# Overcommitted | Software Engineering and Programming Insights > Overcommitted brings you software engineers who are genuinely passionate about their craft, discussing the technical decisions, learning strategies, and career challenges that matter. Overcommitted is where passion for the craft meets real talk about software engineering—from pull request philosophy and technical debt strategy to imposter syndrome and continuous learning, we are engineers committed to growing together and sharing the honest, thoughtful conversations that make you better at your job and your life. Overcommitted is a weekly software engineering podcast hosted by software engineers at GitHub (Bethany Janos, Brittany Ellich, and Erika "Eggyhead" Eggemeyer). Episodes alternate between deep-dive discussions among the hosts and interviews with industry leaders, authors, and practitioners. Full transcripts are available for most episodes. ## Key pages - [Episodes (home)](https://overcommitted.dev/): The full episode catalog with audio player. - [About & FAQ](https://overcommitted.dev/about): Show overview, host bios, and frequently asked questions. - [Topics](https://overcommitted.dev/topics): Browse episodes by topic/tag. - [Blog](https://overcommitted.dev/blog): Written posts from the hosts. - [Sponsor](https://overcommitted.dev/sponsor): Advertising and sponsorship information. - [Contact](https://overcommitted.dev/contact): Reach the hosts or pitch yourself as a guest. ## Listen & subscribe - [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/overcommitted/id1804549260) - [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2QOeTxNTB5ouehOGpAJex7) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtB6jHdGNyzd-GiAjcBjUXiuFxWeDwjjJ) - [Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2199a9bb-b763-4bf4-b4ec-47e544d8a099/overcommitted) - [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/overcommitted.dev) - [RSS feed](https://anchor.fm/s/102586d64/podcast/rss) - [Discord community](https://discord.gg/d9gZyYuqKd): 140+ engineers discussing the show and the craft. ## Hosts - **Bethany Janos** — Bethany is a software engineer at GitHub on the Copilot API team who studied biomedical engineering in college before discovering her love for programming. She's passionate about authentic technical communication, challenging assumptions about identity in tech, and creating welcoming environments where engineers can grow without sacrificing who they are. (https://github.com/bethanyj28 · https://bsky.app/profile/trustyduck.bsky.social) - **Brittany Ellich** — Brittany is a software engineer at GitHub working on the billing team, where she champions accessibility, documentation, and engineering mentorship programs. As a career changer who's been in tech for several years, she's passionate about building authentic engineering communities and helping developers navigate the real challenges of technical debt, career sustainability, and work-life balance. (https://brittanyellich.com · https://github.com/brittanyellich · https://bsky.app/profile/brittanyellich.com) - **Eggyhead (Erika)** — Erika is a software engineer at GitHub on the authorization team and a career changer who brings fresh perspectives to imposter syndrome, goal-setting, and collaborative engineering. She's deeply interested in learning, building supportive developer communities, and helping engineers measure success on their own terms. (https://github.com/eggyhead · https://bsky.app/profile/eggyhead-dev.bsky.social) - **Jonathan Tamsut (Former Host)** — Jonathan is a former software engineer at GitHub and co-founder of Overcommitted who studied chemistry in college before transitioning to tech. He brought thoughtful perspectives on imposter syndrome, personal branding, and the deeper psychological aspects of engineering careers, helping shape the podcast's honest conversations about developer life. (https://jtamsut.substack.com · https://github.com/jtamsut · https://bsky.app/profile/jetmin.bsky.social) ## Topics covered - Career Development - AI & Developer Tools - Technical Deep Dives - Leadership & Management - Non-traditional Paths to Tech - Developer Experience/DevRel - Imposter Syndrome & Mental Health - Productivity & Learning - Open Source & GitHub - Product & Engineering Collaboration ## Episodes - [Episode 68: What VCs Want from Tech Talent | Engineering Careers with Melanie Nabar](https://overcommitted.dev/what-vcs-want-from-tech-talent-engineering-careers-with-melanie-nabar): What do investors actually look for in software engineers and tech founders? Melanie Nabar pulls back the curtain on what VCs see when evaluating engineering talent, sharing insider insights on career growth, technical