Podcasts about Pluralsight

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Best podcasts about Pluralsight

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Latest podcast episodes about Pluralsight

The PowerShell Podcast
Discovering the Deeper Layers of PowerShell with Jeff Hicks

The PowerShell Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 46:32


In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we're joined by the legendary Jeff Hicks, PowerShell educator, author, speaker, and community pillar. With decades of experience shaping the PowerShell landscape, Jeff returns to the podcast to share insights from his latest projects, discuss the evolution of the community, and offer wisdom for both new and experienced PowerShell users. From PowerShell Summit to writing foundational books and building up new contributors, Jeff continues to play a critical role in shaping the PowerShell ecosystem.   Key topics in this episode include: The human side of scripting – Writing PowerShell that is usable, flexible, and considerate of others' needs. Behind the PowerShell Pipeline – Jeff's new LeanPub book exploring deeper PowerShell principles. Fundamental PowerShell commands – Get-Help, Get-Command, Get-Member, and why every PowerShell user should master them. How to troubleshoot PowerShell like a pro – Why starting simple, verbose logging, and clear design make all the difference. Reflections on PowerShell Summit – The importance of community, hallway conversations, and building the next wave of contributors. Teaching as a path to mastery – Why giving back through mentorship, writing, and speaking strengthens both your skills and the community. Jeff also shares his advice for nervous first-time speakers and attendees, and why being kind is one of the most impactful things you can do - both in and outside of tech.   Bio and Links:  Jeffery Hicks is an IT Pro veteran with 35 years of experience, much of it spent as an IT infrastructure professional specializing in Microsoft server technologies with an emphasis on automation and efficiency. He has been a Microsoft MVP since 2007 for his work in PowerShell.   Jeff is a respected and well-known author, teacher, and consultant. He has taught or presented PowerShell content and the benefits of automation to IT Pros worldwide since its inception. He has authored, co-authored, and edited several books, contributed to numerous online sites, and, back when it was still a thing, several print publications. Jeff is a Pluralsight author and a frequent speaker at technology conferences and user groups.  Check out all of Jeff's links and follow him here: https://jdhitsolutions.github.io/  Check out his book Behind the PowerShell Pipeline on LeanPub: https://leanpub.com/behind-the-pspipeline  Join PowerShell Wednesdays at 2 PM EST on discord.gg/pdq  Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn and share your PowerShell story: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewplatech/  The PowerShell Podcast: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cdtxSI8Tq3E

Dark Rhino Security Podcast
S16 E10 (VIDEO) Will AI Change the Way We Learn

Dark Rhino Security Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2025 43:01


Chris is a professional information technologist, author, trainer, manager, a lifelong learner, and Former Law Enforcement Officer. He has been creating courses for over 25 years and has been working as an author on Plurasight for 11 years. He has created over 80 IT Certification training courses (52 or so with Pluralsight) and his students have watched over 1 million hours of his content. Chris really enjoys helping people advance in their careers through training and personal development.00:00 Introduction05:20 What were some of the cybercrimes you came across?10:30 Deep fake stress13:49 What is the strategy to break up the back up?17:17 Method and Approach for understanding risk24:31 Interactive labs29:57 Will AI change training methods? Will it replace SOC Jobs?38:40 Elevate your career41:00 Check out his Pluralsight courses----------------------------------------------------------------------To learn more about Chris visit https://www.pluralsight.com/authors/chris-reesTo learn more about Dark Rhiino Security visit https://www.darkrhiinosecurity.com----------------------------------------------------------------------SOCIAL MEDIA:Stay connected with us on our social media pages where we'll give you snippets, alerts for new podcasts, and even behind the scenes of our studio!Instagram: @securityconfidential and @DarkrhiinosecurityFacebook: @Dark-Rhiino-Security-IncTwitter: @darkrhiinosecLinkedIn: @dark-rhiino-securityYoutube: @DarkRhiinoSecurity ​

