Episodes

All episodes from Season 1 of What Next? - exploring career boundaries, frameworks, and the future of software engineering.

From the stock exchanges to CTO and why being right doesn't scale

From the stock exchanges to CTO and why being right doesn't scale

50:00
James and Matt talk to Sean Hederman about going from stock exchanges to CTO of Zilch and why being right doesn't scale
From DevOps to Novels: Richard Bown on Humane Engineering & Career Loops

From DevOps to Novels: Richard Bown on Humane Engineering & Career Loops

50:00
James and Matt talk to Richard Bown about humane engineering, career loops, and writing a novel about tech culture.
From Engineering Bootcamps & Founding Startups to GitHub with Kate Catlin

From Engineering Bootcamps & Founding Startups to GitHub with Kate Catlin

45:00
James and Matt talk to Kate Catlin about reinventing your career, product intuition, and building AI at GitHub.
Speaking Like a Human with Stew Bewley

Speaking Like a Human with Stew Bewley

50:21
James and Matt talk to Stew Bewley about how to communicate as an engineer.
Crash, Pivot, and Keep Going

Crash, Pivot, and Keep Going

40:00
Matt and James sit down with Dan Moore to talk about how careers really unfold when things don't go to plan.
Startups, Setbacks, and Landing at Anthropic

Startups, Setbacks, and Landing at Anthropic

25:00
James and Matt explore the remarkably compressed career of one of the new wave of AI-powered software engineers.
How to Survive Getting Laid Off (and Come Back Stronger)

How to Survive Getting Laid Off (and Come Back Stronger)

39:00
James and Matt talk to Steve Jaffe about how to bounce back after losing your job — and how to find real clarity in the chaos.
What is AI good for anyway?

What is AI good for anyway?

25:00
James and Matt discuss what AI-based code generation tools are really good for, and where they fall short.
Do You Really Need to Do a Coding Interview?

Do You Really Need to Do a Coding Interview?

25:00
James and Matt dig into the most debated topic on dev Twitter: Should software engineers have to do coding interviews?
Is AI Helping Engineers — Or Making Things Worse?

Is AI Helping Engineers — Or Making Things Worse?

25:00
James and Matt take a look at AI-based code generation tools—are they making engineers more productive, or just causing a whole new class of problems?
Is AI going to take my job?

Is AI going to take my job?

22:00
James and Matt tackle the question everyone's asking: will AI replace software engineers?
When to Jump Ship or Stay Put

When to Jump Ship or Stay Put

20:00
James and Matt dive into the messy reality of engineers switching jobs—when to walk away and when to stay put.
You Are Not Your Title

You Are Not Your Title

16:00
Matt and James tackle The Title Trap—how culture affects how we view titles, what they really say about your skills, and whether you need to become a manager to progress.
You Are Not Your Language

You Are Not Your Language

15:00
Are you a React developer, or just someone who uses React? Matt and James explore why engineers get stuck identifying with tools instead of skills.
When Good Candidates Don't Get Hired

When Good Candidates Don't Get Hired

15:00
Matt and James dive into why candidates who seem like a great fit don't make it through, and how the cost of a wrong hire compares to missing the right person.
Mid Season Review

Mid Season Review

TBD
A mid-season review where we reflect on making the first four episodes—what worked, what didn't, and where we want to take things next.
Swapnali Bhansali - Quality

Swapnali Bhansali - Quality

TBD
Swapnali Bhansali, a seasoned engineering leader and software quality expert, discusses navigating career transitions, international moves, and the challenges of stepping into leadership roles as a woman in tech.
Danielle Ullner - VC and PE

Danielle Ullner - VC and PE

TBD
In this episode, we speak with Danielle Ullner, a veteran venture builder with extensive experience in the US VC space and BCG Digital Ventures, to help engineers understand how to work with VCs.
AI Augmentation

AI Augmentation

32:15
How AI tools are changing the daily reality of software engineering work
Career Boundaries

Career Boundaries

25:30
Exploring the boundaries that define career transitions in software engineering