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The Peterman Pod: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Ryan Peterman
Sharing the transparent career stories of technical people. Hosted by an ex-Staff engineer at Instagram
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The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 5 days ago1h 27m
Turing Award Winner: Early AI, LLM Predictions, Causality | Judea Pearl
Judea Pearl is a Turing Award winner and a pioneer in artificial intelligence and causal reasoning. We talked about how he got into science, his major breakthroughs and his predictions for AI today.• My ergonomic keyboard project I mentioned, you can follow along here: https://read.compose.llc/• The Kickstarter page for it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ryanlpeterman/compose-simple-ergonomics-beautifully-donePodcast links:• YouTube: https://youtu.be/FleTXB1fAcQ• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peterman-pod/id1777363835• Transcript: https://www.developing.dev/p/turing-award-winner-early-ai-llmThank you to this episode's sponsor for supporting my work:• WorkOS: makes your app Enterprise Ready with easy to use APIs to add SSO, SCIM, RBAC, and more in just a few lines of code, check them out at https://workos.com/Timestamps: Intro How he got into AI Greatest scientist of all time What people thought of AI in the 80s Entering academia and researching AI The invention of Bayesian networks Pioneering work in causality The causal hierarchy LLMs and predictions A restless mind pays Advice for his younger self OutroWhere to find Judea:• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/yudapearl• Website: https://bayes.cs.ucla.edu/jp_home.html• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judea_PearlWhere to find Ryan:• Newsletter: https://www.developing.dev/• X/Twitter: https://x.com/ryanlpeterman• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlpeterman/• Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ryanlpeterman• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanlpeterman• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanlpetermanReferenced in this episode:• The Book of Why: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Why• Bayesian networks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayesian_network• Alpha-beta pruning: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha%E2%80%93beta_pruning• Pearl vortex: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_vortex• Graphoid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphoid• Causality: Models, Reasoning, and Inference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causality_(book)• Coexistence and Other Fighting Words: Selected Writings of Judea Pearl, 2002–2025: https://bayes.cs.ucla.edu/COEXISTENCE/
- 1 weeks ago1h 24m
Creator of OCaml: Functional Programming, Formal Verification, Programming Languages | Xavier Leroy
Xavier Leroy (creator of OCaml) is an expert in compilers, formal verification of software and functional programming. This interview should be an approachable resource if you're curious about formal verification of software since I was learning that on the fly during it.• My ergonomic keyboard project I mentioned, you can follow along here: https://read.compose.llc/• The Kickstarter page for it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ryanlpeterman/compose-simple-ergonomics-beautifully-donePodcast links:• YouTube: https://youtu.be/9Cswiqrq6So• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peterman-pod/id1777363835• Transcript: https://www.developing.dev/p/creator-of-ocaml-functional-programmingThank you to this episode's sponsor for supporting my work:• WorkOS: makes your app Enterprise Ready with easy to use APIs to add SSO, SCIM, RBAC, and more in just a few lines of code, check them out at https://workos.com/Timestamps: Intro What sets OCaml apart OCaml vs Rust Why is manual memory management more performant Javascript vs OCaml Famous Rob Pike quote Type inference and how it works What is formal verification and how does it work What made multicore support difficult for OCaml How programming languages interface and call each other The danger of almost-correct LLM code How LLMs will change programming languages Industry vs academia Most interesting unsolved problems Top book recommendations for engineers Advice for his younger self OutroWhere to find Xavier:• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavier_Leroy• Website: https://xavierleroy.org/Where to find Ryan:• Newsletter: https://www.developing.dev/• X/Twitter: https://x.com/ryanlpeterman• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlpeterman/• Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ryanlpeterman• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanlpeterman• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanlpetermanReferenced in this episode:• CompCert verified C compiler: https://compcert.org/• seL4 microkernel: https://sel4.systems/• Programming Pearls (book, not an affiliate link): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0201657880• How to Design Programs (book): https://htdp.org/