Vanishing Gradients
Episode 46: Software Composition Is the New Vibe Coding

Vanishing Gradients

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2025 68:57


What if building software felt more like composing than coding? In this episode, Hugo and Greg explore how LLMs are reshaping the way we think about software development—from deterministic programming to a more flexible, prompt-driven, and collaborative style of building. It's not just hype or grift—it's a real shift in how we express intent, reason about systems, and collaborate across roles. Hugo speaks with Greg Ceccarelli—co-founder of SpecStory, former CPO at Pluralsight, and Director of Data Science at GitHub—about the rise of software composition and how it changes the way individuals and teams create with LLMs. We dive into: - Why software composition is emerging as a serious alternative to traditional coding - The real difference between vibe coding and production-minded prototyping - How LLMs are expanding who gets to build software—and how - What changes when you focus on intent, not just code - What Greg is building with SpecStory to support collaborative, traceable AI-native workflows - The challenges (and joys) of debugging and exploring with agentic tools like Cursor and Claude We've removed the visual demos from the audio—but you can catch our live-coded Chrome extension and JFK document explorer on YouTube. Links below. JFK Docs Vibe Coding Demo (YouTube) (https://youtu.be/JpXCkuV58QE) Chrome Extension Vibe Coding Demo (YouTube) (https://youtu.be/ESVKp37jDwc) Meditations on Tech (Greg's Substack) (https://www.meditationsontech.com/) Simon Willison on Vibe Coding (https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/19/vibe-coding/) Johnno Whitaker: On Vibe Coding (https://johnowhitaker.dev/essays/vibe_coding.html) Tim O'Reilly – The End of Programming (https://www.oreilly.com/radar/the-end-of-programming-as-we-know-it/) Vanishing Gradients YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_NafIo-Ku2loOLrzm45ABA) Upcoming Events on Luma (https://lu.ma/calendar/cal-8ImWFDQ3IEIxNWk) Greg Ceccarelli on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregceccarelli/) Greg's Hacker News Post on GOOD (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43557698) SpecStory: GOOD – Git Companion for AI Workflows (https://github.com/specstoryai/getspecstory/blob/main/GOOD.md)

Dark Rhino Security Podcast
S16 E10 Will AI Change the Way We Learn?

Dark Rhino Security Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 43:01


Chris is a professional information technologist, author, trainer, manager, a lifelong learner, and Former Law Enforcement Officer. He has been creating courses for over 25 years and has been working as an author on Plurasight for 11 years.  He has created over 80 IT Certification training courses (52 or so with Pluralsight) and his students have watched over 1 million hours of his content. Chris really enjoys helping people advance in their careers through training and personal development. 00:00 Introduction05:20 What were some of the cybercrimes you came across?10:30 Deep fake stress13:49 What is the strategy to break up the back up?17:17 Method and Approach for understanding risk24:31 Interactive labs29:57 Will AI change training methods? Will it replace SOC Jobs?38:40 Elevate your career41:00 Check out his Pluralsight courses

Sunny Side Up
Ep. 514 | How Digital Accessibility Drives Customer Loyalty and Growth