credibility, and the skills that matter m... - [Episode 67: Safety-Critical Software | System Reliability for Live Events with Lars Olson](https://overcommitted.dev/safety-critical-software-system-reliability-for-live-events-with-lars-olson): Summary What happens when a software bug stops a concert—or endangers a performer flying above the stage? System reliability takes on new meaning in live event tech. This week, Brittany and Erika talk with Lars Olson, full stack engineer at TAIT, about buildi... - [Episode 66: Keeping Skills Sharp in the AI Age | Developer Productivity Essentials](https://overcommitted.dev/keeping-skills-sharp-in-the-ai-age-developer-productivity-essentials): As AI code intelligence tools reshape daily programming work, developer productivity and career growth depend less on speed and more on judgment. In this episode, we explore what skills actually matter when AI writes code—and why engineers need a new mindset a... - [Episode 65: Software Engineering in Production With Cameron Etezadi](https://overcommitted.dev/software-engineering-in-production-with-cameron-etezadi): What happens when coding becomes nearly free - but everything else in the software delivery process doesn't? Cameron Etezadi, CTO at LaunchDarkly, joins Erika, Brittany, and Bethany to talk about the gap between code that compiles and code that actually works ... - [Episode 64: Coding Interviews in the AI Era | Beyond LeetCode for Career Growth](https://overcommitted.dev/coding-interviews-in-the-ai-era-beyond-leetcode-for-career-growth): Summary Brittany's first weeks at Bluesky are reframing everything she thought about coding interviews. Career growth in tech still hinges on algorithm problems, but AI, remote work, and async development have fundamentally changed what actually signals engin... - [Episode 63: Why AI Coding Agents Keep Guessing | Context Gap & Code Intelligence with Dennis Pilarinos](https://overcommitted.dev/why-ai-coding-agents-keep-guessing-context-gap-code-intelligence-with-dennis-pilarinos): Summary Dennis Pilarinos has spent nearly two decades building developer tools at Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Buddybuild (acquired by Apple). Now CEO of Unblocked, he's tackling the critical problem holding back agentic AI development: context intelligence. Why... - [Episode 62: Agentic AI Development | Shipping Real Tools with Sterling Chin](https://overcommitted.dev/agentic-ai-development-shipping-real-tools-with-sterling-chin): Summary What does it actually look like to hand 90% of your workday over to an AI agent you built yourself? Sterling Chin, founding DevRel at Inngest and creator of Marvin, an open-source AI chief of staff with nearly 1,000 GitHub stars, has been doing exact... - [Episode 61: AI Code Quality: The New Software Engineering Bottleneck](https://overcommitted.dev/ai-code-quality-the-new-software-engineering-bottleneck): AI is generating more code than ever, but most engineers aren't verifying it. Sonar Staff AI Researcher Joe Tyler shares breakthrough findings from his LLM Leaderboard research on code quality, the hidden "coding personalities" of different models, and why the... - [Episode 60: Design Engineering, Interviews & Job Search | Career Growth with Adam Argyle](https://overcommitted.dev/design-engineering-interviews-job-search-career-growth-with-adam-argyle): Summary Software engineering career moves don't have to be a lottery. In this episode, Adam Argyle breaks down why the technical interview process is fundamentally broken, how design engineering skills actually transfer across roles, and the tactical job sear... - [Episode 59: Building the Decentralized Social Web: From Collective Social to OpenSocial](https://overcommitted.dev/building-the-decentralized-social-web-from-collective-social-to-opensocial): Brittany shares her journey building Collective Social - a Goodreads-style app for all kinds of media built entirely on the AT Protocol - and how it led her to create OpenSocial, a service that lets any app on the decentralized web share group functionality li... - [Episode 58: There are no shortcuts | Craft & career growth with Salma Alam-Naylor](https://overcommitted.dev/there-are-no-shortcuts-craft-career-growth-with-salma-alam-naylor): Summary In this episode, Erika talks with Salma Alam-Naylor about software engineering craft, programming best practices, and why the long game beats shortcuts. As AI coding tools proliferate and everyone chases speed, Salma digs into deliberate practice, sus... - [Episode 57: Build Real Tools, Skip LeetCode: Systems Programming for Career Growth with John Crickett](https://overcommitted.dev/build-real-tools-skip-leetcode-systems-programming-for-career-growth-with-john-crickett): Tech