Catch up on this week’s episode with @KentBeck.com He breaks down how teams burn optionality, why structure matters, and how making the hard change easy shapes every feature that follows. Listen with host @robbyonrails.com: maintainable.fm/episodes/ken...

@KentBeck.com shares why teams burn optionality faster than they realize and why making the hard change easy is the real work. He explains the balance between features and future options & how small structure care shapes progress. Listen with host @Robbyonrails.com: maintainable.fm/episodes/ken...

You don’t need a rewrite. You need space to think. Maintainable offers you that space. maintainable.fm/newsletter/

Who should we have on the show in 2026?

If you work in a code base that feels heavier than it should, @donmackinnon.dev explains why the real cause is often unnecessary structure, unclear layers, and too many ideas packed into simple problems. Catch up on his Maintainable episode with @Robbyonrails.com: maintainable.fm/episodes/don...

Who doesn't enjoy winning a new software programming book?

@donmackinnon.dev explains why extra abstractions often make software harder to understand and harder to change. He shares what happens when teams add layers that do not provide real value and why simplicity lasts longer. Listen with @robbyonrails.com: maintainable.fm/episodes/don...

Chris Zetter reminds us that progress in long-lived systems doesn’t come from rewrites, it comes from building momentum through small, intentional changes. Catch up on this week’s episode of @maintainable.fm with host @robbyonrails.com: maintainable.fm/episodes/chr...

Do you feel like your codebase is one bad deploy away from chaos? Maintainable Software Podcast brings you calm voices, clear thinking, and real stories from people who’ve been there. Subscribe and breathe easier. maintainable.fm/newsletter/

Chris Zetter shares why starting small is the key to building confidence in an older codebase, and how small wins create momentum for bigger changes. Listen on @maintainable.fm with host @robbyonrails.com: maintainable.fm/episodes/chr...

Denis Rechkunov shares how automation, alignment, and open feedback loops make consistency last. Hear why maintainability depends more on people than architecture. Listen on Maintainable Software Podcast with host @Robbyonrails.com: maintainable.fm/episodes/den...

It’s less about how you write code and more about creating a team culture that values maintainability. In this episode, Denis Richkunov explains why consistency should be cultivated, not enforced. Listen on Maintainable Software Podcast with host @robbyonrails.com: maintainable.fm/episodes/den...

We’ve been going deeper with the On Rails podcast. Longer conversations. Less hype. More of what’s been tested in the real world. I loved hearing in-person feedback back at Rails World. Podcasting can feel one-directional, so your messages, reviews, and shares really do help keep it going.

🔊 Catch up with @Robbyonrails.com as @realntl.bsky.social explains why monoculture can move fast but consensus sustains long-term progress. 🗳️ They discuss how, when original developers leave, new teams must take ownership of architectural decisions. 🎧 Listen here: maintainable.fm/episodes/nat...

Everyone’s talking about AI writing new code. I'm more interested in the humans giving existing code its second act. If that resonates, check out my free course for Rails developers: maintainablerails.com

📻 Tune in and join @robbyonrails.com and @realntl.bsky.social as they discuss why “perfectly maintained software” might be a platonic ideal rather than a realistic target. 🎯 🎧 Listen here: maintainable.fm/episodes/nat...

Hey that's new @github.com github.blog/changelog/20...

Our recent episode featuring Laravel's creator, Taylor Otwell, reminds us that software that lasts is usually simple. Check out The Register's take on this practical episode. www.theregister.com/2025/09/01/l...

🔊 Catch up with @robbyonrails.com & @taylorotwell.bsky.social as they discuss why Laravel was designed to help average developers build apps quickly. 📱He explains why Laravel wasn’t extracted from an app, and how it evolved from real-world usage. Listen here: maintainable.fm/episodes/tay...

📻 Tune in with @robbyonrails.com as guest @taylorotwell.bsky.social explains how Laravel started as an experiment and became his full-time work within months. 👣 He reflects on Laravel’s early influences, including Ruby on Rails. 🎧 Listen here: maintainable.fm/episodes/tay...

🔊 Catch up on this episode with @robbyonrails.com and Sara Jackson as they talk about why teams should care about how their app behaves when third-party services go down. 🎧 Listen here: maintainable.fm/episodes/sar...

📻 Join @robbyonrails.com as Sara Jackson discusses how good documentation can make teams faster, more confident, and less reliant on institutional memory. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here: maintainable.fm/episodes/sar...

📻 Catch up with Robby Russell to hear Joel Chippindale define maintainable software as “easy to keep changing” and share his experience with technical due diligence. 🔉 Listen here! maintainable.fm/episodes/joe...

📻 Join @robbyonrails.com & Joel Chippindale for this week's episode as they discuss: 🔺 Challenging the “iron triangle” of speed, cost, and quality. 🥅 How shifting business goals can reduce maintainability 🎧 Listen to the full episode here: maintainable.fm/episodes/joe...

🔉 Catch up with @Robbyonrails.com and guest Melanie Sumner as she shares her views on: 👩‍💻 The trade-offs of being purposeful vs. fast when building design systems. 🖥️ How developer trust is earned through consistency and clear documentation. 🎧 Listen here. maintainable.fm/episodes/mel...

📻 Tune in to join @robbyonrails.com‬ for this week's episode as Melanie Sumner discusses the importance of aligning Figma APIs with component code to bridge the designer-engineer gap. 🎧 Listen here! maintainable.fm/episodes/mel...

