Computer Science: Just the Useful Bits

If you're a working software developer, which bits of computer science are useless? Which are useful? And which ones are superpowers?

Every episode I talk to working developers from all different backgrounds about topics in computer science. From different data structures, algorithms, analysis, paradigms and practices, we talk about which ones matter in their day-to-day work, and what kind of work that is.

Latest Interviews

Alain Mauri: To Be a Great Developer, Learn Sport Instead of Computer Science

September 22, 2020

(Anchor.fm link)

Alain and I talk about the old days; about jumping into a first job in PHP because Commodore 64 coding was probably close enough; about how, to be really great on a development team you can skip most of the university education, but learning sport should probably be mandatory..

Comments

Jake Yesbeck: On Getting Lucky, Mastery and the Fundamentals

September 14, 2020

(Anchor.fm link)

Jake and I talk about basically just getting lucky... And also about mastery and understanding the fundamentals of computer science. We talk about university and how it works well for some things (theory, longer-term understanding) and poorly for others (basic how-to-build understanding.) We also talk about the semi-lost art of whiteboard interviewing and how to prep for it if you have way too much time on your hands. And the idea that there are only so many approaches to problems in the world. And maybe a bit about how much better it would be to be a coding recluse in a cave in Norway.

Comments

Mike Perham: Sidekiq and Whitepapers and What Success is For

September 7, 2020

(Anchor.fm link)

Mike, of course, is most famous in the Ruby community for Sidekiq. Outside Ruby, you're more likely to know him for Faktory. Mike and I talk a lot about his education in and out of university and how it's served him. We also talk about how that's changed over the years as his career has continued..

Comments

Tyler Williams: Hands-On Teaching Between Students; the Difference Between Formal and Informal Teaching

August 31, 2020

(Anchor.fm link)

Tyler Williams talks about what made his education good. He's actually going back after years of development to finish his degree and get a master's degree. Not everything was perfect, not everything was good, but he thinks there are parts you can't easily replace in a formal education.

Comments

Jason Swett: When Data Structures, Big-O Notation and Algorithms Were Completely Useless

August 24, 2020

(Anchor.fm link)

Jason Swett and I talk about his education as a programmer and the classes he took in university. I also explain big-O notation in a simple way that (Jason thinks) is useful, and we wander onto topics like philosophy, as Jason and I tend to…

Comments