Hanselminutes Podcast by Scott Hanselman

The Hanselminutes podcast

Fresh Tech Talk from Fresh Faces
Cheat Codes for Junior Engineers with Kat Excellence

Cheat Codes for Junior Engineers with Kat Excellence

Show #1021 Oct 30 2025 Podcast Player with Transcript Help edit or fix transcripts here!

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.

This episode sponsored by Postman and Tuple

Postman
Tuple
Please subscribe! We're on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Twitter, or download the MP3. Share on Twitter and Facebook. Also, see our survey!

Edit and improve my show's PodScribe.ai transcripts here!

📺 Watch Scott's TEDx talk: "Tech Promised Everything. Did it deliver?"

Cheat Codes for Junior Engineers with Kat Excellence 1021

Cheat Codes for Junior Engineers with Kat Excellence

 AI-Powered Migration plus Raw Experience with Mike Rousos 1020

AI-Powered Migration plus Raw Experience with Mike Rousos

 The Game Designers Workbook with Bobby Lockhart 1019

The Game Designers Workbook with Bobby Lockhart

 Competence builds confidence with .NET Principal Engineer Safia Abdalla 1018

Competence builds confidence with .NET Principal Engineer Safia Abdalla

 Push your ideas to the web with Netlify CEO Mathias Biilmann 1017

Push your ideas to the web with Netlify CEO Mathias Biilmann

 The Importance of Pair Programming with Tuple's Johnny Marler 1016

The Importance of Pair Programming with Tuple's Johnny Marler

 Can AI save DevOps? with SystemInit's Adam Jacob 1015

Can AI save DevOps? with SystemInit's Adam Jacob

 Making Video Games in 2025 with Celeste's Noel Berry 1014

Making Video Games in 2025 with Celeste's Noel Berry

 The Ultimate Home Arcade with Polycade's Tyler Bushnell 1013

The Ultimate Home Arcade with Polycade's Tyler Bushnell

 How to Lead with Value with Dr. Morgan Depenbusch 1012

How to Lead with Value with Dr. Morgan Depenbusch

 Focus Friend by Hank Green is #1 in the App Store with Bria Sullivan 1011

Focus Friend by Hank Green is #1 in the App Store with Bria Sullivan

 Inside the Maker Mindset with Roboticist Aaed Musa 1010

Inside the Maker Mindset with Roboticist Aaed Musa

 Learning to Code with AI and Steve Klabnik 1009

Learning to Code with AI and Steve Klabnik

 How is AlmaLinux OS is community-driven? with benny Vasquez 1008

How is AlmaLinux OS is community-driven? with benny Vasquez

 Breaking Barriers in Tech with Brenda Darden Wilkerson 1007

Breaking Barriers in Tech with Brenda Darden Wilkerson

 The Art of Assembly: Exploring Low-Level Mastery with Randall Hyde 1006

The Art of Assembly: Exploring Low-Level Mastery with Randall Hyde

 Hundreds more episodes over here...