Soft Skills Engineering

Jamison Dance and Dave Smith have been answering listener questions about the non-code parts of being a software developer since 2016, and with over 480 episodes, they've pretty much heard it all. The format is simple and effective: listeners write in with questions about their careers, workplace challenges, management problems, and general professional confusion, and Jamison and Dave talk through them for about 30 minutes each week. The questions are often surprisingly specific and relatable. Things like "my manager wants me to use a technology I think is wrong" or "how do I give feedback to a senior engineer who writes messy code" or "should I take a pay cut to work on something I care about." Dave brings 20 years of software engineering and team leadership experience, while Jamison is a seasoned product engineer who has been on both sides of the management divide. Together they offer practical, nuanced advice that acknowledges how messy real workplaces can be. The tone is warm and frequently hilarious. They don't take themselves too seriously, which makes the advice land better. It's the career guidance you wish you could get from a mentor, delivered by two people who are genuinely funny and genuinely experienced. If you've ever stared at your screen wondering how to handle a tricky situation at work that has nothing to do with code, this podcast probably has an episode about exactly that.