Development
Building software: programming, developer tools, APIs, deployment and DevOps, and building with AI (agents, MCP servers, RAG, AI coding tools). An extra channel alongside an episode's main one, so AI engineering episodes sit in both.
#4317: The Ladder of Minimal Linux Systems
From scratch containers to BusyBox to Alpine — how barebones can you go and still serve production traffic?
#4316: How to Build Memory That Survives AI Sessions
Why AI agents forget between sessions — and how to fix it with markdown files instead of black-box memory.
#4314: The Hidden Layer Shaping Every AI Chat
Context windows are huge now, but relevance is the real bottleneck. How middleware decides what your AI actually sees.
#4313: Did You Really Build That App? AI Imposter Syndrome
You built a working app with AI in a weekend. So why does it feel like you don't deserve to charge for it?
#4296: Auto-Splitting AI Threads: Smarter Context Management
How to build a system that automatically detects topic shifts and routes messages to the right thread.
#4289: Spreadsheets vs. SQL: Is the Grid Dying?
Airtable's AI agent just collapsed the usability gap. Does the spreadsheet still have a purpose?
#4274: Fixing Loop-Damaged Podcasts with AI and FFmpeg
Can an AI agent detect repeated audio, generate FFmpeg commands, and overwrite files in cloud storage without breaking RSS?
#4230: Modbus to Smart Home: The Real Bridge Guide
Three gateways tested, three hurdles revealed. What actually works when bridging OT gear to Home Assistant.
#4229: SSH Key Strategy: Compartmentalization vs. Chaos
Application-specific SSH keys vs. one key for everything — and what AI agents mean for both approaches.
#4222: How Local Network Discovery Breaks with Custom DNS
Why your printer disappears when you run AdGuard Home — and how mDNS actually works.
#4208: The Awkward Honesty of AI Attribution
Why admitting AI helped feels like a confession — and what emerging norms actually work.
#4194: Custom GPTs: When to Build, When to Skip
A decision framework for knowing when a custom GPT is worth the overhead — and when to just open a fresh chat.
#4191: How to Build a Kid-Safe Electronics Workshop
Teaching electronics to curious kids without the electrical risks — low-voltage DC, breadboards, and smart separation strategies.
#4188: Find the Quietest Time to Drive Using Google's API
Query Google's Routes API to find statistically optimal driving times in Jerusalem — no gut feelings required.
#4181: From Phone Typing to Direct Agent: Fixing Headless Server AI Access
ChatGPT saved his OS, but the copy-paste bottleneck from phone to server took hours. Here's how to fix it.
#4179: Why Your Phone Number Link Is Costing You Customers
That non-clickable phone number on your site is quietly bleeding leads. Here’s the five-minute fix.
#4178: DIY ISP Quality Dashboard Tools
Measure your real internet performance with self-hosted tools. No ISP speed tests, no guesswork.
#4176: Pallet Puzzle: Picking the Right Freight Tool
Three tools, three algorithms, three different answers for the same boxes. Here's how to choose.
#4170: Obfuscation as Risk Management with AI
How AI can protect whistleblowers and trauma survivors by intelligently obscuring identities while preserving story integrity.
#4169: Change Detection AI for Construction Sites
How AI catches what experts miss in construction site photos — from Siamese networks to transformer models.