Sunny Side Up

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2025 26:49


Episode SummaryIn this episode of OnBase, host Chris Moody sits down with Chad Sollis to discuss why digital accessibility is a strategic priority for brands today. Chad shares his journey from graphic design to marketing leadership, highlighting the importance of accessibility in enhancing brand reputation, compliance, and consumer loyalty. He breaks down the key principles of accessibility, how it impacts SEO, and best practices for embedding accessibility into marketing and product development.Key Takeaways-Digital Accessibility is a Brand Imperative: One in four Americans has a disability, representing $20B in buying power. Accessible experiences foster loyalty and repeat business.-SEO and Accessibility Go Hand-in-Hand: Proper use of header tags, alt text, and navigation structures benefits both search rankings and user experience.-Prioritizing Accessibility in Design & Development: Integrating accessibility into design, development, and QA processes ensures it becomes a natural part of content creation rather than an afterthought.-Measuring ROI on Accessibility: Companies that invest in accessibility see improved website traffic, increased conversions, and long-term customer loyalty.Quotes"When companies design for accessibility, they're not just meeting compliance requirements—they're creating more inclusive and engaging experiences for all customers."Best Moments 03:00–05:00 – Chad's unconventional journey from graphic design to marketing leadership.10:00–13:00 – Why accessibility should be a strategic priority for senior leaders.15:00–18:00 – The connection between SEO and accessibility: how structure improves discoverability.22:00–25:00 – Overcoming accessibility challenges and integrating best practices into business processes.30:00–33:00 – How brands can measure the ROI of their accessibility initiatives.Tech RecommendationsStoryblok – Headless CMS that streamlines content personalization and accessibility.Amplience- An AI content platform.Mutiny – AI-driven personalization platform to optimize user experiences.Resource RecommendationsBooks:-Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink-How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale CarnegieShout-outs-Scott Harris, VP of Performance Marketing at Box.com – Marketing expert with a deep understanding of growth strategies.-Nick Rico, Chief Commercial Officer at Lucid Software – Growth leader with a background in finance and marketing.-Manuel Rietzsch, VP, Revenue Marketing at AudioEye – Revenue marketing leader driving accessibility-focused initiatives.About the GuestChad Sollis is a seasoned marketing and product leader with over two decades of experience in driving business growth and innovation across various industries. As the Chief Marketing Officer, Chad spearheads strategic initiatives in brand development, product marketing, growth, revenue operations, and customer engagement.As a data-driven executive, Chad has demonstrated a remarkable ability to scale businesses, having contributed to the growth of companies from $30 million to $3 billion in annual revenue and helping 4 companies execute successful IPOs. With a diverse background that includes leadership roles at market-leading companies such as Adobe, Pluralsight, Vivint, and Traeger, he has generated a wealth of expertise in marketing, digital products, and technology spanning both B2B and B2C sectors.Connect with Chad.

The Cloud Gambit
Teaching DevOps: From Infrastructure to Education with Derek Morgan

The Cloud Gambit

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2025 46:02 Transcription Available


Send us a textTechnology is evolving at a rapid pace along with the tools, methods, and education practices. Today, Derek Morgan joins the show to discuss the intersection of automation, DevOps, and Infrastructure-as-Code. Derek is the Founder of More Than Certified, an e-learning platform hosting courses on DevOps, Terraform, Docker, and more. We discuss the importance of foundational knowledge in modern tech, the role of tools like Terraform in enterprise environments, and the future of DevOps education. Derek also provides valuable insights into content creation and the philosophy behind effective technical teaching methodologies.Where to Find DerekLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/derekm1215Twitter: https://x.com/mtcderekCompany: https://morethancertified.comShow LinksLinux Academy (Now part of Pluralsight): https://www.pluralsight.com/Terraform: https://www.terraform.io/OpenTOFU: https://opentofu.org/Jenkins: https://www.jenkins.io/GitHub Actions: https://github.com/features/actionsAnsible: https://www.ansible.com/Follow, Like, and Subscribe!Podcast: https://www.thecloudgambit.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCloudGambitLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thecloudgambitTwitter: https://twitter.com/TheCloudGambitTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecloudgambit

Hanselminutes - Fresh Talk and Tech for Developers
Psychology of Software Teams with Dr. Cat Hicks

Hanselminutes - Fresh Talk and Tech for Developers

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2025 33:02


Dr. Cat Hicks is a psychologist studying software teams, a research leader, an empirical interventionist, and a creative entrepreneur. She is the VP of Research Insights for Pluralsight, where she founded the Developer Success Lab, an empirical research lab creating open science for developers and their teams. She talks to Scott about how software teams work, learn, and innovate.https://www.drcathicks.com/https://www.pluralsight.com/developer-success-lab

