WWDC 2014 - Part 2 - Thank You, Podcasters.
/WWDC 2014 provided me with the opportunity to meet the folks who’ve been having a one-way conversation with me for oh-so-many hours each week. I hadn't met a real live iOS developer until my app had been in the App Store for several months - these were my developer buddies, even though they didn't know it. Upon reviewing all the photos from the week, I'm happy to report that I took full advantage of that opportunity and met all the best ones. So what the hell do I do with all these photos of me with these internet celebs? Sell them to US Weekly? Nah. Instead, I'd like to thank them for doing what they do.
And now, without further ado, I present myself standing awkwardly next to all of these folks.
Marco Arment, Casey Liss, and John Siracusa // Accidental Tech Podcast
These three guys are absolutely killing it on the Accidental Tech Podcast. They've accidentally stumbled upon the perfect mix of personalities and technical backgrounds for a show like this.
When I got started with iOS development about two years ago, I went from occasionally listening to Marco’s 5by5 podcast with Dan Benjamin, Build and Analyze, to carefully listening to the entire catalog of episodes and taking copious notes. I wasn’t listening for an explanation of block syntax, I was listening for how a successful developer approaches technical and business problems - and that's just what I got. There is so much great stuff in those episodes today, even though the technical content is aging. Thanks Marco.
Siracusa, of Hypercritical fame, has such a ridiculously deep understanding of almost everything tech related and a critical eye to match. His thought process really resonates with me, and he puts out the most magnificent(ly long) OS X reviews. When John speaks, we all listen. Thanks John.
Then there’s that other guy, whose name I forget. He rounds out the current format of ATP quite nicely, and serves as an excellent counterpoint to the extreme nerdery and opinions of Siracusa and Marco. He’s also the nicest guy of the bunch, so we should all try very hard to remember who the hell Casey Liss is. Thanks Casey.
Dan Benjamin & Haddie Cooke // 5by5 Podcast Network
Dan’s a big part of the why the best tech podcasts exist today. His podcast network (5by5), co-hosting style, and voice that could make a wolverine purr super-charged the platforms of guys like John Siracusa, Marco Arment, and John Gruber. We’ve all got a lot to thank Dan for. Thanks Dan.
I ran into Dan and Haddie Cooke (host of The Frequency, a great banter-rich & soundboard-laden news-ish podcast with Dan) on the first day of WWDC. These two are really great and managed to get me a ticket to the sold-out 5by5 meetup that night. I happened to be wearing an Accidental Tech Podcast shirt, whose hosts are no longer on 5by5, and Haddie comically covered it up for this photo.
I thought it looked like an engagement photo, so tweeted it out with the caption "Accidental engagement photo" (GET IT?). After they retweeted it, Haddie's twitterverse exploded with congratulations on her new engagement. I never expected to come back from WWDC engaged, but sadly, it didn't last for very long.
Controversy-inciting photo taking credit goes to the venerable Moisés Chiullan.
(Underscore) David Smith // Developing Perspective
David’s an independent iOS developer who records a wonderful 15 minute podcast every week that, as its name implies, is a developer's perspective on what's going on in the Apple world. He's got such great insight and opinions on both the latest news and more fundamental developer topics (like the state of the App Store). If you're a developer, and you're not listening to this guy's podcast, you're really missing out. I've heeded much of _'s advice, and he's really influenced the way I think about my app, the store, customers, etc. Further, his RSS service, Feed Wrangler is fantastic (I'm a subscriber), so go get it. Thanks _David.
John Gruber // The Talk Show & Daring Fireball
There doesn’t exist a clearer thinker than Gruber when it comes to Apple. His website doesn't deal with much rumor or speculation, just great relevant links with commentary and periodic long form pieces that are always a must-read. I particularly love his Claim Chowder, where he calls out various jackasses for their insane predictions once it's clear that they were, indeed, jackass predictions. Here's a good one about the iPad launch. Thanks John.
While at WWDC, I was lucky enough to score a ticket to a live recording of the The Talk Show with the Accidental Tech Podcast guys as special guests. It was such a great show - a combination of my two favorite podcasts in the afterglow of the WWDC keynote. It was by far the highlight of the week. In the show art for the live The Talk Show recording below, @kimahlberg can be spotted on the balcony 4th from the right, and me a few stairs down and 5th over. This was a strategic move - we were right next to the open bar.
Speaking of that open bar - we did a hell of a job.
After the show, Gruber was kind enough to hang around so we could all gather around and take photos. I believe the camera guy behind us is filming for the documentary App: The Human Story, which you should go fund.
To wrap up, thanks again to everyone who took the time to meet me when I came running over wearing their nerdy Teespring-sourced t-shirt. I definitely appreciated it, and continue to appreciate the work you're doing. Keep it up.
But wait, there's more...
[2] Part 2 - Thank You, Podcasters. (you're here)
[3] Part 3 - What's Next for Mutility (not written yet)
