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Human Perspective on an AI-Assisted Podcast Season

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

Release Date: 09/25/2025

2025 Year-End Reflection for Developers: AI Hype, Layoffs, and What’s Next

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

It’s New Year’s Eve-Eve, and instead of recording from our usual virtual setups, we did something we’ve talked about for years: we hit record in the same room. If you’re watching on YouTube, you can actually see us together. If you’re listening on audio, you’ll just have to trust us—this one was in-person. In this special episode of Building Better Developers (our Building Better Foundations season), we keep it simple: a Year-End Reflection for Developers. What are we ready to leave behind from this year? What do we want to carry into the next one? And what’s the reality...

Year-End Reset for Developers: A Pre-Christmas Check-In to Finish Strong

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

The week before Christmas has a way of exposing how the year really went. Deadlines either slow down or pile up, calendars get messy, and the pressure to “wrap everything up” shows up at the same time you’re trying to enjoy the season. In this Pre-Christmas episode of Building Better Developers, and keep it practical: looking back on the year, calling out what worked (and what didn’t), and sharing why a year-end reset for developers is the best way to prepare for a better new year. Why a Year-End Reset for Developers Matters A year-end reset for developers isn’t just...

Adapting Your Business to AI: Productivity Surges, New Models, and the Power of Data

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

In Part 2 of our Building Better Foundations interview with , founder and CEO of Barefoot Solutions and Barefoot Labs, we explore how companies can begin adapting their business to AI over the next one to three years. Rather than imagining futuristic scenarios, Hunter keeps the focus on what’s already happening—and what leaders must do now to stay ahead. About Hunter Jensen Hunter Jensen is the Founder and CEO of Barefoot Solutions, a digital agency specializing in artificial intelligence, data science, and digital transformation. With over 20 years of experience, Hunter has...

Getting Started with AI in Your Business: Insights from Hunter Jensen (Part 1)

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

In this episode of Building Better Foundations, we interview , founder and CEO of Barefoot Solutions and Barefoot Labs, to explore what it really takes when getting started with AI in your business. As companies rush toward AI adoption, Hunter offers grounded, practical advice on avoiding early mistakes, protecting your data, and choosing the right starting point. About Hunter Jensen Hunter Jensen is the Founder and CEO of Barefoot Solutions, a digital agency specializing in artificial intelligence, data science, and digital transformation. With over 20 years of experience, Hunter...

How Value-Driven Project Discovery Shapes Better Software Outcomes

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

In Part 2 of our interview with , CEO of eResources, we explore how value-driven project discovery helps teams make better decisions, prevent waste, and build software that actually supports the business. Dusty goes deep into prioritization, budgeting, revenue-generating processes, and why discovery is essential for steering both startups and large enterprises toward meaningful outcomes. About Dusty Gulleson Dusty Gulleson is a founder who never set out to build a large company—he simply followed the work, served people well, and let loyalty drive the growth. After leaving a COO...

How Story-Driven Discovery in Software Projects Leads to Better Results

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

In this episode of the Building Better Developers Podcast, we sit down with Dusty Gulleson, CEO of eResources, to explore why story-driven discovery is the foundation of every successful software project. Dusty shares how understanding a customer’s journey, motivations, and real-world frustrations leads to better outcomes than any technical requirement alone. Instead of focusing on platforms and features first, he explains why great projects begin with people and the stories behind their needs. About Dusty Gulleson Dusty Gulleson is a founder who never set out to build a large...

Managing Digital Distractions: Insights from Mister Productivity (Part 2)

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

In part 2 of our Building Better Developers conversation with we shift from foundational habits to the modern reality of our digital world. With smartphones, notifications, social media, and AI competing for every second of our attention, managing digital distractions has become one of the most important productivity skills of our time. Mark pulls back the curtain on how our devices keep us hooked—and offers practical, simple steps to regain control of our attention before the noise takes over. About Mark Struczewski Today, we're joined by Mark Struczewski—pronounced...

Staying Focused in a Noisy World: Lessons from Mister Productivity (Part 1)

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

In this episode of the Building Better Developers podcast, part of our Building Better Foundations season, and sit down with , better known as Mister Productivity. His passion is helping people get unstuck—whether through time management, clarity, or intentional focus. And in today’s always-on environment, staying focused is one of the biggest challenges professionals face. The first half of our interview explores distraction awareness, practical habits, and foundational techniques for staying focused in a world full of interruptions. About Mark Struczewski Today, we're...

