📄 Episode Description:
In this episode, we welcome back Cameron Presley, now the owner of Small Batch Solutions, to dive deep into the real work of building better engineers—not just better apps. We talk about how to create environments where interns and junior developers can thrive, why mentorship is a long game, and how AI might be reshaping the way we learn (for better or worse).
From Pokémon metaphors and force pushes to production, to tough love truths about bad internship programs—this one’s packed with hard-earned wisdom, spicy takes, and plenty of laughs.
Plus:
🔥 Why some teams should not hire interns
🌱 What it really takes to grow junior talent
🤖 The role (and limits) of AI in developer learning
🧪 Real talk on tests, professionalism, and legacy code
🔗 Links & Mentions:
🎉 KCDC – Kansas City Developer Conference: https://kcdc.info
🧠 Cameron Presley: blog.softwarementor.com
🐦 Cameron on BlueSky: @thesoftwarementor.com
🚀 Alec’s company: https://eitl.ai