Best Duke Engineering Podcasts (2025)

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Jennifer Wallace: Raising Resilient Kids in a Culture That Says They're Never Enough 51:53

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14h ago51:53

51:53

Jennifer Wallace is a journalist, researcher, and mother of three who set out to answer one of the most pressing questions in modern parenting: *Why do our kids feel like they're never enough — and what can we do about it?* Drawing on insights from her book *Never Enough* and years of reporting, Wallace explains how achievement culture, status anxi…

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Laura Huang: Creating an Edge in a World That Won’t Hand You One 1:05:42

1d ago1:05:42

1:05:42

In this powerful and perspective-shifting episode, Harvard Business School professor and author **Laura Huang** shares a deeply human and practical roadmap for transforming disadvantage into advantage. Drawing from her book *Edge*, she breaks down the four-part EDGE framework—Enrich, Delight, Guide, and Effort—showing how each of us can flip bias, …

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Emily Fletcher: The Science and Simplicity of Unlocking Human Potential Through Meditation 46:52

18m ago46:52

46:52

Emily Fletcher, founder of Ziva Meditation and a former Broadway performer, shares how her journey from the stage to spiritual leadership reshaped her understanding of success, fulfillment, and mental resilience. In this candid and practical conversation, Emily explains the science behind stress, its impact on performance, and how meditation can tr…

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Unlocking Longevity: How Genetic Insights Guide Lifelong Health 1:08:06

4d ago1:08:06

1:08:06

Your DNA carries powerful clues about how to protect your heart and extend your life, and modern genetics now makes it possible to turn that knowledge into action. Dr. Regina Druz sits down with Dr. Sharon Hausman-Cohen, the co-founder of IntellxxDNA, to discuss how breakthroughs in genetics, genomics, and epigenetics are redefining personalized me…

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Building Psychologically Safe Teams 🛡️ — with Meg Adams 49:07

6d ago49:07

49:07

Today's guest is Meg Adams!Meg is Senior Director of Engineering for the New York Times. With Meg, we talked about her fantastic journey in tech, from management in sales and retail, to learning software development from scratch, to management again, but this time in technology. And then we especially talked about Neuro Leadership, what it is, how …

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Engineering Bacterial Vector-Based Immunotherapies With OS Therapies’ Paul Romness and Robert Petit, Ph.D. 36:38

12d ago36:38

36:38

By Tyler Menichiello

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Courtney Harding: Building the Future of Human Connection Through XR, Education, and Digital Agency 50:29

11d ago50:29

50:29

Courtney Harding, founder of Friends with Holograms and a leading voice in spatial computing, joins Srini to discuss the real-world applications and philosophical implications of immersive technologies like VR and AR. Drawing from her background in music journalism, activism, and public policy, she unpacks how virtual experiences are reshaping educ…

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Daniel Lieberman: Dopamine, Desire, and Why Enough is Never Enough 51:43

16d ago51:43

51:43

In this mind-expanding conversation, psychiatrist and author Daniel Lieberman unpacks the role of dopamine — the brain's molecule of motivation — and how it shapes nearly every aspect of our lives, from love and ambition to addiction and impulsive behavior. Drawing from his bestselling book *The Molecule of More*, Lieberman explains why we’re wired…

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Frustrated with Exercise? How Move More Moments Can Re-engineer Your Routine 55:51

18d ago55:51

55:51

Exercise can be medicine for the heart, yet most of us still struggle to fit it into daily life. Dr. Regina Druz sits down with exercise physiologist Dr. Jim Walter to explore how movement shapes cardiovascular health and why small choices matter more than we think. He introduces “move more moments,” simple ways to counter a sedentary lifestyle and…

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Annie Duke: Why Knowing When to Quit Is a Superpower 1:10:48

18d ago1:10:48

1:10:48

In this powerful third appearance, bestselling author and decision strategist Annie Duke dismantles the myth that grit is always good — and makes the case for why strategic quitting is essential for success. Drawing from cognitive science, personal experience, and examples like Muhammad Ali, Dave Chappelle, and Stuart Butterfield (Slack), Duke illu…

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The Science of Mastery: Anders Ericsson on Deliberate Practice 45:52