- 2 weeks ago59 min
Turing Award Winner: TPU vs GPU vs CPU, Computer Architecture, RISC vs CISC | David Patterson
David Patterson is a Turing Award winner famous for his contributions to computer architecture. I interviewed him about his past work, thoughts on GPU/TPUs and career advice from half a decade of experience.• My ergonomic keyboard project I mentioned, you can follow along here: https://read.compose.llc/• The Kickstarter page for it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ryanlpeterman/compose-simple-ergonomics-beautifully-donePodcast links:• YouTube: https://youtu.be/Pn4ZwlEh5nw• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peterman-pod/id1777363835• Transcript: https://www.developing.dev/p/turing-award-winner-tpu-vs-gpu-vs?r=n49kyTimestamps: Intro RISC vs CISC Compilers GPUs GPU vs TPU vs CPU Is Moores law dead? GPU benchmarks How to have a bad career Courage and optimism Advice for his younger self OutroWhere to find David:• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Patterson_(computer_scientist)Where to find Ryan:• Newsletter: https://www.developing.dev/• X/Twitter: https://x.com/ryanlpeterman• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlpeterman/• Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ryanlpeterman• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanlpeterman• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanlpetermanReferenced in this episode:• AlexNet paper: https://proceedings.neurips.cc/paper_files/paper/2012/file/c399862d3b9d6b76c8436e924a68c45b-Paper.pdf• David Patterson's “How to Have a Bad Career” talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn1w4MRHIhc• “Life Lessons from the First Half-Century of My Career”: https://cacm.acm.org/opinion/life-lessons-from-the-first-half-century-of-my-career/• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (book): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People• Working (book): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_(Terkel_book)
- 3 weeks ago1h 1m
Turing Award Winner: NSA, Public Key Cryptography, Crypto Wars | Martin Hellman
Martin Hellman is a Turing Award winner who helped to invent public-key cryptography against the NSA's wishes. I interviewed him all about his work and why it broke the law at the time.• My ergonomic keyboard project I mentioned, you can follow along here: https://read.compose.llc/• The Kickstarter page for it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ryanlpeterman/compose-simple-ergonomics-beautifully-donePodcast links:• YouTube: https://youtu.be/AZLOETBCQM4• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peterman-pod/id1777363835• Transcript: https://www.developing.dev/p/turing-award-winner-nsa-public-keyThank you to this episode's sponsor for supporting my work:• WorkOS: makes your app Enterprise Ready with easy to use APIs to add SSO, SCIM, RBAC, and more in just a few lines of code, check them out at https://workos.com/Timestamps: Intro Why his work broke the law How people did encryption before The crypto wars The story behind Diffie Hellman key exchange Signatures vs key exchange RSA patent wars Why inventions happen at similar times What he worked on after cryptography His thoughts on death Advice for his younger self OutroWhere to find Martin:• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Hellman• Website: https://ee.stanford.edu/~hellman/Where to find Ryan:• Newsletter: https://www.developing.dev/• X/Twitter: https://x.com/ryanlpeterman• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlpeterman/• Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ryanlpeterman• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanlpeterman• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanlpetermanReferenced in this episode:• Martin Hellman's “The Evolution of Public Key Cryptography”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tev3tVzH91s• Keys Under Doormats: https://cacm.acm.org/opinion/keys-under-doormats/• Cryptography's Role in Securing the Information Society (CRISIS report): https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5131/cryptographys-role-in-securing-the-information-society• Secure Communications Over Insecure Channels: https://doi.org/10.1145/359460.359473• New Directions in Cryptography: https://doi.org/10.1109/TIT.1976.1055638
- Jun 29, 20261h 12m
