Shows / Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
A podcast about the design, development, and business of great software. Each week thoughtbot is joined by the people who build and nurture the products we love.
Episodes
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
281: Reconnecting With Development (Robby Russell)
Robby Russell, VP of Engineering & Partner at Planet Argon, discusses considering remote work for an agency, strategies for leading a dev team, defining focus…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
280: Design at the Program Layer (Greg Storey)
Greg Storey, founder of Airbag Industries & Executive Director of Design at USAA, discusses the blurring of personal and company identity, helming a budding…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
279: Building a Lifelong Brand (Alex Friedman)
Alex Friedman, co-founder of LOLA, discusses overcoming stigma, launching new products, measuring success, and brand values. LOLA Sex by LOLA See open…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
278: The 'Lights On' Moment (Sam Moorhouse)
Sam Moorhouse, creator of Global Code, discusses the importance of mentorship and how he established a software engineering summer education program in Ghana…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
277: How Do We Work Together? (Michael Sheeley)
Michael Sheeley, former co-founder of Runkeeper, talks about his struggles with scaling, experimentation with prices, finding ways to connect and work together…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
276: Enable and Serve (Chris Heivly)
Chris Heivly, author & entrepreneur in residence at Techstars, discusses the early days of MapQuest, Raleigh as a burgeoning tech city, and building up new…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
275: Galvanizing Focus (Paul English)
Paul English, co-founder of Lola, discusses what it means to be a good brand, transitioning from a tech foundry to a single-product focus, lessons learned from…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
274: Providing Value (Ram V. Iyer)
Ram V. Iyer, Business Thinker & Professional Business Mentor at The Business Thinking Institute, discusses his internalization of business success/failure…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
273: Showcase Your Value (Nilan Peiris)
Nilan Peiris, VP of Growth at TransferWise, discusses growth sources, handling failure, studying user evangelism, launching in a new market, and scaling…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
272: Grown-Up App Development (Dermot Daly)
Dermot Daly, founder and CEO of Tapadoo, discusses being a developer early in the iOS ecosystem while differentiating themselves now as it's become a more…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
271: Being a Good Manager (Camille Fournier)
Camille Fournier, author, speaker, and Managing Director at Two Sigma, discusses her path from Director of Infrastructure Engineering to CTO, lessons learned…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
270: How's Work Lately? (Jennifer Dary)
Jennifer Dary, founder of Plucky, discusses purpose, process, longevity, relationships, and trust by turning the tables and giving Chad a corporate counseling…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
269: Human to Human Connection (David Cancel)
David Cancel, CEO & Co-founder of Drift, discusses bringing the personal touch back to sales through conversational marketing, validating an idea, competition…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
268: Present and Effective (Adam Marchick)
Adam Marchick, CEO & co-founder of Alpine AI, discusses pioneering vocal analytics, making a better experience for digital commerce on vocal platforms, and…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
267: Familiar With the Market (Sara Tateno)
Sara Tateno, founder and CEO of Happity, shares her journey from BBC Radio, to coding bootcamp, to startup founder. Happity Radio 1's Essential Mix Mums in…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
266: Destination Driven (Ernesto Moreno)
Ernesto Moreno, business coach, entrepreneur, & restaurateur, joins Chad to discuss transforming a restaurant using lean methodology, focusing on your…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
265: Loosening My Hold (Tracy Osborn)
Tracy Osborn, author and the creator of WeddingLovely, joins Chad to talk about juggling projects, redefining your core customer base, the feeling of giving up…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
264: Having a Realistic Mindset (Allen Pike)
Chad discusses reflection & goal planning, the scope of internal projects, and balancing time & team structure for both client & product work with Allen Pike…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
263: The Stuff of Science Fiction (George Brocklehurst)
Chad is joined by George Brocklehurst, development director of thoughtbot NYC, to discuss the methodologies, tools, and use cases in working with machine…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
