Level Up Your Development Workflow: Declutter with AI for Better Focus and Cleaner Code
Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
Release Date: 07/08/2025
Price With Confidence: Estimation Made Simple
Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
In this episode of Building Better Developers with AI, Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche revisit their earlier discussion on “” and explore how AI helps sharpen project pricing. The theme is clear: estimation is less about numbers and more about setting expectations. Developers who learn to price with confidence gain credibility, avoid stress, and build long-term client relationships. Why You Must Price With Confidence Estimation impacts far more than budgets. A clear, honest number builds trust and predictability. Vague requirements like “integrate with multiple systems”...
info_outline
Code Consistency for Better Software
Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
As the Building Better Developers with AI season nears its close, Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche revisit a topic every team faces but few get right: code consistency. In this episode, they explore how shared conventions, smart tooling, and simple documentation transform messy projects into scalable, high-quality systems. The Hidden Cost of Inconsistency Picture opening a project where every file tells a different story: mixed naming styles, conflicting error handling, and folders arranged on a whim. Before you can fix a bug or add a feature, you’re lost in formatting chaos. ...
info_outline
Demo-Driven Development: Build Better Software with Faster Feedback
Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
In this episode of Building Better Developers with AI, hosts Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche revisit a classic topic: . This time, they reframe it through the lens of demo-driven development, exploring how lightweight prototypes align teams, validate ideas, and reduce costly missteps. What is Demo-Driven Development? Demo-driven development utilizes interactive prototypes early in the lifecycle to demonstrate how an application might function before coding begins. These demos link wireframes or screens together into a simple, clickable flow. Low fidelity: Basic wireframes to...
info_outline
Revisiting User Stories: Writing Better User Stories for Successful Projects
Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
In this season of Building Better Developers with AI, hosts Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche revisit a past topic: '.' This episode offers a fresh perspective on how teams can achieve greater success by writing better user stories. The hosts initially tackled this subject in an earlier season, but they return to it because the challenge remains timeless: poorly written user stories continue to derail software projects. This time, they dive deeper into lessons learned, customer-centric approaches, and frameworks that make user stories truly work. Why Writing Better User Stories...
info_outline
Conquering Tough Coding Challenges: Proven Strategies Every Developer Needs
Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
In this episode of Building Better Developers with AI, Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche revisit one of their most memorable past discussions: “” That earlier conversation explored the “opposite of the happy path”—those frustrating moments where unclear requirements, unrealistic expectations, or hidden bugs make coding feel nearly impossible. Now, with the help of AI prompts and fresh anecdotes, the hosts take a lighthearted but practical look at how developers can survive tough coding challenges and even grow stronger through them. Revisiting Past Tough Coding...
info_outline
Enhancing Developer Productivity: Proven Skills, Tools, and Mindsets for Success
Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
In this episode of Building Better Developers with AI, Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche revisit an earlier conversation: “” This time, they explore how AI and modern practices shape the discussion. The takeaway: enhancing developer productivity isn’t just about tools—it’s about habits, problem-solving, and continuous growth. 🎉 Thank You for 900 Episodes! This episode marks a huge milestone — our 900th episode of Building Better Developers. We couldn’t have done it without our amazing listeners, readers, and community. Your support keeps us inspired to...
info_outline
Developer Career Growth: Breaking Through Stagnation
Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
The Building Better Developers with AI podcast continues its season of revisiting past episodes with fresh insights. In this discussion, Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche revisit the classic topic of breaking through career plateaus and reframe it through the lens of developer career growth. The original shared practical strategies for accelerating progress. This version adds AI-driven perspectives, personal stories, and a reminder that developers must be intentional about growth in a rapidly evolving industry. Recognizing Developer Career Growth Roadblocks Career plateaus are...
info_outline
Developer Performance Made Easy: Smart Strategies to Get More Done Daily
Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
In this episode of Building Better Developers with AI, hosts Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche revisit another one of their popular topics: developer performance. Originally explored in the episode “” the discussion now receives an AI-powered refresh, bringing new insights into how developers can enhance their output, sustain energy, and prevent burnout. Why Developer Performance Is Harder Than Ever Distractions have only increased since the original discussion. Slack messages, meetings, and endless browser tabs compete for attention. As Rob points out, context switching...
info_outline
Revisiting “Done” in Agile: Why a Clear Definition Matters More Than You Think
Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
In this episode of Building Better Developers with AI, Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche revisit their earlier discussion on . They explain why “done” must mean more than “I finished coding,” and they show how a shared Definition of Done (DoD) keeps teams aligned and projects on schedule. What Does “Done” Really Mean? In Agile, “Done” extends beyond writing code. It often includes: Passing unit and integration tests Receiving QA approval Deploying to staging or production Updating documentation Securing acceptance sign-off Without a clear,...
