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The Cynical Developer

The Cynical Developer

Cynical Developer 336 Episodes Jul 20, 2026

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.

Episodes

Psychological Safety Is Not Being Nice
Psychological Safety Is Not Being Nice Jul 20, 2026 00:06:29 “Psychological safety” has quietly become a synonym for “being nice”, and in this episode we explain why that’s a problem. We look at what it really means, why the healthiest teams disagree more rather than less, why a quiet team isn’t necessarily a safe one, and what actually builds the kind of trust where bad news arrives early instead of late.
Episode 27 - Performance Reviews Are Broken
Episode 27 - Performance Reviews Are Broken Jul 13, 2026 00:07:26 Why do performance reviews reward visibility over impact, and why do so many developers leave them feeling misunderstood? In this episode, James unpacks why performance reviews are quietly broken, and what that’s doing to teams.
Episode 26 - Why Developers Quit (And Don't Tell You Why)
Episode 26 - Why Developers Quit (And Don't Tell You Why) Jul 6, 2026 00:07:36 Developers leave jobs all the time, but rarely share the real reasons. James explores why developers quit and what companies miss.
Episode 25 - What Managers Need to Stop Doing
Episode 25 - What Managers Need to Stop Doing Jun 29, 2026 00:07:45 James takes aim at management practices that are hurting developer productivity and morale. What do managers need to stop doing?
Episode 24 - Spec-Driven Development: How You Actually Work With AI
Episode 24 - Spec-Driven Development: How You Actually Work With AI Jun 22, 2026 00:07:21 James explores spec-driven development and how it changes the way developers actually work with AI tools to build better software.
Episode 23 - When AI Makes Your Codebase Worse
Episode 23 - When AI Makes Your Codebase Worse Jun 15, 2026 00:05:37 AI can help write code, but it can also make your codebase worse. James explores the pitfalls of AI-generated code and how to avoid them.
Episode 22 - The Ethics of AI in Software Teams
Episode 22 - The Ethics of AI in Software Teams Jun 8, 2026 00:05:32 As AI becomes embedded in software development, ethical questions arise. James discusses the moral considerations teams should be thinking about.
Episode 21 - Why "No-Code" Keeps Failing
Episode 21 - Why "No-Code" Keeps Failing Jun 1, 2026 00:05:54 No-code platforms promise to democratize development, but they keep falling short. James examines why no-code struggles to deliver on its promises.
Episode 20 - The Coming Divide: AI-Augmented vs Non-Augmented Teams
Episode 20 - The Coming Divide: AI-Augmented vs Non-Augmented Teams May 25, 2026 00:06:01 A gap is forming between teams that embrace AI tools and those that don't. James explores what this divide means for the industry.
Episode 19 - Why AI Code Still Needs Senior Review
Episode 19 - Why AI Code Still Needs Senior Review May 18, 2026 00:05:55 AI can generate code quickly, but that code still needs experienced eyes. James explains why senior review remains critical.
Episode 18 - Your LLM Is Not a Junior Developer
Episode 18 - Your LLM Is Not a Junior Developer May 11, 2026 00:06:03 LLMs are powerful tools, but they're not junior developers you can just hand tasks to. James discusses how to think about AI assistants correctly.
Episode 17 - AI Won't Replace Developers — But It Will Replace Some Jobs
Episode 17 - AI Won't Replace Developers — But It Will Replace Some Jobs May 4, 2026 00:06:04 The AI replacement debate continues. James provides a nuanced take on which jobs are safe and which might be at risk.

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