From World of Warcraft to Software Development with Kevin Ullyott
In this episode, Karl and Steven welcome Kevin Olliot, who shares his journey into programming, starting from his early gaming days to his current role as Software Development Director at Canyon GBS. The conversation explores Kevin's experiences with Laravel, the differences between agency and corporate development, and the importance of mentorship in the tech industry. They discuss the concept of source available software, technical debt, and the strategies used at Canyon GBS to train new developers. The episode wraps up with insights on deployment strategies and the future of their developer handbook.
Takeaways
- Kevin's programming journey began with gaming and building computers.
- He discovered Laravel while working on advanced processing tasks.
- Kevin emphasizes the importance of curiosity in programming.
- Agile development allows for quick iterations and learning from mistakes.
- Technical debt is tracked and managed consciously at Canyon GBS.
- The developer handbook serves as a resource for new developers.
- Open communication and mentorship are key to team success.
- Kevin's team operates in one-week sprints to maintain agility.
- Source available software can benefit the community by sharing knowledge.
- Deployment strategies are tailored to the needs of the organization.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
03:26 Kevin's Journey into Programming
06:17 First Encounter with Laravel
09:21 Current Role and Responsibilities
12:32 Agency vs Corporate Work
15:13 Source Available Software Discussion
24:00 Mentorship and Resource Sharing
24:29 Learning from Open Source Projects
25:38 Database Choices: The Case for Postgres
26:42 Understanding Foreign Data Wrapping
29:51 Performance Insights: Postgres vs MySQL
31:11 Postgres Features and Limitations
36:41 Strategies for Managing Large Datasets
41:41 Working with Prominent Developers
43:09 Independent Operations and Collaboration with Filament
46:21 Agile Development and the Concept of Wet Code
47:25 Managing Technical Debt in Agile Sprints
50:02 Team Structure and Mentorship in Software Development
53:17 Strategies for Onboarding Junior Developers
57:00 Creating a Developer Handbook and Community Engagement
01:01:20 Future Plans and Open Source Aspirations
01:08:26 New Chapter
00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
03:26 Kevin's Journey into Programming
06:17 First Encounter with Laravel
09:21 Current Role and Responsibilities
12:32 Agency vs Corporate Work
15:13 Source Available Software Discussion
24:00 Mentorship and Resource Sharing
24:29 Learning from Open Source Projects
25:38 Database Choices: The Case for Postgres
26:42 Understanding Foreign Data Wrapping
29:51 Performance Insights: Postgres vs MySQL
31:11 Postgres Features and Limitations
36:41 Strategies for Managing Large Datasets
41:41 Working with Prominent Developers
43:09 Independent Operations and Collaboration with Filament
46:21 Agile Development and the Concept of Wet Code
47:25 Managing Technical Debt in Agile Sprints
50:02 Team Structure and Mentorship in Software Development
53:17 Strategies for Onboarding Junior Developers
57:00 Creating a Developer Handbook and Community Engagement
01:01:20 Future Plans and Open Source Aspirations
01:08:26 New Chapter