FP&A Tomorrow
SaaS Metrics for CFOs to Elevate Strategic Growth with Mark Hansen

FP&A Tomorrow

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2024 55:17


In this engaging episode of FP&A Tomorrow, host Paul Barnhurst, the FP&A Guy, sits down with Mark Hansen, CFO of Entrata. Their conversation explores financial planning and analysis (FP&A), strategic business decision-making, and the evolving role of finance teams in organizations. This episode provides valuable insights into how FP&A professionals can align metrics, foster relationships, and utilize data to empower strategic growth.Mark Hansen brings a wealth of experience as the CFO of Entrata, a comprehensive ERP platform for the multifamily housing industry. Prior to this role, Mark held pivotal finance positions at Pluralsight and Skullcandy, leading finance teams through periods of significant growth. A CPA with a master's in accounting from the University of Utah, Mark combines technical expertise with a strategic vision, making him a thought leader in the financial industry.Expect to LearnUnderstanding the transition from accurate forecasting to strategic decision-making.Why FP&A is positioned as the "center of the universe" for organizational data.Practical advice on aligning and rolling forward metrics to track business performance.How to leverage diverse experiences (the "bingo card" approach) to achieve career growth.Insights into hiring, mentoring, and fostering curiosity and technical skills within finance teams.Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:"Understanding unit economics, gross margin, and other granular financial details helps inform better business decisions." - Mark Hansen"Understanding SEC reporting is like leveling up in financial knowledge. It's the major leagues of financial reporting." - Mark Hansen"FP&A teams of the future will not just focus on budgeting and forecasting but also on data analytics and business modeling." - Mark HansenIn this insightful episode, Mark shares valuable advice on career development, stressing the importance of building strong relationships, acquiring diverse skills, and being proactive in one's career progression. Mark's focus on curiosity, technical skills, and business partnering provides a roadmap for any finance professional looking to elevate their impact.Plan Smarter with Workday:Workday Adaptive Planning empowers organizations with AI-driven insights, advanced data visualization, and powerful reporting tools. Make smarter decisions faster and elevate your budgeting, forecasting, and modeling. Learn more at http://www.workday.com/fpaguyFollow FP&A Tomorrow:Newsletter - Subscribe on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6957679529595162624 Follow Mark:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-hansen-7b79045/Follow Paul: Website - https://www.thefpandaguy.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguyWorld-class Digital FP&A Course Bundle: Signup for over ten hours of video content with 4 different courses and 8 modules on FP&A topics including: Business Partnering, Data Analysis, Financial Modeling

The Tech Blog Writer Podcast
3056: Rethinking Tech Education in the AI Era with Pluralsight

The Tech Blog Writer Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2024 31:35


How can businesses bridge the growing tech skills gap and build a future-ready workforce? Today on Tech Talks Daily, I'm joined by Drew Firment, Cloud Strategist at Pluralsight, to explore how organizations can address this challenge head-on. As technology evolves, the need for upskilling and continuous learning has never been more urgent. Drew shares insights from Pluralsight's 2024 Technical Research Report, revealing that while cloud computing and cybersecurity remain in high demand, many organizations are still struggling to provide the right skills to their teams. Drew explains how Pluralsight's platform is helping to close this gap through personalized learning paths, hands-on labs, and real-time feedback. With a focus on connecting individual skills to organizational outcomes, Drew highlights how companies can save up to £22,000 per employee by investing in upskilling rather than hiring new talent. We also discuss the shift in learning models, moving from knowledge retention to human intelligence skills like critical thinking and creative problem-solving—skills that will be crucial in an AI-driven world. Additionally, Drew shares how organizations can create a culture of continuous learning, where employees are empowered to expand their skill sets, take non-linear career paths, and contribute to long-term digital transformation goals. From overcoming organizational inertia to fostering a sustainable learning culture, Drew provides practical advice for businesses looking to future-proof their workforce. How can companies prioritize upskilling and create a more adaptable, innovative team? Join us for this insightful discussion, and let us know how you see the future of learning and development evolving.

