My Top 5 Podcasts for Software Developers

by Eamon Keane

When driving I tend to listen to podcasts. Not all are related to software development. Some are related to lifestyle / fitness / sport / comedy.

I've learned some great software development tips over the last few years from listening to podcasts. Here are my top 5 podcasts for developers:

1. Coding Blocks

Allen Underwood @theallenu, Joe Zack @THEjoezack and Michael Outlaw @iamwaltuo have been professional programmers for years.

They have released a few series based on some of the most popular software development books such as Clean Code, Clean Architecture and the Pragmatic Programmer.

If you'd like to hear about the concepts in each of these books then give this podcast a listen. They discuss each chapter. I learned a great deal from them.

The guys also have great chemistry. They're not afraid to disagree with each other on different topics.

2. The 6 Figure Developer Podcast

This podcast is dedicated to helping developers grow their careers. They speak about topics such as Test Driven Development, Clean Code, Professionalism and Entrepreneurship. It's hosted by John Callaway @matsubonsai, Clayton Hunt @ClaytonHunt_104 and Jon Ash @ashjonm.

My favourite podcasts were episodes

  • 115 - Clean Agile with Uncle Bob.
  • 112 - DI and Interfaces with Jeremy Clark.
  • 106 - Pragmatic Progs Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas.

3. Syntax FM

Wes Bos @wesbos and Scott Tolinksi @stolinski host this brilliant podcast. The topics are varied. They cover old and new technologies along with the soft skills required for the modern software developer. They are heavy on the javascript and React side of things but do cover other languages. A lot of the advice they give is language-agnostic so it's well worth a listen.

Like Coding Blocks, they've been producing this podcast for years. As a result of this they've built great chemistry.

Podcasts are released regularly and they also produce a short form podcast called Hasty Treat that generally lasts about 20 minutes. Jump in !

4. Developer Tea

A gem of a podcast. This is hosted by @JCutrell . His twitter bio reads 'Bias for long-term thinking' and it perfectly sums up the theme of the podcast.

For me, the podcast is a blend of life philosophy and software development.

Developer Tea exists to help driven developers connect to their ultimate purpose and excel at their work so that they can positively impact the people they influence

The show is generally short ~ 5 - 15 minutes long. He releases them every 2 to 3 days.

5. Hanselminutes

Hosted by Scott Hanselman @shanselman who works for the Web Platform Team at Microsoft.

Hanselminutes is Fresh Air for Developers. A weekly commute-time podcast that promotes fresh technology and fresh voices. Talk and Tech for Developers, Life-long Learners, and Technologists.

I tend to dip in and out of this podcast depending on the title and if I feel it'll interest me. It covers a wide gamut of topics. To date, he has over 700 podcasts released. Scott is a cool guy and you'll often see him present at the big Microsoft conferences.

Cover Photo by Jonathan Velasquez on Unsplash