What happens when a software engineer gets tired of not being able to see the finish line of paying off debt?

He builds the solution himself.

In this episode of the BIT Voices Podcast, we sit down with Senior Software Engineer, independent builder, and Toffee creator Terry Threatt to discuss building products that solve real problems.

What began as a personal debt-payoff journey ultimately became a fintech application designed to help people understand how their financial decisions impact their debt-free future.

But this conversation goes far beyond personal finance.

Terry shares his unconventional path into software engineering, building products while working full-time, leveraging AI as an independent developer, mentoring the next generation of technologists, and why strong engineering fundamentals still matter in the age of AI-assisted development.

If you're a software engineer, founder, indie hacker, or aspiring builder, this episode is packed with insights on solving problems you actually understand and using technology to create meaningful solutions.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Building Toffee and solving a problem born from personal experience

• Why seeing your debt-free date changes financial behavior

• Building products while working a full-time engineering career

• Using AI to become a more effective software engineer and independent builder

• Why AI should accelerate learning—not replace technical fundamentals

• The future of software engineering in the age of coding agents

• Transitioning into tech without a traditional computer science background

• Mentorship, imposter syndrome, and lifelong learning

• Why problem-solving matters more than being loyal to a programming language

• Teaching the next generation how to think like builders

Terry reminds us that some of the best products don't begin with a business plan—they begin with a problem worth solving.

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ABOUT BIT VOICES PODCAST

BIT Voices Podcast amplifies Black excellence in technology by creating space for Black builders, founders, engineers, and innovators to share their stories, expertise, and vision for the future of technology.

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CONNECT WITH TERRY THREATT

Website:

https://www.terrythreatt.com

Instagram & Threads:

@manwittaplan

Toffee:

Available on iOS and Android

Book:

How to Get Into Tech Without Spending a Ton on a Degree

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EXPLORE THE ECOSYSTEM

https://notablebit.com

https://bdonaldharris.com

https://bitvoices.network

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#BlackBuilders #BlackInTech #SoftwareEngineering #FinTech #AIEngineering #BITVoicesPodcast

Tony Jefferson joins BIT Voices Podcast to talk about Traveling Session, a traveler-first social platform built around Personalized Travel Discovery.

Most travel platforms point everyone toward the same popular destinations, attractions, and tourist traps. Tony is building something different: a platform that helps people discover places based on how they actually travel, what they value, and who they trust.

In this conversation, Tony shares how his 21 years of U.S. Air Force, IT, and cybersecurity experience shaped the way he thinks about travel, community, and building technology. After spending more than a decade stationed overseas in Japan, Germany, and South Korea, he saw the gap between generic recommendations and authentic local experiences.

We talk about travel styles, overtourism, algorithmic bias, hidden gems, foodie travel, Black travelers seeing more of the world, and what it takes to bootstrap a custom-coded platform from the ground up.

Tony also breaks down why Traveling Session is focused on the traveler, not just the destination — and why real perspectives from real travelers matter more than another generic top-ten list.

Connect with Tony and Traveling Session: Website: https://travelingsession.com/travel-feed/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-jefferson-traveling-session/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelingsession/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TravelingSession

Learn more about the BIT Voices ecosystem: https://bitvoices.network

Michael Brown joins the BIT Voices Podcast for a conversation about technology, entrepreneurship, AI, community, and building with purpose.

Michael is a technology executive and entrepreneur with three decades of experience across finance, healthcare, retail, enterprise software, and AI development. In this episode, he shares how an early love for programming grew into a career in software, why curiosity and humility still matter in tech, and how the rise of AI agents is changing the way engineering teams think about security, governance, and observability.

We also talk about Arachne, the AI development platform Michael is building through Synaptic Weave, Inc. Arachne is designed to simplify the software development lifecycle for AI systems by helping teams package, deploy, observe, and govern AI agents with more confidence.

Michael also shares the story behind the Juneteenth Conference, which began during the pandemic and has grown into a space dedicated to celebrating and supporting Black excellence in technology. This year’s Juneteenth Conference will take place in Chicago on June 19 and 20, with traditional conference sessions on Friday and a hackathon on Saturday.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Michael’s early start in programming with a Tandy computer
• Why software still feels like “magic”
• The shift from prompt engineering to context and harness engineering
• The security risks of AI agents and vibe-coded applications
• Building Arachne and the future of AI development infrastructure
• The founding story of the Juneteenth Conference
• Why Black tech spaces still matter
• What it means to build companies with community, trust, and long-term impact

Register for the Juneteenth Conference: https://juneteenthconf.com

Check out Arachne and sign up for the beta: https://arachne-ai.com

Learn more about Synaptic Weave: https://synapticweave.com

Listen, subscribe, and join the movement as we continue amplifying Black builders, founders, technologists, and innovators shaping the future.

BIT Voices Network

Built By Builders. For Builders.

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