PODCAST · business
Healthy Developer
by Jayme Edwards, Tech Career Strategist & Coach
If working in software feels like politics, pressure, and burnout—you're not crazy. You're just awake.I'm Jayme Edwards, a tech career strategist and coach. After 27 years in the industry—across startups, consultancies, and enterprise teams—I learned the hard way that thriving in tech means more than chasing promotions or distracting yourself to try and survive the chaos.In this podcast (the audio version of my YouTube channel, Healthy Developer), I share honest lessons from my career, behind-the-scenes stories from real projects, and strategies you can use to have a healthier work/life balance while growing in tech.New episodes every Monday on YouTube and here on Wednesdays. Subscribe to join a growing community of software professionals choosing clarity, leverage, and a life over burnout.
Episodes
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Coaching Session: Am I Really a Product Manager?
Ever thought about stepping into product management—just to try something totally different from engineering? That's exactly where Monte found himself. After years in dev and even engineering leadership, he made a move he thought would lead to more ownership and product vision. But once he was in...
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You Were Right About Healthy Developer
You ever notice how sometimes the people around you see what's really going on before you do? That's what happened with this channel. I tried to go broad, help everyone in tech, chase what the "experts" and the algorithm said people wanted—but you knew better. You told me what made this channel...
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Coaching Session: Fixing Development Team Culture
In this real coaching session, I talk with John, a developer-turned-manager, who's navigating the messy middle of leadership. He's caught between two teams, two continents, and shifting expectations. Sound familiar? We dig into: The difference between managing people and leading culture Why...
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Coaching Session: Should I Help Developers Be Creative?
Ever feel like tech work has turned you into a robot? Just crank out code, stay in your lane, and don't ask too many questions? Yeah—same. In this real, unfiltered coaching session, I work with Charlie—a creative technologist who's been wrestling with how to bring *real* artistry back into his...
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Coaching Session: Should I Follow My Dream?
Today, I'm sharing a real conversation I had with Matt—an experienced developer who's been wrestling with where to take his career next. If you've ever felt like you're stuck doing the same thing over and over, or like your potential is being wasted, this episode is for you. Work with me:...
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5 Signs You're Finally Ready to Leave the Tech Grind
Ever feel like you're living in the tech job twilight zone? One minute you're daydreaming about quitting, selling everything, and disappearing into the mountains. The next? You're convincing yourself, "Eh… it's not that bad." Yeah—I've been there. Work with me: https://healthydeveloper.com For...
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Coaching Session: Is Comfort Worth The Fear?
Ever feel stuck in analysis paralysis, trying to figure out if you should go solo or stick with a stable tech job? In this live coaching session, I help Ben—a seasoned engineering manager and Agile coach—shift his focus away from fear and toward action. → Find Out If You're Ready To Go Solo in…
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Stop Letting a Steady Paycheck Limit Your Career
Most people get into software development for the money—and hey, I get it. The tech industry can be insanely lucrative. But if your end goal is to break free from the corporate grind and work for yourself, could a high income actually be holding you back? Grow Faster in Your Tech Career:...
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Programmer Employees Don't Have a Career Anymore
The days of stable employment in tech jobs as a career is over. I don't say this to scare you, but so you take some action to be less dependent on companies that couldn't care less about you! Grow Faster in Your Tech Career: https://thrivingtechnologist.com/coaching Join the Thriving Tech...
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Stop Solving Problems for Your Development Team!
Are you helping or holding your team back? In this episode, I explore why sharing technical answers with your development team might not be the best way to help them grow. Instead, learn how to use resourceful questions to empower your team members to think critically, solve problems…
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How Developers Set Boundaries With Managers
Ever had a manager who expects you to be Superman? No matter what you do, they keep asking for "more, more, more." Earlier in my tech career, I thought it was my manager's fault. But when I learned the art of setting healthy boundaries at work, I realized that the power to push back was in my...
