CocoaRadio

There's no doubt that we're currently in a golden age of independent software development for the Mac. The richness of OS X, coupled with Apple's enormous growth as a pop culture tech company, has created a very healthy marketplace for Mac applications.

Not only is there good software out there, there are charismatic and passionate small companies and individuals who are behind many of the products. And those developers are interacting with themselves and their users through blogging and podcasting, which has the effect of enriching the entire experience. Products are made better through the developer/user conversation, and developers are enriched by the advice of fellow developers.

Examples of this include Wil Shipley of Delicious Monster, Brent Simmons with NetNewsWire, and Gus Mueller of Flying Meat. (Just to name of few of the "celebrity" OS X developers.)

I'm not a programmer per se, but I love following the software development process and getting immersed in the technical, behind the scenes details of how software and computers work.

To that end, CocoaRadio is a fantastic podcast that features interviews with Mac software developers (including those mentioned above). Each interview runs the gamut from talking about the real-world details of being a developer (how to form a small business, how to charge for software, how to handle tech support, etc.), to the philosophies and inspirations behind the programs, to the actual technical and architectural implementations of the software itself.

If you love software and are fond of the Mac, you'll love listening to CocoaRadio.