Dev Jobs, Burgers, and AI with Spotify’s Taylor Poindexter

Dev Jobs, Burgers, and AI with Spotify’s Taylor Poindexter

Author: Skill Issue Studios September 12, 2024 Duration: 1:01:41

In this episode of Whiskey Web and Whatnot, Robbie and Chuck welcome back Taylor Poindexter, an engineering manager at Spotify, to discuss a range of topics from web development, career advice, and job market trends to fitness supplements, making the perfect burger, and, of course, whiskey. They dive into the complexities of AI and the future of development, the importance of taking breaks to prevent burnout, and the pros and cons of management versus individual contributor roles.

In this episode:

  • (00:00) - Intro
  • (03:16) - Whiskey: World Whiskey Society Kentucky Straight Bourbon
  • (14:36) - Hot takes
  • (14:59) - Is jQuery better than Laravel
  • (15:34) - Is creatine vaporware?
  • (19:32) - Are Bombas the best socks
  • (23:38) - Were fillers in crab cakes a mistake?
  • (26:12) - AI and the future of dev jobs
  • (31:42) - The role of AI in development
  • (34:21) - How to impress Taylor in the interview process
  • (39:20) - Management vs individual contributor
  • (45:25) - Promotion politics
  • (53:40) - Football season
  • (55:45) - Burnout and taking breaks

Links

Connect with Taylor

Connect with Chuck and Robbie

Subscribe and stay in touch

Whiskey Web and Whatnot Merch
Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund.


There's a certain alchemy that happens when you combine deep technical expertise with the warmth of a good conversation, and that's exactly what you'll find in Whiskey Web and Whatnot. Hosts Robbie Wagner, Charles William Carpenter III, and Adam Argyle bring decades of collective experience to the table, but they leave the lecture format at the door. Instead, each episode feels like pulling up a chair with colleagues who are just as passionate about the craft of building for the web as they are about the nuanced flavors in a glass of whiskey. The discussion naturally flows between the concrete details of modern development-like navigating JavaScript frameworks, CSS architecture, or the practical realities of agentic AI and new coding tools-and the broader, human aspects of a software engineering career. This podcast from Skill Issue Studios is built on the idea that the tools and the people who use them are equally important. You'll come for insightful, grounded advice on developer productivity and emerging technologies, but you'll stay for the genuine camaraderie and the occasional spirited debate about which whiskey bottle truly earns a spot on the shelf. It’s a refreshing blend of substance and personality, making complex topics accessible and reminding everyone that there's always a story behind the code.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Whiskey Web and Whatnot
Podcast Episodes
Is Cracker Barrel a JS Framework? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:56
This week, Robbie and Adam talk about JavaScript trends, from the overuse of hooks to frameworks chasing sameness, and why Cracker Barrel’s rebrand feels like a frontend metaphor. They dive into tech nostalgia, from retr…
Dial-Up Is Dead, Long Live Adam Argyle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:36
This week, Robbie and Adam talk about CascadiaJS, Adam’s new role at Shopify, and why tech interviews are so broken. They explore accessibility in front-end dev, the sameness of modern frameworks, and whether AI is the f…
Error 500: Our Lives [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:06
This week, Robbie and Chuck talk about whiskey on Mondays, parenting chaos, and Chuck’s hot-water disaster. They dive into open-source dependency drama, including the Stylus package getting flagged as malicious, and the…
Modern Web Dev Meets 2000s Flip Phone: What Could Go Wrong? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:42
This week, Robbie and Chuck talk with Tom Barrasso about building modern web apps for $15 flip phones, and the challenges of building for ultra-low-end devices. Tom shares his journey from building a podcast app during t…
From the Rickhouse: Why Svelte Might Just Outdo React w/ Rich Harris [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:58
In this special International Whiskey Day episode of Whiskey Web and Whatnot, hosts RobbieTheWagner, and Charles William Carpenter III are joined by special guest Rich Harris. They share a toast with Lagavulin Offerman E…