careers don't need to mean grinding LeetCode. In episode 57, John Crickett — 30+ year engineer, Coding Challenges creator (90K+ subscribers) — makes the case that programmer productivity skyrockets when you build real tools instead. We dig into why your o... - [Episode 56: Run Toward Something - Career Growth, Mentorship & Work-Life Balance with Dave Schwantes](https://overcommitted.dev/run-toward-something---career-growth-mentorship-work-life-balance-with-dave-schwantes): Summary Career growth through mentorship and work-life balance with Dave Schwantes, Senior Software Engineer at GitHub. Brittany and Dave explore why running toward meaningful work beats running from burnout, how mentorship became his primary form of engineer... - [Episode 55: Building Your Own Tech Career Path - Bootcamp, Teaching & Big Platforms with Sabrina Goldfarb](https://overcommitted.dev/building-your-own-tech-career-path---bootcamp-teaching-big-platforms-with-sabrina-goldfarb): Summary Sabrina Goldfarb rejected the tech career playbook. No CS degree, bootcamp instead, teaching before big platforms. Now an engineer on GitHub's Copilot team and instructor at Frontend Masters, she shares how methodical planning, patience, and trust in ... - [Episode 54: Building Bulletproof Systems: Warren Parad on Software Engineering for High Availability](https://overcommitted.dev/building-bulletproof-systems-warren-parad-on-software-engineering-for-high-availability): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Bethany and Erika sit down with Warren Parad, CTO and co-founder of Authress, a user authorization API built for reliability. Warren shares how his team stayed fully operational during the massive AW... - [Episode 53: Scaling Search Engineering at DoorDash: From Monoliths to Custom Search Engines with Satish Saley](https://overcommitted.dev/scaling-search-engineering-at-doordash-from-monoliths-to-custom-search-engines-with-satish-saley): Summary In this episode of Overcommitted, Satish Saley, a senior software engineer with extensive experience on DoorDash's search platform team, discusses scaling search systems at a hyper-growth company. This conversation dives deep into software engineering... - [Episode 52: Overcommitted After One Year: Insights on Software Projects, Growth, and What's Next](https://overcommitted.dev/overcommitted-after-one-year-insights-on-software-projects-growth-and-whats-next): Summary In this special one-year anniversary episode of Overcommitted, Brittany, Erika, and Bethany reflect on their journey from a small accountability group to a thriving weekly podcast and community of over 160 software engineers. They discuss their experi... - [Episode 51: AI as a Power Up, Not Autopilot: Craig Dennis on Boosting Productivity and Software Development Education](https://overcommitted.dev/ai-as-a-power-up-not-autopilot-craig-dennis-on-boosting-productivity-and-software-development-education): Summary In this episode, we dive deep into software development education and programmer productivity with Craig Dennis, developer educator at Cloudflare and creator of AI Avenue. Craig shares his unique journey through tech careers, from early challenges to ... - [Episode 50: Making Long Bets: How GitHub Next Shapes the Future of Software Engineering with Idan Gazit](https://overcommitted.dev/making-long-bets-how-github-next-shapes-the-future-of-software-engineering-with-idan-gazit): Summary This week on Overcommitted, Erika and Brittany welcome Idan Gazit, head of GitHub Next — a senior-heavy innovation team making strategic "long bets" on the future of software engineering and software projects. Idan shares insights into running a cutti... - [Episode 49: Using AI Agents in Software Development 2026: Current Uses and Future Possibilities](https://overcommitted.dev/using-ai-agents-in-software-development-2026-current-uses-and-future-possibilities): Summary In this special in-person episode recorded at the GitHub office, Brittany and Bethany dive into the evolving role of AI agents in software development and programming as of early 2026. They discuss the impact of AI tools like Copilot and Claude Code o... - [Episode 48: How Staff Engineers Impact Software Projects and Programmer Productivity with Sean Goedecke](https://overcommitted.dev/how-staff-engineers-impact-software-projects-and-programmer-productivity-with-sean-goedecke): Summary Sean Goedecke, a staff engineer on GitHub's Copilot team and a prominent voice in software development, shares his unique frameworks for software engineering and improving programmer productivity. In this episode, discover how understanding the distin... - [Episode 47: From Score to Source