18d ago45:52

45:52

Psychologist Anders Ericsson, the originator of the concept of deliberate practice, shares the foundational principles behind how experts are made—not born. Drawing on decades of empirical research, he explains how world-class performance emerges through structured effort, targeted feedback, and the development of mental models over time.Ericsson c…

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Navigating AI Development Workflows 🛠 — with Birgitta Böckeler 50:21

24d ago50:21

50:21

Today's guest is Birgitta Böckeler! Birgitta is is a distinguished engineer and global lead for AI-assisted software delivery at ThoughtWorks. Her full-time work is to figure out how engineering teams can make the most out of AI. With Birgitta, we talked about her favorite workflows, how she uses AI in the IDE, in the terminal or in a genetic mode.…

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How J&J Is Tackling Alzheimer's Disease With Fiona Elwood, Ph.D. 32:50

26d ago32:50

32:50

In this episode of “Better Biopharma,” host Tyler Menichiello is joined by Fiona Elwood, Ph.D., VP and Neurodegeneration Disease Area Stronghold Leader at Johnson & Johnson. The two talk about J&J’s end-to-end organizational structure and its modality-agnostic approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease. Follow Tyler Menichiello on LinkedIn: https://w…

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The Operating System of Transformation: Salim Ismail on Exponential Thinking, Leadership, and Inner Engineering 57:33

26d ago57:33

57:33

In this episode, Salim Ismail — founding executive director of Singularity University and author of *Exponential Organizations* — maps out what it takes to adapt, lead, and build in a world defined by accelerating change.He unpacks the frameworks behind exponential growth, the future of learning, and the architecture of modern organizations. But th…

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“Honey, I Shrunk the ECG!”: How This Cardiologist Put Your Heart Rhythm at Your Fingertips 54:00

1M ago54:00

54:00

Pocket-sized ECG devices and advances in AI in healthcare are opening new possibilities in cardiology and giving patients practical ways to stay on top of their heart health. What once required bulky machines in hospitals can now be done from home, shifting how care is experienced and how patients connect with their doctors. In this episode, Dr. Re…

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Dennis Xu: Designing Tools That Think Like We Do 47:01

1M ago47:01

47:01

Dennis Xu, co-founder of Mem, unpacks the future of personal knowledge and how it’s being reshaped by networked thinking, cognitive design, and human-centered AI. Drawing on his Stanford background, founder journey, and product philosophy, Dennis challenges the folder-based paradigms of information management — replacing them with malleable, graph-…

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The Science of Focus: Gloria Mark on Attention Rhythms, Flow Myths, and Digital Control 52:12

1M ago52:12

52:12

Cognitive scientist Gloria Mark explains why modern knowledge work sabotages attention — and how to fight back. Drawing from her decades of research, she breaks down internal vs. external distraction, meta-awareness, cognitive rhythms, and the misunderstood nature of flow states. This episode delivers practical insights for reclaiming agency over y…

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Sonkhe Ahrens: Building a Thinking System That Generates Insight, Not Noise 46:13

1M ago46:13

46:13

Sonkhe Ahrens shares how traditional approaches to knowledge — highlighting, tagging, collecting — fail to support actual thinking. Drawing from Niklas Luhmann’s Zettelkasten method, Ahrens explains why insight isn’t something you plan for, but something you engineer into existence by connecting information deliberately over time. The conversation …

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Automating Team Processes Gracefully ⚡ — with Antonia Scheidel 59:06

1M ago59:06

59:06

Today's guest is Antonia Scheidel!Antonia is Director of Engineering at Duolingo, where she made the whole career progression, starting as a simple intern 12 years ago. Antonia is an expert at designing good, automated processes for your team. We discuss how to create good automation to avoid people doing glue work, how not to become a bottleneck a…

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CDMO Hunger Games And The State Of Biotech With Siren Biotechnology's Nicole Paulk, Ph.D. 1:00:40

1M ago1:00:40

1:00:40

In this episode of “Better Biopharma,” host Tyler Menichiello is joined by Nicole Paulk, Ph.D., CEO and founder of Siren Biotechnology, a company developing a universal AAV immuno-gene therapy for cancer. They discuss the company’s decision to switch from plasmids to producer cell lines (PCLs) in production, the current funding environment for cell…

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Do You Know How to Flow? Exploring How Your Brain Gets Its Happiest with Dr. Lara Sayler 55:04

