10 years and over 520 episodes of podcasting — Tech is a marathon, not a sprint
I try not to be prideful, as a rule, but darnit, I’m REALLY proud of my podcast. As of this writing I’ve done 526 episodes. Each one 30 minutes long. Every Thursday, for the last decade. That’s over 250 hours of technology talk that promises not to waste your time.
I started Hanselminutes: Fresh Air for Developers almost as a joke. Podcasting was just starting up and I felt at the time that it was largely kind of a vapid copy of talk radio. Hours of directionless rambling. I said to my buddy Carl Franklin that a show shouldn’t waste your time and force you to fast-forward 20 minutes in to get to the meat. He said, you should start a show. I laughed, and I did.
Over 10 years later, here we are, having built a significant piece of creative, informational, and pseudo-journalistic work. While other podcasts come and go, many with the “two dudes on Skype” format, I’ve chugged along. While I do over a million downloads a year, I’ve never cracked into any mainstream technology podcasting charts or iTunes Top Ten. I think about that sometimes, a little bummed, but I realize that this show and it’s content is as much for me as it is for you, Dear Listener. This isn’t a popularity contest…as much as one can appreciate recognition.
I talk to anyone and everyone about all things tech. The show started before I went to work at Microsoft and will continue long after, I’m sure. It’s a non-denominational technology show.
The show also aims to be intentionally inclusive without being heavy-handed. Showcasing diversity in technology isn’t about “hey, we need a Black guy this week, know anyone?” That’s insulting to everyone. Instead, I’ve cultivated an amazing network of amazing people from all over the world, and I talk to them about what they love to do. This has had some wonderful unintentional side effects when recently without planning, 7 of the last 8 shows featured women!
The faces on this archive page go on and on. I’d encourage you to scroll and explore the wall of topics. There’s hundreds of highlights, but here’s a few favorites:
- Systems Thinking: Less Coding, More Thinking with Kishau Rogers — One of the top downloaded shows to this day. Kishau Rogers is the Founder and CEO of Websmith Group. She’s a twenty-year programming veteran. She talks to me about the importance of teaching “Systems Thinking” over just Learning to Code.
- Creating Ruby with Yukihiro Matsumoto (Matz) recorded LIVE in Japan — An amazing opportunity to interview Matz, the kind creator of the Ruby Language, live in Japan.
- Space and the next IT decade with Tom Soderstrom from JPL — I bumped into NASA/JPL CTO Tom Soderstrom by chance in Stockholm and we recorded this show on space!
- The Agile Mindset with Linda Rising — Famed agile coach and thinker Linda Rising talked to me about the agile mindset and changing our thinking.
I am also proud of the show talking to people before (sometimes) they went mainstream or got famous. From interviews with Tim Ferriss in 2007, Kimberly Bryant from BlackGirlsCode in 2012, Baratunde Thurston in 2010, Dr. Michio Kaku, author Lauren Beukes, as well as the now legendary show on Geek Relationship Tips with my wife, I’ve got you covered! You’ll often hear it here first.
We were also one of the first podcasts to have a transcriptions/PDFs of the show for the hard of hearing and folks who like to read along while they listen. I struggle with keeping transcripts up to date and we’re about a year behind but I’m looking for sustainable solutions. I’d like to get the transcripts available in HTML and posted on the side next to the shows so they’d be more easily searchable.
I want to thank you and remind you and yours that the show exists and continues weekly in earnest, every week with amazing topics and powerful guests. Above all, don’t just keep listening, but please, share episodes socially and do encourage your friends and colleagues to listen and subscribe. Your letters and your kindness (as well as your guest suggestions) keep me going.
THE HANSELMINUTES PODCAST: Fresh Air for Developers
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Thanks everyone for your support and help over the last decade. Here’s to another ten years, eh?
Sponsor: Big thanks to SQL Prompt for sponsoring the feed this week! Have you got SQL fingers? Try SQL Prompt and you’ll be able to write, refactor, and reformat SQL effortlessly in SSMS and Visual Studio. Find out more.
