Best Brian Jenney Podcasts (2025)

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The ONLY Project You Need to Build to Become a Software Developer in 2026 20:25

Play Pause

2d ago20:25

20:25

I lay out the project with tons of resources right here 👇 https://brianjenney.medium.com/your-learning-roadmap-to-become-a-software-developer-2e15e1ce1e22 Send us a text Shameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to AI Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Apply for 1 of 12 spots at Parsity - Learn to build complex …

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#291 - Open Source + Hard Work: A CTO’s Roadmap for Junior Developers 27:10

9d ago27:10

27:10

Amber argues that the biggest problem facing new developers isn’t coding ability… It’s lack of real experience, and an over-reliance on feel-good advice that doesn’t translate into hireability. We dig into: Why contributing to real, medium-complexity open-source projects is the fastest path to becoming job-ready Why most juniors aren’t actually hir…

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#290 - 4 things no one tells you about learning to code after 30 12:54

16d ago12:54

12:54

Am I too old to learn how to code? If you're alive then the answer is NO. BUT, you are going to need a different game plan than your 22 year old co-workers if you want this to work. I was 31 when I got my first job as a coder. Here's what worked for me and others I've taught over the years. Send us a text Shameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to …

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#289 - This Year Nearly Broke Me - Here’s What I’m Changing... 12:10

20d ago12:10

12:10

There are some major changes coming to Parsity and this podcast. As a listener, I appreciate you sincerely for listening and I want to extend the largest discount we've ever done for our 30 day Javascript program. It's usually $49 but I'm reducing it to $10. Complete the 30 days and you got yourself a $1400 discount to Parsity's software engineerin…

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#288 - AI Hype is Ruining Software (A Rant) 18:30

23d ago18:30

18:30

"We don't really need developers any more" "In 2 years, the tools will be so good, that no one will be writing code" "Learn a trade bro" I've heard all of these phrases in the last week and it's honestly getting to me. Too often, the people with the loudest microphones have the least experience with the tools we're using. Besides being a talking he…

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Creative Engineering at Scale: What Big Companies Get Wrong (and Right) with David Mitchell 33:07

26d ago33:07

33:07

What happens when you mix creative agency chaos with world-class engineering? You get teams that don’t just write code—they own the product. In this episode, I’m talking with David Mitchell, CTO at VML, one of the biggest creative agencies on the planet. With thousands of engineers and global clients like Wendy’s and United Rentals, David’s teams a…

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#287 - From Smoothie King to AI Engineer 19:19

27d ago19:19

19:19

Ryan is a current student at Parsity who build an app for his employer, Smoothie King, to suggest drinks in a chat interface using a powerful and lesser-known AI technology: RAG. RAG stands for retrieval augmented generation. Basically, providing information (like smoothie recipes) to an AI model so it can return a highly specific response. Ryan br…

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#286 - How to Know When You're Ready for ReactJS 13:06

30d ago13:06

13:06

You’ll learn the six core JS skills to master before frameworks, why TC39 keeps changing the language, and how to test your skills with a challenge you can access below. 👉 Try out the JS Form Challenge. 👈 We also cover: Why hiring trends still test JavaScript, even when jobs say React How to think like a developer: requests, responses, and UI updat…

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#284 - The Junior Developer Interview Guide (From Recruiter Screen to React) 29:27

1M ago29:27

29:27

Let's be honest - interviews suck. But you can't suck at them. In this episode I break down what your next interview as a junior developer will LIKELY include. Your mileage will vary. Grab the interview guide below which includes a playback of a live event that Parsity recently hosted and a ton of resources: https://brianjenney.substack.com/p/the-j…

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#285 - Listen to This Before You Learn to Code with AI 13:46

1M ago13:46

13:46

Thinking about learning to code with ChatGPT, Cursor, or Copilot? Hit pause for ten minutes. In this episode, I break down why AI isn’t replacing developers but it is making it harder to learn. You’ll learn the right time to start using AI as a beginner, how to avoid outsourcing the struggle that builds real skill, and the “teach-back” method that …

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#284 - Are We in an AI Bubble? 15:27

