The Cynical Developer

Епизоде

• Psychological Safety Is Not Being Nice 20.07.2026 6мин

  “Psychological safety” has quietly become a synonym for “being nice”, and in this episode we explain why that’s a problem. We look at what it really means, why the healthiest teams disagree more rather than less, why a quiet team isn’t necessarily a safe one, and what actually builds the kind of trust where bad news arrives early instead of late.
• Episode 27 - Performance Reviews Are Broken 13.07.2026 7мин

  Why do performance reviews reward visibility over impact, and why do so many developers leave them feeling misunderstood? In this episode, James unpacks why performance reviews are quietly broken, and what that’s doing to teams.
• Episode 26 - Why Developers Quit (And Don't Tell You Why) 06.07.2026 7мин

  Developers leave jobs all the time, but rarely share the real reasons. James explores why developers quit and what companies miss.
• Episode 25 - What Managers Need to Stop Doing 29.06.2026 7мин

  James takes aim at management practices that are hurting developer productivity and morale. What do managers need to stop doing?
• Episode 24 - Spec-Driven Development: How You Actually Work With AI 22.06.2026 7мин

  James explores spec-driven development and how it changes the way developers actually work with AI tools to build better software.
• Episode 23 - When AI Makes Your Codebase Worse 15.06.2026 5мин

  AI can help write code, but it can also make your codebase worse. James explores the pitfalls of AI-generated code and how to avoid them.
• Episode 22 - The Ethics of AI in Software Teams 08.06.2026 5мин

  As AI becomes embedded in software development, ethical questions arise. James discusses the moral considerations teams should be thinking about.
• Episode 21 - Why "No-Code" Keeps Failing 01.06.2026 5мин

  No-code platforms promise to democratize development, but they keep falling short. James examines why no-code struggles to deliver on its promises.
• Episode 20 - The Coming Divide: AI-Augmented vs Non-Augmented Teams 25.05.2026 6мин

  A gap is forming between teams that embrace AI tools and those that don't. James explores what this divide means for the industry.
• Episode 19 - Why AI Code Still Needs Senior Review 18.05.2026 5мин

  AI can generate code quickly, but that code still needs experienced eyes. James explains why senior review remains critical.
• Episode 18 - Your LLM Is Not a Junior Developer 11.05.2026 6мин

  LLMs are powerful tools, but they're not junior developers you can just hand tasks to. James discusses how to think about AI assistants correctly.
• Episode 17 - AI Won't Replace Developers — But It Will Replace Some Jobs 04.05.2026 6мин

  The AI replacement debate continues. James provides a nuanced take on which jobs are safe and which might be at risk.
• Episode 16 - Observability Is Not Optional Anymore 27.04.2026 6мин

  In modern systems, observability is essential. James discusses why you can't afford to skip proper monitoring and tracing.
• Episode 15 - Why Your Cloud Bill Keeps Going Up 20.04.2026 5мин

  Cloud costs spiral out of control for many organizations. James explores the common reasons and what you can do about it.
• Episode 14 - APIs Are Products — Start Treating Them Like It 13.04.2026 4мин

  APIs are often an afterthought, but they're products that developers consume. James discusses why API design deserves more attention.
• Episode 13 - The Death of "Clean Architecture" Dogma 06.04.2026 5мин

  Clean Architecture became a religion for some developers. James challenges the dogmatic adherence to architectural patterns.
• Episode 12 - Monoliths Are Back (Because They Never Left) 30.03.2026 5мин

  The pendulum is swinging back to monoliths. James discusses why monolithic architectures are making a comeback and why they were never really a bad idea.
• Episode 11 - Event-Driven Everything — Do You Actually Need It? 23.03.2026 6мин

  Event-driven architecture is everywhere now. But is it always the right choice? James examines when to use it and when to avoid it.
• Episode 10 - The Rise (and Abuse) of Serverless 16.03.2026 5мин

  Serverless computing has taken off, but it's often misused. James explores when serverless makes sense and when it doesn't.
• Episode 9 - Microservices Were a Mistake (For Most Teams) 09.03.2026 5мин

  Microservices promised scalability and flexibility. But for most teams, have they delivered? James takes a critical look at the microservices hype.