Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots

Sami makes his triumphant return to the Giant Robots Smashing into other Giant Robots Podcast as he and his fellow hosts discuss a brand new tool currently in pre-production at thoughtbot.

Chad lays out his idea for the tool, how he thinks it will differ from other similar products currently available, who it’s for and the considerations needed going in to make it as accessible as possible, and Sami plays devil’s advocate...

Chad talks with Jason Stadther, director of engineering at TrueCar, about striking the right balance with AI in programming and its overall impact on the industry now and in the future.

Together they discuss the impact AI is currently having on junior developers and the potential impact it’s having on their career prospects, what happens to AI when it doesn’t have a reference for newly developed tools, how the internet...

Chad and Will examine the ever expanding AI bubble and ponder on what we can expect it to see evolve in the coming years.

Our hosts discuss how they strike a balance with AI as they break down their current stacks and workflows, what will be left in the wake of the bubble’s collapse, and just where do Chad and Will draw the line with AI as they debate the ethics around it’s use.

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You can find Chad regularly problem sol...

Celebrate Giant Robots’ 600th episode in style as Sami pulls together thoughtbot staff old and new to celebrate this monumental milestone.

Sami shines a light on his colleagues at thoughtbot and the history of the show, reflecting on how far they’ve all come and what makes thoughtbot feel so special, before putting his guests in the hot seat with some hard hitting trivia that only another thoughtbotter could know.

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Chad and Will start the new year off right by discussing their aspirations for 2026.

Chad discusses this year’s theme for the company of being bold and how having a clear vision keeps thoughtbot on track, the pair discuss how they plan to rise up to the challenge of being bold in their work, and Will seeks some advice on a project he’s been looking to pursue.

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Once you’re done with this week’s episode why not chec...

Sami talks with Sam Landsberg, head of sales at Light, about the wide world of fintech and how they’re working to simplify accounting software for businesses big and small.

Sam lays out his journey into the world of fintech and how he came to work with Light, the way they utilise AI with clients to condense the human element of accounting, and Sami challenges Sam’s knowledge of animals with a surprise pop quiz.

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Y...

Chad talks with developer and guitarist Nick Merwin about the challenges of balancing his career in development with his life as a musician.

Nick tells of his time delivering code on the road as a guitarist with the band Capital Cities, the pros and cons of working as a solo programmer, what he’s learnt from saying yes for so many years, and Chad asks whether AI is diluting the art of coding.

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Nick can be hea...

Sami revisits his time on a recent project for Sheer as he talks with it’s CTO and founder Mads Ulrik Svendsen about the ever evolving and creative world of influencers.

Mads talks about the story of Sheer, how they’re helping influencers maximise their potential and creativity, where they expect to see change in the industry over the coming years, the desire for authenticity in a world of AI content, and Sami is determin...

Sami, Chad and Will share the projects they’ve been working on at thoughtbot recently and how they adapt to new systems they’re unfamiliar with.

Sami shares his recent horror at the animal kingdom and how he might be getting into crypto, Chad reveals how he invests his time into thoughtbot whilst also managing to stay on top trending tech, and the group discuss best practices for dealing with clients.

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Against Chad...

Sami assesses the long term viability of AI with Pablo Curell, software developer at Recovr, as they break down the hype and logistics that surround the popular tool.

The pair examine why it’s still important you learn to code, what AI’s best use cases are now and what they could be in the future, what a successful AI product actually looks like on the back end, as well as the ever growing and unsustainable economics beh...

Chad and Sami share some learning moments with one another as they discuss the recent projects they’ve been working on at thoughtbot.

The pair question how much time and effort we should be investing into a problem with AI vs the outcome we receive, their work and experimentation with MCP servers, Sami shares his big bid on AI to save some time, while Chad tells the tragic tale of why he stopped playing Diablo IV.

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Don...

Sami talks with Don Shin, CEO of CrossComm, about which direction humanity is heading as the landscape of AI technology continues to shift and evolve.

Together they assess the correlation between language and intelligence, the importance of human connection, as well as the growing responsibility we have in managing AI to prevent a potential dystopia.

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You can connect with Don on LinkedIn or stay up to date with the wo...

Will talks with Amani Bright, senior program manager at Springboard, and Julia Lasater, consulting senior at Accenture, about the state of women’s health and their efforts to increase visibility for all women who enter the health care system.

They cover their recent work on the state of women’s health report, shining a light on the neglected areas within women’s health, the barriers women face when seeking basic medical a...

Chad talks with Louis Gutierrez, Director of AI at Constant Contact, about the various challenges of implementing AI into a product or business.

Louis discusses his strategy to improve AI integration upon joining Constant Contact, how they address the issue of ethics and AI, as well as providing a technical look at how they evaluate the quality of their products without violating user privacy.

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You can connect wi...

The Giant Robots trio are back as they sit down at their desks to discuss their home setups for thoughtbot.

Together they break down each core aspect of their office environment and why they chose the things they did, why future proofing and getting your setup just right is important, Sami learns all about teleprompters, while Chad spills the beans on a guilty secret he’s kept for far too long.

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You can see pictures of...

Sami faces his fear of program designers by talking with Jeremy Blaze, Founder & Design Lead at Never Before Seen.

Together they ask the question of whether their roles as developer and designer are slowly become one, how to rediscover the challenge of working on code when AI can do so much heavy lifting, as well as grappling with the idea of a therapeutic AI.

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Connect with Jeremy over on LinkedIn or through his w...

Sami looks to go viral as he discusses digital marketing with Michael Praetorius, Founder of Praetorius.

Together they examine the roots of marketing and how it’s focus and tactics have shifted over time, the secrets social media analytics hold and how the information is used, and Sami takes notes as Michael relives his personal experience of creating a viral video.

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Connect with Michael over on LinkedIn or through h...

Chad discusses the changing world of AgeTech with Leanne Clark-Shirley, President and CEO of the American Society on Aging, as they break down how age really has just become a number.

They discuss the growing irrelevancy of the “AgeTech” label and how it’s use case is shifting to benefit everyone, how generational boundaries mean less when it comes to tech knowledge, and the unrealised opportunities aging can offer to us...

The host of Giant Robots are back to impart some wisdom as they share some notable failures from their careers and the teachable moments that emerged from them.

Discover what went wrong for Sami when he put his trust in AI, the survey that shifted the way Will thinks about others, Chad’s mistake with thoughtbot’s first major client and the lessons they all learnt along the way.

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You can find Chad all over social m...