Best Ruby Hill Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 52 - Vladimir Dementyev 1:05:55

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1d ago1:05:55

1:05:55

What happens when you put Rails in a browser? Vladimir Dementyev (Vova) is pushing WebAssembly to its limits by creating an interactive Rails playground that runs entirely client-side. This groundbreaking project aims to eliminate the frustrating installation barriers that often discourage newcomers from trying Ruby on Rails. "I asked myself the qu…

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Irina Nazarova 29:19

2d ago29:19

29:19

Send us a text Irina Nazarova, head of Evil Martians, shares insights on Rails' enduring value in the startup ecosystem and her journey from Rails user to keynote speaker and community organizer. • Rails and Y Combinator grew simultaneously, with 90% of early YC startups building on Rails • Rails helps startups focus on business risks while keeping…

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Erin Pintozzi 20:51

9d ago20:51

20:51

Send us a text David Hill chats with Erin Pintozzi about her journey from anxious first-time attendee to mentor and guide in the Ruby conference community. They explore the Scholar and Guide program, overcoming conference anxiety, and finding unexpected connections while navigating tech events. • Meeting through mutual connections at RailsConf Detr…

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Episode 51 - Chris Oliver 1:22:24

16d ago1:22:24

1:22:24

The last RailsConf ever is coming to Philadelphia this summer, and co-chair Chris Oliver joins us to pull back the curtain on what's sure to be a historic gathering for the Rails community. Chris reveals how the programming committee curated an exceptional lineup from hundreds of submissions, balancing nostalgic looks at Rails' 18-year journey with…

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Shan Cureton 17:33

17d ago17:33

17:33

Send us a text We welcome Shan Cureton, Ruby Central's new Executive Director, who shares her entrepreneurial background and vision for the organization's future. Shan brings fresh perspectives on strengthening open source sustainability, increasing community engagement, and ensuring Ruby's legacy continues for the next generation. • Founded a tech…

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Bekki Freeman and Spike Ilacqua 29:24

24d ago29:24

29:24

Send us a text Rocky Mountain Ruby Conference organizers Spike Ilaqua and Becky Freeman share how they revived this regional event and why smaller tech conferences create uniquely valuable community experiences. • Rocky Mountain Ruby started in 2010, ran until 2017, then was revived after the pandemic • The conference builds on Boulder's strong Rub…

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Episode 50 - Adam Fortuna 35:19

30d ago35:19

35:19

Swimming against the current sometimes leads to unexpected treasures. In this fascinating conversation, Adam Fortuna reveals how migrating Hardcover—a social network for readers with 30,000 users—from Next.js back to Ruby on Rails delivered surprising performance improvements and development simplicity. The journey begins with Adam explaining how H…

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The Return of Marty Haught 24:10

1M ago24:10

24:10

Send us a text Marty Haught, Director of Open Source at Ruby Central, shares insights on securing the Ruby ecosystem and the evolution of community spaces at tech conferences. • Ruby Central's open source program focuses on three key areas: security, reliability, and sustainability • Pre-compiled binaries for native extensions are coming to RubyGem…

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The Return of Chris Oliver 46:19

1M ago46:19

46:19

Send us a text Chris Oliver joins us to discuss his experience co-chairing the final RailsConf and provides a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to organize a major tech conference. • Co-chairing RailsConf with Ufuk was an opportunity too good to pass up for the final Rails conference • Site visits to Philadelphia's Sheraton included evaluatin…

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Aryn Chapman 23:27

1M ago23:27

23:27

Send us a text Aryn Chapman joins us to discuss the vibrant journey of planning RailsConf, highlighting the dynamic collaboration with Ruby Central. She provides an insider's perspective on how event production creates incredible experiences for attendees. • Engaging with Ruby Central for event production • Understanding event logistics and plannin…

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Aji Slater 18:16

2M ago18:16

18:16

Send us a text A heartfelt discussion unfolds as we reflect on the significance of RailsConf and what it represents within the Ruby community. Aji shares his journey from a first-time attendee to a program committee member, revealing the growth and connections he’s made along the way. We dive into personal anecdotes that highlight the community's s…

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Rhiannon Payne 20:43

2M ago20:43

20:43

Send us a text A heartfelt look back at the RailsConf community and Rhiannon Payne’s journey from an enthusiastic attendee to the marketing director at Ruby Central. We explore the lessons learned and what’s on the horizon for this final RailsConf. - Introduction to Rhiannon Payne and her role at Ruby Central - Journey from RubyKaigi attendance to …

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Jim Remsik 15:10

2M ago15:10

15:10

Send us a text We dive into the heartfelt experiences of Jim Remsick in the Ruby community, exploring the intricate world of conference organization and the importance of authentic relationships in the tech space. Our conversation highlights Jim's insights as co-chair of RubyConf, paving the way towards the upcoming RailsConf. - Discusses the respo…