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How To Reclaim Creative Energy From Your Tech Job
Are you a tech professional who feels your creativity is being stifled by corporate culture? In this episode, I explore the impact of corporate culture on creativity in the tech industry. I share my personal journey—from leaving behind my passion for music to embracing programming as a new…
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If Your Tech Job is Comfortable, You're in Danger
Is your tech job feeling a little too comfortable? You might be unknowingly putting your career at risk. In the fast-paced world of technology, complacency can lead to career stagnation, limiting your earning potential and jeopardizing your job security. Grow Faster in Your Tech Career:...
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Think Your Corporate Job Is Secure? Think Again
What if the real risk isn't leaving your corporate job, but staying in it? If you're comfortable in your tech job today, layoffs aren't the only risk you face. The myth of job security is a common cause for staying stuck and growing complacent. 7 years ago my life was turned upside down when I...
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How To Actually Find Profitable Software Ideas
Thinking of quitting the tech industry grind to start a profitable software business yourself? Before you take the plunge, don't make the same mistakes I did! The secret to finding a profitable software idea, is that it must come from your customers. Unless you know a real pain that people who...
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Real 10x Programmers Are SLOW To Write Code
If you've ever been jealous of programmers who seem to write code faster than you - take heart. The myth of the "10x programmer" is misunderstood in many software teams and tech companies. What's important to companies is NOT that you're actually 10x faster at writing code. It's that you help the...
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How To ACTUALLY Get Your Boss To Listen
If you've ever been on a software project and you can't get your boss to listen, I've been there. Many of us are technical types, so we often think facts are enough to convince management to support us. In this episode, I share 4 strategies I've used to actually get your boss to listen. These…
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A TRUE Software Project Horror Story
Have you ever felt like your software project was doomed from the start, almost as if it were the plot of a bad movie? Well, if so, you're not alone. I've been through my share of nightmarish projects, but one in particular stands out. It involved shady characters, SWAT teams, and a project that...
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How to Use LinkedIn Without Doubting Yourself
LinkedIn is a great resource for connecting with people, but it can also cause serious mental health challenges - and even lead to burnout. If you're looking for a job or just trying to find customers, there are some features of LinkedIn that can ruin your personal peace and drive your anxiety...
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Becoming The Manager Developers Need
Are you a programmer, or in any individual contributor tech role really? Considering switching into management? Be VERY careful. Most companies will not prepare you for what it takes to really be an effective manager. If you've ever been upset with a manager or felt like they weren't equipped to…
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How To Know If You're Ready for a Career Change
If your tech career isn't what you want it to be, it could be a mild annoyance - or something urgent. Knowing how ready you are to actually make a change is important before you take any action that could change the course of your life and career. When I started career coaching, I noticed…
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"Agile Signaling" is Gaslighting The Tech Industry
Today most tech companies engage in agile signaling - without even knowing it. They do nothing to make it easy to adapt to change, but put on a show to pretend they're agile. Many software developers and other professionals in the industry, even those with long careers, have never been on project...
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When Should a Programmer Become a Manager?
Does programming ever get tiring? Are you frustrated by being left out of key decisions by the company? You may begin to wonder if you should become a manager. In this episode I'd like to share 5 important considerations before switching from being a programmer to management. It's common advice...
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How the Lie of Self-Sufficiency Kills Tech Careers
Many programmers are stuck in their career today, but they place the blame on everyone else. Yes, there are some difficult things going on in the tech industry. But one of the biggest reasons programmers stop growing, is they don't get help. In this episode, I'd like to share the things I've...
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10 Steps to Becoming a Solo Technology Consultant
Want to quit working for companies as an employee, make more money, and choose the clients you work with? It might be time to go solo - as a technology consultant. To be successful, you need to be smart about how you start. In this episode, I share the exact steps I took to become a solo…
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Breaking Free From Programmer Mindset Limitations
Programmers have to learn an incredible amount of information to even BEGIN to be effective at their job. So it's only natural that we don't like to find out something we learned - is wrong in a different context. With so much invested, being open to the possibility that there's a better way to…
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Why Tech Consultants Have Management's Ear (And You Don't)
Ever seen management bring in a technology consultant, and suddenly they're open to ideas you've been telling them all along? When this first happened to me, I figured technology consultants were probably just better at selling snake oil. But halfway into my career I became a software development...