2M ago55:04

55:04

What does it mean to be in a flow state? And why does it matter for both your health and your work? That question frames a wide-ranging conversation between Dr. Regina Druz and Dr. Lara Salyer that goes well beyond theory to ask how we can actually live and practice in ways that support creativity, resilience, and joy. Dr. Salyer reflects on her ow…

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Kevin Surace — Building Smarter, Leading Better, and Adapting to AI 1:10:56

2M ago1:10:56

1:10:56

Kevin Surace breaks down how AI is reshaping the future of work — not by eliminating jobs, but by replacing repetitive tasks and redefining what humans are actually needed for. He explains why productivity, not headcount, will determine company growth in a labor-constrained world. Drawing from decades of applied AI experience, Surace outlines the e…

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Technical Debt as Crime Scene 🔍 — with Adam Tornhill 48:31

2M ago48:31

48:31

Today's guest is Adam Tornhill! Adam is the author of the popular book Your Code as a Crime Scene, and he's the founder of Code Scene. With Adam, we discussed his unique insights about technical debt and code quality, which come from his study of forensic psychology. We explored how static analysis is not enough to understand code health and why yo…

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Delivering Biologics To The Brain With Adaptin Bio's Michael Roberts, Ph.D., and Duke University's Mustafa Khasraw, MD 36:11

2M ago36:11

36:11

In this episode of "Better Biopharma," host Tyler Menichiello is joined by Adaptin Bio's CEO, co-founder, and president, Michael Roberts, Ph.D., and Duke University's Mustafa Khasraw, MD. They discuss Adaptin's Brain Bispecific T-cell Engager (BRiTE) platform, its clinical potential to deliver therapeutic T cells across the blood-brain barrier, and…

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The Biggest Little Troublemaker: Unpacking Lipoprotein(a) with Dr. Guy Mintz 1:01:06

2M ago1:01:06

1:01:06

Lipoprotein(a) might be one of the most important pieces of the heart health puzzle that most people have never heard about. Dr. Regina Druz sits down with cardiologist and lipidology expert Dr. Guy Mintz to discuss why this particle deserves far more attention in cardiology. Lipoprotein(a) is often left out of standard cholesterol tests, yet it is…

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Diversity, AI, and Junior Engineers 🎨 — with Meri Williams 52:03

2M ago52:03

52:03

Today's guest is Meri Williams, who is the CTO of Pleo and the host of LeadDev conferences for more than 10 years. With Meri, we started by talking about diversity, why it is such a controversial topic, why diverse teams make for stronger teams, and what are the mistakes engineering leaders should avoid. Then we took from her experience with Lead D…

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Developing An In Vivo CAR-T With Interius BioTherapeutics' Sianny Christanti and Babu Medi, Ph.D. 48:39

2M ago48:39

48:39

On this episode of Better Biopharma, Interius BioTherapeutics’ Sianny Christanti and Babu Medi, Ph.D., explain how the company is re-engineering a lentiviral vector to enable INT2104, its off-the-shelf, in vivo CAR T-cell therapy. They discuss the vector's design and its manufacturability, as well as the analytical and regulatory challenges of brin…

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The Gut-Liver-Heart Connection Demystified: Uncovering the Hidden Links with Dr. Vivian Asamoah 54:38

2M ago54:38

54:38

Most chronic diseases can’t be reversed until we address what’s happening in the gut, and Dr. Vivian Asamoah is here to explain why your microbiome is the missing link in true healing. Joining Dr. Regina Druz, Dr. Asamoah shares how her journey from conventional gastroenterology to integrative and functional medicine began with a simple but powerfu…

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Thinking in Bets for Engineers 🎲— with Annie Duke 1:11:55

3M ago1:11:55

1:11:55

Today's guest is Annie Duke, who is a former world-class professional poker player and one of the world's top experts on decision-making.She's a bestseller author and coach of many tech founders and teams.With Annie we talked about her journey from studying decision science to becoming a top poker player and back to decision-making. We explored how…

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Functional Antibody Screening With Abalone Bio's Richard Yu, Ph.D. 43:45