The Customer Success Playbook
Customer Success Playbook Season 2 Episode 35 - Jasmine Reynolds - Agile Onboarding

The Customer Success Playbook

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2024 24:50 Transcription Available


Send us a textIn this episode of the Customer Success Playbook Podcast, hosts Roman Trebon and Kevin Metzger interview Jasmine Reynolds, a Customer Success Manager at Pluralsight, about applying Scrum methodologies to customer onboarding. Jasmine discusses how Scrum, typically associated with software development, can significantly enhance the customer onboarding experience. She outlines six key Scrum techniques that can be immediately applied to onboarding processes, including prioritized backlog, sprint-based onboarding, daily stand-ups, and continuous feedback loops. The discussion highlights the benefits of this approach, such as improved time to value, increased customer satisfaction, and stronger client relationships. Detailed AnalysisThe application of Scrum to customer onboarding represents a significant innovation in customer success practices. This approach addresses several critical challenges in traditional onboarding processes:Flexibility and Adaptability: By breaking the onboarding journey into sprints, companies can respond more quickly to changing customer needs and feedback. This agility is crucial in today's fast-paced business environment where customer requirements can shift rapidly.Cross-Functional Collaboration: The Scrum approach encourages better coordination among various teams involved in onboarding, including sales, customer success, product, and support. This holistic approach ensures that all aspects of the customer's needs are addressed cohesively.Accelerated Time to Value: By focusing on delivering value in each sprint, businesses can ensure that customers start seeing benefits from their investment much earlier in the process. This rapid demonstration of value can significantly impact customer satisfaction and long-term retention.Enhanced Customer Communication: Daily stand-ups and regular feedback sessions keep the customer closely involved in the onboarding process. This transparency builds trust and allows for immediate course corrections if needed.Measurable Progress: The sprint structure provides clear milestones and measurable progress, making it easier to track the effectiveness of the onboarding process and identify areas for improvement.Scope Management: While scope creep remains a challenge, the sprint-based approach provides a framework for managing and prioritizing additional requests without derailing the entire onboarding process.Continuous Improvement: Regular retrospectives allow teams to refine their onboarding processes continuously, leading to ongoing improvements in efficiency and effectiveness.For businesses looking to implement this approach, Jasmine recommends starting by breaking existing onboarding processes into sprints, defining clear value deliverables for each sprint, and creating a prioritized backlog. She emphasizes the importance of flexibility and setting clear expectations with customers.The potential integration of AI tools in this Scrum-based onboarding process presents an exciting opportunity for further innovation. AI could potentially assist in sprint planning, predicting potential issuPlease Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe. You can also find the CS Playbook Podcast:YouTube - @CustomerSuccessPlaybookPodcastTwitter - @CS_PlaybookYou can find Kevin at:Metzgerbusiness.com - Kevin's person web siteKevin Metzger on Linked In.You can find Roman at:Roman Trebon on Linked In.

Founder Spotlight
Innovating for the Future: How to Disrupt Industries with Data + Analytics featuring Dave Balter, Co-Founder & CEO, Flipside Crypto

Founder Spotlight

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2024 33:24


Dave Balter is a serial entrepreneur with a distinguished track record of impacting various industries. He founded BzzAgent, which was acquired by Dunnhumby, and Smarterer, which was acquired by Pluralsight. His current venture, Flipside Crypto, leads the way in providing indexes and investment vehicles for cryptocurrencies.Dave's career includes executive roles at prominent global organizations and venture investments as a partner at Boston Seed. In 2024, he was honored as one of The Boston Globe's Top 50 Tech Power Players. He is also the author of several influential books, including The Humility Imperative. Dave has been an engaged 3i Member since 2023. Listen to the episode to hear: * Revolutionizing industries with data: Insights from his work with BzzAgent and Flipside Crypto * Leadership and innovation: Key lessons from his book The Humility Imperative  * The future of blockchain and cryptocurrency: Dave's Predictions and strategic outlookLearn more about 3i Members and follow us on LinkedIn for updates. 

