Breaking Barriers in Tech with Brenda Darden Wilkerson

This week Scott welcomes Tyler Bushnell, founder of Polycade, to talk about reimagining the arcade experience for modern homes. Drawing on his family's Atari legacy, Tyler shares how Polycade blends retro charm with sleek design and modern game libraries—all while encouraging face-to-face connection. From Kickstarter roots to Techstars growth, we explore how Polycade became a favorite among creators and why the future of gaming might look more social than ever!https://www.polycade.com

4 Sep 36min

Today we chat with Dr. Morgan Depenbusch and dive into the mindset shift that can transform your career and relationships at work. Instead of pushing harder to be heard or constantly proving yourself, what if the key is simply leading with value? Dr. Depenbusch and Scott unpack what “value” really looks like in practice—whether it’s helping teammates cut through noise, reframing presentations for executives, or positioning yourself in interviews. You’ll hear why this approach earns trust, reduces stress, and creates more opportunities than self-promotion ever couldhttps://www.morgandepenbusch.com/

28 Aug 31min

In this episode, Scott sits down with Bria Sullivan, developer and founder of Honey B Games, to unpack the viral success of Focus Friend—the cozy productivity app that dethroned ChatGPT at the top of the App Store. Co-created with Hank Green, Focus Friend gamifies focus with a sock-knitting bean companion, offering users a whimsical yet effective way to reclaim their attention. Bria shares the app’s origin story, the design philosophy behind its ADHD-friendly features, and how iteration and storytelling shaped its meteoric rise. It’s a conversation about building with empathy, designing for delight, and what it means to make tech that gives people their time back.https://www.yourfocusfriend.com/

21 Aug 38min

From wrist‑mounted CD launchers to rope‑driven quadrupeds, Purdue engineering student and YouTuber Aaed Musa turns wild ideas into precision‑crafted reality. On Hanselminutes, he joins Scott Hanselman to share the art, grit, and storytelling behind his most ambitious projects — and why iteration is his superpower.https://www.aaedmusa.com/

14 Aug 31min

Steve Klabnik wasn't a fan of AI. He knows how to code at high and low levels...but then he tried again. Now he's making more, shipping more, coding more, and having more fun. Is this a moral choice or a techincal one or both?

7 Aug 43min

In this episode, Scott Hanselman sits down with benny Vasquez, Chair of the AlmaLinux OS Foundation, to explore the project's journey since the shift away from CentOS. benny shares insights into how AlmaLinux stays community-driven, transparent, and enterprise-ready—all while navigating the evolving world of open-source licensing. It's a candid and thoughtful conversation about trust, sustainability, and what it takes to build an OS that listens to its users.https://www.almalinux.orgKey TopicsIntroduction to benny Vasquez and AlmaLinux (00:07.87)The Evolution of CentOS and Birth of AlmaLinux (01:00.03)The Role of CentOS Stream and Enterprise Linux Ecosystem (03:27.08)Why AlmaLinux Stepped In and the Red Hat Source Code Shift (05:19.77)Differences Between AlmaLinux and Red Hat (08:33.74)Open Source Governance and Neutrality in AlmaLinux (14:05.99)Sustainability and Longevity of the AlmaLinux Project (24:07.31)Adopting AlmaLinux for VFX and Desktop Use (26:37.99)The Importance of Hardware Support and Adaptability (28:14.02)Upcoming Events: AlmaLinux Day Vancouver (33:48.05) Main TakeawaysCommunity-Driven Replacement for CentOS: AlmaLinux emerged as a community-driven distro to fill the gap left by CentOS after Red Hat's change in focus, ensuring enterprise-grade Linux remains accessible.Open and Neutral Governance: AlmaLinux prioritizes a meritocratic and community-focused governance structure to maintain independence and serve diverse user needs.Adaptability and Innovation: By addressing omitted features and bugs faster than traditional vendors, AlmaLinux thrives as a flexible solution for enterprises and personal use, offering extended hardware support.Commitment to Longevity and Sustainability: The AlmaLinux OS Foundation is focused on creating a project that outlasts its current contributors by setting up governance for long-term stability.Embracing Enterprise and Desktop Markets: Though AlmaLinux is enterprise-focused, it demonstrates significant adoption in both server and desktop environments, especially in industries like VFX. Notable Quotes"AlmaLinux emerged to fill a void, ensuring enterprise-grade Linux users didn’t lose their stability and compatibility." – benny Vasquez"The key for us is not just building compatibility with Red Hat but allowing for innovation and hardware support that suits the community’s needs." – benny Vasquez"We have to maintain neutrality in our governance so that no one organization can unduly influence AlmaLinux." – benny Vasquez"Making it independent in a way that it will outlast me and all of the current contributors is the ultimate success for me." – benny Vasquez"Linux is known for not leaving folks behind, and that’s an ethos we adhere to with AlmaLinux." – benny VasquezResources MentionedAlmaLinux.org: https://almalinux.org (Download and contribute to the project)AlmaLinux Day Vancouver (August 9th): https://almalinux.org/blog/SIGGRAPH Conference: https://s2023.siggraph.org/Additional MentionsFedora ProjectWSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)Azure and AWS sponsorshipsThinkPads and Linux Distros for older hardwareThese show notes were automatically generated from the podcast transcript.

31 Juli 34min

In this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman talks with Randall Hyde, renowned for his expertise in programming and assembly language. Known as the creator of the Lisa Assembler and the author of The Art of Assembly Language and Write Great Code series, Randall shares his journey from developing in assembler for early computing systems to working on modern nuclear reactor control systems. He discusses the evolution of software development, the value of assembly language in today's programming landscape, teaching methodologies, and the balance between low-level understanding and high-level productivity.Key TopicsRandall Hyde's Academic and Professional Background (00:02.72)Assembly Language Beginnings with the Lisa Assembler (00:33.45)The Evolution of Randall's Work from Games to Nuclear Engineering (04:54.99)The Importance of Understanding Low-Level Machine Behavior (06:46.75)How Assembly Language Has Evolved and Its Modern Relevance (16:11.62)HLA (High-Level Assembler) as a Teaching Tool (20:20.46)The Rise of ARM Architectures and Changing Processor Technology (29:24.59)The Need for Efficient Code in the Multi-Core Era (33:31.42)Main TakeawaysLow-Level Understanding is Foundational: Randall emphasizes that understanding machine organization and low-level behavior is essential to writing better high-level code.Practical vs. Academic Learning: College enforces learning through structure, but much of coding excellence comes from individual, rigorous practice in understanding how systems work under the hood.Evolving Utility of Assembly Language: While assembly language isn’t a daily tool for most programmers, knowing it provides critical insights into low-level optimizations essential for performance-critical applications.Shift in Performance Gains: Modern compilers and multi-core systems have reduced the performance advantages of assembly, yet efficient code writing remains vital as architecture advances slow down.Accessible Education: Randall’s approach – from pioneering HLA as a bridge to assembly to his comprehensive Write Great Code series – has focused on making low-level concepts easier for new learners to grasp.Resources MentionedThe Art of Assembly Language by Randall HydeWrite Great Code Series (Volumes 1-4) by Randall HydeVolume 2: Thinking Low-Level, Writing High-LevelRANDALLHYDE.COM: Hyde's website for books, support materials, and resourcesNo Starch Press (Publisher): NoStarch.comFollow along for more insights, tips, and conversations with industry leaders. These show notes summarize key moments in the podcast for easy reference and understanding - these show notes were generated by a custom gpt-4o-nano model trained in previous episodes of Hanselminutes

17 Juli 37min