262: The Thought Behind the Bot
In 2003, five friends came together to form thoughtbot. In this special episode, we take a look back on the founding of thoughtbot, and it's first years, told…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
261: A Human Future (Pamela Pavliscak)
Chad is joined by Pamela Pavliscak, founder of Change Sciences, about human-centered design thinking, and incorporating well-being & ethics as a measure of…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
260: Treating Yourself Like a Business (Andrew Carroll)
Chad is joined by Andrew Carroll, CPA and independent CFO, to discuss how the new tax regulations will affect freelancers, small business, & solopreneurs…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
259: Carve Your Own Story (Curtis Herbert)
Chad is joined by Curtis Herbert, independent app developer and creator of Slopes, to discuss balancing client and product work, the pros & cons of a seasonal…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
258: Doing it on Principle (Max Seelemann)
Chad is joined by Max Seelemann, co-founder and lead developer of Ulysses, to discuss app-review, the complexities of multi-platform releases, initiating a…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
257: Mapping the World For Parents (Anne Halsall)
Chad is joined by Anne Halsall, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Winnie, discussing intention in branding, assumptions about features, balancing local…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
256: Stay Hungry, Stay Learning (Hosted by Alan Wick)
The tables are flipped and Chad is interviewed by Alan Wick, at our Playbook Launch Party, on the lessons learned from starting thoughtbot, company…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
255: Solving the Whole Problem (Maria Parker)
Chad chats with Maria Parker, CEO of Cruzbike, about running your first Kickstarter, issues with scaling production, and the challenge of shifting public…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
254: Product and Vision (Chris Savage & Brendan Schwartz)
Chad talks with Chris Savage & Brendan Schwartz, co-founders of Wistia, about building/launching new products, hiring, and managing company identity & vision…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
253: iPads For Camp (Aleen Simms)
Chad is joined by Aleen Simms, an organizer for App Camp For Girls, to discuss the importance and logistics of their new Indiegogo Campaign. Head over to the…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
252: Strategic Foresight (Amy Webb)
Chad is joined by Amy Webb, Professor at the Stern School of Business NYU and Founder & Quantitative Futurist at The Future Today Institute, to discuss…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
251: More Than Just Pretty Pictures (Jarrod Drysdale)
Chad is joined by designer and author Jarrod Drysdale to discuss lessons learned from shutting down Cascade, writing about design, cultivating content for your…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
250: The Internet of Payments (Anders Brownworth)
Chad is joined by Anders Brownworth, Chief Evangelist at Circle, to discuss zero-cost transaction fees, cryptocurrency, and re-envisioning modern payment…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
249: The Business of Buying (Thomas Smale)
Chad is joined by Thomas Smale, founder of FE International to discuss valuations, selling SaaS businesses, and tips to make your product more attractive to…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
248: Crossing the Chasm (Geoffrey A. Moore)
Chad is joined by author Geoffrey A. Moore to discuss the concepts in Crossing the Chasm and how they relate to scaling consulting. The full transcript for…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
247: The Developer’s Path (Laurie Young)
Chad is joined by Laurie Young to discuss The Developer's Path, a panel discussion hosted at thoughtbot London on how companies and developers can work…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
246: Becoming the 'Yes' Person (Sara Chipps)
Chad is joined by Sara Chipps, cofounder of Girl Develop It & CEO of Jewelbots, to discuss integrating with custom hardware, building a community of young…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
245: F is for Feelings (Gregg Pollack)
Chad is joined by Code School & Envy Labs founder Gregg Pollack to discuss optimal work environments and building a company to support Open Source Projects…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
244: A Fork in the Road (Seth Godin)
Chad is joined by author, blogger, entrepreneur, and marketer Seth Godin to discuss the organizational introspection required to move from the cutting edge to…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
243: Mostly Local (Mike McKenna)
Chad is joined by Mike McKenna, CEO of Shotgunflat, to discuss cultivating a business in the town in which one grew up, working with family, the effect of…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
