David Hill

Senior Software Engineer
Host of the @therubyonrails podcast
Huge Brandon Sanderson fan

[therubyonrailspodcast @therubyonrails]

One idea from this week’s episode:

At a small single-track conference, everyone shares the same room, talks, breaks, and story arc.

That’s not a bug. It's a feature.

The organizer’s job is to create the conditions for good things to happen.

[therubyonrailspodcast @therubyonrails]

New episode: Jeremy Smith joins me for a Blue Ridge Ruby 2026 retrospective.

What worked? What was harder than expected? And why is every conference a brand-new thing?

Listen here: https://t.co/PdmkZjBYi5

[therubyonrailspodcast @therubyonrails]

Tomorrow: Jeremy Smith joins me to look back on Blue Ridge Ruby 2026.

We talk conference planning, speaker flow, long hallway-track breaks, Asheville, budgets, burnout, and what makes small regional Ruby events feel special.

[therubyonrailspodcast @therubyonrails]

This week Jeremy Smith joins me for a retrospective on Blue Ridge Ruby 2026.

We talk about what worked, what changed, and why small regional conferences can create a shared experience big multi-track events don’t always match.

[therubyonrailspodcast @therubyonrails]

New episode: Travis Dockter joins The Ruby on Rails Podcast to talk about planning Blastoff Rails.

We discuss starting a conference, why simplicity matters, CFP surprises, and how generous the Ruby community can be when someone decides to build something.

[therubyonrailspodcast @therubyonrails]

What does it actually take to put on a Rails conference for the first time?

This week on The Ruby on Rails Podcast, Travis Dockter joins us to talk about planning Blastoff Rails, learning in public, and why the first version should probably be simpler than your dream version.

[therubyonrailspodcast @therubyonrails]

The best developer communities don’t just teach you things.

They remind you that you’re not the only one stuck, confused, rebuilding context, or fighting a weird bug at 4:47pm.

That came up in this week’s episode of The Ruby on Rails Podcast.

https://t.co/fJ0pKfxu9h

[David Hill @DavidEsmale]

@DRBragg I couldn't come up with a non-rant way to say that. Thank you for solving that problem for me, Drew.

[therubyonrailspodcast @therubyonrails]

And we're back! There's a brand new episode of The Ruby on Rails podcast up this morning! @ChaelCodes is the special guest host for the episode, to introduce the new regular host: @DavidEsmale.

https://t.co/fJ0pKfxu9h

[therubyonrailspodcast @therubyonrails]

It's official! New episodes of The Ruby on Rails podcast starting tomorrow! For this first episode @ChaelCodes serves as the guest host to allow me, @DavidEsmale, to introduce myself as the new host of the show. I hope you'll give it a listen!

[David Hill @DavidEsmale]

@jasoncharnes Both Chris and Andrew are going to be unavailable to record next week. A significant part of me wants to ask if you'll come record with me, just so that Chris and Andrew miss out on talking with you again. Is that too mean?

[therubyonrailspodcast @therubyonrails]

Hello, Ruby Friends! New episodes of The Ruby on Rails Podcast are going to start rolling out soon! If all goes well, the first new episode should go up next week. The podcast has a brand new host who is very excited to hit the ground running.

[David Hill @DavidEsmale]

@AmandaBPerino I’m only mildly insanely jealous…

[David Hill @DavidEsmale]

@excid3 @andycroll I know what it actually says, but because of the font I keep seeing it as “MMA Swan”

[Tropical on Rails @tropicalonrails]

EN:
Why should your company sponsor tech events? 😉👇🏼

Here’s one of the top reasons:

The best developers we know aren’t motivated solely by salary; it matters, but it’s not the deciding factor.

Building your employer brand is essential, and being present at events like @tropicalonrails is a great opportunity for attendees to get to know your company and team.

When a future hiring process comes around, this will be remembered. After all, the best developers aren’t chosen by you; they choose your company—and that choice happens every day, whether it’s during recruitment or when deciding to stay with your team.

Help us get this message to your leadership or HR team! 🚀🌴

PT-BR:
Porque a sua empresa deveria patrocinar eventos de tecnologia? 😉👇🏼

A gente vai te contar 1 dos principais motivos nesse post:

Os melhores desenvolvedores que conhecemos não são motivados apenas por salário; ele é importante, mas não decisivo.

Trabalhar sua marca empregadora é fundamental e estar em eventos como o @tropicalonrails é uma oportunidade para os participantes conhecerem sua empresa e seus colaboradores.

Em um futuro processo seletivo, isso será lembrado, afinal os melhores desenvolvedores não são escolhidos por você; eles escolhem sua empresa e essa escolha é feita diariamente, seja em uma contratação ou na decisão de permanecer na empresa.

Ajude a gente a chegar até a sua liderança ou o RH da sua empresa com essa mensagem! 🚀🌴

[Amir Rajan @amirrajan]

Last day to grab DragonRuby Game Toolkit free: https://t.co/nfYx4u3xtt

[David Hill @DavidEsmale]

@wycats Heh. Heheheheheheheh. No spoilers….

[David Hill @DavidEsmale]

@wycats Lilia, Jen, and Alice all seem to see and speak with Rio after she is summoned to The Road. So I think it’s unlikely that Rio and Agatha are the sane person.

Daughter and I both think that Rio is actually “Death”, but who or whatever she is, I’m in it for the ride

[David Hill @DavidEsmale]

@adamwathan I’m looking for one as well. Will have to keep an eye on this thread for recommendations.

[Drew Bragg @DRBragg]

#RubyFriends!! Working on some new game show questions. Send me your weird/unexpected Ruby code snippets via DM. The shorter the better and bonus points if you pulled it from actual production code!

Retweets appreciated