🎧 Maintainable was just named one of the 30 Best Software Architecture Podcasts by @MillionPodcasts! Thanks to our guests and listeners who continue to engage in meaningful conversations about legacy code and building better software. 🛠️💬 Full list here: buff.ly/3SqmMS4

📻 Join @Robbyonrails.com and @JoeMasilotti.com as they explore when to take on technical debt and how to manage it. They also break down Hotwire Native and discuss the hidden costs of over-engineered setup scripts. 🔊 Listen here! maintainable.fm/episodes/joe...

📻 Tune in with @robbyonrails.com‬ as @joemasilotti.com discusses the importance of setting communication and collaboration expectations and the three questions Joe asks every client to understand how their team works. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here: maintainable.fm/episodes/joe...

⌚ It's time to catch up with @Robbyonrails.com & hear about how at FlexCar, @Apiguy.dev led a bold replatforming effort from 70+ microservices back to a Ruby on Rails monolith. 📻 Listen to the full conversation here! maintainable.fm/episodes/fre... 🎙️ Hosted by @Robbyonrails.com | @Planetargon.com

The Maintainable Podcast is not just another podcast. It's about real people solving real software problems—with stories, strategies, and straight talk.

📻 @robbyonrails.com & @apiguy.dev reflect on why psychological safety is as important as code quality. 🖥️ Freedom emphasizes the need to “respect what came before” when maintaining legacy systems. 🎧 Listen here! maintainable.fm/episodes/fre... 🎙️ Hosted by Robby Russell | @planetargon.com

Catch up with this episode as Mercedes Bernard defines well-maintained software as friendly, especially to early-career developers. 🔊 Listen to the full conversation here: maintainable.fm/episodes/mer... 🎙️ Hosted by @Robbyonrails.com | @PlanetArgon.com

Mercedes Bernard discusses how a missed state check flooded their system with no-op jobs and a simple one-line fix cut that load by 75%. Small changes can greatly impact legacy systems. 🔊 Listen ere: buff.ly/Rco35z6 🎙️ Host @Robbyonrails.com | @Planetargon.com

📻 Catch up with @robbyonrails.com & @evanphx.dev as they discuss: ☑️ How to evaluate if an Open-Source project is “complete” versus “dead.” 👨‍💻 Why companies should invest in junior developers as a long-term benefit. 🎧 Listen here! buff.ly/JcJ606X

📻 Join @evanphx.dev as he discusses with @robbyonrails.com the importance of confidence and clarity in coding over the pursuit of perfection. Don't miss it. 🎧 Listen here! buff.ly/JcJ606X

Digging into the Maintainable Nails vault: a 2020 bonus episode featuring Duncan Thorpe, one of the planet’s boldest visionaries. In today’s clip? Ethical young blood. Clone-sourced. Naturally. 🎧 maintainable.fm/episodes/mai...

📻 Join @robbyonrails.com & @julialopez.dev as they discuss: 🧬 Git Blame's impact. ⚖️ Balancing refactoring and business priorities. 🧮 Harvest's billing system rewrite. 🎧 Listen here! buff.ly/43bHYCm

📻 Catch up with @robbyonrails.com & Chris Salvato as they discuss: ✏️ Why removing extraneous features and code benefits maintainability 🛒 How large companies like Shopify grapple with legacy code 🎧 Listen here! maintainable.fm/episodes/chr...

🎧 Loved the latest episode of Maintainable? Get even more from our guests, including bonus tips and resources delivered directly to your inbox. maintainable.fm/newsletter/

Get exclusive content about Maintainable Podcast guests and their insights straight to your inbox! buff.ly/42e26TG

Chris Salvato talks with @robbyonrails.com about the importance of understanding legacy code before making fixes. Chris emphasizes that consulting the original developers can provide clarity, reduce frustration, decrease technical debt & more! Listen here! maintainable.fm/episodes/chr...

🏗️ Join @robbyonrails.com as guest Heimir Thor Sverrisson emphasizes the importance of architecture in building maintainable software. 🚧The challenges of poor architectural decisions. ⚖️ Explore balancing design with agile methodologies. 🔊 Listen here! maintainable.fm/episodes/hei...

🛠️ When a bank’s system started slowing to a crawl, their first fix was… adding more CPUs. The result? It didn’t help at all. 🤦‍♂️ Heimir Thor Sverrisson shares with @robbyonrails.com how they actually solved the problem. 🎧 Listen here! maintainable.fm/episodes/hei...

Great conversations don't end—they continue. Subscribe to the @maintainable.fm podcast newsletter: maintainable.fm/newsletter/. Hit reply on any episode email and share your thoughts. Let's keep the dialogue going.

🎧 Catch up with @robbyonrails.com & Noémi Ványi as they discuss: 🖥️ Why developer autonomy matters in software sustainability. ✍️ Lessons from refactoring tightly coupled systems at Elastic. 🤺 The challenge of unanticipated user behavior in software. 📻 Listen here! buff.ly/f4s3kbQ

📻 Noémi Ványi joins @robbyonrails.com to discuss: 👩‍💻 Software maintainability. 📊 The importance of clear, decoupled modules. ✎ Why good tests and observability are essential for sustainable development. 🎧 Listen here! buff.ly/f4s3kbQ

Sign up for the Maintainable Newsletter for: ✨ Bonus content about each guest ✨ Episode updates you won’t want to miss ✨ Practical tips for maintainable software buff.ly/42e26TG

🔉 Join @robbyonrails.com & @mghaught.bsky.social as they discuss key takeaways: 📖 The importance of readability over cleverness. ⚖️ Balancing technical debt with business priorities. 🖥️ How software diverges from its original intent over time. 🎧 Listen here! https://buff.ly/4i4PO4V

It was a pleasure chatting with Robby about many topics including what I'm up to at Ruby Central and the sustainability of open source.