3M ago43:45

43:45

In this episode of Better Biopharma, Abalone Bio's CEO and co-founder, Richard Yu, Ph.D., explains how the company's functional antibody selection technology (FAST) platform differs from traditional affinity screening. Follow Tyler Menichiello on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmenichiello/ Keep up with everything biomanufacturing at Bioproc…

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Is Your Mouth Secretly Harming Your Heart? (Dentist Reveals Surprising Connection!) 59:21

3M ago59:21

59:21

Your dentist might be the first person to spot early signs of heart disease, and it might show up long before your cardiologist sees anything on a scan. In this episode, Dr. Regina Druz sits down with her colleague, dentist Dr. Maria Sokolina, to talk about the oral systemic connection and why oral health should never be treated as separate from th…

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Using Algae To Manufacture Oral Biologics With Lumen Bioscience's Craig Behnke, Ph.D. 44:34

3M ago44:34

44:34

Lumen Bioscience is putting the farm in biopharma — literally! In this episode of Better Biopharma, Lumen's EVP of production and development, Craig Behnke, Ph.D., explains the company's chlorophyll-powered approach to bioprocessing using photosynthetic cyanobacteria. Check out Behnke's past appearance on Business Of Biotech: https: //www.lifescien…

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PILOT: Introducing Better Biopharma 2:45

3M ago2:45

2:45

How can the biopharmaceutical industry improve? Join Bioprocess Online's Tyler Menichiello as he explores this question through a series of interviews with experts and leaders from across the space. Subscribe for biweekly, in-depth conversations with the brightest minds in biotech to learn how they're moving the needle to make better medicines and …

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Refactoring at Scale Done Right 🏗️ — with Maude Lemaire 1:05:14

3M ago1:05:14

1:05:14

Today's guest is Maude Lemaire, who is a principal engineer at GitHub and author of the book, "Refactoring at Scale."With Maude, we talked about her journey in tech, from Rent the Runway to joining Slack and leading its performance engineering team to joining GitHub as a principal engineer. And then we discussed what it means to do refactoring at s…

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The Surprising Link Between Your Gut, Brain, Heart, & Simple Lifestyle Changes To Implement Now 54:26

3M ago54:26

54:26

Chronic symptoms don’t always need complex solutions, and your wellness journey doesn’t have to start with prescriptions. Dr. Myrto Ashe joins Dr. Regina Druz to talk about how simple, cost-negative health interventions can spark powerful change. A leader in functional medicine and author of The Simple Science of Wellness, Dr. Ashe shares her perso…

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Building AI-Powered Podcast Learning 🎧 — with Kevin Smith 50:42

4M ago50:42

50:42

Today's guest is Kevin Smith, who is co-founder of Snipd, one of the world's most popular podcast apps.With Kevin, we talked about his journey in tech, starting from quantitative finance and then running an AI team in a high-growth startup up to actually founding one with Snipd. Then we segued into talking about Snipd itself and what are the techni…

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The Six Domains of Optimal Health: How This Cardiologist Found The Secrets to Heart Health 57:26

4M ago57:26

57:26

Your heart can show signs of distress without a single symptom, and sometimes, the trigger isn’t physical at all. Dr. Alan Rozanski, a pioneer in nuclear cardiology and now a thought leader in integrative care, joins Dr. Regina Druz to explore how emotional and behavioral patterns can directly influence heart health and vitality. He shares the turn…

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The Future of Dev Tools 🔧 — with Dennis Pilarinos 40:23

4M ago40:23

40:23

Today's guest is Dennis Pilarinos, who is founder and CEO of Unblocked. With Dennis, we talked about his journey in tech, which is just incredible, starting from director roles at Microsoft and Amazon, then founding BuddyBuild and later selling it to Apple, and eventually to these days where he founded Unblocked. And later we talked about Unblocked…

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Got LDL Cholesterol? Let’s Play Cholesterol Marbles! 38:12

4M ago38:12

38:12

Most doctors focus on LDL. But your lipidome holds the real clues to your cardiovascular risk. In this episode, Dr. Regina Druz introduces a tool she uses with patients called “cholesterol marbles,” a hands-on way to see cholesterol not as good vs. bad, but as a complex network of particles with very different roles. What does it mean if your LDL i…

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How to Manage Humans 🎽 — with Rands 52:53