Behind the Money with the Financial Times
Private credit's ‘golden era' shows signs of tarnish

Behind the Money with the Financial Times

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2024 20:34


Private credit took Wall Street by storm. But at a software company called Pluralsight, recent loan troubles are now highlighting risks that could be hidden in the sector. The FT's senior US corporate finance correspondent Eric Platt and Due Diligence reporter Amelia Pollard walk through what went wrong with Pluralsight, and how that could shape private credit's future. Clips from Bloomberg, CNBC- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:A messy loan restructuring highlights risk lurking in private creditPrivate credit is even larger than you thinkA buyout gone wrong creates fireworks in the private credit marketVista and co-investors lose $4bn in Pluralsight restructuring- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On X, follow Eric Platt (@ericgplatt), Amelia Pollard (@ameliajpollard) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07), or follow Michela on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more. Register now for the FT Weekend Festival, and claim £24 off your pass using promo code FTPodcast at: ft.com/festivalRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The PowerShell Podcast
Kubernetes is Easy with Anthony Nocentino

The PowerShell Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2024 47:32


In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we sit down with Anthony Nocentino, a Senior Principal Field Solution Architect at Pure Storage, to dive deep into the world of Kubernetes. Anthony breaks down what Kubernetes is and how it fits into the modern IT landscape. We explore his fascinating career journey, from consulting and SQL Server to educating the masses on Kubernetes and Linux. Anthony also shares invaluable insights on becoming a force multiplier in your career and the critical role of mentorship and offers sage advice for anyone looking to elevate their professional path.   Guest Bio and links: Anthony Nocentino is a Senior Principal Field Solution Architect at Pure Storage with over 20 years of experience in IT. A Microsoft Data Platform MVP, he is globally recognized for his expertise in SQL Server, Kubernetes, and cloud infrastructure. Anthony has authored several technical books and numerous Pluralsight courses, including "SQL Server on Kubernetes" and "Azure Arc-enabled Data Services Revealed." With a Master's in Computer Science and research in high-performance data access algorithms, Anthony is also a sought-after speaker at leading data and cloud conferences, where he delivers deep insights and practical implementation tips.     https://discord.gg/pdq https://github.com/joshooaj/PSPushover https://powershellisfun.com/2024/08/02/creating-a-development-windows-sandbox-using-powershell-and-winget/ https://techbloggingfool.com/2024/08/04/powershell-a-microsoft-365-admin-roles-membership-report/ https://psweekly.dowst.dev/ https://www.amazon.com/Search-Inside-Yourself-Unexpected-Achieving/dp/0062116932 https://www.linkedin.com/in/nocentino/ https://x.com/nocentino

Cloud 9fin
Lend and let lend

Cloud 9fin

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2024 13:29


Not all liability management deals are "violent"; in fact the majority of deals in 2024 have allowed for participation by non ad hoc group lenders who in the past had been entirely cut out of the economics of non pro rata priming transactions.For this week's episode of Cloud 9fin, global head of distressed and restructuring Max Frumes, distressed legal analyst Jane Komsky, and private credit reporter Sami Vukelj walk through the world of liability management.The discussion covers the benefits and limitations of this kinder, gentler LME trend, with a focus on the Pluralsight and AMC Entertainment transactions.

Lead at the Top of Your Game
How Skillable Uses Technology to Fuel Hands-on Learning with Nate Barrett