Code: Non-Traditional Careers, Rust, and Embracing What You Don't Know Yet](https://overcommitted.dev/from-score-to-source-code-non-traditional-careers-rust-and-embracing-what-you-dont-know-yet): What do composing music and fixing bugs have in common? More than you'd think.In this episode of Overcommitted, hosts Erika and Bethany sit down with Marco Herrera Rendon, Senior Engineer at Comcast specializing in Rust development who, not long ago, was apply... - [Episode 46: Interactive Computer Science Education: Sam Rose on Visual Learning & Developer Teaching](https://overcommitted.dev/interactive-computer-science-education-sam-rose-on-visual-learning-developer-teaching): Summary: In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, host Bethany and co-host Brittany Ellich dive into software engineering education with Sam Rose, a developer educator at Ngrok. Sam shares his journey from software engineering to education, emphasizing h... - [Episode 45: Sustainability in Software Development: Robby Russell on Tech Debt and Engineering Culture](https://overcommitted.dev/sustainability-in-software-development-robby-russell-on-tech-debt-and-engineering-culture): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Brittany, Bethany, and Erika dive deep into the realities of software development with guest Robby Russell. They explore the critical challenges of maintaining legacy code and managing technical debt... - [Episode 44: AI, Burnout, and the Myth of the 10x Developer: Addressing Burnout in Software Engineering](https://overcommitted.dev/ai-burnout-and-the-myth-of-the-10x-developer-addressing-burnout-in-software-engineering): Summary In this insightful episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Erika, Bethany, and Brittany tackle the critical issue of burnout in software projects and software engineering, especially amid the surge of AI advancements and remote work. They dive int... - [Episode 43: Accessibility, Fiber Arts, and ADHD with Abbey Perini](https://overcommitted.dev/accessibility-fiber-arts-and-adhd-with-abbey-perini): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Bethany, Brittany, and Erika engage in a rich conversation with Abbey Perini, a web developer and fiber artist. They explore Abbey's current projects, the intersection of fiber arts and programming, ... _(Topics: Non-traditional Paths to Tech, Developer Experience/DevRel, Career Development, Productivity & Learning)_ - [Episode 42: Making Silly Software with Christina Martinez](https://overcommitted.dev/making-silly-software-with-christina-martinez): Summary In this episode, the hosts meet with Christina Martinez, a developer experience engineer from Resend, who shares insights on her creative process and current projects. She shares her delight in building silly software and how she's using that to learn... _(Topics: Developer Experience/DevRel, Non-traditional Paths to Tech, Career Development, Productivity & Learning)_ - [Episode 41: Building Without the Buzzwords: Real Talk on System Design with Bassem Dghaidi](https://overcommitted.dev/building-without-the-buzzwords-real-talk-on-system-design-with-bassem-dghaidi): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Brittany and Bethany with guest Bassem Dghaidi discuss a range of topics from Bassem's current learning journey in system design to his diverse career path at GitHub. They explore the value of experi... _(Topics: Technical Deep Dives, Open Source & GitHub, Career Development, Developer Experience/DevRel)_ - [Episode 40: From Librarian to Software Engineer: Tammy Metz on Career Pivots and Mentorship](https://overcommitted.dev/from-librarian-to-software-engineer-tammy-metz-on-career-pivots-and-mentorship): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, host Erika and co-host Brittany Ellich welcome Tammy Metz, a software engineer at GitHub, who shares her unique journey from teaching and library science to software engineering. The conversation explores ... _(Topics: Non-traditional Paths to Tech, Career Development, Leadership & Management)_ - [Episode 39: Lifting as you Climb: Cassidy Williams on DevRel, Mentorship, and Building for Developers](https://overcommitted.dev/lifting-as-you-climb-cassidy-williams-on-devrel-mentorship-and-building-for-developers): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Bethany, Brittany, and Erika are joined by Cassidy Williams, Senior Director of Developer Advocacy at GitHub. They discuss Cassidy's journey in the Developer Relations (DevRel) space, her philosophy ... _(Topics: Developer Experience/DevRel, Career Development, Non-traditional Paths to Tech, Leadership & Management)_ - [Episode 38: Writing for Developers with Piotr