Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots

It’s time to start your engines as Sami talks with Jack Burrows, product director at CarWow (https://www.carwow.co.uk/), about the tricky world of buying and selling cars. Jack covers the significant change CarWow has seen since he started with the company, the challenges they faced in order to keep up with the competition, and the importance of developing a platform that serves everyone in the buying and selling process. — If you’re at a loose end after listening to today's episode why not join Sami in checking out CarWow’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/Carwow)! If you’re looking to purchase a new car or sell your old one, head over to CarWow’s site (https://www.carwow.co.uk/) to see how they can help you! You can also connect with Jack directly over on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-burrows-b8a32155/). Your host for this episode has been Sami Birnbaum. Sami can be found through his website (https://samibirnbaum.com) or via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samibirnbaum/). If yo

Chad catches up with John Nunemaker, self-employed programer on a plethora of products, about all things technical to gain insight into life as a self-employed developer. The pair share their experiences as rail devs and what keeps them using Ruby, John’s journey to success, his recent acquisition of Fireside (the podcast platform that hosts this very podcast!) and the lessons he learnt along the way. — If you’re interested in any of the projects John mentioned in this episode, you can head to them directly here - Fireside Podcast Hosting (https://fireside.fm) - BoxOut (https://boxoutsports.com) - Flipper (https://www.flippercloud.io) Alternatively you can keep up to date with the work that John does through his website (https://www.johnnunemaker.com), podcast (https://standinginthefire.fireside.fm), or by connecting directly with him through LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnunemaker/). Your host for this episode has been Chad Pytel. You can find Chad all over social media as @cpytel, or over on Lin

The Giant Robots hosts are back together for more off the wall discussion about construction, movies and a special announcement! Find out what big purchase Sami made through the company during the last UK heatwave, why Chad has a listing on IMDB, and our three hosts turn film critics as they share thoughts on their favourite films. — If you haven’t already, be sure to check out thoughtbot’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@thoughtbot)! You can find Chad all over social media as @cpytel and Sami through his website (https://samibirnbaum.com). You can also connect with the trio via their LinkedIn pages - Chad (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cpytel/) - Will (https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-larry/) - Sami (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samibirnbaum/). If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page (https://github.com/sponsors/thoughtbot), or check out our website (https://podcast.thoughtbot.com). Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: hosts@giantrobots.

Will talks with Kathryn Grayson Nanz, Senior Designer and Developer Advocate at Progress (https://www.progress.com/), about the influence and power design can have when developing new software. Kathryn breaks down what it means to be a designer advocate and the role it plays within software development, the importance of design systems, designing for accessibility and knowing when to ask the right questions at the just the right time. — You can try out KendoReact’s starter library for free here (https://www.telerik.com/kendo-react-ui)! Or check out some of the other development tools and services Kathryn and the team offer at Progress (https://www.progress.com/). Alternatively, you can reach out to Kathryn directly through LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryngrayson/). Your host for this episode has been Will Larry, you can find and connect with Will over on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-larry/). If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page (https://github.co

Sami talks with Tom Akehurst, Co-Founder of WireMock (https://www.wiremock.io/), about the delay and disconnect between front and back end development and how WireMock set out to bridge the two together. Tom explains how his time working for Disney paved the way for WireMock, the different processes of mocking and testing APIs, and provides some useful advice on how to improve your testing process as a whole. Sami also puts Tom’s knowledge to the test as he seeks some feedback on a real world example he’s been working on recently. — Interested in improving your testing and mocking process? Try out WireMock for free (https://www.wiremock.io/), and get to grips with what it has to offer through WireMock Cloud Academy (https://www.wiremock.io/academy). If you get stuck at any point you can join their Slack channel and ask the community for advice (https://wiremock-community.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-2vjv6lkhz-evIN6Vg6xhFOQ8GoSnGtmQ#/shared-invite/email)! Want to get in touch with Tom directly? You can co

