The Best Podcasts for Developers

Software developers probably form one of the most tight-knit professional communities on the planet. Despite the enormous diversity within the industry, it is very easy to find common interests like coding trends, personal development, entrepreneurship and design.

Most of us at Bugfender are software developers ourselves and one of the channels we use to share our interests are podcasts. That’s why we thought it could be interesting to create and keep updated a blog post with our favourite podcasts. If you know of, or host, a podcast that could be of interest, let us know in [ToDo mail] and we will include it in the list!

Coding & security

• Darknet Diaries This is a podcast about hackers, breaches, shadow government activity, hacktivism, cybercrime, and all the things that lurk in the hidden corners of the internet.
• The Changelog The Changelog provides a compendium of interviews with hackers, leaders, and software innovators. No matter which programming language you speak, you’ll find a mine of essential technical information and motivational tips.
• Mapping the Journey Tech is full of unsung heroes, people who are work tirelessly in the background to produce the products we rely on every day. Mapping the Journey honours those who are changing the world every day, without bragging about it.
• Under the Radar A podcast for indie app developers, Under the Radar covers all the nuts and bolts of software design, from rom development and planning to marketing and support. And it’s never longer than 30 minutes, so it fits perfectly into a run or walk.
• Random but Memorable Security needn’t be a serious topic… well, at least not when we talk about it. The team behind 1Password anchor this irreverent show, filled with both advice and banter.
• Security Now The term ‘spyware’ is now an essential part of our everyday lexicon, but it was actually coined by Steve Gibson, creator of the first anti-spyware program and the architect of Spinrite and ShieldsUP. Here, he discusses the essential topics of today’s security industry with Leo Laporte.
• The Talk Show This one mainly focuses on the Apple ecosystem, but not exclusively. In fact, you’ll find all kinds of advice on there: recent podcasts have covered everything from toy dogs to Ted Lesso, the Houston Astros to Donald Trump.

Marketing

• Land of the Giants The so-called ‘FAANG’ five (Facebook. Apple. Amazon. Netflix. Google) have undeniably changed the world. But how? Land of the Giants takes a look at the impact this game-changing quintet have left, and the cost of their disruptive brilliance.

Design

• 99% Invisible Design is everywhere, but it’s recognised practically nowhere. This podcast from award-winning producer Roman Mars looks at the amazing examples of modern design which have transformed our society in ways we’ve barely even noticed. Learn more at 99percentinvisible.org.

Money

• 80/20 investing show Essentially, the ’80/20 principle’ is based on the principle that the vast majority of stuff that happens in business is based on a minority of essential causes, and investors should channel their focus into them. This podcast looks at how the principle can be applied in practice, and explores the techniques used by Superinvestors.
• Planet Money – NPR Let’s imagine two things: 1) that someone could explain to you exactly how the economy works and 2) that it wouldn’t send you to sleep. If you can imagine that, you’ve got a pretty good idea of what this pod offers.

Personal Development

• TED Radio Hour – NPR Society is based on a series of brilliant ideas. Of emotions, insights and discoveries that lead to real-world breakthroughs. In TED Radio Hour, Guy Raz digs down into these disruptive ideas and looks at ways we can live our lives outside the box, with new ways to think and create.

Work & Entrepreneurship

• How I Built This – NPR Another one from the amazing Guy Raz, How I Built This looks at the origin stories of the world’s most famous companies, unpacking the ideas, innovations, problems and solutions that took them global. It’s a podcast which focuses on corporations but, at its heart, is about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists.
• MegaMaker In the world, creation is often the easy part. Making a living from that creation, turning an idea into a successful product or enterprise, can be altogether more challenging. This podcast is ideal for those who want to realize and monetize their ideas, and is essential listening for developers, designers, writers, entrepreneurs, artists and other creatives.
• Rework – Basecamp Basecamp is one of a new breed of project management tools that have changed the way we collaborate with our colleagues and are helping millions of people migrate to remote working. Here, the Basecamp co-founders (and other business owners) show how to build and run your business better.
• The Indie Hackers Podcast All the world’s biggest companies started out as side projects. Apple began life in a garage, Facebook spread through university campuses, Google’s founders had their big idea while working on a PhD (and they were going to call it ‘BackRub’). The IndieHackers Podcast looks at how these and other successful business have grown, from side projects to rockstar corporations. You’ll learn a bunch about the strategies and tactics of making money, too.
• Founder Chats Behind every great company is a great founder. In this podcast, Josh Pigford talks to some of those entrepreneurs who’ve guided their companies to success. You’ll find out how these companies work, how they got started and what motivates their founders every day.

Music

• Song Exploder If you’re a fin of the minutiae of the music, the backstory to every beat, Song Exploder is for you. It gives musicians a platform to dissect their songs and tell the story of what inspired them.

Culture

• Hidden Brain – NPR Human behavior can best be described as a series of conscious choices shaped by unconscious instincts and beliefs. In Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to bring these patterns to the surface and explore the effect they have on our everyday lives.
• How To Do Everything From finding a date to finding water in the desert, there’s a hack for everything. And this show has some of the best, from people who’ve been there and used them.
• Stuff You Should Know Chaos theory, hurricanes, satanism… behind every natural or social phenomenon, there’s a side to the story that we haven’t heard. In Stuff You Should Know, hosts John and Chuck tell you the bits that you’ve not been told before, a mix of witty banter and fascinating trivia.
• The Anthropocene Reviewed The Anthropocene is the geological age that we’re living in right now, although few people actually know that. It’s the age when humans roam the earth, and are shaping the planet and its biodiversity to their own design. Here, we look at the human-centered planet in all its facets, both good and bad.
• Postlight If you’re looking for a podcast at the intersection of politics and technology, which looks at how world events shape the products we interact with on a daily, well you’ve found it. Recent chapters look at vaccines, conspiracy theories and the storming of the Capitol, all with a tech slant.

Ackowledgment to Paolo Tagliani and Jordi Giménez for helping to create this list with their personal recommendations.