Sarna](https://overcommitted.dev/writing-for-developers-with-piotr-sarna): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Brittany, Bethany, and Erika engage in a deep conversation with Piotr Sarna, co-author of 'Writing for Developers.' They explore the journey of co-authoring a book, the importance of writing in engin... _(Topics: Productivity & Learning, Developer Experience/DevRel, Career Development)_ - [Episode 37: Being Unreasonable with Jason Lengstorf](https://overcommitted.dev/being-unreasonable-with-jason-lengstorf): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Bethany, Brittany, and Erika engage in a deep conversation with Jason Lengstorf about the concept of being unreasonable in the tech industry. Jason shares his journey of embracing unreasonableness to... _(Topics: Career Development, Non-traditional Paths to Tech, Developer Experience/DevRel, Leadership & Management)_ - [Episode 36: Navigating the future of AI agent security with Dan Moore](https://overcommitted.dev/navigating-the-future-of-ai-agent-security-with-dan-moore): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, Erika and Brittany discuss the evolving landscape of AI agents and their implications for security and identity management. Joined by expert Dan Moore, they explore the challenges posed by non-deterministi... _(Topics: AI & Developer Tools, Technical Deep Dives)_ - [Episode 35: Decoding Developer Trends: Inside the Life of a Developer-Focused Analyst with Kate Holterhoff](https://overcommitted.dev/decoding-developer-trends-inside-the-life-of-a-developer-focused-analyst-with-kate-holterhoff): Summary Join us for a conversation with Kate Holterhoff, an industry analyst at Redmonk who tracks developer trends from Reddit threads to conference halls. Kate shares her unique journey from earning a PhD in Victorian literature to becoming a self-taught de... _(Topics: AI & Developer Tools, Developer Experience/DevRel, Career Development)_ - [Episode 34: The Art of Storytelling in Leadership with Matt Sinclair](https://overcommitted.dev/the-art-of-storytelling-in-leadership-with-matt-sinclair): Summary In this episode, Matt Sinclair, former partner and VP of Engineering at BCG Digital Ventures, explores the critical role of storytelling in effective leadership and shares his journey from building high-performance payment systems to coaching the next... _(Topics: AI & Developer Tools, Technical Deep Dives, Productivity & Learning, Career Development)_ - [Episode 33: Looks Good to Me with Adrienne Braganza](https://overcommitted.dev/looks-good-to-me-with-adrienne-braganza): Summary In this episode of Overcommitted, hosts Erika and Brittany interview Adrienne Braganza, the author of the book Looks Good to Me. The conversation delves into the critical role of communication in code reviews, emphasizing that misunderstandings often ... _(Topics: Technical Deep Dives, Leadership & Management, Productivity & Learning)_ - [Episode 32: Navigating the Startup Landscape with Rick Turoczy](https://overcommitted.dev/navigating-the-startup-landscape-with-rick-turoczy): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, host Bethany and co-hosts Erika and Brittany welcome Rick Turoczy, a veteran in the Portland tech startup scene. They discuss Rick's journey from a hobbyist developer to a key supporter of startup founders... _(Topics: Non-traditional Paths to Tech, Leadership & Management, Career Development)_ - [Episode 31: Finding Your Flow - Developer Productivity and The Zone](https://overcommitted.dev/finding-your-flow---developer-productivity-and-the-zone): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, Erika and Brittany delve into the concept of flow state in software development, exploring its significance for productivity and job satisfaction. They share personal experiences of achieving flow, discuss... _(Topics: Productivity & Learning, AI & Developer Tools, Technical Deep Dives)_ - [Episode 30: What all developers should know with Thomas Dohmke](https://overcommitted.dev/what-all-developers-should-know-with-thomas-dohmke): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, host Brittany Ellich and co-hosts Bethany and Erika welcome Thomas Dohmke, former CEO of GitHub. They discuss Thomas's journey in software development, pivotal moments in his career, the importance of pass... _(Topics: Career Development, Leadership & Management, Open Source & GitHub, Productivity & Learning)_ - [Episode 29: Building Search Infrastructure Developers Actually Want to Use with Don MacKinnon](https://overcommitted.dev/building-search-infrastructure-developers-actually-want-to-use-with-don-mackinnon): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, host