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How Programmers Overcome Fear of Self-Employment
Most programmers have considered self-employment at one time or another, but fear grips them when they think about how to even get started. When I began working for myself 7 years ago, I had no idea how to transition to being self-employed, but I knew I couldn't stand working for corporations any...
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Your Project Is FAKE Agile, Now What?
It's finally sinking in. Your software project is FAKE agile. Is there anything you can really do about it? The sad reality is that more companies have fake agile software development processes than those that are authentic. You can fight tooth and nail to try and change the system, or you can...
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My Vision of Hope For the Tech Industry's Problems
If you're bothered by the problems in the tech industry, I am too. But while every day we seem to hear more and more negative news about it - we're actually paying attention to the wrong problems. There are many things wrong with the software industry, but very few we can control. And one thing…
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Learning Addiction Keeps Programmers in Chains
Learning new technologies, frameworks, and processes as a programmer gives you a feeling of accomplishment. But unchecked, learning can become a dangerous addiction that damages your software development career. In this episode, I share how software engineers can cap their earning potential if…
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How Programmers Actually Earn Trust With Managers
Have you ever seen another programmer who wasn't as skilled as you get promoted? Did you tell yourself management was making a mistake? Earlier in my career I didn't realize I was doing some things that caused managers to lose confidence in me. I would spend all my time writing code and never…
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Most Developers Should NOT Post on Social Media
Making videos, podcasts, or blogs could be just what your career as a programmer needs. But it could also be a complete waste of time. Many programmers become influencers, but there are two very different reasons for doing so. In this episode, I share the difference between being a pure…
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How I Hacked My Sleep as a Programmer
Six years ago I was suddenly struck with chronic insomnia where I couldn't sleep more than 3 hours a night. This lasted for nearly 3 years, and I struggled through sleep studies, behavioral changes, and all the typical tips you read online about overcoming insomnia. Working as a programmer in the...
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Can a "DIY Mindset" Keep Programmers From Growing?
We programmers love to "do it ourselves", and this can help us stay productive and keep ourselves busy. But the dark side of this tendency, is that it can make it harder to get help - when we actually need it. In this episode, I share some ways I've learned that software engineers are trained by...
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Why Nobody's Buying Your Ideas in Tech
Ever try to sell someone on why you're the right person for them to hire in tech? Or maybe you have a software product or offer freelance IT consulting services you need to sell? I'll bet you've run into the situation where the other person you're talking to doesn't seem to "get" why you're the...
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Should You Fight Dirty to Climb The Tech Ladder?
On the first software project of my career, I thought doing a good job was all that mattered to move ahead. And while I was successful, I was manipulated by many other programmers through political games. After that experience, I was tempted many times in my career to fight dirty. And sometimes…
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How To Cultivate Wisdom as a Programmer
After my first decade of coding, I learned so much I thought: "I must be at least somewhat intelligent, right?". But there was something more valuable I lacked - wisdom. Without wisdom, you'll make decisions in your career that look right in the short term - but turn out disastrous over time....
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The 8 Laws of a Lasting Programming Career
If you want a lasting career in software development, you've got to be wiser than your average coder. There's a lot of advice that promotes short-term thinking around programming, and if you aren't careful you can burn your bridges before you reach the finish line. In this episode, I share what...
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Is It Burnout or Have You Outgrown the Job?
The familiar question "should I stay or should I go?" is common to programmers, or really anyone in a tech job. But it's tempting to just bail the moment you don't like some aspect of the job, hoping for greener pastures. The flipside of this is when you probably should have left a long time ago...
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Is Working in Tech Hurting Your Romantic Partner?