5M ago52:53

52:53

Today's guest is Michael Lopp, better known as Rands, who is Senior Director of Engineering at Apple and writer of several popular books about engineering management, including "Managing Humans", which is a personal favorite of mine. With Rands, we discuss his journey into writing and the impact it had on his personal and professional growth. We re…

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Do This Daily for Your Heart Health: Laugh Your Heart Out! 53:10

5M ago53:10

53:10

Laughter and heart health might seem like an unlikely pairing until you hear the science behind it. Dr. Regina Druz is joined by Dr. Sam Shay, a functional medicine doctor who also happens to be a stand-up comic. Together, they explore how humor therapy works on a biological level, from lowering stress hormones to improving blood flow. Could laught…

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The Vercel Journey 🔺 — with Guillermo Rauch 56:52

5M ago56:52

56:52

Today's guest is Guillermo Rauch, who is CEO and founder of Vercel.With Guillermo, we talked about his journey in tech, from a small-town in Argentina, to successful open-source developer, to CEO of a billion-dollar company. Then we covered the unique Vercel model, which combines open-source and commercial work. And finally, we discussed the future…

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Listener Favorites: Paul Millerd | The Pathless vs Default Path 1:05:17

5M ago1:05:17

1:05:17

Join us for a compelling conversation with Paul Millerd, author of The Pathless Path. In this episode, Paul shares his insights on finding yourself in the wrong life and the real work of figuring out how to live. Discover his journey through experiments, travels, and lessons learned, as he pieces together a set of principles to guide him from unful…

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Three Things to Know About Your Lipid Profile: Statin Overprescribing Solution Part 2 53:48

5M ago53:48

53:48

Most people scan their cholesterol panel and zero in on the LDL. But could there be a better indicator of risk hiding in plain sight? In this episode, Dr. Regina Druz walks through the standard lipid panel (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides) and explains why the context behind the numbers matters more than the numbers alone. She breaks…

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How to Integrate AI in the Dev Process 🪄 — with Ori Keren 47:21

5M ago47:21

47:21

Today's guest is Ori Keren, who is CEO and co-founder of LinearB and has more than 25 years of experience in the industry, especially in developer experience and productivity. With Ori, we talked about how AI is infiltrating all the stages of the development process, from coding to testing to code reviews. We discussed how AI is already restructuri…

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Renology with Dr. Robin Rose 55:05

6M ago55:05

55:05

When it comes to your kidneys, most people are told “nothing’s wrong” until it’s almost too late. In this episode, Dr. Regina Druz sits down with Dr. Robin Rose to expose the gaps in traditional renal care and offer a proactive path to kidney success. Dr. Rose shares her personal story of facing kidney cancer, a dangerously low eGFR, and the lack o…

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Listener Favorites: Arianna Warsaw | Navigating The Dynamics of Identity Change 1:00:52

6M ago1:00:52

1:00:52

Join us as we sit down with music industry insider, Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch. Discover her unique perspective on navigating identity change and get an insider's tour of the industry. From musician life to proper clapping etiquette, Arianna shares her knowledge and experiences. Don't miss this chance to gain a deeper understanding of the classical m…

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Listener Favorites: Manisha Thakor | Money Zen: The Secret to Finding Your Enough 58:16

6M ago58:16

58:16

In the latest episode of The Unmistakable Creative Podcast titled 'Money Zen: The Secret to Finding Your Enough', we are joined by Manisha Thakor, a seasoned financial expert and the Founder of MoneyZen LLC. With over 25 years of experience in the financial industry, Manisha offers a fresh perspective on our relationship with money and success. Dra…

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Listener Favorites: Aaron Dignan | How to Speed up The Organizational Decision Making Process 57:11

6M ago57:11

57:11

Aaron Dignan is using software to help scale new ways of working and expedite the decision making process of organizations. Discover the possibilities for transformation in the workplace and realize how we can use software like Murmur to revolutionize our slow and outdated systems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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Measuring and Improving Developer Experience 📊 — with Abi Noda 42:58

6M ago42:58

42:58

Today's guest is Abi Noda, the CEO and founder of DX, one of the leading engineering intelligence platforms.With Abi, we talked about measuring developer experience. We started with the early days of Accelerate and why we feel like most people got the book wrong. And then we continued to present days and how research focuses on driving great develo…