Erika and co-hosts Bethany and Brittany Ellich engage in a conversation with Don McKinnon, founder of Searchcraft. They discuss Don's journey in software engineering, the challenges faced while buildi... _(Topics: Technical Deep Dives, Non-traditional Paths to Tech, AI & Developer Tools)_ - [Episode 28: From Engineer to Entrepreneur with Brad Heller](https://overcommitted.dev/from-engineer-to-entrepreneur-with-brad-heller): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Brittany Ellich and Erika engage with Brad Heller, co-founder and CTO of Tower, discussing his journey from software engineer to startup founder. They explore the evolution of software engineering ca... _(Topics: Non-traditional Paths to Tech, Leadership & Management, Career Development)_ - [Episode 27: Q3 Goals Recap with Bethany and Brittany](https://overcommitted.dev/q3-goals-recap-with-bethany-and-brittany): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Bethany and Brittany discuss their experiences at recent tech conferences, including Cascadia JS and GopherCon. They reflect on their goals from the past quarter, sharing successes and challenges, an... _(Topics: Productivity & Learning, Career Development)_ - [Episode 26: Lessons from an Interim Engineering Manager with Indrajith Premanath](https://overcommitted.dev/lessons-from-an-interim-engineering-manager-with-indrajith-premanath): Summary In this episode of the Overcommited podcast, the hosts engage in a deep conversation with Indrajith Premanath, an engineer at GitHub, who shares his journey of transitioning from an individual contributor to an engineering manager during an interim ma... _(Topics: Leadership & Management, Career Development, Product & Engineering Collaboration)_ - [Episode 25: Developer Advocacy with Annie Sexton](https://overcommitted.dev/developer-advocacy-with-annie-sexton): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted podcast, host Brittany Ellich and co-hosts Erika, Bethany, and Jonathan Tamsut engage in a conversation with Annie Sexton, a developer advocate at fly.io. They explore Annie's unique journey into developer advocacy... _(Topics: Developer Experience/DevRel, Non-traditional Paths to Tech, Productivity & Learning, Career Development)_ - [Episode 24: Ethics in Code: Social Media's Role in Software Engineering](https://overcommitted.dev/ethics-in-code-social-medias-role-in-software-engineering): Summary Software engineering ethics isn't just a buzzword—it directly impacts your career trajectory, mental health, and long-term sustainability in tech. In this episode, we explore how engineers navigate ethical decisions on social media, handle public cont... _(Topics: AI & Developer Tools, Imposter Syndrome & Mental Health, Career Development)_ - [Episode 23: Master Storytelling for Software Engineers | Programming Communication](https://overcommitted.dev/master-storytelling-for-software-engineers-programming-communication): Summary Great engineers tell better stories—and better stories accelerate careers. On Overcommitted, we explore how software engineers can master storytelling to communicate impact, land opportunities, and build influence without the burnout. From pitching pr... _(Topics: Developer Experience/DevRel, Productivity & Learning, Career Development)_ - [Episode 22: Gamification | Boost Programmer Productivity & Career Growth](https://overcommitted.dev/gamification-boost-programmer-productivity-career-growth): Summary Gamification isn't just for games—it's a career growth and programming best practices catalyst. In this episode, we explore how engineering culture can adopt game mechanics to boost programmer productivity, prevent burnout, and create sustainable lear... _(Topics: Productivity & Learning, Imposter Syndrome & Mental Health, Leadership & Management)_ - [Episode 21: AI Agents in Software Development | Bridging Automation and Engineering](https://overcommitted.dev/ai-agents-in-software-development-bridging-automation-and-engineering): Summary AI agents are reshaping how software engineers work—but what exactly are they? In this episode, we break down AI agents for programmers: what they do, how they fit into your software projects, and why understanding them matters for your career growth.... _(Topics: AI & Developer Tools, Technical Deep Dives, Productivity & Learning)_ - [Episode 20: Personal Brand for Software Engineers | Career Growth Strategy](https://overcommitted.dev/personal-brand-for-software-engineers-career-growth-strategy): Summary Building a strong personal brand as a software engineer isn't vanity—it's career insurance. In this episode, we explore how programmers can develop authentic visibility and thought leadership to unlock