1M ago15:27

15:27

Original article: https://medium.com/@wlockett/you-have-no-idea-how-screwed-openai-actually-is-8358dccfca1c Your AI engineer starter project: https://parsity.io/ai-with-rag Send us a text Shameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to AI Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Apply for 1 of 12 spots at Parsity - Learn…

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#283 - The Practical Guide to LinkedIn for Developers Who Hate LinkedIn 25:06

1M ago25:06

25:06

Grab the templates for posting to LinkedIn here: https://www.parsity.io/learning-in-public I’ve grown from 0 to nearly 40K followers on LinkedIn with barely any viral posts, and along the way I learned how the platform really works. In this episode, I’m breaking down the exact strategy junior developers are using right now to get recruiters to noti…

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#282 - From Overwhelmed To Hired: A Realistic Plan For Learning To Code on an Adult Schedule 11:13

2M ago11:13

11:13

👉 Your adult time audit worksheet 👈 I get it. There is no time. You have kids, maybe adult dependents or a really good show you're binging in between our slow descent into a dystopian reality. I don't believe in fluff. Let's cover a practical guide on learning to code as a busy adult and some of the easy (and not so easy) steps you're going to need…

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#281 - Coding Bootcamp, College, Or Self-Taught? Which is Right For You and How to Decide 12:55

2M ago12:55

12:55

Let's weigh college, bootcamps, and the self-taught route with blunt pros and cons, then map each path to market realities, hiring filters, and long-term growth. The goal is to help you choose a route that gets you hired faster without stalling your career later. • how degrees are used as filters and where they matter • why top-tier schools win on …

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#280 - The Missing Guide to AI for Web Developers 28:19

2M ago28:19

28:19

I just quit my job as a senior AI developer, and while helping hire my replacement, I realized how few people actually know how AI apps work. In this episode, I walk through Retrieval-Augmented Generation step by step—the same system I built at work—and show you the real skills developers need right now. 👉 Grab a hands-on project with a video you c…

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#279 - Recruiter Exposes the Truth About Junior Developer Jobs 44:20

2M ago44:20

44:20

Just give up? Everyone says no one’s hiring junior developers anymore — but is that actually true? In this episode, I sit down with recruiter David Roberts to uncover what’s really happening in the job market, why most applicants are getting filtered out, and what you can do differently to land your first role. We break down the biggest myths about…

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#278 - AI Does NOT Replace Junior Developers, Here's Why 12:43

2M ago12:43

12:43

Every headline says AI is eating developer jobs. But spend a week in production and you’ll see the opposite: brittle code, flaky tests, and tools that look fast until you actually ship something. In this episode, I break down why the “AI replaces engineers” story sells so well—to investors, to execs, and to lazy headlines—but falls apart in the rea…

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#277 - RAG: The Only AI Skill Web Devs Need to Learn in 2026 36:14

2M ago36:14

36:14

I thought Ben was a troll when he slid into my DMs after a LinkedIn argument. Turns out, he’s building some of the most practical AI systems I’ve seen. In this episode, we talk about how that disagreement turned into a friendship—and why Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) might be the skill every developer needs in 2026. Connect with Ben here Che…

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#276 - Claude Code Failed: What Anthropic’s Postmortem Means for Developers 16:18

2M ago16:18

16:18

Ever had your AI pair programmer stop helping and start breaking everything? I did—and this time, the data proves it wasn’t just me. Claude fell off. TypeScript that wouldn’t compile, migrations stuck in loops, refactors that went completely sideways. Turns out Anthropic’s own postmortem revealed three separate bugs causing degraded output—context …

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#275 - Terrible Advice for Software Developers (that you're hearing in 2025) 17:45

2M ago17:45

17:45

After 11 years helping hundreds of career changers switch into software development, I've found the hardest part isn't teaching technical skills but rewiring brains from misleading online advice that hurts new developers. Much of this advice is well-intentioned, but some is designed purely for clicks and engagement. • "Don't chase titles!" • "Don't…

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Developer Career Change Hotline: Networking, Breaking In, and Not Giving Up 18:53

