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Every Tuesday at 12pm Mountain Time

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A casual weekly virtual chat mostly focused on web and software development.

Weekly Dev Chat is a place to ask questions, hear different viewpoints, and get to know your fellow developers. Every week there is an initial topic posted to get the discussion started. Sometimes we discuss the initial topic the entire chat, and other times the topic changes several times through the natural flow of the conversation.

Everyone and anyone are welcome to join as long as you are kind, supportive, and respectful of others.

When Should a Company Have an Internal Software Dev Team?

The topic for today's (2026-08-11) chat is: When should a company have an internal software development team? Is there an ideal size or other factors that influence that decision? When is internal development better than paying for consultants and/or 3rd party software?

Inspired by me currently discussing this issue with two companies and having this discussion in the past. Would love to have a specific yes/no metric but haven't found one yet. My current answer is "it depends ...". I would love to hear others' thoughts on the subject.

Everyone and anyone is welcome to join as long as you are kind, supportive, and respectful of others.

P.S. - The feature image is from Lumo, Proton's AI assistant. It took a couple prompts to get an image that was useable and it really struggled putting any correct text on the image. Thoughts?

Illustration contrasting an internal software team collaborating around a computer with a business person shaking hands with an external consultant

The Unexpected Benefits of Programming

What does programming teach you beyond code? This week, we're exploring the external benefits that programming brings to your professional and personal life—the skills that transfer far beyond the terminal.

Organized Thinking - Programming forces you to think systematically. Breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable pieces isn't just good for code; it transforms how you approach challenges in any domain. The habit of defining inputs, processing, and outputs applies everywhere.

Better Communication - Writing clear code requires precision. This discipline carries over to written communication, instructions, and documentation. Developers who write good code tend to be more specific and clear when giving instructions or explaining ideas.

Logical Reasoning - Building logic flows, understanding conditionals, and handling edge cases sharpens your ability to think through consequences. This translates to better decision-making and problem-solving in all areas of life.

Patience and Debugging Mindset - Learning to debug teaches you to investigate methodically, check assumptions, and iterate. This problem-solving approach benefits everything from professional projects to personal challenges.

What external benefits have you derived from programming? How have these skills changed how you approach non-technical aspects of your work and life?

Everyone and anyone is welcome to join as long as you are kind, supportive, and respectful of others. Zoom link will be posted at 12pm MDT.

  • in Career
  • 1 min read

Solo vs Team

What's your work situation: solo, small team, or large team? What are the pros and cons of each? Do you feel you're missing out? If you have experience in more than one, which did you prefer?

In a large organisation, are there places for solo developers? In small companies, how can a developer be part of a larger community?

Does your personality type determine where you end up in your career, or is this controlled by the industry you're in?

Everyone and anyone are welcome to join as long as you are kind, supportive, and respectful of others. Zoom link will be posted at 12pm MDT.

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