ConTejas Code

Isaac Akinsete: How to Optimize Health & Longevity as a Desk Worker

Links - Codecrafters (partner): https://tej.as/codecrafters - Isaac on Instagram: https://instagram.com/isaac11890 - Contact: https://tej.as Summary Sitting 8+ hours a day is destroying your biomechanics. Here is how to engineer your way back to health. In this episode of ConTejas Code, I sit down with professional footballer and CrossFit coach Isaac Akinsete to reverse the physical damage of the developer lifestyle. We dive deep into the anatomy of "tech neck," why stretching isn't enough, and how to trigger the EPOC "afterburn" effect to burn fat while sitting. Whether you have a full gym or zero equipment, Isaac outlines the exact protocols to maximize longevity, fix tight hip flexors, and optimize mental and spiritual health. In this episode, we cover: - The Desk Worker Protocol: A complete zero-equipment circuit routine for hypertrophy and cardio. - Mobility vs. Stretching: Why static stretching won't fix your posture. - RPE Explained: How to train for fat loss vs. strength without burnout. - CrossFit vs. Gym: Which is better for the average coder? - Mind & Spirit: The role of positive self-talk and faith in elite performance. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:04:22 Isaac Akinsete 00:09:10 Mythbusting: Does lifting weights stunt growth in kids? 00:11:52 Am I too old to start working out? 00:14:15 How to find the right workout intensity (RPE Scale) 00:20:55 What sitting for 8+ hours actually does to your body 00:26:08 Mobility vs. Stretching: Why stretching isn't enough 00:30:12 How to fix "Tech Neck" and Hunchback posture 00:42:50 Can you out-exercise a sedentary job? 00:47:11 Do under-desk treadmills and walking pads work? 00:53:36 Designing a workout routine for desk workers 00:55:36 The "Zero Equipment" Home & Hotel Workout 01:04:15 High Intensity Circuit Training & The EPOC Effect 01:11:17 Traditional Gym vs. CrossFit 01:16:05 Rapid Fire Questions 01:22:25 Faith & Fitness: Treating your body like a temple 01:29:53 The psychology of self-talk 01:34:50 Outro oAVv7QV7tdStFFrhiZzZ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Faris Aziz: How to Get Promoted, Build Resilience, and Lead with Empathy

Links - Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters - Become a guest on the podcast: https://forms.gle/wMqBmVhuzL46Ha3P7 - ZurichJS Discount: https://conf.zurichjs.com?utm_source=contejas&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=zurichjs-conf-2026 - Faris on X: https://x.com/farisaziz12 - Faris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farisaziz12/ - ZurichJS: https://zurichjs.com - SmallPDF: https://smallpdf.com What does it take to become an Engineering Manager at 21? How do you rebuild your identity when a chronic illness takes away your physical strength? In this episode of ConTejas Code, I sit down with Faris Aziz, a Staff Engineer at Smallpdf and the lead organizer of ZurichJS. At just 25 years old, Faris has lived a career’s worth of highs and lows. From failing his first coding bootcamp module to building a career ladder for a fintech startup, and from ranking as the 2nd fittest CrossFit athlete in Switzerland to being bedridden by an autoimmune condition, Faris shares the mindset required to navigate extreme volatility. This conversation moves beyond technical skills into the "internal garden"—how emotional regulation, sleep, and nutrition directly impact your ability to lead others. Faris breaks down his philosophy on "Peace of Mind" as the primary metric for promotion, why invisible work builds character, and how to steward authority without intimidation. Whether you are an aspiring manager, a developer looking to level up, or someone navigating a personal setback, this episode offers a blueprint for resilience and professional excellence. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:04:33 Getting into Tech at 19 00:08:12 Failing (and Surviving) Bootcamp 00:11:00 Building a CrossFit App During Lockdown 00:13:38 Getting Hired Without Writing Code 00:18:49 Accidental Managers: Leading at 21 00:22:19 Choosing a Pre-seed Startup Over High Salary 00:28:53 Red Flags in Leadership 00:33:41 Tending the Garden: Balancing Work & ZurichJS 00:42:51 Health Crisis: From Top Athlete to Bedridden 00:48:51 Emotional Regulation & Bio-Hacking 00:59:36 Mindset: Gratitude vs. Bitterness 01:07:44 Invisible Work & Building Character 01:11:18 How to Get Promoted: Giving Peace of Mind 01:17:28 Confidence vs. Arrogance 01:21:42 Owning Mistakes Confidently 01:25:38 Stewarding Authority (The Kent C. Dodds Example) 01:28:06 Don't Just Be an Engineer: Solve Business Problems 01:35:02 Managing "Diva" 10x Engineers 01:40:12 Organizing the First ZurichJS 01:46:30 Outro ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Passkeys: A Deep Dive into Authentication