242: Too Dressed Up For The Internet (Kim Goulbourne)
Chad is joined by thoughtbot designer Kim Goulbourne to discuss inspiration, side projects, and winning a Webby Award! The Webby Awards Bitter Renter "Suck it…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
241: I Don’t Like Talking to Computers (Nick Charlton)
Chad is joined by Nick Charlton, thoughtbot developer and co-host of the Build Phase podcast, to give their impressions on all the news out of the WWDC17…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
240: Handing Over the Reins
Ben outlines his next steps, reflects on his time at thoughtbot, and hands the proverbial podcast reins over to Chad. Ballroom Dancing Onboarding on Giant…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
239: Change is in the Air
Ben bids adieu to thoughtbot, and outlines his plans, hopes, and fears for the future. Upcase FormKeep How to negotiate the Long, Slow, SaaS Ramp of Death-…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
238: The Graph is Beautiful
Derrick gets technical about Drip's performance optimization, and reflects on pre-conceived opinions in regards to tactical & strategic planning after…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
237: Steve Jobs Used Slides
Ben and Derrick recount their experiences and lessons learned speaking at MicroConf. Upcase FormKeep MicroConf Hedonic Treadmill Thank you to our sponsor this…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
236: Care For Customer Support (Spencer Fry)
Ben is joined this week by Spencer Fry, founder of TypeFrag, Carbonmade, Uncover, and Coach, to discuss carryover lessons of successful startups. Upcase…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
235: Meta Talk Process
As we prepare for MicroConf, Ben takes a new tact on his talk after giving an early demo, and Derrick recounts a positive pair-programming experience. Upcase…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
234: Secret Features
On FormKeep, Ben implements custom redirects on form submissions and starts a test to remove up-front credit card collection, as well as discusses evaluation…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
233: Insert Mode is the Worst Mode
Derrick welcomes new Javascript and Rails developers to Drip. Ben prepares a content deal and interviews a Content Manager for Upcase, discusses the benefits…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
232: Don't Be Boring
As Ben and Derrick prepare their talks for MicroConf, Ben shares his tips and habits for talk preparation and public speaking. Upcase FormKeep Ben's Pre-Talk…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
231: Who Likes Using Ugly Software?
Ben & Derrick reflect on the S3 outage and how it affected their services, and muse on managing user perceptions. Derrick submits a talk to MicroConf on what…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
230: Sales Through Education (Anna Jacobsen)
Ben & Derrick welcome Anna Jacobsen, Education Director at Drip, to discuss customer demos / onboarding, sales and retention strategies, customer success, and…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
229: We Need More Counters
On FormKeep, Ben runs an A/B test on trial length and adds a short onboarding survey, meanwhile wrapping up team signups and working on a content licensing…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
228: Start in Beginner Mode
Derrick travels to Portland to visit fellow bootstrapper friends, Ben recounts his recent conference travel, and a discussion of their most pivotal hires as…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
227: We Don't Do Fractional Pennies
Derrick celebrates a great shipping week, completing both 'live segments' and a Drip certification course. Ben recounts the rollout & results of the Upcase +…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
226: There Are So Many Edge-Cases
Ben presses to meet the Upcase & Tapas launch deadline, and shares some lessons learned from its preparation, promotion, and launch. On Drip, Derrick rolls out…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
225: Abuse the Sunk-Cost Fallacy
Ben halts the search for a marketer to instead hire a sales consultant and focus on growth himself, and announces a collaboration with Ruby Tapas. Derrick…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
224: Sharpen Your Saw
Derrick takes a solo retreat to reflect on new goals for Drip, and draws up preliminary plans for scaling team size / structure, as well as speeding up…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
223: Work Deterrent System
Ben & Derrick discuss music in the workplace, optimizing Redis, reaching larger markets beyond early adopters, and standing out in job application e-mails…
- Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
222: Honesty Bait
Derrick considers learning a new language to be prepared for scaling Drip's optimization, and gives new details on the tech used to streamline queries for…