Beyond The Build

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Most engineers think onboarding is about learning the codebase.
It’s not.
In this episode of Beyond the Build, we break down what onboarding actually is and why so many smart engineers struggle in their first 90 days, even when they’re technically strong.
We talk about the hidden layer no one teaches you. The part that actually determines whether you succeed or stall. Things like how decisions are made, what “good” really looks like, and how to build trust before you’ve shipped anything meaningful.
We walk through a practical 30-60-90 day approach, but not in the typical checklist way. This is about understanding the system you’re stepping into and learning how to operate inside it.
If you’ve ever felt lost in a new role, unsure if you’re doing well, or like everyone else understands something you don’t, this episode is for you.
Because onboarding isn’t about learning faster.
It’s about reducing uncertainty and building trust.
Connect with Ope - https://www.linkedin.com/in/osunkoyaope/
Connect with Uma: Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/umacodes) Tiktok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@umacodes) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/umacodes) LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/umaabu/)
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In this episode of Beyond the Build, we break down one of the most uncomfortable but important parts of being a software engineer: receiving feedback. We get into why feedback hits so hard, especially for high performers, and walk through what it actually looks like to receive it well. Not just smile and nod, but genuinely process it without spiraling, defending yourself, or mentally checking out. We cover how to separate feedback from your identity, what to say in the moment when you want to argue but shouldn't, how to tell the difference between real signal and noise, and how to turn even vague or frustrating feedback into something actionable.
Connect with Ope - https://www.linkedin.com/in/osunkoyaope/
Connect with Uma: Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/umacodes) Tiktok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@umacodes) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/umacodes) LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/umaabu/)
Follow us on Social Media Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpodcast) TikTok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondthebuildpodcast)

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The game has changed, but not in the way most people think. AI has made it easier to build things fast, but it hasn't made the hard parts any easier. In this episode, Uma and Ope break down the new meta for software engineers: what gatekeeping used to look like and why it no longer scales, why a "quick fix" can still turn into a months-long cleanup, and what it actually means to operate a system safely versus just being able to write the code.
They also dig into what engineers should be learning right now, why judgment and operational maturity are becoming the real differentiators, and what work is getting dangerously undervalued because people assume AI makes it trivial.
Connect with Ope - https://www.linkedin.com/in/osunkoyaope/
Connect with Uma: Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/umacodes) Tiktok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@umacodes) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/umacodes) LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/umaabu/)
Follow us on Social Media Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpodcast) TikTok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondthebuildpodcast)

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Ask us a question or suggest an Episode: https://forms.gle/8tEg2CKTNNWteSgt9
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You asked, and we came prepared.
In this special listener Q&A episode, we answer your most pressing questions about navigating the tech industry. From junior developers worried about being replaced by AI, to self-taught engineers fighting for recognition without a degree, to engineers trying to survive probation at a new company — we go deep on the questions you sent in and hold nothing back.
Got a question for a future episode? Drop it in the comments or reach out on socials. 🎙️
Connect with Ope - https://www.linkedin.com/in/osunkoyaope/
Connect with Uma: Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/umacodes) Tiktok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@umacodes) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/umacodes) LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/umaabu/)
Follow us on Social Media Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpodcast) TikTok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondthebuildpodcast)

Send us Fan Mail
Ask us a question or suggest an Episode: https://forms.gle/8tEg2CKTNNWteSgt9
AI has made writing code faster than ever. But speed isn’t the differentiator anymore.
In this episode of Beyond the Build, we talk about engineering taste, what it actually means, why it matters more in an AI-driven world, and how to develop it intentionally.
We explore why taste matters more than ever when AI has democratized technical competence, and how it's becoming the ultimate bottleneck in modern software development.
We break down the 5 axes of developing taste, reveal how to build it through comparison rather than creation, and expose the biggest enemies of taste.
Connect with Ope - https://www.linkedin.com/in/osunkoyaope/
Connect with Uma: Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/umacodes) Tiktok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@umacodes) Twitter: (https://twitter.com/umacodes) LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/umaabu/)
Follow us on Social Media Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebuildpodcast) TikTok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondthebuildpodcast)