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Fundamentals of Software Engineering

Fundamentals of Software Engineering

Von: Dan Vega Nate Schutta
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 Programmer, coder, developer—there are any number of titles used to describe people who create software, but what does it mean to be a software engineer? Despite the way software is often taught, being a software engineer is about far more than simply producing syntactically correct programs.© 2026 Dan Vega, Nate Schutta
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  • E04 - Why Continuous Learning Is Your Secret Weapon in Software Engineering

    E04 - Why Continuous Learning Is Your Secret Weapon in Software Engineering
    Jan 8 2026
    We kicked off Episode 4 by tackling something every developer faces but rarely masters: learning to learn. In our industry, the technology changes constantly, and staying relevant means embracing a lifetime of learning. Nate and I dove into how successful engineers aren't just smart, they're insatiably curious. We talked about moving past the misconception that learning ends with school and recognizing that failure is part of the process. Whether you're debugging code or picking up a new framework, being comfortable with not knowing everything is what separates the good from the great. We also emphasized that everyone has their own learning style, and finding yours is key to making knowledge stick.The episode also explored practical strategies for staying sharp without burning out. We discussed the dangers of the shiny new thing paradox, where developers chase every hot technology without asking why. Instead, we encouraged building a technology radar, being deliberate about what you learn, and understanding that consistency beats intensity every time. A little bit each day, whether it's 20 minutes of reading or working on a side project, compounds into serious growth over time. We wrapped up by reminding everyone that FOMO is real, but you don't need to learn everything. Focus on what aligns with your career goals and what genuinely excites you, and you'll be just fine.Key Highlights:🧠 Learning Never Stops: School teaches us that learning is finite, but in software engineering, successful developers maintain an insatiable curiosity throughout their careers. The key is embracing the mindset that you don't need to know everything, and being comfortable saying, "Tell me more about that."✨ The Shiny New Thing Paradox: Just because a new technology is hyped doesn't mean you need to learn it. We discussed resume-driven design and how developers often adopt bleeding-edge tools without understanding the full trade-offs. The key is knowing not just when to use a tool, but when not to use it.📡 Build Your Technology Radar: Inspired by ThoughtWorks, a technology radar helps you methodically track technologies across four rings, from "hold" (avoid or phase out) to "adopt" (use now). This framework lets you see where to invest your learning time and helps you be planful rather than reactive to every new trend.🔥 Consistency Over Intensity: New Year's resolutions fail because people set unrealistic goals. Instead of promising to work out 90 minutes daily, commit to 5-10 minutes of reading or coding each day. Small, sustainable habits compound into serious growth over time, just like Nate's nearly 900-day reading streak.🎯 Start With Your Why: Before diving into GraphQL, Kubernetes, or any hyped technology, ask yourself why you want to learn it. Does it solve a problem you're facing? Does it align with your career goals? Learning with purpose prevents you from wasting time on tools you'll never use.🚀 Side Projects Are Learning Labs: If your day job restricts your tech stack, side projects let you experiment guilt-free. Dan shared how he built his personal website with Vue, Nuxt, and Tailwind to learn front-end skills outside his Spring and Java work. It's the right tool for the right job, plus it scratches a personal itch.🤝 Show Up and Soak It In: Even if a meetup or lunch-and-learn isn't on your immediate learning list, attending can be valuable. You might pick up a keyboard shortcut, discover a new tool, or make a connection that changes your career. Plus, free pizza and getting out of your house never hurt anyone.Resources & Next Steps:📖 Order Fundamentals of Software Engineering on O'Reilly or Amazon🎧 Subscribe to the Fundamentals of Software Engineering podcast📡 Explore the ThoughtWorks Technology Radar to build your own learning framework🏂 Connect with Dan Vega and Nate Schutta on social media for more learning tips and industry insightsTimestamps:0:00 Introduction and New Year Mindset0:59 Episode 4: Learning to Learn2:44 The Myth That Learning Ends After School3:19 Curiosity and the Tinkering Mindset5:05 Signing Up for a Lifetime of Learning6:47 Learning Through Failure9:09 Finding Your Personal Learning Style11:38 The Trap of Video Tutorials Without Practice14:40 AI as a Learning Tool, Not a Shortcut15:36 Dealing with an Overwhelming Number of Things to Learn18:22 The Shiny New Thing Paradox21:05 Staying Long Enough to See the Consequences of Your Decisions23:12 Using ADRs (Architectural Decision Records)26:00 FOMO and Side Projects29:05 Portfolio Theory for Technology Skills32:03 Building a Technology Radar35:25 Starting with Your Why38:25 Don't Over-Engineer for Problems You Don't Have41:48 Dan's Personal Website Example: Right Tool for the Right Job44:15 Consistency Over Intensity45:45 Morning Coffee: A Daily Learning Ritual48:49 Weekly, Monthly, and Yearly Learning Goals50:37 Learning Depth Strategy: Survey, Dive, Deep Dive, Ultra-Deep Dive52:10 Attending Meetups and ...
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    58 Min.
  • E03 - Will AI Replace Software Developers

    E03 - Will AI Replace Software Developers
    Jan 2 2026

    In this episode, we tackle the question that's been keeping developers up at night: will AI replace software developers? As your hosts, we dive deep into the real impact of AI on our industry, drawing parallels to historical technological shifts like the Jacquard loom and ATMs. I share insights from our new book, The Fundamentals of Software Engineering, and we explore how AI tools from ChatGPT to Claude Code are transforming the way we write code. We discuss the importance of learning fundamentals rather than becoming dependent on AI, and why adaptation is the key to thriving in this new era.