Chad talks with Sarah Merlin of IndiMade (https://www.indimadebrands.com) about what goes into revitalising an e-commerce platform and how they’re staying true to their customers. Discover the challenges involved with such a big migration and the efforts needed to bring it into the modern day, the importance of communication with your team at all times, as well as well as the core values they work to in order to deliver the best possible experience across their business. — If you would like to work with IndiMade (https://www.indimadebrands.com) and think your product might be be a good fit, reach out to Sarah via linkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmerlin/) or thorough IndiMade’s website (https://www.indimadebrands.com). Your host for this episode has been Chad Pytel. You can find Chad all over social media as @cpytel, or over on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cpytel/). If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page (https://github.com/sponsors/thoughtbot), or check out

Sami and fellow thoughtboter Rémy look to the stars as they talk all things astronomical. Learn about Rémy’s new open source gem Astonoby (https://github.com/rhannequin/astronoby) that plots the coordinates of objects in space, the hidden inventions developed as humans looked to the stars and listen as the pair theorise whether there truly is other life in the universe. — If you’re enthusiastic about space and want to try out Rémy’s new gem tool (https://github.com/rhannequin/astronoby), you can find it here. Alternatively you can read more about astronomical computing here (https://dev.to/rhannequin/series/17782). Your host for this episode has been Sami Birnbaum. Sami can be found through his website (https://samibirnbaum.com) or via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samibirnbaum/). You can also find Rémy on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhannequin/?locale=en_US) or through social media (https://mastodon.social/@rhannequin@ruby.social) under the handle @rhannequin. If you would like to support

Chad, Will and Sami discuss life outside of thoughtbot and the hobbies that occupy them in their down time. Sami talks about taking the cold plunge, Will about his recent efforts with running, before Chad takes his co-hosts down the rabbit hole that is Dungeons and Dragons. — Watch the trailer for Chad’s upcoming production Thresher (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQs51JGy0iQ), a collaboration between his production company 12 Sided Studios and Critical Role! Check Out Sami’s Running Shoes (https://runrepeat.com/guides/best-carbon-plate-running-shoes) You can find Chad all over social media as @cpytel and Sami through his website. You can also connect with the trio via their LinkedIn pages - Chad (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cpytel/) - Will (https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-larry/) - Sami (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samibirnbaum/). If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page (https://github.com/sponsors/thoughtbot), or check out our website (https://podcast.thoughtbot.com). Got

Chad talks with Karen King, Found of Gold Star Pro (https://www.usegoldstar.com), and her drive to help small business owners reach their full potential. Karen talks about the all-inclusive space Gold Star Pro offers for solopreneurs, the automation behind it all, as well as balancing a life of world travel with running a successful business. — Want to take a step up in your small business and ditch plethora of different platforms you use? See what Gold Star Pro can offer you (https://www.usegoldstar.com). Still not sure, try out their 5 day challenge (https://fivedaystosimplify.com) to see how you could benefit! If you’d like to chat with Karen further about Gold Star Pro, you can connect with her on LinkedIn. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-e-king/). Your host for this episode has been Chad Pytel. You can find Chad all over social media as @cpytel, or over on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cpytel/). If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page (https://github.com/spon

Sami goes back to school as he asks Otto Terrell and Polly Gupta, head of sustainability and sustainability strategist at True (https://www.true.tech/), the key questions around the environmental buzz words of 2025. Sami finds out the differences between carbon neutral and net zero, why the big corporations have been so slow to adopt a sustainable model, and how true is working with companies to forge a clear path for everyone to net zero. — Interested in working with true to reduce your business’ energy costs and work towards net zero? Get in touch with the team (https://www.true.tech/), or check out their LinkedIn Page (https://www.linkedin.com/company/true-net-zero/) Learn more about the impact your ChatGPT conversations have on the environment (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce85wx9jjndo) by reading the article Sami mentions in this episode. If you’re interested in contributing to the work Otto (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ottoterrell) and Polly (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pollyxenigupta/) do with