better opportunities, negotiate from strength, an... _(Topics: Career Development, Developer Experience/DevRel, Imposter Syndrome & Mental Health)_ - [Episode 19: Open Source Protocols: AT Proto, MCP, and Developer Productivity with Nick Gerakines](https://overcommitted.dev/open-source-protocols-at-proto-mcp-and-developer-productivity-with-nick-gerakines): Summary As AI-driven development tools explode, decentralized protocols like AT Proto and MCP are reshaping how software engineers collaborate and maintain ownership of their work. In this episode, we talk with Nick Gerakines about how open source infrastruct... _(Topics: Technical Deep Dives, Open Source & GitHub)_ - [Episode 18: Tech Internships & Mentorship | Career Growth Strategies for Emerging Engineers](https://overcommitted.dev/tech-internships-mentorship-career-growth-strategies-for-emerging-engineers): Summary Mentorship can make or break your tech career—but how do you actually build it as an intern? In this episode, hosts Alec Breton, Cole Hartman, and Doris Wang explore the real mechanics of mentorship in tech internships: finding the right mentor, navig... _(Topics: Career Development, Leadership & Management, Productivity & Learning)_ - [Episode 17: Ep. 17 | Empowering Women in Tech with Jennifer Harris](https://overcommitted.dev/ep-17-empowering-women-in-tech-with-jennifer-harris): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, host Jonathan Tamsut and co-hosts Brittany Ellich and Bethany engage in a deep conversation with Jennifer Harris, founder and CEO of Technology Management Concepts. They explore Jennifer's journey into ent... _(Topics: Non-traditional Paths to Tech, Leadership & Management, Career Development)_ - [Episode 16: Ep. 16 | Understanding Software Availability with Ross Brodbeck](https://overcommitted.dev/ep-16-understanding-software-availability-with-ross-brodbeck): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, Brittany Ellich and her co-hosts engage with Ross Brodbeck, a software engineer at GitHub, to explore the critical topic of software availability. They discuss the definitions of availability, reliability,... _(Topics: Technical Deep Dives, Leadership & Management)_ - [Episode 15: Ep. 15 | Q2 Goals Retrospective](https://overcommitted.dev/ep-15-q2-goals-retrospective): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Bethany, Jonathan, Brittany, and Erika reflect on their goals for the second quarter, sharing successes and challenges. They discuss lessons learned, personal growth, and strategies for improvemen... _(Topics: Productivity & Learning, Career Development)_ - [Episode 14: Ep. 14 | Mastering pull requests](https://overcommitted.dev/ep-14-mastering-pull-requests): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, the hosts discuss the intricacies of pull requests, focusing on the reviewer mindset, crafting effective pull requests, and managing the review workflow. They share insights from Brittany's recent conferen... _(Topics: Technical Deep Dives, Productivity & Learning, Open Source & GitHub)_ - [Episode 13: Ep. 13 | AI 2027: Will AI take my job?](https://overcommitted.dev/ep-13-ai-2027-will-ai-take-my-job): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Jonathan Tamsut, Brittany Ellich, Bethany, and Erika delve into the predictions made by the AI Futures Project regarding the future of artificial intelligence by 2027. They discuss the potential for ... _(Topics: AI & Developer Tools, Career Development)_ - [Episode 12: Ep. 12 | Maximizing time at tech conferences and events](https://overcommitted.dev/ep-12-maximizing-time-at-tech-conferences-and-events): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Brittany Ellich, Jonathan Tamsut, Bethany Janos, and Erika discuss their experiences with tech events, including how to choose which events to attend, strategies for networking, maximizing time at co... _(Topics: Developer Experience/DevRel, Career Development, Productivity & Learning)_ - [Episode 11: Ep. 11 | Thinking in Systems - Book Club Recap](https://overcommitted.dev/ep-11-thinking-in-systems---book-club-recap): Summary In this episode of the Overcommitted Podcast, hosts Bethany, Brittany, and Erika discuss their experiences with the book 'Thinking in Systems' by Donella Meadows. They explore the concepts of systems thinking and its applications in software engine... _(Topics: Productivity & Learning, Technical Deep Dives, Leadership & Management)_ - [Episode 10: Ep.10 | Collaborating with product with Hirsch Singhal](https://overcommitted.dev/ep10-collaborating-with-product-with-hirsch-singhal): This week the crew chats with Hirsch Singhal, Staff Product Manager at GitHub, about effective collaboration