+++
title="Handmade Reflections"
mediatype="podcast"
conference="seattle-2023"
date="2023-11-16T12:00:00-08:00"
description="Abner Coimbre and Ben Visness discuss Handmade's goals for 2024, with fun shenanigans along the way!"
thumbnail="/images/thumbnails/2023HMSReflections.png"

[[videos]]
title="Handmade Reflections"
embed="https://player.vimeo.com/video/889284447?h=d0b24570f0"
service="vimeo"
download_link="https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/889284447/rendition/1080p/file.mp4?loc=external&oauth2_token_id=1777364455&signature=9551333932bda337a027a5f641041e8f0fa7867ddc039eb518cc5e22e94a5d11"

[[speakers]]
name="Ben Visness"
bio="""
Head of the [Handmade Network](https://handmade.network). WebAssembly engineer at Mozilla.
"""
image="/images/people/2023-bvisness.jpg"

[[speakers]]
name="Abner Coimbre"
bio="""
[Abner](https://abnercoimbre.com/) is the founder of Handmade Cities and sole organizer for our conferences.

His professional story began when he left Puerto Rico for a yearlong internship at NASA. Abner was
mentored on how they make software and after winning NASA’s Intern of the Year, he published an essay
on their programming philosophy ([featured](https://observer.com/2017/07/a-look-into-nasa-coding-philosophy-kennedy-space-center-programming/)
in the news.) He was promoted to launch control engineer.

Abner also started the [Handmade Network](https://handmade.network), an online community learning to
make quality software. He went on to work for Jonathan Blow multiple years and then Cyan Worlds to
help ship the [Myst remake](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1255560/Myst/).

His concern of declining standards—both ethical and technical—pushed Abner to run tech conferences full-time,
with ironclad conviction that we need independent organizers more than ever.
"""
image="/images/people/abner_2022.png"
+++

#### An in-depth convo among two good friends.

Ben Visness, head of the [Handmade Network](https://handmade.network), and Abner Coimbre, founder of
[Handmade Cities](https://handmadecities.com), sit together for the first time on a multi-hour podcast.

From unraveling the mystery of Abner’s Majora’s Mask obsession to exploring Ben’s projects and life
interests, you’ll catch an entertaining glimpse into these leadership figures at Handmade.

Get an inside look at their goals for 2024 with (at times) spicy commentary on the software world.
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill discussion – it’s a spirited exchange.
