Best Best Podcasts for Programmers (2026) - 8 Hand-Picked Shows

Wes Bos and Scott Tolinski have this energy that makes even CSS Grid discussions genuinely entertaining. They bounce between deep technical dives and practical tips you can use immediately. The hasty treats (short episodes) are perfect for quick learning, while the full episodes go properly deep. Been running since 2017 and the quality hasn't dipped. Probably the most recommended dev podcast for good reason.

The OG of programming podcasts and it still holds up. IEEE-backed interviews with actual industry experts talking architecture, distributed systems, and engineering culture. Not beginner-friendly honestly - this is for devs who want to think bigger about system design. Episodes can run long but the depth is unmatched. Your commute suddenly becomes a masterclass.

Michael Kennedy turned his Python obsession into one of the best language-specific podcasts out there. Guests range from core Python developers to people doing wild things with the language in data science and web dev. The conversation style feels natural, not rehearsed. Even if Python isn't your main language, the software engineering discussions apply broadly. Over 400 episodes deep with no signs of slowing down.

Open source conversations that actually matter. Adam and Jerod talk to the people building the tools developers use every day - from database creators to language designers. What makes it special is they get the backstory, the motivation, the failures. Not just 'here is cool tech' but 'here is why someone spent three years building this'. Essential listening for devs who care about the ecosystem.

Started by Saron Yitbarek for people breaking into tech, and it's grown into something much bigger. The stories of career changers - teachers, musicians, bartenders who learned to code - are genuinely inspiring without being cheesy. Also covers the stuff bootcamps don't teach: imposter syndrome, job searching, and surviving your first real codebase. Even experienced devs find the perspectives refreshing.

A rotating panel of JavaScript developers having honest conversations about the wild world of JS. They cover new frameworks without the hype, debate best practices without being snobby, and occasionally get into heated discussions that are actually productive. The panel format keeps things fresh since different hosts bring different perspectives. Way more fun than reading another 'React vs Vue' blog post.

Jonathan Cutrell packs serious wisdom into episodes that rarely break 15 minutes. Focused on the soft skills side of development - decision making, managing energy, avoiding burnout, thinking about your career intentionally. Not technical at all really, but arguably more important than learning another framework. Perfect for those moments when you need perspective more than code examples.

Vaidehi Joshi and Saron Yitbarek make computer science fundamentals approachable without dumbing them down. Based on Vaidehi's blog series, they cover data structures, algorithms, and CS theory in a way that finally clicks. If college CS classes felt like a blur or you skipped them entirely, this fills the gaps. The enthusiasm is contagious - you'll actually get excited about binary trees.