info_outline
Scope Creep Explained: Causes, Consequences, and How to Prevent It
Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur
In this episode of Building Better Developers with AI, Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche revisit one of the most persistent challenges in software projects: scope creep. Using AI prompts, we revisit a past episode on “” In that discussion, we explored what scope creep is, why it happens, and how to prevent it from stalling projects, draining teams, and eroding trust. Today, we’re building on that conversation with fresh insights and practical strategies. Listen to the full episode for more real-world stories and practical strategies to keep your projects on track. What Is...
info_outlineIn Season 25, Episode 10 of the "Building Better Developers with AI" podcast, Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche revisit one of their most practical episodes: decluttering your code and digital life. However, this time, they utilize AI tools like ChatGPT to elevate the conversation and provide even more actionable ways to streamline your workflow, sharpen focus, and enhance developer productivity.
Why Developers Should Declutter—and Level Up
Developer clutter goes far beyond messy code. It creeps into your tabs, your file system, your brain, and your workflow. Rob and Michael explore how revisiting the original topic through the lens of AI created deeper, more structured insights. AI not only confirmed their past advice—it elevated it.
As Rob puts it: “Clutter doesn’t show up in your IDE, but it absolutely shows up in your performance.”
AI helped them reframe the conversation into clear action steps that help you level up your development workflow by decluttering at every level—from code to cognition.
Clean Code Is Smart Code: Use AI to Level Up Your Refactoring
A central theme of the episode is simple: Great developers delete code.
Michael and Rob walk through common bad habits—commented-out code, legacy logic, stale TODOs—and how they quietly accumulate technical debt. They recommend using tools like ESLint, Prettier, or Flake8 to automatically flag issues. More importantly, they encourage developers to make cleanup a weekly routine, not a once-a-year emergency.
AI Tip: Utilize ChatGPT to refactor lengthy methods, rename ambiguous variables, or break down complex classes into more manageable components. It’s a quick way to make your code easier to read, test, and maintain.
Optimize Your Tools: Streamline and Standardize Your Workspace
If you want to level up your development workflow truly, decluttering extends beyond the codebase. Your workspace setup—browser tabs, IDE extensions, terminal scripts—can either streamline your productivity or sabotage it.
Rob’s key practices:
- Limit browser tabs to 10 or fewer
- Disable unused plugins and extensions
- Stick to a consistent folder structure
- Use shell scripts, makefiles, or Git aliases to speed up routine tasks
Michael reinforces the idea with his “kitchen sink” app concept—a reusable codebase that acts as both a portfolio and a best-practices toolkit.
Silence the Noise: Declutter Your Developer Brain
Clutter isn’t just digital—it’s cognitive. Rob and Michael emphasize how context-switching kills focus and creativity.
To combat this, they recommend:
- Turning off nonessential notifications (on phone, desktop, and wearables)
- Using time boxing (e.g., Pomodoro technique)
- Auditing your calendar weekly
- Creating interruption-free zones for deep work
Pro Tip: Play white noise or ambient focus tracks to drown out distractions and stay locked in.
These habits allow you to protect your most important asset as a developer—your attention.
Make Decluttering a Weekly Habit and Watch Your Workflow Level Up
Don’t wait for a meltdown to clean house. Rob and Michael suggest building decluttering directly into your dev rhythm—especially at the end of each sprint or workweek.
Their weekly checklist:
- Archive stale Git branches
- Delete unused files and TODOs
- Refactor one file for clarity
- Restart your system
- Review your inbox and calendar
Even a 15-minute Friday cleanup session can give you a cleaner slate and a sharper mind going into Monday.
Bonus: Fewer Tools, More Flow
Tool overload is another form of workflow clutter. Michael recommends consolidating everything into one platform—whether it’s GitHub, Jira, or Notion. “Let the business be disorganized,” he says. “You bring the order.”
Rob echoes this with a challenge: Take one week to migrate everything from your old tools into your primary stack. You’ll save time and reduce friction moving forward.
Final Thoughts: Use AI to Clean, Simplify, and Level Up
Decluttering isn’t just about tidiness—it’s about creating space to do your best work. And with AI now in your toolkit, you can automate, refactor, and optimize like never before.
Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community
We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting, there’s always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at [email protected] with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let’s continue exploring the exciting world of software development.