Robert C. Martin, more often known as Uncle Bob, has been programming since 1970 and has served as a mentor to generations of software engineers. He’s one of the original authors of the Agile Manifesto and played a foundational role in forming the Agile Alliance, where he served as its first chairman. But beyond titles and organizations, Bob’s lasting impact comes through his writing, his lectures, and his philosophy of software craftsmanship. He has spoken at conferences around the world — QCon, Agile 20XX, IT Days, and countless other industry gatherings — always advocating for clarity, discipline, and ethical responsibility in code. And if you’ve ever read Clean Code, The Clean Coder, or Clean Architecture, you know that he doesn’t just teach how to build systems — he challenges us to become better professionals in the process. His most recent work, Functional Design, continues this legacy, distilling decades of experience into patterns and principles that are just as relevant today as they were when he first put finger to keyboard.

Topics of Discussion:

[2:22] Uncle Bob’s advice for young programmers entering the field: Be cautious with AI tools, learn fundamental programming skills, and understand that AI won’t replace programmers.

[4:42] Get to the basics first, and then you can move on: Master core programming skills and fundamentals before relying too heavily on AI or advanced tools.

[8:19] The impact of AI on experienced developers.

[15:44] Highlighting the role of programmers in managing low-level details that managers and customers don’t want to think about.

[18:43] Programmers as language learners.

[27:19] The state of Agile methodologies.

[29:33] The original Agile goal of making small teams work efficiently together, which remains a crucial challenge.

[35:37] Discussing the limitations of university computer science programs and the potential of trade school or apprenticeship models.

[36:07] What’s next for Uncle Bob?

Mentioned in this Episode:

Clear Measure Way

Architect Forum

Software Engineer Forum

Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at programming@palermo.net.

Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor)

Clean Agile: Back to Basics

Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship

We, Programmers: A Chronicle of Coders from Ada to AI

“Uncle Bob Martin: Clean Code and How to Do Software Well - Episode 283”

Functional Design: Principles, Patterns, and Practices

UncleBob on GitHub

The Clean Code Blog

Agile Principles, Patterns, Practices

Clean Coders

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Today’s guest is a true heavyweight in the .NET open-source world — someone whose work has quietly but profoundly shaped the way countless developers build software. Jimmy Bogard is the creator and maintainer of two of the most widely used OSS libraries in the .NET ecosystem: AutoMapper and MediatR. If you've ever tried to simplify object mapping or decouple application logic, chances are you've used his tools. Based in Austin, Texas, Jimmy is an independent software consultant and a perennial recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award every single year since 2009. That’s more than a decade and a half of consistent, community-driven excellence. AutoMapper alone has been around for 17 years and has racked up hundreds of millions of downloads. It started as a personal tool to streamline development for client projects and grew into a global standard for object mapping.

Topics of Discussion:

[3:15] What keeps Jimmy passionate about coding?

[5:19] The decision to commercialize both libraries.

[6:33] What dual licensing means in practice.

[12:11] Which version of each library will include the license change?

[16:26] Current major versions of AutoMapper (v14) and MediatR (v12).

[17:28] MediatR: the problem it solves and how it structures code.

[20:45] Organizing code by use case.

[26:00] AutoMapper: what it is and why it helps.

[33:28] API design strategy and tailoring endpoints to use cases.

[37:25] OpenAPI vs asyncAPI for message-based systems.

[41:49] Blazor WebAssembly and remote handlers.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Clear Measure Way

Architect Forum

Software Engineer Forum

Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at programming@palermo.net.

Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor)

“Jimmy Bogard: .NET 7 and Azure Modernization - Episode 264”

GitHub — Jimmy Bogard eShop

GitHub — Jimmy Bogard

GitHub — Automapper

NuGet Gallery

NuGet Gallery — MediatR

Releases — J. Bogard

Jimmy Bogard

AutoMapper and MediatR Licensing Update

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Steven Smith, also known in the developer community as Ardalis, is an entrepreneur, author, and software architect with a deep passion for building effective, maintainable software. Through his company, NimblePros, Steve helps organizations — ranging from household names like Microsoft and Quicken Loans to growing teams across industries — maximize their development potential. His clients frequently describe him as a “force multiplier,” amplifying the productivity and impact of the teams he supports.

Steve has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for over two decades and continues to lead through education and mentorship. He’s published numerous courses on Pluralsight and Dometrain, focusing on topics like domain-driven design, software architecture, and design patterns. He also empowers developers through his mentorship platform, DevBetter.com, helping the next generation of professionals grow their careers with intention and clarity.

Topics of Discussion:

[2:28] What keeps Steve excited about computer programming and software architecture?

[4:42] What is software architecture?

[6:18] The importance of understanding the logical components of a software system and how they interact.

[7:06] Artifacts for architecture decisions.

[8:52] How lightweight documentation and diagrams, like those in the C4 Model, can clarify system design without overburdening the team.

[10:53] The modern architecture books that have caught Steve’s eye.

[12:57] The KISS principle and keeping software architecture simple.

[19:38] Clean architecture and domain-driven design principles.

[22:52] Managing out-of-process dependencies and service integrations.

[26:07] Adapter pattern and interface abstractions.

[28:33] Decorator pattern for adding functionality.

[33:14] Pipeline Architecture.

[40:35] What Steve thinks the future holds for AI-driven development, what he uses it for, and the challenges of AI currently.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Clear Measure Way

Architect Forum

Software Engineer Forum

Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at programming@palermo.net.

Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor)

“Steve Smith: .NET 8 and Architecture” - Episode 276

NimblePros

Architect Modern Web Applications with ASP.NET Core and Azure

C4 Model

“Simon Brown on Architecture for Developers - Episode 96”

Fundamentals of Software Architecture, by Mark Richards & Neal Ford, summarized as a platform-agnostic, principle-driven guide

.NET Rocks! “Architecture vs. Code with Steve Smith”

.NET Rocks! “Vertical Slice Architecture with Jeremy Miller”

GoF Adapter pattern

.NET API interface estimate

Decorator pattern
Bus Vs. Pipeline patterns

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