Creating Tools for Thought with Andy Matuschak

Marcus Fontoura has led engineering teams at IBM, Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft...building the very systems that power our digital lives. Now, as the author of Human Agency in a Digital World, he’s asking a more profound question: how do we stay in charge of the technology we create? Scott and Marcus explore what it means to move from being passengers to pilots in an age of automation — through ethics, education, and intentional design.https://fontoura.org

What happens when code stops being useful and starts being art? Scott talks with artist and programmer Daniel Temkin about his new book Forty-Four Esolangs, a deep dive into the world of esoteric programming languages...systems designed not to ship software, but to provoke thought. They explore how absurdity, constraint, and humor reveal something profound about how we think in code.https://danieltemkin.com

Scott sits down with Camille Tomlin, Head of IT at Philadelphia International Airport, to explore the intersection of aviation, technology, and leadership. They discuss how airports are transforming digitally — with IoT, data analytics, and smart infrastructure — and how Camille leads a team that bridges city government, airlines, and millions of passengers every year.

In a world of Rust, Go, and Python, why does C++ still matter? Dr. Gabriel Dos Reis joins Scott to explain how C++ continues to shape everything from GPUs and browsers to AI infrastructure. They talk about performance, predictability, and the art of balancing power with safety...and how the language’s constant evolution keeps it relevant four decades in.

Postgres has quietly become the world’s favorite database...running startups, governments, and global clouds alike. Scott talks with Claire Giordano, long-time Postgres advocate and technologist, about the database’s unlikely rise from academic roots to modern dominance. They explore its design philosophy, the open-source community that fuels it, and why Postgres keeps winning even in the age of AI and hyperscale data."Talking Postgres" podcast: https://talkingpostgres.comhttps://www.postgresql.org/

Scott talks with Stephen Jones of the new Interim Computing Museum, about the craft of bringing old computers back to life. From wire-wrapped boards to tape drives and terminals, this episode dives into why running the old systems — not just displaying them — matters for understanding how modern computing came to be.Support, Visit, and Donate to the ICM at http://icm.museum 

This week Scott talks to Kat who shares her tactical wisdom from her blog Katexcellence.io, where she decodes the early-career engineering experience with clarity and wit. From learning to build without motivation, to balancing depth and velocity, to navigating layoffs and early‑career uncertainty, Kat distills lessons from her own journey through Big Tech and beyond. She offers practical strategies for making an impact early, staying resilient, and turning challenging experiences into growth opportunities.https://katexcellence.io/

On this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman talks with cloud migration and app modernization expert Mike Rousos about the challenges and opportunities of bringing decades-old applications into the modern era. They discuss practical strategies for app modernization, how AI and GitHub Copilot are reshaping developer workflows, and what it takes to transform legacy software into systems ready for the future.

On this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott talks with Bobby Lockhart, game designer and coauthor of The Game Designer’s Workbook. They explore the craft of game design, from turning ideas into playable experiences to balancing creativity with structure, and discuss how the principles in the workbook can help both aspiring and seasoned designers build better, more engaging games.https://www.gamedesignersworkbook.com

On this special episode of Hanselminutes, Scott reunites with .NET Principal Engineer Safia Abdalla, nearly 500 episodes and a decade after her first appearance on the show. They reflect on the arc of her career and the evolution of the developer landscape, discussing how building competence fuels confidence, how anxieties can compound in high-pressure environments, and what strategies help engineers sustain both technical excellence and personal growth over time.