultimate job search survival guide—with no fluff, just the actionable truth. We also share what it's like building free communities like 100Devs and Commit Your Code, why most people aren't prepared for their interviews, and how vibes (yes, vibes!) play a bigger role in hiring than you think. NEW SITE https://www.programmingpodcast.com/ Stay in Touch: 📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business? Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com! Danny Thompson https://x.com/DThompsonDev https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev www.DThompsonDev.com Leon Noel https://x.com/leonnoel https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/ https://100devs.org/ 📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business? Email us at dannyandleonspodcast@gmail.com! 🎙️ Subscribe for more real talk about tech, careers, and making it in software. ⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters 00:00 – Intro: Why We’re Still Not Monetized 01:03 – Do NOT Sign Exclusive Recruiter Agreements 02:17 – Why Some Get Jobs Fast (And Most Don’t) 03:36 – Reflections on the Biggest Guest Episode Ever 05:00 – What Recruiters Really Do & Why They Can’t Mentor You 09:48 – How to Prepare for Interview #1 12:00 – What “Being One of the Two” Really Takes 14:45 – Honest Audit: Are You Actually Job Ready? 17:00 – How to Strategize Your Resume & LinkedIn for Interviews 21:00 – Behavioral Interview Tips That Actually Work 23:00 – The Power of “Tell Me About Yourself” 26:00 – Why You Must Research Companies Before Interviewing 28:00 – Turning Interviews into Conversations 30:00 – Asking the Right Questions (and the Wrong Ones) 34:00 – How to Practice Behavioral Interview Questions 36:00 – The Ball Rolling: Following Up the Smart Way 38:00 – Momentum is Everything (Don’t Overinvest in One Job) 40:00 – The Sales Mentality Behind a Successful Job Hunt 42:00 – Technical Interviews: Think Out Loud or Fail Silently 45:00 – The Real Point of the “Soft Tech / Half-Behavioral” Round 48:00 – Storytime: Danny’s YouTube Startup Interview 51:00 – Salary Negotiation on Your First Job 54:00 – Why Your 3rd Job Will Always Outpay Your First 58:00 – The Six-Figure First Job Trap (And Why It’s Misguided) 1:01:00 – Optimize for the Long Game, Not the Big Number 1:04:00 – Listener Question: Finding Your Why & Your Path 1:07:00 – Time Management & Tech as a Launchpad 1:10:00 – Why You’re Struggling with JavaScript Right Now 1:13:00 – Building Something Real While Still Learning 1:15:00 – Never Overpromise to Clients 1:17:00 – Why Motivation Won’t Save You—Discipline Will 1:18:20 – Wrap-Up & Final Thoughts

    1h 18m

  8. 15 MAY

    The Software Developer's AI Cheat Sheet Revealed

    In this episode of The Programming Podcast, Danny Thompson and Leon Noel are joined by special guest Santiago, a machine learning engineer and teacher of the Machine Learning School cohort, for one of the most actionable and grounded AI discussions in tech today. We cut through the hype and dive deep into: - How AI is (and isn’t) replacing developers - Using AI as a co-pilot vs letting AI drive - Vector databases, embeddings, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) - Model Context Protocol (MCP), agent-based systems, and why no one agrees on what an agent is - The underhyped power of edge ML and TinyML - Real-world agent use cases (like automating DocuSign workflows) - Getting started with AI as a developer today — beyond building chatbots Follow our Guest Co-host: https://x.com/svpino https://www.ml.school/ https://www.youtube.com/@UCgLxmJ8xER7Y7sywMN5SfWg This episode is loaded with insights for junior devs, industry veterans, and anyone curious about building real AI-enhanced applications. 🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more developer-first conversations! ⏱️ Timestamps & Chapters: 0:00 – Will AI Replace Software Developers? 0:45 – Embracing AI as a Developer Tool 2:00 – Meet the Hosts and Guest (Danny, Leon, Santiago) 3:20 – Leon’s AI Skepticism Journey 4:30 – Why “AI Won’t Replace You, But Someone Using It Might” 6:30 – Becoming a Solo Builder at Scale with AI 8:15 – Real Examples of Using AI to Get More Done 9:45 – AI and the Power of Prototyping 11:00 – AI Co-pilot vs. You Co-piloting AI 13:00 – Future of Tools Built for AI (MCP, A2A) 14:40 – Shifting Between Developer Modes with AI 17:00 – Intro to Vector Databases & Embeddings 20:45 – What is Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)? 23:00 – Large Context Windows vs RAG: Is RAG Still Relevant? 25:30 – Indexing Speed & Clustering Explained with Spice Rack Analogy 27:50 – Why Grounding Matters (Reducing Hallucinations in LLMs) 31:00 – The Importance of the Ingestion Layer 32:10 – Other Crucial AI Trends: MCP, Agent-to-Agent 33:00 – Defining AI Agents (Why No One Agrees) 35:00 – The Browser Wars of Agent Definitions 36:30 – Overhyped vs Underrepresented AI Concepts 38:00 – Specialized Tools for AI Builders 39:45 – Agents Will Be the Next Microservices 41:00 – Real-World Example: AI + DocuSign + Slack + Asana Integration 43:00 – Underhyped: TinyML and AI on Edge Devices 45:00 – Apple’s Adapter Strategy with LoRA Models 47:00 – Companies Aren’t Ready to Train Custom Models Yet 48:30 – Santiago’s Current AI Stack: Cursor, Windsurf, Tracer, and More 50:30 – Specialized Tools for GitHub Issues, Jupyter Notebooks 52:20 – Fine-Tuning Tools & Lightweight Model Training (DPO, RLHF) 54:00 – Ask Danny, Leon & Santiago: How to Get Started in AI 55:00 – First Project Ideas: RAG with YouTube, Building MCP Servers 58:00 – Easy Agent Idea: Email Filter for Promotions 59:00 – Leon’s Learning Stack: FastAI, MCP Docs, Replicate 1:00:00 – Danny’s Favorite Beginner Project: Alt Text Generator 1:00:25 – Wrap-Up and Goodbye

    1h 1m
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About

Leon Noel and Danny Thompson explain technical problems, industry information, career advice and more on The Programming Podcast! Danny Thompson, Director of Technology @ This Dot Labs Leon Noel, Managing Director @ Resilient Coders & 100Devs

Information

  • Creator
    The Programming Podcast
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Programming Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Programming Podcast

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