Sami talks with Steven Wardell, managing partner of Wardell Advisors LLC, about the lacking tech developments within the healthcare sector. Together they assess why digital health products have failed to maintain the same pace as other consumer technology, the difficulties and regulations involved when develop technology for the health sector and whether AI could finally bridge the gap to play a larger role in medical assessments and data management. — You can email Steven directly at steven@wardelladvisors.llc.com or connect with him over on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenwardell/). If you’ve enjoyed listening to Steven talk and would like more, check out his podcast here over on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/42dV5Wnag97l2rtIDpxmlJ) and Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digitalhealth-investortalk-show/id1739850633). Your host for this episode has been Sami Birnbaum. Sami can be found through his website (https://samibirnbaum.com) or via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedi

Sami chats with Tanu Chellam, Senior Vice President of Product at Seldon (https://www.seldon.io) and Chairperson of the Board at Atlas Rosetta (https://atlas-rosetta.com/), about her journey and career in the world of products. Tanu covers her journey from start to finish, from building websites as a teenager and her dreams of travelling, all the way through to her time at AutoDesk where she was instrumental in scaling one of their largest product’s installation time from 8 hours, to 8 minutes. Learn how Tanu learnt to balance her working life and downtime, and how her definition of success and relationship to work has changed over the course of her career. — You can connect with Tanu over on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanuchellam/), where she would be happy to discuss anything mentioned in this episode in greater detail. Your host for this episode has been Sami Birnbaum. Sami can be found through his website (https://samibirnbaum.com) or via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samibirnbaum/)

Ever wondered how our Giant Robots hosts got into programming in the first place? In today’s episode Sami and Will take some time to dive into their coding journeys and the lessons they learnt along the way. Hear about their ambitions growing up and where they thought they were headed, the motivation, drive and hurdles they overcame to get to where they are today and how impostor syndrome isn’t just a “new job” problem. — Hear more about Sami and Will’s kids in their previous episode together! (https://podcast.thoughtbot.com/561) Check out the Dunning-Kruger graph. (https://tapandesai.com/dunning-kruger-effect-theranos/) Your hosts for this episode have been Will Larry and Sami Birnbaum. You can find Sami through his website (https://samibirnbaum.com), or you can connect with them both via their LinkedIn pages - Will (https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-larry/) - Sami (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samibirnbaum/). If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page (https://github.com/sponso

Chad talks with Andrei Oprisan, head of engineering at Agent.AI (https://Agent.AI), about his new approach to making AI tools and agents accessible to everyone. Hear how the community are helping to shape and build on Agent.AI in ways the team never thought of, the road blocks of developing such an accessible market place, and the desire to make every AI agent as easy to use for as many people as possible. — Explore Agent.AI’s (https://Agent.AI) catalogue of tools to see if it can help enhance your workflow for free! If you find the resource useful, consider joining the AI builders community (https://community.agent.ai) and get even more involved with AI tools! You can email Andrei at andrei@mail.agent.ai, or connect with him via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreioprisan/) If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page (https://github.com/sponsors/thoughtbot), or check out our website (https://podcast.thoughtbot.com). Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write

Sami is joined by James Hueston, venture investor at Primetime Partners (https://www.primetimepartners.com/), as they discuss technology’s failure to connect with the older generation. James explains how technology aimed at older people is often not fit for purpose, how the investment process for new startups is currently swamped with the same AI ideas, and Sami explores the idea of how AI can help improve loneliness in our modern world. — If you’d like to hear more about the importance of keeping accessibility at the forefront every project, check out Episode 559 (https://podcast.thoughtbot.com/559). If you’re an entrepreneur in the early stages of developing something in age tech, why not reach out to James at Primetime Partners (https://www.primetimepartners.com/) to see if he can help! james@primetimepartners.com Your host for this episode has been Sami Birnbaum. Sami can be found through his website (https://samibirnbaum.com) or via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samibirnbaum/). If you would like