3M ago18:53

18:53

Let's tackle three of the most common struggles career changers face: 1. Breaking into tech from another field 2. Networking without feeling fake 3. Staying motivated when the job search drags on. If you’re wondering how to make the leap, keep connections warm, or simply not burn out—this one’s for you. Got a question of your own? 👉 Drop it here 👈 …

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#274 - The Cost of Being Nice: Why Good Developers Don't Get Promoted 20:01

3M ago20:01

20:01

Have you ever wondered why some developers keep getting promoted while others stay stuck at the same level despite their technical skills? The answer might surprise you. Through practical, actionable steps, I break down exactly how developers at any level can strategically increase their influence and advance their careers. You'll learn how to gain…

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Engineering Clarity in the Age of AI with Seth Rosenbauer 32:39

3M ago32:39

32:39

Engineering Clarity in the Age of AI: How Docs, Context, and Product Thinking Shape Better Software Seth Rosenbauer is the founder of a tool that uses AI to help engineers create better documentation—and, more importantly, the right thing, faster. But this conversation isn’t just about tooling. It’s about how context is the new currency in engineer…

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#273 - When You Don’t Know What to Build—Build This 18:19

3M ago18:19

18:19

Breaking into software development isn’t about finishing another tutorial—it’s about building something that matters. In this episode, I’ll show you how to choose a side project that proves your skills, keeps you motivated, and actually impresses employers. You’ll learn: Why great data makes or breaks your app How to apply the 80/20 rule—stick with…

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Fixing the Language Barrier Between Engineers and Executives with Karell Ste-Marie of The Serious CTO 37:02

3M ago37:02

37:02

Matt is joined by Karell Ste-Marie, founder of The Serious CTO YouTube channel. Together, they tackle one of the biggest hidden challenges in software companies: the language and cultural barrier between engineers and executives. Karell and Matt break down why innovation is so rare in large organizations, why engineers and business leaders often ta…

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#272 - The State of the 2025 Tech Job Market: Is AI Helping or Hurting Us? 14:23

3M ago14:23

14:23

The tech job market is sending seriously mixed signals in 2025. While social media overflows with doom and gloom about hiring freezes and impossible entry barriers, actual data tells a surprisingly different story. Job openings are trending upward, with big tech companies like Meta, Google, and Apple actively expanding their engineering teams. What…

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#271 - The Physics of Career Change: How Long It Actually Takes to Become a Software Developer 37:25

3M ago37:25

37:25

Remember when coding bootcamps promised you could learn to code and land a job in just three months? That golden era of easy entry into tech has fundamentally changed, yet the marketing hasn't caught up with reality. In this eye-opening conversation, ex-Google engineer Zubin and host Brian cut through the hype to deliver a reality check about what …

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Prompt Prototyping, AI Vibes, and the New Rules of Product Management 29:25

3M ago29:25

29:25

Product management is being rewritten in real time, and AI is doing the editing. Matt sits down with Jerel Velarde, product manager at Full Scale Ventures, to discuss how AI is reshaping the relationship between PMs and engineering. We dive into what Jerel calls prompt prototyping, how expectations for product velocity have changed, and why the bes…

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#270 - Coding in the Age of AI: What No One’s Telling You 20:13

3M ago20:13

20:13

AI is changing coding faster than anyone expected. Two years ago, autocomplete felt wild—now people with zero dev experience are shipping apps over a weekend. The question isn’t “is AI replacing developers?” It’s “how do you actually use it without wrecking your codebase?” In this episode, I’ll break down when to use AI (and when not to), why Retri…

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#269 - I'm Burnt Out! The 3 Worst Parts About Being a Software Developer (and why I still love it) 12:43

3M ago12:43

12:43

It’s Labor Day weekend and, honestly? I’m burned out. Maybe this isn’t the best business move, but I’d rather keep it real with you than fake the whole “everything is great in tech” narrative. I’ve been plenty vocal about why AI isn’t about to replace us all tomorrow, much to the dismay of to all the AI bros out there. But here’s the other side: be…

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Why Teams Lose Their Way at Scale with Randy Silver 31:34

