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by Microsoft
Join tech industry veterans Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich as they dive into the challenges and innovations of today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re an experienced developer or simply curious about technology, each episode offers a fresh perspective on emerging trends, familiar topics, and insights that go beyond the strictly technical. From the latest in AI to effective ways to influence without authority, Scott and Mark set out to 'learn' something new in every episode, and they’re bringing you along for the ride. Join Scott and Mark for engaging discussions, expert advice, and a shared journey of learning and discovery. There's always something new to learn! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest Episodes
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- 2 days ago27 min
Scott & Mark Learn To...Double-Check References
In this episode, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich dive into a growing issue in AI-driven research: hallucinated references in academic papers. After scanning thousands of conference submissions, Mark uncovers widespread citation inaccuracies, sparking a broader conversation about accountability, cognitive surrender, and the risks of over-relying on AI tools. They explore where AI adds value versus where it erodes critical thinking, from academic writing to everyday coding and content creation. The conversation shifts into the realities of vibe coding, the tradeoffs of speed versus quality, and what it means to maintain taste and expertise in an AI-accelerated world, ultimately asking: if AI lowers the barrier to create, does it also lower the standard? LLM Writing in Tech: Blogs and Articles Takeaways: AI hallucinations are already impacting academic research quality The future challenge isn’t using AI; it’s maintaining standards while using it There’s a growing tension between efficiency and craftsmanship Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn on YouTube Listen to other episodes at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 2 weeks ago24 min
Scott & Mark Learn To...Have Taste
In this episode, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich unpack the tension between subjective preference and objective usability, arguing that strong product instincts come from years of exposure, experience, and pattern recognition rather than innate talent. Through examples ranging from UI design to AI-assisted coding, they highlight how good decision-making requires both a holistic systems view and attention to detail. The conversation also examines the limits of accelerating expertise, the role of education in building foundational thinking, and why human judgment remains critical even as AI tools become more capable. Takeaways: Without clear intent and strong taste, outputs can drift or degrade Strong design decisions come from balancing small details Good product instincts come from repeated exposure to patterns, tools, and decisions over time Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn on YouTube Listen to other episodes at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- May 6, 202626 min
Scott & Mark Learn To... ZoomIt, Evolved
In this episode, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich dive into the evolution of ZoomIt, exploring new features like panoramic screen capture, webcam overlays, and lightweight video editing tools. They discuss the technical challenges behind building these capabilities, especially stitching images across any application and how AI-assisted coding is accelerating development while introducing new edge cases. Along the way, the conversation blends deep technical insight with candid, behind-the-scenes moments, highlighting both the complexity of modern software development and the value of experimentation and iteration. Takeaways: ZoomIt is evolving into a more advanced, all-in-one screen tool Some of the most valuable moments in development and content come from failures AI-assisted coding can dramatically speed up development, but still requires close human oversight Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn on YouTube Listen to other episodes at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Apr 22, 202620 min
Scott & Mark Learn To...Sculpt, not Spec
In this episode, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich explore how software development is evolving in the age of AI, challenging the idea that everything should start with a fully defined spec. They highlight a more iterative, sculpting approach to building, where continuous refinement, testing, and human judgment are essential and discuss the realities of AI-assisted coding, including edge cases, maintenance, and the limits of productivity gains. Takeaways: AI-assisted coding works best as an iterative process, not a one-shot, fully spec’d solution Edge cases and real-world usage quickly expose gaps that initial builds AI can accelerate development, but human review, testing, and bottlenecks still limit true productivity gains Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn on YouTube Listen to other episodes at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Apr 8, 202629 min
Scott & Mark Learn To... Beyond the Vibes: How Models Learn and Stitch Panoramas
In this episode, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich unpack how AI systems actually behave beneath the surface, pushing past hype into the messy reality of how models are trained, aligned, and deployed. They explore whether AI systems are inherently benevolent or simply shaped by incentives, training data, and reinforcement learning, and why behaviors like deception can emerge under certain conditions. The conversation moves from philosophical questions about human nature versus machine behavior into the practical mechanics of large language models, including how reinforcement learning with human feedback shapes outputs and why alignment is far from perfect. Along the way, they ground the discussion in a real engineering challenge, stitching a scrolling panorama from screen captures, to show how complex systems come together through heuristics, edge cases, and iteration. Takeaways: AI behavior is shaped by training and incentives, not built-in intent or morality AI can accelerate coding, but testing, edge cases, and reliability require human oversight Reinforcement learning pushes models to be helpful and agreeable, sometimes at the cost of accuracy Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn on YouTube Listen to other episodes at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Mar 25, 202624 min
Scott & Mark Learn To...Vibe Coding, for Real (Again)
In this episode, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich dive into the realities of building complex software with AI coding agents. Mark shares his experience using modern models to implement a shared-memory transport for gRPC across Go and .NET, explaining how AI dramatically accelerated development while still requiring constant oversight. They discuss the surprising strengths and limitations of AI coding tools, to the massive productivity gains that make the frustration worthwhile. The conversation also explores the challenges of solving hard engineering problems, including an attempt to build a scrolling screenshot stitcher, and wraps with thoughts on the future of developer tooling and a potential live episode of the show. Takeaways: AI coding agents can speed up complex development but still require human oversight Developers often need to guide and correct the model throughout the process Even with challenges, AI can reduce months of work to days Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn on YouTube Listen to other episodes at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Mar 11, 202614 min
Scott & Mark Learn To...A Public 1-1 for Software Engineering Preceptorship
In this episode, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich discuss their recent ACM paper and explore a growing challenge in the tech industry: how to develop the next generation of engineers. They debate the idea of preceptorship programs that train early-career developers inside companies, why many organizations avoid investing in junior talent, and how universities could play a larger role in bridging the gap between education and real-world experience. The conversation looks at the economics of hiring juniors, the risk of companies poaching trained talent, and what it might take to build a scalable pipeline for future technical leaders. Takeaways: Many firms prefer hiring experienced engineers instead of developing new ones Universities could play a bigger role in connecting students with real industry work Retention incentives might help companies keep talent they train Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn on YouTube Listen to other episodes at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Feb 4, 202613 min
Scott & Mark Learn To... Are Apps Dead?
In this episode, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich dive into a wide-ranging conversation about the future of software, debating whether apps are dead in an era of AI agents, chat interfaces, and automation. They explore the resurgence of text-based and terminal user interfaces, the limits of using large language models as stand-ins for deterministic workflows, and why reliability, security, and repeatability still demand traditional applications and SaaS platforms. Along the way, they unpack common misconceptions about AI replacing apps, argue for better UX and APIs instead of throwing AI at broken systems, and emphasize that AI is best used for reasoning and ambiguity, not as a replacement for well-designed software. Takeaways: AI tools don’t eliminate the need for well-built apps Chat and terminal interfaces expand, not replace, software Dynamic interfaces blur boundaries, but durable apps still anchor workflows Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn on YouTube Listen to other episodes at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
About Scott & Mark Learn To...
Join tech industry veterans Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich as they dive into the challenges and innovations of today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re an experienced developer or simply curious about technology, each episode offers a fresh perspective on emerging trends, familiar topics, and insights that go beyond the strictly technical. From the latest in AI to effective ways to influence without authority, Scott and Mark set out to 'learn' something new in every episode, and they’re bringing you along for the ride. Join Scott and Mark for engaging discussions, expert advice, and a shared journey of learning and discovery. There's always something new to learn! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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