From Librarian to Developer: w/ Roxy Rodriguez-Becker

From Librarian to Developer: w/ Roxy Rodriguez-Becker

Author: Skill Issue Studios November 20, 2025 Duration: 45:21

Recorded live at All Things Open, Robbie and guest co-host Jason Torres talk with Roxy Rodriquez-Becker about her journey from educator and librarian to aspiring developer, the community supporting her transition, navigating motherhood and advocacy, and how her son’s medical challenges inspired her to build a life-changing G-tube feeding app.

In this episode:

  • (00:00) - Working Edit
  • (01:03) - Wine rating and review: San Simeon Cabernet Sauvignon
  • (02:35) - Meet Roxy
  • (03:04) - From teaching and libraries to tech
  • (05:38) - How Roxy is learning to code
  • (06:24) - Inside the “Chosen One” series
  • (07:35) - The support systems behind Roxy's move to coding
  • (09:14) - Navigating a public job hunt and being in the spotlight
  • (11:30) - Roxy’s advice for getting out of your comfort zone
  • (12:43) - Roxy’s background in content creation
  • (14:35) - How Roxy juggles parenting, work, and learning to code
  • (16:51) - How her son’s medical journey inspired the Tube Feed app
  • (28:03) - Why advocating for yourself is harder than advocating for others
  • (30:00) - What pulled Roxy back into tech
  • (32:01) - Growing up Cuban and Catholic
  • (35:30) - How Roxy's upbringing shapes how she raises her kids
  • (36:33) - Why Roxy chose software engineering specifically
  • (38:33) - Robbie's biggest strength and biggest weakness
  • (39:27) - Guilty pleasure TV shows
  • (40:43) - What success looks like for Roxy
  • (42:41) - Where to find Roxy online

Links

Connect with Jason

Connect with Roxy

Connect with the hosts

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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
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