3M ago31:34

31:34

Matt is joined by product and leadership consultant Randy Silver to unpack one of the most frustrating problems in product organizations: everyone knows where they want to go, but no one knows how to actually get there. Together they explore what causes this breakdown in execution, how companies drift from product strategy to dysfunction, and what …

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#268 - An AI Agent Horror Story: What Happens When AI Runs a Business? 12:15

3M ago12:15

12:15

What happens when you give an AI agent full control over a small business? I mean, what could go wrong? Things started off rough and then got down right creepy near the end of this experiment. You can read the original article here: https://www.anthropic.com/research/project-vend-1 Send us a text Shameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to go from H…

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#267 - Step-by-Step: Build a Real AI Project with Next.js & RAG 24:54

4M ago24:54

24:54

What does it actually mean to be an “AI Engineer”? Honestly—not much. The title is overloaded and vague. But what is meaningful right now is knowing how to build real projects with AI that go beyond toy chatbots and portfolio fluff. In this episode, I walk you through the exact project I’ve been building at two different AI startups: a Retrieval Au…

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How AI Is Really Impacting Developer Experience and the Real Productivity Problem with Laura Tacho 29:38

4M ago29:38

29:38

In this episode, Matt is joined by Laura Tacho, CTO at DX — one of the leading voices in developer experience research and tooling. Together, they unpack how AI is really affecting software development teams, why developer experience has a “marketing problem,” and why organizational friction — not technology — is the biggest productivity killer. If…

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#266 - Startups 101: Insider Secrets for Aspiring Developers 41:03

4M ago41:03

41:03

In this episode of Develop Yourself, I sit down with Gabe Rucker, CEO of Founding Titans, to discuss everything from entrepreneurship and building startups to the practical side of networking and getting money from thin air. We also dive into how Parsity students gained valuable, hands-on experience through an internship with Founding Titans, worki…

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#265 - Why JavaScript Feels So Hard To Learn: You're Making One of These Mistakes 18:59

4M ago18:59

18:59

When I first tried to learn JavaScript, I hated it so much I told myself I’d just be an HTML and CSS developer and never touch it again. Of course, my first job threw me straight into Angular, C#, SQL, and a mountain of JavaScript I wasn’t ready for. In this episode, I share what made JavaScript so brutal for me (and for almost every student I’ve w…

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Why We Still Need Software Engineers in the Age of AI with Brian Jenney 29:56

4M ago29:56

29:56

AI can scaffold an app in seconds, but can it refactor that thousand-line React file when the first bug hits production? In this episode, I sit down with Brian Jenney software engineer and program owner of the coding bootcamp Parsity, to draw a hard line between “code that runs” and “code that lasts.” From mentoring career-switchers to stress-testi…

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#265 - The 4 Databases Every Developer Should Know (Including 2 You Probably Don't) 22:43

4M ago22:43

22:43

When your only tool is a hammer - everything looks like a nail. 2 of these database I'm sure you've heard and 2 might be completely new to you. Let's go past MongoDB and SQL to learn what tool is best for what job and what's the database choice for AI in 2025. If you're interested in learning SQL, check out this episode: https://open.spotify.com/sh…

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#264 - Stack Overflow's 2025 Developer Survey: Surprising Takeaways on AI, Coding Languages and Work 28:32

4M ago28:32

28:32

Every year, Stack Overflow surveys nearly a 100,000 developers to learn what technologies, languages and tools are trending. The answers here might surprise you, especially when it comes to AI tools. You can check out the survey here: https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2025/developers/ Send us a text Shameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to go from …

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Simple Systems that Let CTOs Delegate Ownership—and Still Sleep at Night with Brittany Rastsmith 33:00

4M ago33:00

33:00

If you’re running a startup, chances are you’re the bottleneck. Brittany Rastsmith joins Product Driven to talk through why founders constantly end up in this trap and how to escape it. She works with early-stage companies through her consulting firm, Bloom Remote, and she's seen it all. We get into how to create clarity, visibility, and accountabi…

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#263 - They're Lying to You About AI Productivity: Hype vs Reality for Coders 12:47

