Greater Than Code

The Human Side of Technology

About the show

For a long time, tech culture has focused too narrowly on technical skills; this has resulted in a tech community that too often puts companies and code over people. Greater Than Code is a podcast that invites the voices of people who are not heard from enough in tech: women, people of color, trans and/or queer folks, to talk about the human side of software development and technology. Greater Than Code is providing a vital platform for these conversations, and developing new ideas of what it means to be a technologist beyond just the code.

Featuring an ongoing panel of racially and gender diverse tech panelists, the majority of podcast guests so far have been women in tech! We’ve covered topics including imposter syndrome, mental illness, sexuality, unconscious bias and social justice. We also have a major focus on skill sets that tech too often devalues, like team-building, hiring, community organizing, mentorship and empathy. Each episode also includes a transcript.

We have an active Slack community that members can join by pledging as little as $1 per month via Patreon.

Greater Than Code on social media

Episodes

  • 245: Hacking Reality with Rony Abovitz

    August 11th, 2021  |  1 hr 20 mins

    Rony Abovitz talks about having a free-willing imagination, and using his gifts of insight and intuition to maintain a sense of wonder and free-spiritedness.

    The conversation veers towards talking about power structures and hierarchies and we wonder, is it possible (or will it ever be) to use technology to decentralize social structures? Can (or should we) hack reality?

  • 244: Making Peace and Creating Trust with Brianna McGowen

    August 4th, 2021  |  56 mins 22 secs

    Brianna McGowen talks about making peace without giving up, practicing acceptance vs. resignation, the concepts of community-owned AI, and that trustless = antihuman.

    She also chats about her involvement with Delicious Democracy and gives us her definition of “Equitism.”

  • 243: Equitable Design: We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know with Jennifer Strickland

    July 28th, 2021  |  57 mins 53 secs

    Jennifer Strickland talks about equitable and inclusive design, being aware of your biases and prejudices, how ego plays a part in these things, and empathy and accessibility for all.

  • 242: Considering The Social Side of Tech with Trond Hjorteland

    July 21st, 2021  |  48 mins 25 secs

    Trond Hjorteland talks about the superpower of sociotechnical system (STS) design: considering the social AND the technical. The social side matters. He covers the origins of sociotechnical systems, design from above vs self-organization, systemic change and open systems, and the fourth industrial revolution.

  • 241: Data Science Science with Adam Ross Nelson

    July 7th, 2021  |  1 hr 2 mins

    Adam Ross Nelson talks about becoming a Data Scientist, recommendations for aspiring Data Scientists, four tips for creating and maintaining a solid portfolio, and three immunity boosts in dealing with Impostor Syndrome.

  • 240: No Striving, No Hustling with Amelia Winger-Bearskin

    June 30th, 2021  |  1 hr 51 secs

    Amelia Bearskin-Winger talks about her Wampum.Codes project, storytelling and performance, explains the terms: “Indigenous Antecedent Technology,” and “Ethical Dependencies,” and talks about “community accountability” as opposed to “policing.”

  • 239: Accessibility and Sexuality with Eli Holderness

    June 23rd, 2021  |  45 mins 38 secs

    Eli Holderness talks about accessibility and expressing your sexuality in tech: having conversations with leadership and management, team culture and support, and that it’s okay and not disingenuous to discard facets of yourself you no longer are or that no longer serve you.

  • 238: Contributing to Humanity and Mutual Aid – Solidarity, Not Charity

    June 9th, 2021  |  56 mins 36 secs

    Mae Beale talks extensively about mutual aid and its goal of providing solidarity; not charity, somatics and the effects of yoga, meditation, and self-awareness, giving vs accepting help, and not only extending love, empathy, and forgiveness to others, but also to most importantly yourself.

  • 237: Empathy is Critical with Andrea Goulet

    June 2nd, 2021  |  55 mins 10 secs

    Andrea Goulet, who is known for her work defining Empathy-Driven Development, talks about distilling complexity, being “technical” vs “non-technical”, and how empathy is critical in thinking about reforming hiring practices and giving performance reviews where continuous improvement is the goal.

  • 236: Connecting Arts and Technology – The Power of Print with Marlena Compton

    May 26th, 2021  |  1 hr 8 mins

    Organizer of conferences such as “Pear Conf” and “Let’s Sketch Tech!” Marlena Compton joins the show to talk about the intersection of art and technology. She stresses “The Power of Print”, and talks about the beauty of zines, sketchnoting, and handwriting.

  • 235: RailsConf Scholars: 2021 Remote Edition

    May 19th, 2021  |  42 mins 18 secs

    Special guests, Stefanni Brasil, Leah Miller, and Tram Bui talk about the RailsConf Scholars Program. The Opportunity Scholarship is a chance to jump in to learn more about Ruby on Rails specifically and software development in general.

  • 234: Civil Society and Community Relationships with Michael Garfield

    May 12th, 2021  |  1 hr 1 min

    Artist and philosopher, Michael Garfield, talks about being able to creatively digest and reconstruct categories, recognizing economic value of talents & abilities, and civil society and community relationships.

  • 233: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter with Jess Szmajda

    May 5th, 2021  |  47 mins 24 secs

    Jess Szmajda talks about the importance of using inclusive language, active listening, and metacognition: asking ourselves, “What are we not thinking about?” when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

  • 232: Outside The Charmed Circle with Tamsin Davis-Langley

    April 28th, 2021  |  1 hr 4 mins

    Tamsin Davis-Langley talks about who is a person? A loaded question, we know. After touching on the concepts of hegemonic norms and privilege and power, Tamsin ideates on “fringe communities,” subcultures, and intersections, using the Queer community as an example. We end on the brilliant idea that individual experiences are not universally applicable and have a few key takeaways from the conversation.

  • 231: Deserted Island Safety and Expectations with Austin Parker

    April 21st, 2021  |  47 mins 38 secs

    Austin Parker gives the full exclusive of what ended up being a smash-hit success in 2020 at the height of the pandemic called Deserted Island DevOps but tells us that it wasn’t without hesitation and fear of failure in both the technical and psychological senses. His main goal was to underpromise and overdeliver, and he talks about safety and setting expectations both for speakers and participants.

  • 230: Using Tech + Policy For Good with Corey Ponder

    April 14th, 2021  |  1 hr 10 mins

    Corey Ponder talks about what it means to support Black lives, having conversations around allyship, developing empathy, and using the intersections of tech + policy for good.