Cynical Developer
51 episodes listed below
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A UK based Technology and Software Developer Podcast that helps you to improve your development knowledge and career, through explaining the latest and greatest in development technology and providing you with what you need to succeed as a developer.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
The Cynical Developer connects software choices with the workplace habits, business pressures and security risks that shape them.
James keeps technical ideas attached to the decisions developers actually face. Guest-led conversations move from code reviews, Agile practice and the developer life cycle to Kubernetes, Docker and changes in open source.
James asks if Kubernetes is an app you install; your supposedly basic question gets a seat.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A skeptical look at Space, with enough real-world friction to make the pitch worth hearing.
JetBrains Space is treated as a work problem, not a product pitch. Valerie Andronova walks through team tools, collaboration, and project management with enough detail to feel grounded in how software actually gets used.
Code review gets less noisy when formatting and basic standards are decided before the PR opens.
Jordan Ambrough and The Cynical Developer treat code review as a process problem, not just a place where feedback lands. The strongest point is plain enough: teams should settle style and formatting rules ahead of time, then let shared tooling and automation handle the basics so…
A dry, useful look at the arc from agency founder to solo product builder.
Lee Mallon's path through agency work, product building, and solo development gives the conversation its shape. The Cynical Developer stays with the day-to-day reality of shipping software instead of turning it into a neat career story, which makes it feel useful rather than…
A clear warning about how cloned voices can be used for fraud.
Nigel Cannings treats deepfake audio as a fraud problem first, not a sci-fi curiosity. The episode uses ordinary touchpoints like robot calls and compromised social accounts to show how cloned voices can fit into familiar habits, especially when a message is brief, direct, and…
Open source's business pull gets a blunt, practical airing.
This episode stays on a simple but useful question: what happens to open source when the business logic starts steering the room. Matt Yonkavit and James Thurart keep circling that shift, with attention on investor interest and download counts, both of which can be useful…
A practical PayPal discussion centered on checkout, carts, and plugin integration.
The episode treats PayPal as a working developer integration, not a brand exercise, and Drew Angel keeps the focus on buttons, carts, WordPress, WooCommerce, and the details that make checkout function.
A sharp reset on Agile basics, with Robert C. Martin pushing back on label creep.
This episode pulls Agile back to first principles, with Robert C. Martin arguing that teams lose the point when they turn a framework into a checklist.
A practical look at Kubernetes, Docker, and the tradeoffs between speed, simplicity, and control.
This episode is about the tradeoffs people run into when they choose between Kubernetes, Docker, and Docker Swarm. The conversation stays practical, with Ben Newton drawing on a two-decade career in IT operations and keeping the focus on what changes once a system moves past the…
Power Platform news with practical static.
The episode discusses the hidden costs of cloud services and how small decisions accumulate into large bills.
The host argues that APIs should be treated as products, emphasizing the importance of user-centric design, stability, and clear contracts.
A critical examination of how clean architecture principles can become rigid rules that hinder rather than help software development.
The host argues that monoliths are making a comeback and critiques the microservices trend, emphasizing the value of simplicity in software architecture.
A critical analysis of event-driven architecture in software development, discussing its benefits and pitfalls.
Valerie Andronova joins the show to talk about JetBrains Space.
Jordan Ambrough joins The Cynical Developer to talk about code reviews.
The Cynical Developer talks with Lee Mallon about the developer life cycle.
James talks with Nigel Cannings about deepfakes, scam calls, and how a convincing voice can turn into a real problem.
The Cynical Developer is back.
The Cynical Developer talks with Drew Angel about PayPal from a developer's point of view.
An interview at Percona Live Europe discussing the relevance of MySQL in modern development.
A discussion at Percona Live Europe about automation's impact on developers and DBAs, featuring Matt Jankovic.
James Studdart talks with Robert C.
James talks with Ben Newton about Kubernetes and Docker.