MIT Complexity Theorist: Why You Can Do Better Than “Optimal” On Leetcode & SAT | Ryan Williams
Ryan Williams is a professor at MIT and the winner of the Gödel Prize in theoretical computer science. I interviewed him all about his work starting by asking him a popular Leetcode question (3 SUM).• My ergonomic keyboard project I mentioned, you can follow along here: https://read.compose.llc/• The Kickstarter page for it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ryanlpeterman/compose-simple-ergonomics-beautifully-donePodcast links:• YouTube: https://youtu.be/AaK1SL2i_4Y• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peterman-pod/id1777363835• Transcript: https://www.developing.dev/p/mit-complexity-theorist-on-leetcodeThank you to this episode's sponsor for supporting my work:• WorkOS: makes your app Enterprise Ready with easy to use APIs to add SSO, SCIM, RBAC, and more in just a few lines of code, check them out at https://workos.com/Timestamps: Intro Asking him a popular Leetcode question Doing better than the popular optimal solution Fine grained complexity A severe strengthening of P vs NP SAT problems and solvers Hot takes on famous open questions Simulating space with time Why he solves hard problems How to pick good research direction Technical book recommendations Advice for his younger self OutroWhere to find Ryan:• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Williams_(computer_scientist)• Website: https://people.csail.mit.edu/rrw/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/r-ryan-williams-a1b534a/• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/rrwilliamsWhere to find Ryan:• Newsletter: https://www.developing.dev/• X/Twitter: https://x.com/ryanlpeterman• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlpeterman/• Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ryanlpeterman• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanlpeterman• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanlpetermanReferenced in this episode:• Some Estimated Likelihoods for Computational Complexity: https://people.csail.mit.edu/rrw/likelihoods.pdf• Simulating Time with Square-Root Space: https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.17779• Cook and Mertz's tree evaluation paper: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3618260.3649664
- Jun 22, 20261h 22m
OpenAI Eng & Dev Tools Founder: How Software Engineering Is Changing | Charlie Marsh
Charlie Marsh is the founder of Astral, the Python devtool startup that was acquired by OpenAI. I inteviewed him about how software engineering is changing and learnings from starting his own company as an engineer.• My ergonomic keyboard project I mentioned, you can follow along here: https://read.compose.llc/• The Kickstarter page for it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ryanlpeterman/compose-simple-ergonomics-beautifully-donePodcast links:• YouTube: https://youtu.be/Iw65FD4MGgs• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peterman-pod/id1777363835• Transcript: https://www.developing.dev/p/openai-eng-and-dev-tools-founderThank you to this episode's sponsor for supporting my work:• WorkOS: makes your app Enterprise Ready with easy to use APIs to add SSO, SCIM, RBAC, and more in just a few lines of code, check them out at https://workos.com/Timestamps: Intro Origin story The front page of Hacker News Why he chose Rust Full codebase migration from Zig to Rust LLM generated code and open source Performance optimizations Optimization with AI and combating slop Learnings as an eng starting a company Top technical talk recommendation Advice for his younger self OutroWhere to find Charlie:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshcharles/• GitHub: https://github.com/charliermarsh• X/Twitter: https://x.com/charliermarshWhere to find Ryan:• Newsletter: https://www.developing.dev/• X/Twitter: https://x.com/ryanlpeterman• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlpeterman/• Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ryanlpeterman• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanlpeterman• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanlpetermanReferenced in this episode:• Python tooling could be much, much faster: https://notes.crmarsh.com/python-tooling-could-be-much-much-faster• The coolest PR he's ever seen: https://github.com/astral-sh/uv/pull/789• Andrew Kelley’s data-oriented design talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IroPQ150F6c• Ruff: https://github.com/astral-sh/ruff• uv: https://github.com/astral-sh/uv• ty: https://github.com/astral-sh/ty• Salsa: https://github.com/salsa-rs/salsa
- Jun 15, 20261h 4m
Google DeepMind Pre-Training Lead: How To Land a Job at a Frontier Lab | Vlad Feinberg