Thanksgiving Reflections for Developers: A Moment to Reset and Appreciate

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

In this special holiday episode of the Building Better Foundations season of the Building Better Developers Podcast, hosts and pause their usual deep-dive discussions to share meaningful Thanksgiving reflections for developers. This annual tradition goes beyond technology and process—it centers on gratitude, growth, and the people who shape our journeys. Why Thanksgiving Reflections for Developers Matter Even though the recording takes place before the holiday, the episode releases just as listeners gather for Thanksgiving. Rob’s signature “gobble gobble” sound kicks...

Thanksgiving Tips for Developers: How to Reset, Recharge, and Enjoy the Holiday Break

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

Thanksgiving week is here, and with it comes the perfect opportunity for developers to slow down, unwind, and refocus. In this special pre-holiday episode of the Building Better Developers podcast, Rob and Michael step away from the regular Building Better Foundations theme to talk about travel mishaps, gaming plans, personal downtime, AI experiments, and practical Thanksgiving tips for developers who want to rest and still grow. Whether you’re staying home, traveling, or juggling family plans, this episode delivers simple and meaningful insights to help you make the most of the...

More Episodes

Season 25 of Building Better Developers with AI wraps up with a conversation that is purely human.

For over thirty episodes, Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche used AI to revisit past seasons, uncover new talking points, and spark fresh discussions. For the finale they chose a different path, closing the season without digital assistance.

This final episode is a straightforward, human-led reflection on what we learned from months of collaboration with AI: the insights gained, the surprises uncovered, and the lessons that will shape future seasons.

How the AI-Assisted Podcast Worked

Throughout the season, AI served as an idea partner.

Using past episode titles and show notes, we asked large-language models to highlight themes, surface overlooked connections, and suggest new topics.

The process felt less like automation and more like collaboration—AI proposed possibilities, we debated them, and together we refined each conversation.

Key Insight: Treat AI as a partner that expands your thinking, not a shortcut that replaces it.

Key Takeaways from our AI-Assisted Podcast Experimentation

1. Clear Prompts Create Better Results

A successful AI-assisted podcast depends on clear, focused questions. Breaking large tasks into small, specific prompts produced the most relevant and useful responses.

2. Feedback Loops Improve Quality

We quickly learned that saving strong outputs, rejecting weak ones, and resetting context when needed steadily improved the AI’s suggestions from one episode to the next.

3. Human Judgment Still Leads

AI delivered outlines and surprising cross-episode links, but final editorial control stayed with us. Only the hosts can decide what truly resonates with listeners.

Reality Check: AI can offer insight, but only humans can decide what truly matters.

Surprises Along the Way

Fresh angles on familiar topics. AI revealed links between older episodes that we hadn’t noticed before, pointing out recurring themes, complementary ideas, and even follow-up questions we never realized were related.

Faster prep with solid structure. By generating draft outlines and well-structured talking points, AI significantly reduced the hours we normally spend preparing each episode, giving us more time to refine our ideas and plan engaging discussions—without sacrificing depth or quality.

Occasional misfires. At times the model misread the conversation’s context—offering suggestions that sounded plausible but didn’t fit the topic—which underscored how essential it is for humans to review, fact-check, and guide every step of the process.

These moments proved that an AI-assisted podcast is most valuable as a creative catalyst, not a finished product.

Tips for Your Own AI-Assisted Podcast

Thinking of running your own season review? Our experience offers a roadmap:

Start with transcripts or detailed show notes.
Divide tasks into small prompts: summaries, quotes, cross-episode themes.
Snapshot strong responses so you can reference or reuse them later.
Verify and edit everything. AI drafts are starting points, never final copy.

Pro Tip: When a thread drifts off-topic, copy the best context into a fresh chat to regain focus.

Why the Finale Was Different

While AI enriched nearly every episode this season, the closing conversation remained entirely human.

We wanted to pause the technology and reflect on the experience ourselves—to discuss what AI taught us about creativity, context, and collaboration without relying on the very tool we were evaluating.

That choice underscored our biggest lesson: AI is a powerful assistant, not a replacement.

It can accelerate ideas and surface connections, but the ultimate storytelling voice must stay human.

Looking Ahead to Season 26

Season 25 confirmed that AI can be a powerful collaborator for developers and content creators alike.

Our AI-assisted podcast delivered richer conversations, new ideas for upcoming seasons, and a faster way to surface timeless lessons from our own archive.

But our human-only finale reminds us that judgment, creativity, and vision remain uniquely ours.

As we plan Season 26, we’ll keep using AI as a brainstorming partner—while ensuring the heart of every episode comes from real conversations and lived experience.

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 info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let’s continue exploring the exciting world of software development.