Off Script

In this episode, Josh and James explore the nuances of authenticity in online and workplace environments, discussing how to show up genuinely amidst social media pressures, AI influences, and leadership challenges. Featuring Elysha Paige, a recruiter sharing her journey and insights on personal branding, trust, and the evolving digital landscape. 00:00 Introduction to the episode and guest Elysha Paige 02:51 Elysha shares her career journey and motivations 04:15 Challenges of showing up authentically on LinkedIn 06:42 The trap of AI-generated content and comments 08:14 Tips for engaging authentically on social media 12:13 The algorithm's preferences and authenticity 13:29 The importance of authenticity in workplace culture 19:01 The impact of societal factors on authenticity 23:03 Leadership, trust, and living your values 27:40 The role of community and belonging in authenticity 31:45 Transitions between different career roles and learning 35:24 Self-awareness and personal growth in leadership 39:01 Advice for early career professionals and leaders 43:07 The importance of being genuine and consistent

Josh and James discuss the implications of Test-Driven Development (TDD) in the context of the rapid advancements in AI technology. They explore how AI tools are changing the landscape of software development, the challenges of maintaining quality in fast-paced environments, and the importance of balancing speed with safety. Their conversation also touches on the future of coding, the training of new developers, and the evolving role of testing in ensuring robust software solutions. TDD is gaining renewed importance with the rise of AI. AI tools can enhance rapid prototyping but come with risks. Maintaining quality in software is crucial as teams move quickly. The balance between speed and safety is essential in development. Understanding system design and good architecture is foundational for developers. AI can assist in writing tests and fixing bugs effectively. The complexity of production apps increases with user volume. New tools are emerging to support error tracking and testing. Training the next generation of developers is vital in an AI-driven landscape. Investing in TDD and BDD can set teams apart in software development.

In this weeks episode, Josh and James delve into the complexities of the discourse surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), exploring the polarising perspectives that dominate discussions. In a balanced debate, they emphasise the importance of understanding AI as a tool rather than a stand-alone entity, highlighting the need for responsible usage and ethical considerations in its development and implementation. They cover the reality of AI's impact on engineering and the necessity of maintaining a human element in the design process. This episode is a call to action for technologists to navigate the AI hype responsibly and to create strong governance around its use. The original article that Josh wrote that prompted the chat. The discourse around AI is often polarising and broken. AI is frequently misrepresented in sensational headlines. Understanding AI as a tool is crucial for productive discussions. The reality of AI's impact on engineering is often overstated. Human involvement is essential in the design and implementation of AI. Ethical considerations are paramount in AI development. AI can improve accessibility and inclusivity in products. Navigating the AI hype requires careful evaluation and governance. The importance of productive friction in learning and development. AI's role in software development is evolving and requires adaptation.

How do you structure and run the perfect tech conference? What things are involved behind the scenes that attendees don’t see? What advice would you give to someone looking to start their own event? We’re glad you asked! This episode is an All Day Hey! Special where hosts, Josh and James spill the beans on what goes on behind the All Day Hey! conference curtain, how we can collectively safeguard the future of events and what makes running a tech conference like this so special. Join us in Leeds on Thursday, 1st May for this year’s All Day Hey! Tickets and schedule at https://heypresents.com/conferences/2025 00:00 How to run a conference 01:00 Why start a conference? - The aim behind All Day Hey! 02:00 What do you want to provide for the audience? 03:00 Avoiding trends and providing backed knowledge 04:00 How to plan the day of talks to keep people engaged? 05:00 Dealing with technical blunders 07:00 Process of picking speakers and who to contact 08:00 Avoiding talks being sponsored ads 11:00 Getting diversity of topic and idea 12:00 All Day Hey! is community focussed - how to create this? 13:00 How to open up the networking and make it welcoming 14:00 How to close a conference to provoke questions 15:00 Tips for other organisers 16:00 Investing in production quality 17:00 Setting up a conference in 2025 19:00 Keeping the indie conference alive Find out more about Stac and Parallax: https://stac.works https://parall.ax

It’s time to reflect and plan ahead! James and Josh look back at a tumultuous 2024 in tech and ask the big questions about where things are heading. What were the highlights? What lessons can we learn? How do we prepare for 2025? Listen now as we kick-off the year with a brand new instalment of Off Script! In praise of indie conferences The struggles of smaller events AWS re:Invent conference Multi Cloud Distributed SQL - DSQL Tough time for tech in 2024 All Day Hey! Publishing platforms Tech Influencers Complete CSS - Any Bell Learn with Jason The state of the tech economy Whisper Flow CrowdStrike outage AI, Automation, valid JSON, OLLAMA , Constrained Sampling AI Agents, Cursor IDE SASS is in danger? Adobe Podcast New Ruby on Rails Laravel 11 Deno BlueSky References https://piccalil.li/complete-css https://www.youtube.com/@learnwithjason Find out more about Stac and Parallax: https://stac.works https://parall.ax

"It's not enough just being right. You've got to actually convince people of your way of thinking and take other people on the journey". Off Script is back with Josh and James hosting the first episode in a massive two-parter! They take lessons and hot topics from the recent Off Script Live event in Leeds. Dive into the modern challenges and the future direction of leadership in software engineering in this episode. Part 2 out soon! Subscribe so you don’t miss it. Recorded: 27th November 2024 Recap re:invent festival AI announcements Event themes Remote & Hybrid working Slack working dynamics Methods of communication Importance of communication Huddle to convey tone of information Reduce crosstalk and chatter Mandating behaviour vs Encouraging participation Sarah Wells Talk - Nudge Theory - LINK Make it easy for people to do the right thing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Hiring policies Soft Skills in hybrid working Empowering vs washing hands of decisions AI Important to understand the black box Using AI for leadership decisions Reference https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxcgywwC4u8 Find out more about Stac and Parallax: https://stac.works https://parall.ax

Jack Sails (IMA) is back with James & Josh to discuss the recent WWDC24 Apple Developer conference. Was AI the word of the conference? Find out as they work through everything revealed this year and how it will affect their products going forward. In this episode: 00 Intro 01 Apple Intelligence 02 AI & Apple’s Privacy first approach 04 SIRI & Natural language AI integration 06 Natural language vs pre scripted 09 Image Playground AI image creator 10 SIRI x Open AI 12 Genmoji 12 IOS 18 16 Transcribed calls 17 New apps 18 New password app 21 Sequoia macOS 23 Does the UK follow the EU restrictions 24 Supporting old hardware 29 Vision OS 2 References: https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/wwdc/ Find out more about Stac and Parallax: https://stac.works https://parall.ax

What do fish donuts, a passion for cooking and elaborate recipes have to do with productivity? Are you getting enough of a creative outlet around your busy schedule? Josh and James discuss the importance of side projects and how the variety they add to your week benefits your work-life balance and output! In this episode: 00:00 Welcome 01:00 What are our side projects? 02:00 Coding 03:00 Cooking 04:00 Josh’s chef stage experience 11:00 Service state - Flow state when coding 12:00 Find your creative outlet 13:00 Find the time 16:00 Adding variety to life 17:00 Book - One Thing 18:00 Having side projects when being a leader 19:00 Consistency References: https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Thing-Surprisingly-Extraordinary-bestselling/dp/1848549253 Find out more about Stac and Parallax: https://stac.works https://parall.ax