Learn how Rails polymorphic associations work under the hood, from database schema to model setup, with clear examples for JavaScript developers new to ActiveRecord.

AI-generated code doesn't have to be throwaway code. Here's how we used Claude Code to build a fully-tested, production-quality Rails prototype in two weeks, complete with a robust test suite, clean commits, and code we were proud to have written.

…or end up hunting for logic in jobs and controllers.

Our Senior Designer, Ferdia Kenny, shows you how to quickly duplicate components with realistic data using Figma AI in the latest thoughtbot Design Short: youtube.com/shorts/f2LqT...

Remove bottlenecks to booking appointments by enabling self-scheduling within your app.

Learn how Rails ActiveRecord differs from JavaScript ORMs and why the database-first approach eliminates boilerplate.

Come and see some of thoughtbot's fabulous workspaces.

Rails framework code is full of inheritance magic, but your application code doesn't have to be. Learn how composition makes dependencies explicit, testing easier, and debugging a breeze—using patterns you already know from JavaScript.

Rails model specs full of setup and error-message checks? There’s a reason so many teams replace them using shoulda-matchers. We’ll look at what those expectations are doing, how they make your tests more resilient to changes, and a lot less noisy.

Discover where Rails methods come from and solve the biggest confusion JavaScript developers face when learning Rails.

Run a code audit on your Rails app using thoughtbot's best practices.

Our Senior Designer, Ferdia, shows you how to quickly translate your designs to one of 28 languages using Figma AI in the latest thoughtbot Design Short: youtube.com/shorts/1qHoc...

Overriding Rails credentials, a helper to submit forms with images and how to count tests with rspec's --dry-run option.

In addition to our regular tech leader event in London, we're partnering with local tech leaders to bring the event to Manchester, Bristol, Brighton, and Edinburgh this year.

What’s one of the biggest challenges with using AI for QA? It’s the lack of programmability. We set out to find a solution by pairing Playwright MCP with several different LLM models. Find out where we landed.

Where does current_user come from? Why is there no import? A series for JavaScript developers learning Rails.

We’ve been running product design sprints for over a decade. Now Claude and Claude Code are helping us prototype faster than ever—without sacrificing quality. Here’s how we built a working prototype in hours, not days.

Write tests first or watch Claude blow everything up. Your choice.

Figma just released some new, powerful AI image editing features. Our Senior Designer, Ferdia, takes you through isolating and removing objects from an image: youtube.com/shorts/QX3WX...

Doing manual QA can be slow and tedious, but can ChatGPT agent handle real product QA? We ran a few experiments checking FrontrowMD widgets across sample web pages and discovered a lot of potential—plus a few pitfalls.

As 2025 comes to a close, we want to take a moment to share all we are thankful for in this past year.

Tick tock... Act now, or this mess might blow up in your face.

Figma just released some new, powerful AI image editing features. Our Senior Designer, Ferdia, takes you through expanding an image in this short: youtube.com/shorts/62QA4...

When your workday ends as your teammates' begins, synchronous communication stops being the default. The solution isn't more meetings at late hours; it's learning to anticipate questions before they're asked.

A practical checklist to help technical product teams clean up software spend, reduce tooling drift, and plan confidently for the year ahead.

Spoiler, the product wasn't the problem. It was the customer experience. This is the mindset shift that will save you money, and keep your revenue recurring.

Speeding up takes just one word.

Organizing tests for readability.

Skimping on tests doesn’t speed you up; it just leaves you flying blind.

Tips from an AI skeptic for working with a team which uses AI a lot.

Our Senior Designer, Ferdia Kenny, shows you how to instantly rename messy Figma layers in the latest Design Tips short: youtube.com/shorts/5Ph05...

A step-by-step path to validate your idea fast by defining the problem, testing assumptions, prototyping the critical flow, and shaping a focused MVP you can learn from.

Our Senior Designer, Ferdia Kenny, shows you how to search for a screenshot in Figma in the latest Design Tips short: youtube.com/shorts/QUSHY...

Whether you’re aware of it or not, your actions and non-actions impact the people around you. Everything sends a message. Everything communicates. Everything is leading.

thoughtbot Senior Designer, Ferdia Kenny, shares how to make a simple carousel animation for your Figma prototype using Smart Animate: youtube.com/shorts/CztUj...

Encrypting data is easy — querying it isn’t. Rails' deterministic encryption makes encrypted fields both searchable and secure.

A quiet but important milestone for Git.

We ran our in-person Amsterdam Summit and Remote Summit at the same time in October. A ton of effort. Culturally priceless.

Trying to optimize your AI coding workflow? One size doesn't fit all. During an AI pair programming session, we discovered some insights about control, context and trust that might help you sharpen your own process.

Booleans and ractors on stage in Helsinki.

Check out Senior Designer Ferdia's latest short tip. In 90 seconds, he'll show you some of the most practical features of the AI image generator, Midjourney: youtube.com/shorts/PnvQt...

Three AI anti-patterns that consistently frustrate development teams, and how to avoid them.

Check out Ferdia's short Figma tips. In 90 seconds, he'll show how to easily remove an image background right in Figma: youtube.com/shorts/A87Gl...

Check out Ferdia's short Figma tips. In 60 seconds he explains how to enhance a blurry image in Figma: youtube.com/shorts/fLIgr...

The world needs more accessibility tip listicles. Here's one about screen reader testing.

Learn the ins and outs of building a game-based join code feature.

Insights from the 2025 Just Product conference - from slowing down under pressure, to experimenting with AI and vibecoding - and what this all means for product teams and leaders.

Check out Ferdia's short Figma design tips. First up, how to easily add realistic content to your prototype: youtube.com/shorts/7ZAUS...

On episode 3 of The Opinionated thoughtbotter, Svenja and Rob do not see eye-to-eye when it comes to documentation. Catch the full episode for Rob's hot take on the one true software methodology and why good documentation is unrealistic : www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXN3...

Aji is about to present our closing keynote of thoughtbot Open Summit ❤️ You can jump directly in the zoom to catch it: us02web.zoom.us/j/87946598627