You already know working in tech while staying in a romantic relationship is hard if you spend a lot of time on the computer. But there are other even more dangerous aspects of a tech job that can risk losing your romantic partner if you aren't careful. In this episode, I share lessons I've…
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Why Do So Many Programmers Use Drugs?
If you've never been an addict, you may be surprised to know many programmers (and other people in tech job roles) struggle with drug use. Nobody working in tech is a stranger to stress and pressure! But sometimes the ways we cope are unhealthy. If you're currently using, I've been honest and...
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How Hard Projects Can Make Programmers Stronger
The popular thing to do when faced with a toxic software project - is to complain until you get out. But a healthier alternative, is to use it as an opportunity to get stronger in your tech career. In this episode I share some things I learned by reflecting back on my career through the lens of…
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8 Programmer Pitfalls When Starting a Company
If you're a programmer tired of the corporate grind, and thinking about starting a software company - watch out. I tried this twice and failed, but the third time went much better. Here are some practical tips to avoid pitfalls as a software engineer if you want to start a software company - and…
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Programmers Who Stop Complaining Win
The software industry may be messed up, but I need to be straight with you. You're resisting help! If you really want your job and life to get better, and to achieve better things in your software career - the complaining needs to stop. You need to stop resisting the things you already know you...
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Your Tech Company Has Red Flags, Now What?
If you're about to get a new tech job, sometimes the red flags are obvious. But what happens when you want the gig anyway? The temptation to take a job when the pay is high, there's prestige, or it's a promotion are strong. In this episode I share some things I've learned about spotting these red...
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3 Proven Ways Programmers Go Solo
If you're tired to the deadlines, pressure, and unrealistic expectations - it may be time to take programming for money into your own hands. In this episode, I share 3 ways you can escape the corporate grind and make money in tech yourself. Being a solopreneur isn't easy, but it's very rewarding…
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How To Get Your Energy Back After Programming
Programming starts out like any other career - then one day you wake up addicted. In this episode, I share big problems with programming's impact on your work/life balance, and offer solutions. As a software developer, it's easy to get caught up in the endless cycle of coding and problem-solving,...
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How To Stop Getting Overwhelmed By Your Tech Job
Feeling swamped in your tech job? You're not alone! In this episode, I dive into the heart of what makes our programming world so overwhelming and, more importantly, how you can navigate it with ease. In this episode, I'm not just talking at you; I'm talking with you. We'll explore the common...
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How Programmers Stay Calm In The Face of AI
Let's get real about AI and how it impacts programming. There's a lot of propaganda and fear being thrown around related to artificial intelligence (especially in software development and engineering) - so let's cut through the noise together. I made this video for all you software developers,...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
If working in software feels like politics, pressure, and burnout—you're not crazy. You're just awake.I'm Jayme Edwards, a tech career strategist and coach. After 27 years in the industry—across startups, consultancies, and enterprise teams—I learned the hard way that thriving in tech means more than chasing promotions or distracting yourself to try and survive the chaos.In this podcast (the audio version of my YouTube channel, Healthy Developer), I share honest lessons from my career, behind-the-scenes stories from real projects, and strategies you can use to have a healthier work/life balance while growing in tech.New episodes every Monday on YouTube and here on Wednesdays. Subscribe to join a growing community of software professionals choosing clarity, leverage, and a life over burnout.
HOSTED BY
Jayme Edwards, Tech Career Strategist & Coach
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Healthy Developer have?
Healthy Developer currently has 177 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Healthy Developer about?
If working in software feels like politics, pressure, and burnout—you're not crazy. You're just awake.I'm Jayme Edwards, a tech career strategist and coach. After 27 years in the industry—across startups, consultancies, and enterprise teams—I learned the hard way that thriving in tech means more...
How often does Healthy Developer release new episodes?
Healthy Developer publishes regularly with 177 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Healthy Developer?
You can listen to Healthy Developer on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Healthy Developer?
Healthy Developer is created and hosted by Jayme Edwards, Tech Career Strategist & Coach.
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