Links - Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecrafters - Clerk: https://clerk.com - Auth0: https://auth0.com - Arctic (OAuth Library): https://arctic.js.org - Lucia (Session Library): https://lucia-auth.com Why do we still use passwords in 2026? In this episode of ConTejas Code, we tear down the complex world of digital identity. From the horror story of getting hacked at a hookah bar to the mathematical elegance of public-key cryptography, we cover how the internet knows who you actually are. Let's break down the history of web authentication, explain why "logging in" is so much harder than it looks, and demystify the new standard taking over the web: Passkeys (WebAuthn). Whether you are a developer looking for an implementation playbook or just curious why your banking app requires a fingerprint, this deep dive explains the difference between Identity, Identifiers, and Credentials—and why you should stop rolling your own auth immediately. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to ConTejas Code 00:01:06 Sponsor: CodeCrafters 00:01:42 Why Authentication Matters (High Stakes vs. Low Stakes) 00:07:30 Storytime: Getting Hacked at a Shisha Bar 00:19:48 The Vocabulary: Identity, Identifiers, and Credentials 00:27:45 The Three Factors (Something You Know, Have, Are) 00:34:28 Real World Analogies: House Keys, Speak-easies, and Hotel Cards 00:41:10 A History of Web Auth: From Basic Auth to the "Social Login" Mess 00:49:15 Authentication vs. Authorization vs. Accounting 00:57:00 The Problem with Passwords & MFA Fatigue 01:00:40 How Passkeys Work: Public Key Cryptography Explained 01:07:00 Under the Hood: WebAuthn, FIDO2, and The "Ceremonies" 01:13:40 Synced vs. Device-Bound Passkeys 01:16:30 The Playbook: How to Design Auth for SaaS, Mobile, and B2B 01:21:00 The Golden Rule: Don't Roll Your Own Crypto 01:23:00 Libraries & Tools You Should Use (Clerk, Auth0, Arctic) 01:28:40 The Minimum Viable Security Checklist 01:32:30 The Future of Passwordless Identity ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How to Engineer Your Way to Quality Health

Links - Codecrafters: https://tej.as/codecrafters - Why We Sleep: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144316 - Matthew Walker's Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1aIVAabjRjnmiouX0zCzF3 - Sleep latency paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33865376/#:~:text=Oral%20magnesium%20supplementation%20for%20insomnia,insomnia%20symptoms%20in%20older%20adults - Glycine for sleep: https://glowable.com.au/blogs/news/glycine-the-calming-nutrient-for-soothing-anxiety?srsltid=AfmBOor_YWMUUsqdS9AJjfSJLQb1F0CSEKrbw-0AhjCVkXCcHdjPGtWq#:~:text=of%20Pharmacological%20Sciences%20found%20that,often%20closely%20linked%20to%20anxiety - Dr. Andy Galpin's podcast: https://performpodcast.com/ - Detachment paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19592515/#:~:text=Results%3A%20%20Higher%20PEAT%20scores,of%20depression%20and%20negative%20affect - Quantified Scientist: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheQuantifiedScientist In this episode, we learn how to engineer better health outcomes for ourselves to live fitter and healthier than ever before drawing on the latest research. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:05:24 Episode Outline 00:12:08 Sleep Architecture: Deep and REM 00:24:17 How to Sleep Well 00:34:31 My Routine with Sleep 00:39:25 Using Temperature to Sleep Well 00:41:55 Eating before Bed 00:45:14 Getting more Deep Sleep and REM Sleep 00:52:49 How to Eat Well 00:56:05 How to Lose Fat 01:02:35 How to Gain Muscle 01:07:47 Vices: Alcohol, Nicotine, etc. 01:10:28 Loneliness and Social Connection 01:18:34 How to Develop Quality Social Connections 01:25:54 Maximizing Productivity and Work/Life Balance 01:33:36 Psychological Detachment 01:36:33 Dealing with Getting Sick 01:42:08 How to Avoid Jetlag and Travel Well 01:46:14 Heart Rate Variability: Managing Stress and Recovery 01:50:53 Conclusion ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Pratim Bhosale: How to get into AI from Backend Engineering

Links - CodeCrafters (partner): https://tej.as/CodeCrafters - Pratim on X: https://x.com/bhosalepratim - Tejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_ Summary In this conversation, we explore the journey from backend development to becoming a Google Developer Expert in Golang. We discuss the significance of microservices architecture, the importance of search technologies, and the development of Cargo Chat, a tool for searching codebases. Pratim shares insights on building effective search pipelines, Matryoshka embedding models, and the integration of hypothetical documents in search processes. The conversation concludes with a discussion on a mental health journaling app that connects personal reflections with religious texts for encouragement. Chapters 00:00 Pratim Bhosale 02:19 Introduction 05:16 The Shift to Backend Development and Golang 08:16 Becoming a Google Developer Expert 11:20 Understanding Microservices Architecture 14:19 Building Innovative Tools: Cargo Chat 17:12 Search Technologies and Their Applications 20:15 The Search Pipeline and Embedding Models 29:49 Building a Vector Database 33:13 Local First Movement and Security 34:14 Understanding Hyde: Hypothetical Document Embeddings 36:48 Matryoshka Embedding Models 41:59 The Search Problem in AI 43:57 Developing a Mental Health App 48:02 Comparing Approaches to Vector Search 52:56 Developer Experience and Product Growth 01:02:52 Understanding Developer Experience Levers 01:04:32 Making API Products Click 01:07:40 The Role of Developer Advocacy 01:11:06 Navigating Career Paths in Tech 01:13:58 Finding Your Niche in Developer Relations 01:20:18 Work-Life Balance and Avoiding Burnout 01:24:01 The Importance of Mentorship 01:27:07 Emerging Technologies and Trends ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.