From chit-chat to hard facts: the best podcasts for web developers

For plenty of people in the IT industry, working is more than just a means of earning money - it’s about passion. That’s why we attend events, workshops, and conferences to learn everything there is about programming. But to not end up as a cliche hermits, we also need to do our chores, exercise, and simply have a life! Here’s where podcasts come in handy, so I’ve browsed through the web to find a few examples of the shows that will not only teach you about web development but also give some entertainment when you wash dishes or spend an hour on the treadmill.

Best podcasts for web developers

The Stack Overflow podcast

Let’s start with the big guns. After all, who from the web development world doesn’t know about Stack Overflow? But were you aware that they also have a podcast? It’s hosted by Joel Spolsky, Jay Hanlon, Ilana Yitzhaki, and David Fullerton, who talk with their guests about everything the web development community deems important. Kind of a talking version of Stack Overflow, which is all about solving programming problems, learning, and discussing the latest changes in web development.

With each episode lasting around an hour, you’ll be sure to get some insight into the hot IT news. You can listen to in on, for instance, SoundCloud, iTunes, or PlayerFM.

Lean Startup

There’s plenty of talk about the lean approach in the IT industry and even more articles about it. Heck, our Business Developer Michał also wrote one about the Lean Wallet Approach! But if you are an entrepreneur, you probably don’t have a lot of time for anything else than your business, so the next podcast I’m going to recommend may come in handy during your morning commute or walks with your dog.

With each episode lasting around half an hour, you will have the possibility to listen to the panellists from the Lean Startup Co. talk about innovation, management, culture, and growth in business.

At the moment Lean Startup podcast has 250 episodes, which can be found on iTunes, SoundCloud, and PlayerFM.

React Native Radio

Don’t want to waste time and learn only about the one specific technology you find interesting? Well, you are in luck if you are a React Native Developer! Hosted by Nader Dabit, an experienced developer, software trainer, and consultant, React Native Radio is all about gaining knowledge on this technology. Duration of each episode ranges from thirty minutes to up an hour, depending on the subject. Among the topics discussed were, for instance, Ethereum Development, VR & AR, or GraphQL, so you can be sure that you won’t waste time when listening to Nader talking with his guests. The show is available on iTunes, DevChat, and PlayerFM.

That could be you - happily listening to podcasts for some productive entertainment

DevTalk

Working in the IT Industry usually means that in the office sometimes we speak English more than we speak Polish. However, my dear Poles, if you want to both learn and give your brain a little break, I have a podcast for you. Sorry, English speaking folks, go to the next point if you don't speak Polish!

DevTalk, hosted by Maciej Aniserowicz, touches on many topics related to web development - from Python development to testing and game development. Each episode has a different guest, and with two shows per month lasting from 30 minutes to up an hour, you can find something useful regardless of your expertise. Also, if you work in IT, you have to have at least the basic knowledge of every aspect of web development! You can listen to DevTalk on iTunes and Spotify.

Risky Business

Going back to English podcasts, Risky Business delivers a great mixture of knowledge and sass when it comes to commenting on the current situation in the IT industry. Hosted by the well known Australian journalist Patrick Gray, it touches on the subject of the security in our trade, such as how to stop users recycling passwords with the pwned passwords API or the Uber hack. With almost 500 episodes published online, you’ll be sure to not only learn something but also find some interesting tidbits for your next networking session. You can listen to Risky Business via its official website, iTunes, or PlayerFM.

Ted Talks Daily

I know you know Ted Talk and that a lot of you wanted to attend it but couldn’t get in due to its popularity. So, many of us are left with watching video recordings of the presentations. However, turns out there’s another way to access them!

Many of the talks are not strictly about web development, but with such topics as how going for a walk influences creativity or whether we will be replaced by machines, you can be sure that you’ll end up inspired to work better and harder. But I’m sure that I don’t have to convince you of the quality of Ted Talk, so go to iTunes, Google Play, or RadioPublic and find a presentation that will suit you best!

Talk Python To Me

Coming back to the strict web development, here’s a proposition for Django/Python Developers. Talk Python To Me may have a tongue-in-cheek name, but don’t think that it’s not focused on spreading the knowledge on a variety of Python-related topics. Hosted by Michael Kennedy, the weekly shows usually last around an hour and will teach you about DevOps, MongoDB, AngularJS, and many more important subjects. You can listen to it on its official website (where it's also available for download) or on iTunes.

SpokenEdition

Since you are reading this article, I will assume that you also like reading other blogs and websites. They may be great if you are using public transport, but if you are driving to work by car, it may be a bit difficult even in the slowest of traffics. With help comes SpokenEdition, which reads you the latest news. And I mean really reads, it has none of this fake, cyborg-sounding awfulness. So can ditch the ad-filled radio and listen to the articles from such websites as TechCrunch, Time, Wired, Mashable Tech, and much, much more. Most of the included news outlets can be found on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, or Overcast.

But that’s obviously not all - after all, being a podcaster is quite trendy at the moment! I encourage you to search for more shows that will suit your needs best. Maybe you want to listen to something more light-hearted, but still at least a bit tech-related? Or you don’t want to waste time on nonsense and want to listen to nothing else but a show that will teach you plenty of new things about web development? Well, the world’s your oyster, my friend, so go out there and look for the show that will still your heart (ears?)!