between product and engineering. Links * Hirsch Singhal's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hpsin.net [https://bsky.app/profile/hpsin.net] * ... _(Topics: Product & Engineering Collaboration, Leadership & Management, Career Development)_ - [Episode 9: Ep. 9 | Learning how to learn](https://overcommitted.dev/ep-9-learning-how-to-learn): The crew chat about what we're learning right now and how we learn. Links * PARA: https://fortelabs.com/blog/para/ * The Art of Visual Design: https://www.artofvisualdesign.com/ * Math Academy: https://www.mathacademy.com/ * Deep Learning from scrat... _(Topics: Productivity & Learning, Career Development)_ - [Episode 8: Ep. 8 | Technical Debt Prioritization](https://overcommitted.dev/ep-8-technical-debt-prioritization): The crew chat about what tech debt is and how we have prioritized it in the past. Hosts * ⁠⁠⁠Overcommitted.dev⁠⁠⁠ [https://overcommitted.dev/] * Bethany Janos: ⁠⁠⁠https://github.com/bethanyj28⁠⁠⁠ [https://github.com/bethanyj28] * Brittany Ellich: ⁠⁠... _(Topics: Technical Deep Dives, Leadership & Management, Career Development)_ - [Episode 7: Ep. 7 | Decision making](https://overcommitted.dev/ep-7-decision-making): The crew chat about how we make decisions and prioritize things as software engineers. Links * ⁠Clean Architecture [https://www.amazon.com/Clean-Architecture-Craftsmans-Software-Structure/dp/0134494164] * One-way vs. Two-way door decisions [https:... _(Topics: Leadership & Management, Product & Engineering Collaboration, Productivity & Learning)_ - [Episode 6: Ep. 6 | How we build things - tools, tips, and tricks](https://overcommitted.dev/ep-6-how-we-build-things---tools-tips-and-tricks): The crew chat about our current toolset for building things as software engineers. Tips and tricks for staying on track and building things with our teams! Links * Jaeger [https://www.jaegertracing.io/] * Visual Studio Live Share [https://visualstudi... _(Topics: Technical Deep Dives, Developer Experience/DevRel, Productivity & Learning)_ - [Episode 5: Ep. 5 | The ethics of AI for software engineers](https://overcommitted.dev/ep-5-the-ethics-of-ai-for-software-engineers): The crew gets philosophical about the ethics of building Artificial Intelligence systems. Are software engineers going to be replaced? Is it ethical to build AI systems? Links * ⁠Superintelligence [http://elenacross7.medium.com/%EF%B8%8F-the-s-in-mcp-... _(Topics: AI & Developer Tools, Career Development, Imposter Syndrome & Mental Health)_ - [Episode 4: Ep. 4 | How we use AI as software engineers](https://overcommitted.dev/ep-4-how-we-use-ai-as-software-engineers): The crew chat about our experience using AI right now as software engineers (which is subject to change even by the time this episode airs). Including an overview of our current thoughts on the AI landscape, what tools we use for which tasks, and our thoughts ... _(Topics: AI & Developer Tools, Productivity & Learning, Technical Deep Dives)_ - [Episode 3: Learning a New Codebase: Strategies for Software Engineers | Onboarding Tips](https://overcommitted.dev/learning-a-new-codebase-strategies-for-software-engineers-onboarding-tips): Join Erika, Bethany, Jonathan, and Brittany for a deep dive into one of every developer's most common challenges: learning a new codebase. Based on Brittany's popular GitHub blog post, this episode shares battle-tested strategies for getting up to speed quickl... _(Topics: Productivity & Learning, AI & Developer Tools, Technical Deep Dives)_ - [Episode 2: Quarterly Goal Setting for Software Engineers: Q1 Retrospective | The 12 Week Year Method](https://overcommitted.dev/quarterly-goal-setting-for-software-engineers-q1-retrospective-the-12-week-year-method): Join Bethany, Brittany, and Jonathan as they reflect on their first quarter using the 12 Week Year goal-setting framework. This candid retrospective reveals what actually works (and what doesn't) when trying to balance ambitious career goals with the demanding... _(Topics: Productivity & Learning, Career Development)_ - [Episode 1: Imposter Syndrome in Software Engineering](https://overcommitted.dev/imposter-syndrome-in-software-engineering): Join GitHub software engineers Jonathan Tamsut, Brittany Ellich, Erika Egemeyer, and Bethany Janos as they break down one of tech's most common yet rarely discussed challenges: imposter syndrome. In this inaugural episode, four career-changers share their per... _(Topics: Imposter Syndrome & Mental Health, Non-traditional Paths to Tech, Career Development)_ ## Full content for AI - [Full transcripts and show notes](https://overcommitted.dev/llms-full.txt): The complete text of every episode's show notes and transcript in one file.