Chad talks with fellow thoughtboters Dawn Delatte and Elaina Natario about the evolution of design sprints within the company. Listen to how design sprints helped shape and streamline the discovery stage of work with clients, how it helps route out what should and shouldn’t be done in a project, as well as the way thoughtbot has tweaked the formula over the years to build their own playbook. — Check out thoughtbot’s Design Sprint Guide! (https://design.thoughtbot.com/sprint-guide/) Read through thoughtbot’s AI ethics guide (https://thoughtbot.com/playbook/our-company/ai-ethics) and ask yourself thoughtbot's six key questions when working with AI. You can find both Dawn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawndelatte/) and Elaina (https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainanatario/) on LinkedIn, or through their respective thoughtbot blogs - Dawn’s Blog (https://thoughtbot.com/blog/authors/dawn-delatte) - Elaina’s Blog (https://thoughtbot.com/blog/authors/elaina-natario) Your host for this episode has been Chad Pytel. You

thoughtbot hosts Chad, Will and Sami shoot the breeze in this laid back episode of Giant Robots as they discuss the ins and outs of being a parent and growing up with tech. The trio discuss how they manage screen-time with their kids as well as themselves, Sami’s internal HTTP coding for his children’s temper tantrums, and other challenges of bringing up their kids in the digital age. — Listen to the ‘Therapy Through Gaming’ episode (https://podcast.thoughtbot.com/538) for a deeper dive into some of the topics mentioned in today’s episode. Your hosts for this episode have been Chad Pytel, Will Larry and Sami Birnbaum. You can find Chad all over social media as @cpytel and Sami through his website. You can also connect with the trio via their LinkedIn pages - Chad (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cpytel/) - Will (https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-larry/) - Sami (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samibirnbaum/). If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page (https://github.com/sponsors/thought

Chad is joined by Matt Gale, Chief Strategy Officer for Lawfully (https://www.lawfully.com/), as they talk about the immigration process in the US and how Lawfully is helping both individuals and businesses track applications on the road to becoming US citizens. Matt explains the challenges of having an app that sees users leave once their the immigration application is complete, how they’ve expanded to help more than just the individual, and why they chose to make Lawfully a benefit corporation. — If you have an active immigration case that you are tracking or are an attorney acting on behalf of other, consider checking out Lawfully and their app! (https://www.lawfully.com/) If you’d like to connect with Matt directly, you can find him over on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrichardgale/). Your host for this episode has been Chad Pytel. You can find Chad all over social media as @cpytel, or over on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cpytel/). If you would like to support the show, head over

Sami and Rémy are back as your hots as they talk with fellow thoughtbot colleague Caro Sotillo Silva about new EU accessibility laws coming into effect later this year. Together they discuss the importance of keeping accessibility at the forefront of every project you work on, why you should be testing your code on a wide range of systems and not just the major OS, as well as a few tips and advice on how to prepare yourself for the new laws that come into effect as of June this year. — Learn more about what thoughtbot has to say on accessibility by checking out their accessibility articles (https://thoughtbot.com/blog/tags/accessibility). If you’d like to discuss accessibility within your projects, you can connect with Caro via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinasotillosilva/?locale=en_US). Your hosts for this episode have been Sami Birnbaum and Rémy Hannequin. Sami can be found through his website (https://samibirnbaum.com) or via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/samibirnbaum/), and Rémy can

Chad talks with NYC local Vikram Oberoi about how he used AI to breakdown local city meetings into accessible bitesize chunks. Learn how Vikram tamed New York’s public records with AI, the lengthy review process involved to make it all and why his model is so well suited to NYC council proceedings in particular. Vikram also discusses the project’s path to sustainability and the difficulties of expanding his passion project further afield. — If you’re a NY resident wanting to learn more about your local community, or just curious about the inner workings of one the largest cities in the US, you can find Vikram’s work on citymeetings.nyc here (https://citymeetings.nyc/)! To learn more about Vikram and his work, check out his website! (https://vikramoberoi.com/) Or, if you’re interested in helping expand citymeetings.nyc and support this project well into the future you can get in touch with Vikram via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/voberoi/), or email him directly: vikram@citymeetings.nyc Your host fo