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Fable Tales 23:34

2M ago23:34

23:34

Send us a text A joyful journey through decades of RailsConf experiences highlighted the importance of community within the Ruby ecosystem. Memories of past conferences, along with the pivotal roles of attendees in shaping the Ruby landscape, showcase the essence of collaboration and connection. • Introduction and sponsorship • Fable Tales shares h…

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Episode 49 - Radan Skoric 34:27

3M ago34:27

34:27

What happens when a seasoned Rails developer with 17 years of experience decides to document their journey learning Hotwire? Radan Skorić joins us to discuss his ebook "Master Hotwire" and the fascinating parallels between writing and coding. Unlike most tutorials that start from ground zero, Radan's approach assumes you already know Rails—because …

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Ally Vogel 27:37

3M ago27:37

27:37

Send us a text This episode features an enlightening conversation with Allie Vogel, the operations manager at Ruby Central. We explore how community engagement fuels the Ruby ecosystem through meetups, support programs, and memorable experiences at RailsConf. • Discussion on the importance of Ruby Central • Insights on meetup grants and how they su…

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Freedom Dumlao 23:11

3M ago23:11

23:11

Send us a text A journey of technology transformation unfolds as Freedom Dumlao shares his experience migrating from Java to Ruby on Rails amidst the pressure of RailsConf. Highlighting community support, leadership lessons, and the power of practical tech solutions, Freedom offers insights that resonate with developers and leaders alike. • Freedom…

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Episode 48 - Adam Wathan 33:03

3M ago33:03

33:03

Join us as we unravel the inspiring journey of Tailwind CSS with its creator, Adam Wathan. From its inception in 2017 as an open-source CSS framework to becoming a major player in web design, Tailwind has recently undergone a significant rebranding with the launch of Tailwind Plus. This episode provides listeners with insights into Adam's strategic…

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Michelle Yuen 26:02

3M ago26:02

26:02

Send us a text This episode explores the transformative experiences of Michelle Yuen at RailsConf, discussing her journey from being a scholar to a guide. We delve into the importance of community, mentorship, and stepping out of one's comfort zone, highlighting how shared experiences foster lasting connections. • Understanding the Scholar and Guid…

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Sarah Mei 25:21

3M ago25:21

25:21

Send us a text This episode explores the profound impact of RailsConf through personal anecdotes and reflections shared by Sarah Mei, a long-standing member of the Ruby community. We delve into memorable experiences, community growth, and the evolution of diversity within the tech landscape. • Reflections on the early days of RailsConf • The signif…

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Episode 47 - Jason Swett 48:55

4M ago48:55

48:55

Join us for a fascinating episode where we explore the development of SaturnCI—a new and user-friendly Continuous Integration tool that arose from frustrations with existing solutions like CircleCI and GitHub Actions. Our guest, Jason Sweat, shares his passion for creating a platform that not only simplifies the user experience but actively incorpo…

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Brand New Box 23:48

4M ago23:48

23:48

Send us a text Our podcast is a tribute to the transformative experience of attending RailsConf as a team. We discuss the power of connection, learning opportunities, and shared moments that enhanced our camaraderie and professional growth. • Discussing the importance of team attendance at conferences • Exploring community-driven aspects of the Rai…

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Episode 46 - David Hill 41:32

4M ago41:32

41:32

David Hill, the innovative mind behind "Ode to RailsConf" and a senior engineer at Simplify, invites us to explore his fascinating journey into the world of podcasting. Inspired by the final announcement of RailsConf, David crafted a platform to celebrate the cherished memories of the event while also providing himself with a bridge to manage socia…

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Sunjay Armstead 19:34

4M ago19:34

19:34

Send us a text Sanjay Armstead shares his transformative experience as a Scholar at his first technical conference, RailsConf, emphasizing the significance of mentorship and community in tech. He discusses his manifesto project that advocates for creating opportunities and fostering connections, along with insights gained from informal hallway conv…

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Neil Hendren 22:18

4M ago22:18

22:18

Send us a text Neil Hendren shares his transformative journey through RubyConf's Scholar Program, highlighting the value of community, learning Ruby on Rails, and creating an email advice bot leveraging AI. His reflections emphasize the importance of open-source documentation, networking, and the contemporary challenges facing the tech industry. • …

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Garrett Gregor 19:33

4M ago19:33

19:33

Send us a text Garrett Greger shares his unique journey from climbing professional to software developer, emphasizing the transformative power of mentorship. The discussion revolves around the important experiences at RailsConf, the Scholar Guide program, and the intrinsic value of community and open source contributions. • Garrett’s background in …

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Episode 45 - Stephen Margheim 39:22

