In this Dead Code episode, Jared talks with longtime Rubyist and former Rails Core member Kasper Timm Hansen about “riffing,” a sketch-first approach to software design. Instead of jumping straight into migrations and production code, Kasper opens a scratch Ruby file—mixing real and pseudo-code with short prompts—to explore names, relationships, and system flow without worrying about correctness. The practice surfaces unknowns early, conserves mental stamina, and produces lightweight artifacts that can guide teams or even become executable prototypes. Kasper shares stories from client work, a RailsConf demo, and workshops showing how riffing helps uncover design flaws, generate stronger options, and make domain modeling more collaborative. He encourages developers to treat code like sketches, be less precious about early ideas, and embrace riffing as a fun, low-cost way to boost creativity and resilience in software design.

Links:

Dead Code Podcast Links:

Jared’s Links:

Mastodon

twitch.tv/jardonamron

Jared’s Newsletter & Website

Episode Transcript

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crushing Riffs (with Kasper Timm Hansen)