Vlad Feinberg is Google DeepMind’s pre-training area lead and I asked him all about how to land a job at a frontier lab like Google DeepMind, Anthropic or OpenAI.• My ergonomic keyboard project I mentioned, you can follow along here: https://read.compose.llc/• The Kickstarter page for it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ryanlpeterman/compose-simple-ergonomics-beautifully-donePodcast links:• YouTube: https://youtu.be/cDyi91onoJ8• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peterman-pod/id1777363835• Transcript: https://www.developing.dev/p/google-deepmind-pre-training-leadThank you to this episode's sponsor for supporting my work:• WorkOS: makes your app Enterprise Ready with easy to use APIs to add SSO, SCIM, RBAC, and more in just a few lines of code, check them out at https://workos.com/Timestamps: Intro Skills frontier labs need The difference between AI research and engineering Domains that matter for the frontier Marketing yourself to frontier labs Concrete steps engineers can take Overview of pre-training areas Jeff Dean spot bonus story Favorite Gemini war story Advice for his younger self OutroWhere to find Vlad:• Personal Website: https://vladfeinberg.com/• Twitter/X: https://x.com/FeinbergVlad• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladimirfeinberg/Where to find Ryan:• Newsletter: https://www.developing.dev/• X/Twitter: https://x.com/ryanlpeterman• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlpeterman/• Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ryanlpeterman• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanlpeterman• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanlpetermanReferenced in this episode:• How to Land a Job at a Frontier Lab: https://vladfeinberg.com/2026/05/10/how-to-land-a-job-at-a-frontier-lab.html• ThunderKittens: https://github.com/HazyResearch/ThunderKittens• Deedy's doomer Tweet: https://x.com/FeinbergVlad/status/2056383124829872466?s=20• Jacob Steinhardt's "Research as a Stochastic Decision Process": https://cs.stanford.edu/~jsteinhardt/ResearchasaStochasticDecisionProcess.html• The Scaling Book: https://jax-ml.github.io/scaling-book/• Dwarkesh and Reiner's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmkSf5IS-zw
- Jun 8, 20261h 27m
Co-Creator of Haskell: Functional Programming, Thinking in Types, Useless Languages | Simon Jones
Simon Peyton Jones is the co-creator of Haskell (pure functional programming language) and I interviewed him about functional programming, why it matters, and his thoughts on other programming languages.• My ergonomic keyboard project I mentioned, you can follow along here: https://read.compose.llc/Podcast links:• YouTube: https://youtu.be/xcB_LF3cdqw• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peterman-pod/id1777363835• Transcript: https://www.developing.dev/p/co-creator-of-haskell-functionalThank you to this episode's sponsor for supporting my work:• WorkOS: makes your app Enterprise Ready with easy to use APIs to add SSO, SCIM, RBAC, and more in just a few lines of code, check them out at https://workos.com/Timestamps: Intro What functional programming is Downsides of functional programming Specialized hardware for functional programming Haskell is useless Rust vs C Haskell vs OCaml Side effects in Haskell Type systems How the Haskell compiler works Why Haskell is talked about more than used Avoiding success at all costs LLMs and programming languages New programming language design Should students continue to learn programming Why Excel is is 2nd favorite programming language Advice for his younger selfWhere to find Simon:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonpj/• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Peyton_Jones• Personal Website: https://simon.peytonjones.org/Where to find Ryan:• Newsletter: https://www.developing.dev/• X/Twitter: https://x.com/ryanlpeterman• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlpeterman/• Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ryanlpeterman• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanlpeterman• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanlpetermanReferenced in this episode:• Haskell is useless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSmkqocn0oQ• John Backus Turing Award lecture: https://worrydream.com/refs/Backus_1978_-_Can_Programming_Be_Liberated_from_the_von_Neumann_Style.pdf• Why functional programming matters: https://www.cs.kent.ac.uk/people/staff/dat/miranda/whyfp90.pdf• Excel is his 2nd favorite programming language: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M4P5M85KO8
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Sharing the transparent career stories of technical people. Hosted by an ex-Staff engineer at Instagram
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