    Nate and I also address concerns about junior developer roles and the challenge of breaking into the industry. We explore the progression from standalone chatbots to inline IDE assistants to agentic workflows, emphasizing that you should be the pilot, not the passenger. We discuss vibe coding, its appropriate use cases, and why understanding software engineering fundamentals remains critical. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting out, this episode offers practical advice on how to leverage AI as a force multiplier while staying relevant in an ever-evolving tech landscape.

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    Key Highlights

    • 🏛️ Historical Parallels: We explore how the Jacquard loom in 1801 transformed weavers rather than replacing them, and why similar patterns repeat with every major technological breakthrough including ATMs, cloud computing, and now AI.
    • 🎓 Learning Fundamentals vs AI Dependency: We emphasize why understanding the fundamentals of software engineering is crucial, even with AI tools. Dan shares advice for his nephew considering a career in programming and discusses the importance of being the pilot, not the passenger.
    • 🛠️ AI Tool Progression: We walk through the evolution from standalone chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude to inline IDE assistants like GitHub Copilot and JetBrains AI Assistant, all the way to agentic IDE environments like Cursor and Claude Code, discussing the proper use cases for each.
    • 👨‍💻 Junior Developer Concerns: Nate and Dan address the challenges of breaking into the industry, the importance of networking, perseverance through rejections, and why following your passion matters more than fear of AI displacement.
    • ⚡ Vibe Coding Explained: We discuss vibe coding, its appropriate use for throwaway projects and prototypes, why it's democratizing software development, and the critical importance of understanding when stakes are high versus low in production systems.
    • 🚀 AI Across the SDLC: We explore how AI can be applied beyond just writing code to prototyping, testing, DevOps, code reading, and other areas of the software development lifecycle where it can provide tremendous value.

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    Resources & Next Steps

    • 📚 Get The Fundamentals of Software Engineering on O'Reilly or Amazon
    • 🌐 Visit the podcast website at fundamentalsofsw.com
    • 🤖 Explore AI tools mentioned: ChatGPT, Claude, GitHub Copilot, and Cursor
    • 💬 Leave a review and share your feedback with us
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    54 Min.
  • E02 - Avoiding Burnout

    E02 - Avoiding Burnout
    Dec 16 2025


    In this episode, we tackle the elephant in the room for so many developers: burnout. Whether you're just starting out or you've been coding for decades like us, the constant pressure to learn, ship, and stay relevant takes a serious toll. I share my own experiences with that Sunday evening dread and how setting boundaries at home became non-negotiable. Nate opens up about the challenges of remote work and why sometimes you need to physically walk around the block just to signal the start or end of your workday. We get real about the warning signs we've ignored and the lessons we've learned the hard way.


    What makes developer burnout unique? For starters, there's the always-learning treadmill where a new framework or tool drops every single day. Then there's the invisible nature of our work (no one sees that incredible algorithm you spent weeks perfecting), the context switching between meetings and deep work, and that nagging feeling that our projects are never really done. We discuss how social media amplifies imposter syndrome, why learning to say no might be your most important skill, and how finding fulfillment outside of code isn't just nice to have, it's essential for long-term sustainability in this career.


    Key Highlights:

    🏠 Setting Work-From-Home Boundaries: How creating rituals like changing outfits or walking around the block helps distinguish work time from personal time, and why your family needs to know when you're 'on air.'

    📚 The Always-Learning Treadmill: Why you don't actually have to learn everything, how to deal with FOMO, and the reality that technologies come along like buses every 10-15 minutes (you won't miss the only one).

    ⚠️ Recognizing Warning Signs: From Sunday evening dread and physical symptoms like headaches to irritability with teammates, these are the red flags that you're heading toward burnout (and why you need to take action immediately).

    🔄 Context Switching is Killing Your Productivity: Why a five-second interruption costs you 15 minutes, how to protect your maker schedule, and the power of focus time blocks and 'no meeting Wednesdays.'

    👻 The Invisible Nature of Our Work: Unlike a construction worker who can point to a building, developers create invisible solutions that only other developers appreciate, and why this contributes to burnout.

    🎯 Learning to Say No: How setting clear goals and priorities helps you decline the wrong opportunities, why data matters when negotiating with your manager, and the importance of protecting your time.

    🤝 Talk to Your Manager: Why having open conversations about burnout won't get you fired (good managers want to keep you), how to create action plans together, and when it's time to ask for a project change.

    ⛳ Finding Fulfillment Outside of Code: From golf leagues to weightlifting to puzzles with the family, why scheduling hobbies and protecting that time is essential for recharging and preventing burnout.

    🌐 Building Your Professional Network: How regular one-on-ones with trusted colleagues help combat FOMO, provide emotional support, and give you access to expertise outside your own domain.

    Resources & Next Steps:

    🌐 Visit the official Fundamentals of Software Engineering website at fundamentalsofswe.com

    🎧 Subscribe to the Fundamentals of Software Engineering Podcast on your favorite podcast platform
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    54 Min.
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