Chris Minnick
Author of more than a dozen books on programming and AI, and a corporate trainer who has taught thousands of developers.
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A podcast with Chris Minnick & Chris Penick
Getting better at anything is a skill. Let's practice.
Two lifelong teachers dig into how people actually learn: productive struggle, learning by doing, useless skills that turn out to be useful, and the messy middle in between. Then we test it on ourselves.
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Episode 11 · November 1, 2026
Challenge Checkin: Crochet with Arthritis, Morse Code by Ear
On this episode of Moving Towards Better, Chris Penick talks about learning to crochet while living with arthritis, and Chris Minnick explains how he's learning Morse code by sound.
What the show is about
Honest conversations about learning, tested on ourselves
Deep dives
Frameworks, research, and myths about how people get good at things. What the productivity books get right, and where they fall apart.
Monthly skills challenge
We assign each other a new real-world skill, then report back on the attempt, including the parts that didn't go to plan.
Books & tools
Recommendations for books, habits, and tools we're actually using, plus honest updates on what's working and what isn't.
Your hosts
Full bios Meet the Chrises
Chris Penick
Instructor, author, and consultant with more than two decades in technology and security training.
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Browse all 11 Recent episodes
Should Learners Use AI Tutors Every Day?
We kick off a new AI debate series by tackling a question every modern learner is wrestling with: should AI tutors be part of your daily practice? Our debaters make the case for AI as a structured-practice and interview-prep powerhouse, and the case against it as a replacement for human guidance. Along the way we stress-test edge cases — flashcards, cheating, and what AI uniquely adds — before landing on a middle ground: narrow AI support with human oversight. Plus skill-learning updates, a Morse code listener challenge, and a peek at upcoming debates.
Jill McVarish and Samantha Penick
In this episode, we interview a professional fine artist, Jill McVarish, and a student just getting started out in the art world, Samantha Penick. We talk about what it takes to be a professional artist, how early Jill and Samantha knew that they wanted to pursue a career in art, how to find inspiration, and the meaning of success and failure as a working artist. Thank you to Jill McVarish (www.jillmcvarish.com) and to Samantha for appearing on this episode.
MTB Challenge Round Two
We're back with a follow-up to our first Moving Towards Better skill challenges. It turns out most of round one didn't go to plan. We recap what happened, reveal the basketball spin attempt and anime drawings attempts, and dig into why habits, systems, and support might matter more than raw talent when it comes to getting good at anything. Along the way we get into the limits of productivity advice, the case for progress over perfection, and what actually counts as a win. Then we kick off round two with new challenges!
The MTB Skills Challenge
Learn something new with us this month
Every month we pick a skill for each other: something small, cheap, off the computer, and (ideally) not dangerous. Play along, then tell us how it went.
- Something the other host doesn't already know
- Exists outside a computer
- Small enough to make progress in a month
- Cheap to get started
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Our listeners are curious professionals, lifelong learners, and people building new skills. Host-read spots, episode sponsorships, and challenge partnerships are available.