Welcome back to I'm a Software Engineer ~ What Next? — the podcast for devs figuring out their next move. Hosted by recruiter James Wilson and engineer Matt Sinclair, we unpack what it really means to build a career in tech today.

This week, we sit down with Dan Moore — author of Letters to a New Developer, startup founder, DevRel leader, and all-round tech veteran — to talk about how careers really unfold when things don’t go to plan.

In this week’s episode, we cover:

• Why writing a book can change your career (even if no one reads it)

• Crashing a national TV website — and what failure really teaches

• The IC ceiling: when to pivot, when to manage, and why leverage matters

• Why opinionated engineers stand out (and fence-sitters fade away)

• How AI shifts the game: product sense > raw coding

Show Notes
Dan’s book: Letters to a New Developer
Dan’s website: danmoore.org
FusionAuth: fusionauth.io
Dan on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dmooreds

🎙 Hosts
Matt: /matthewsinclair
James: /james-wilson-92170656

🌐 More from us
https://whatnext.dev/
https://quantumfaxmachine.com/

So you're off to work at Anthropic? S01E14 The One Where We Wonder: What happens now that I have a job at one of the world's premier AI companies?Welcome back to I'm a Software Engineer ~ What Next? — the podcast for devs figuring out their next move. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and software engineer Matt Sinclair, we unpack what it really means to build a career in tech today — from navigating interviews to scaling as an engineering leader.In this week's episode, we cover:- The remarkably compressed career of one of the new wave of AI-powered software engineers- What it's like to build multiple successful startups before the age of 21- What someone at the cutting edge of AI thinks the future of AI holds for programmers, and humanity🗒️ Show NotesAnthropic: https://anthropic.com Navigating the Jagged Technological Frontier: Field Experimental Evidence of the Effects of AI on Knowledge Worker Productivity and Quality: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=64700Gary's Economics: https://www.youtube.com/@garyseconomics🎧 45 minutes. Zero fluff. Tune in now.Whether you’re applying for your next engineering role or hiring your next dev, this one’s got real talk, practical advice, and a few rants.🎙 HostsMatt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewsinclairJames: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-wilson-92170656🌐 More from us:https://whatnext.dev/https://quantumfaxmachine.com/

Welcome back to I'm a Software Engineer ~ What Next? — the podcast for devs figuring out their next move. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and software engineer Matt Sinclair, we unpack what it really means to build a career in tech today — from navigating interviews to scaling as an engineering leader.In this week's episode, we dig into the most debated topic on dev Twitter and LinkedIn:Should software engineers have to do coding interviews?James recently shared a post on LinkedIn about the reality of coding rounds in interviews — and, well, let’s just say it triggered some responses. In this episode, we get into what’s changed, why this topic hits so hard, and what better might look like.Link to post: https://short-link.me/1aiiBWe cover:Why live coding isn't the job — and what hiring managers should be testing insteadWhat Matt means when he says: “Some engineers are still living in 2019”Why engineers can’t afford to be picky anymore (and why that sucks)How to evaluate engineers without a whiteboard testThe tradeoffs between tasks, take-homes, pairing, and probationsThe importance of initiative, communication, and knowing what you’re “known for”Whether you’re applying for your next engineering role or hiring your next dev, this one’s got real talk, practical advice, and a few rants.🎙 HostsMatt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewsinclairJames: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-wilson-92170656🌐 More from us:https://whatnext.dev/https://quantumfaxmachine.com/