4M ago39:22

39:22

Stephen Margheim, a celebrated figure in the Ruby and Rails community, returns to unravel the fascinating intricacies of his latest project—writing a parser for SQLite's SQL dialect in Ruby. He shares his enlightening journey of translating complex SQL syntax, which at first seemed a simple endeavor but soon unfolded into a realm of deep learning a…

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Cindy Backman 25:44

5M ago25:44

25:44

Send us a text This episode features Cindy Backman from Confreaks, sharing her journey in filming tech conferences and the essential role of video in fostering community connections. She discusses the challenges faced in recording, the importance of speaker preparation, and the vibrant support within the Ruby and Rails communities. • Cindy's backgr…

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Saron Yitbarek 13:01

5M ago13:01

13:01

Send us a textBy David Hill

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Aaron Patterson 27:21

5M ago27:21

27:21

Send us a text This episode captures the spirit of RailsConf through personal stories and reflections shared by Aaron Patterson and the host. They discuss memorable experiences, the impact of community connections on personal growth, and the blend of humor and technical insight in Aaron's keynotes. • Overview of RailsConf's cultural significance • …

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Ben Greenberg 35:12

5M ago35:12

35:12

Send us a text Ever taken a detour to Costco during a tech conference? In our latest episode, join me and special guest Ben Greenberg as we recount such quirky adventures and the profound impacts of RailsConf on our personal and professional lives. We dive into Ben's serendipitous entry into the Ruby community, from his educational roots at the Fla…

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Marty Haught 20:10

5M ago20:10

20:10

Send us a text Join us as we explore the rich history of RailsConf with Marty Hott. We discuss the evolution of the conference, its significance to the Ruby community, and the importance of fostering connections and sustaining local events. • Marty shares his journey with RailsConf from the beginning • Early enthusiasm and community magic defined t…

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Evan Phoenix 23:53

6M ago23:53

23:53

Send us a text Evan Phoenix, a former director of RailsConf, shares his experiences and insights into organizing the conference. He recounted the transition from O'Reilly to Ruby Central in 2012, highlighting the chaos and last-minute preparations, including securing catering and designing the event. Evan emphasized the importance of selecting inte…

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John Sawers 16:09

6M ago16:09

16:09

Send us a textBy David Hill

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Episode 44 - Adam McCrea 35:15

6M ago35:15

35:15

What if you could scale your SaaS platforms effortlessly across diverse hosting services? Join us as we welcome Adam McCrea, the brilliant mind behind JudoScale, who takes us through his fascinating evolution from being a Rails developer to creating a cutting-edge autoscaling solution. Adam opens up about the technical challenges he faced while ada…

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Noel Rappin 13:12

6M ago13:12

13:12

Send us a textBy David Hill

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Robby Russell 27:33

6M ago27:33

27:33

Send us a textBy David Hill

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Episode 43 - Stan Lo 32:17

7M ago32:17

32:17

What drives a seasoned developer from Taiwan to London, and how does one translate a passion for Ruby into groundbreaking projects? Hear from Stan Lo of Shopify's RubyDX team as he shares his captivating journey and his significant impact on the Ruby development landscape. From his essential work on the debug gem and IRB to his current efforts with…

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Kinsey Durham Grace 12:35

7M ago12:35

12:35

Send us a textBy David Hill

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Andy Croll 16:10

7M ago16:10

16:10

Send us a textBy David Hill

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Mina Slater 36:17

7M ago36:17

36:17

Send us a textBy David Hill

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Ben Curtis 12:59

7M ago12:59

12:59

Send us a textBy David Hill

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Andrew Mason 11:58

7M ago11:58

11:58

Send us a textBy David Hill

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Ashley Ellis Pearce 10:25

8M ago10:25

10:25

Send us a textBy David Hill

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Chad Fowler 27:30

8M ago27:30

27:30

Send us a textBy David Hill

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Elise Shaffer 20:34

8M ago20:34

20:34

Send us a textBy David Hill

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Episode 42 - Cody Norman 28:21

8M ago28:21

28:21

Cody Norman, an independent Ruby on Rails consultant and creator of SpotSquid, takes us on a fascinating journey through the intersection of technology and tattoo artistry. Discover how Cody transformed a traditionally paper-based industry into a tech-savvy environment, using customer feedback to tackle the unique challenges faced by tattoo artists…

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BONUS | Behind the scenes on Mr Big 21:00

8M ago21:00

21:00

Go behind the scenes of the podcast with reporter Alicia Bridges, who answers questions about how she investigated Mr Big. Asking the hard questions is Rachael Brown, the host of the ABC's first true crime podcast, Trace. They discuss some of the challenges and dilemmas around reporting on the story, how Alicia came across the case, and some of the…