4M ago12:47

12:47

Maybe I'm just coping. Maybe. I’ve been pretty vocal about the over-hype of AI coding tools and I always get the same responses from AI bros: “YoU gOtta PrOmpt bEtteR!” “This iz a skillz issue dawg”“I’m using [x] and it works perfectly” “I’m a super duper senior architect and I’ve replaced my entire team with AI agents. You’re coping.” I’d be lying…

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#262 - 12 Months to Hired: A No-Fluff Roadmap to Becoming a Software Developer 34:37

4M ago34:37

34:37

If I lost everything today—no job, no network, no portfolio—and had to start over in 2025 as a software developer, I wouldn’t be looking for a 3-month miracle. I’d be planning for 12 months. That’s how long it really takes now. We cover: what tech stack you should learn networking as a developer using BFS a capstone project that is actually impress…

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Technical Co-Founders are Startup Gold with Noah Lindner 30:01

4M ago30:01

30:01

The 10X Developer Decoded: Why Technical Co-Founders Are Startup Gold 💎 In this revealing conversation, we unpack one of tech's most polarizing concepts while exploring the brutal realities of building technical partnerships in today's startup ecosystem. Host Matt Watson and Noah Lindner (ex-Airbnb engineer turned consultant) deliver unfiltered ins…

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#261 - I Used to Suck at Coding Interviews. Then I Started Doing These 4 Things 17:33

4M ago17:33

17:33

Five years ago, during an interview for a senior dev role, I had a panic attack. It was one of my worst interview experiences. It also taught me a lot about what I was doing wrong. In this episode, I'll break down the process that took me from under-paid developer to passing interviews and 4x'ing my salary. Here's your worksheet to help you create …

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#260 - From Lead Engineer at MongoDB to Fashion Tech: On Hiring, Remote Teams, and Start-Up Life 24:21

4M ago24:21

24:21

Harish, former lead engineer at MongoDB and current co-founder of Flaire, takes us on a journey through his unusual career path—one that didn’t involve grinding LeetCode or chasing FAANG. Instead, he got deep into cybersecurity, built large-scale systems, and eventually started his own company that’s redefining how small businesses use software. We…

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Office Hours: Answering Your Coding Questions EP 3 18:56

5M ago18:56

18:56

Are junior devs cooked? How can I scaffold a solid MERN stack app? What's the best way to stick with a tutorial? We got some great questions this episode and my answers might surprise you. Got a question you want answered? Drop it here: https://form.typeform.com/to/Q499M9kl Send us a text Shameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to A…

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CTO Levels and the Path to Strategic Tech Leadership with Kathy Keating 34:27

5M ago34:27

34:27

From Coding to Catalyst: The Evolution of Technology Leadership 🚀 Journey through the transformation of modern CTOs with industry veteran Kathy Keating, who shares battle-tested insights from scaling teams of 2 to 450+ engineers. This episode unravels the complex tapestry of technology leadership, exploring how yesterday's code-focused roles have e…

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#259 - The Minimum Effective Dose of JavaScript You Need to Learn 19:59

5M ago19:59

19:59

Learning JS is tough. And you're probably making some of the same mistakes I did in the past. In this episode you'll get a path and a small project to make to teach you the minimum effective dose of JavaScript necessary to move forward in your learning journey. Here's the challenge I mentioned which includes some short videos: Your Form Challenge S…

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#258 - Should You Use AI While Learning to Code? A Senior Developer’s Take 17:28

5M ago17:28

17:28

A junior developer who got hired at a startup used AI non-stop to keep up. It worked for weeks until he crashed and burned. He'd built a house of cards that he couldn't keep up. The AI tools went in doom loops or just added more sloppy code that his team wouldn't accept. Turns out they hired a prompt engineer instead of a coder. We're in uncharted …

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Inside 'Product Driven': Why This New Book is Every Engineering Leader's Must-Read 41:36

5M ago41:36

41:36

Product Driven: Building Software Teams That Ship Value 🚀 In this special book launch episode, we dive deep into the intersection of engineering leadership, product thinking, and the transformative impact of AI on software development. Join Matt Watson and Craig Ferril as they explore the revolutionary "Product Driven Model" and why traditional dev…