CJ Avilla

Podcast episodes about work and life.

Episodes of Build and Learn with Colin Loretz and episodes of AvillaTheory with Nicole Avilla.

IC to Lead: Building Confidence In Your Skills with Lindsay Barrett

In this episode, you'll hear Lindsay's path from graphic designer to support engineer and how she now manages a team of support engineers. We discuss what this transition has looked like for her as well as the training and learnings she undertook along the way.In the second half of the episode, we dig into more specific tactics that her and her team have encountered like supporting customers through API version migrations, authentication issues and squashing bugs with their product engineering team. ResourcesLindsay Barrett on LinkedInLeadDevSupport Driven Slack, Podcast, Blog, Job Board, EventsGrowth SpaceEngineering Management for the Rest of Us by Sarah DrasnerWilliam Vincent's Django BooksQuestions or feedback for the show? You can DM us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/buildandlearn_

AWS Amplify and Front-end Frameworks with Erik Hanchett

Welcome to the episode on AWS Amplify and Front-end frameworks! In this episode, we delve into Erik's experience as a developer and discuss some of the front-end trends he is seeing. We also highlight the importance of building small projects to learn new programming languages and frameworks. We touch briefly on server-side generation and rendering trends, Shopify's acquisition of Remix, and the dilemma of choice that can arise when faced with so many options. We also discuss the advent of code-style challenges to build more small projects and continue learning. In the second half of the episode, Erik provides an in-depth look at AWS Amplify and its various components that can be used to build full-stack applications. If you're interested in learning more about AWS Amplify or want to hear about Erik's developer journey, this episode is for you!

Getting hired as a developer

The podcast discusses various ways to go about finding a job, with a focus on the tech industry. We'll talk about making a list of the tools and companies you're interested in, doing outbound and inbound outreach, networking, and preparing for interviews. We'll also get into some resources for practicing algorithms and communities to join.

Content creation for developers

This episode of Build & Learn is all about content creation for developers. We'll discuss various types of content, including tweets, blog posts, newsletters, live streaming, and YouTube videos. We'll also share some resources that developers can use to get started with content creation..

Code Reviews: Giving and Receiving Feedback

This episode is all about giving and receiving feedback via code reviews. Use some of these tips and tricks in your next code review.

Build vs. Buy

This episode is all about the build versus buy decision that every software company has to make at some point. We discuss whether it makes more sense to build something from scratch or buy an existing solution. We also talk about the tradeoffs of time and money that come with each option. In the end, we conclude that it's usually best to buy an existing solution unless you have a very specific need that can only be met by building something from scratch.

PTO and Taking Time Off

This week we dig into "unlimited" PTO and taking take off from work.

The 2022 Stack Overflow Survey

In this episode, CJ and Colin dig into the results of the 2022 StackOverflow Survey including the most loved and dreaded technologies and how developers are learning in 2022.

The First Pancake: Hello World

In this episode, CJ and Colin share their origin stories and what led them to become software developers. They also set the stage for what to expect on the show - building and learning from software development but also life. Audio note: this episode was recorded via Zoom. Look forward to better audio in Episode 2!

Introducing Build & Learn

Welcome to Build & Learn, a podcast about software development and developing ourselves as software engineers. Hosted by CJ Avilla and Colin Loretz.

Health: Fast update

Fasting, Greyson crashes his bike.

Parenting - School in the age of COVID-19

We review the Peloton stationary bike and chat about the school opening plans. Use Peloton referral code PV6BBX for $100 towards accessories at purchase!

Parenting - Piano 🎵

We recently started playing piano and Nicole and the boys are taking piano lessons. Here's what we've learned so far :)

Real Estate - Tear down walls

We're in the middle of a mini remodel project, closing a wall that we tore down a couple of years ago. We joke about how we're not craftspeople, but doing our best!

Parenting - Home Birth vs Hospital birth

Homebirth or Hospital birth? In this episode, we share our experience with both and also talk about why we recommend doulas.

Real Estate - Second Home vs. Rental

Thinking about investing your money into real estate? In this episode, we talk about the difference between investing your money into a second home vs. an investment property. We also discuss the benefits of having a short term rental property.

Finances - Groceries

In this episode, we share how we've turned "budgeting" into a game and how we have been able to reduce spending on groceries and personal items.

Health - Halloween

Trying to avoid all of the Halloween candy? In this episode, we discuss how to quickly get rid of ALL of the candy and discuss having non-candy options for kids.

Disneyland - The secrets to a successful trip.

Our Disneyland secrets. Where we stay, what we eat with dietary restrictions, our rest spots, and how we get in all of our favorite rides in one day.

Relationships - Maintaining Friendships

It's important to create a supportive community. In this episode, we discuss how we keep up with our local friends and give you ideas on how to create your own community.

Parenting - Raising Kids Ages 2-6

Raising kids takes a village. Let us help you with a few things we have learned over the years.

Relationships - How to avoid the crazy cycle

It can be easy to fall into a crazy cycle with your partner. In this episode we talk about how to nurture your marriage and how to get yourself out of these crazy cycles.

Relationships - Wedding Toasts

Need to plan your next wedding speech? In this episode, we give you our wedding toast secrets!