Lead at the Top of Your Game

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2024 32:14


IN THIS EPISODE...Effective leadership thrives on the Three A's—Alignment, Accountability, and Autonomy—creating an environment where innovation flourishes and psychological safety prevails. By aligning teams with a clear vision, providing constructive feedback, and fostering autonomy, leaders can inspire their teams to achieve their best and drive meaningful, continuous improvement.In this episode, Nate Barrett, the Senior Vice President of Product at Skillable, exemplifies these principles. He oversees product management, design, and data teams at Skillable, bringing his expertise in B2B and B2C strategies to create scalable solutions that meet global customer needs. Nate's visionary leadership and impactful results are a testament to the power of effective leadership.------------Full show notes, links to resources mentioned, and other compelling episodes can be found at http://LeadYourGamePodcast.com. (Click the magnifying icon at the top right and type “Nate”)Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! ------------JUST FOR YOU: Increase your leadership acumen by identifying your personal Leadership Trigger. Take my free my free quiz and instantly receive your 5-page report. Need to up-level your workforce or execute strategic People initiatives? https://shockinglydifferent.com/contact or tweet @KaranRhodes.-------------ABOUT NATE BARRETT:Nate Barrett is the Senior Vice President of Product for Skillable, managing the product management, design, and data teams. Nate brings a wealth of product leadership experience to Skillable, leading products at Pluralsight, Canopy, and Instructure. At Pluralsight, Nate led the hands-on lab's product vision and strategy, which led to tripling overall learning engagement and helping drive enterprise business outcomes by making upskilling a reality.Nate is active in the product community in Utah, consulting and mentoring product leaders and startups. He is also a frequent guest lecturer in higher education strategy and design programs.Nate lives in Utah with his wife and four children.------------WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:1. How is AI transforming product development and strategy at Skillable?2. What are the critical considerations for using AI to solve problems rather than follow trends?3. How does Skillable balance innovation and adoption in the era of AI?4. What is Skillable's approach to simplifying content creation and validating skills through hands-on learning?5. How does Skillable's platform support tailored content creation and professional services for different organizations?6. What are the core principles of the leadership approach, focusing on alignment, accountability, and autonomy?7. How can psychological safety and effective feedback be ensured within a team?------------ADDITIONAL...

LaunchPod
The success of fractional leadership with Jennifer Moore

LaunchPod

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2024 25:49


Today, our guest is Jennifer Moore, a seasoned product executive who has built and launched customer-centric, data-inspired solutions for over 20 years within B2B SaaS and financial services. She currently currently runs a comprehensive consulting services firm, Strategies that Spark, and serves as the Chief Product & Growth Officer for her clients. Jennifer began her career as a technical writer at a Series A startup, Oakley Networks. She then transitioned to project management at Wells Fargo and Zions Bancorporation before moving into product management and the B2B SaaS industry. Most recently, she led product and design teams at companies such as Workfront (acquired by Adobe), Pluralsight, and various startups. On today's episode, Jennifer talks to LogRocket's CEO and Head of Product, Matt Arbesfeld, about what she learned about product moving between different industries like finance and SaaS; the significance of domain expertise; focusing on team dynamics and incremental process improvements; and how she uses consulting to help companies grow their product initiatives. Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynemoran/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-r-moore/ https://calendly.com/jennifer-r-moore https://productplusbyjennifer.substack.com/ https://blog.logrocket.com/product-management/leader-spotlight-jennifer-moore/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:09 Journey from technical writing to product management 02:27 Transition to financial services and first exit 03:48 Challenges and innovations in financial services 05:50 Shift to software as a service (SaaS) 09:38 Consulting and fractional leadership 20:12 Impact of AI on product management 25:41 Outro What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it free at LogRocket.com (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr). Special Guest: Jennifer Moore.

Eccles Business Buzz
RERUN: S4E8: The Impact of Inclusion that Goes Beyond Checking the Box feat. Simone Lawrence

Eccles Business Buzz

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2024 33:16


While waiting for the newest season launching this fall, we have something special planned for your listening enjoyment. Get ready to revisit some of your favorite Eccles Business Buzz episodes with our timeless reruns.In this episode from Season 4, Simone Lawrence, manager of the IMPACT program at the David Eccles School of Business, discusses impact and inclusion. IMPACT is a partnership between the Eccles School and Historically Black Colleges and Universities to bring these students to the U for the summer. The goal of the program is to expose participants to new experiences and show them the difference they can make in places they didn't expect.  Simone joins host Frances Johnson to talk about having a real opportunity to make a difference during her internship with PluralSight, her hopes for the IMPACT program as Manager, navigating Utah as a person of color, and working with companies to implement meaningful DEI initiatives.Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School of Business and is produced by University fm.Show Links:IMPACT Program PluralSightSummer Bridge Program at the U Lantern House

The Cloudcast
Forgetting the Fundamentals of High Availability

The Cloudcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2024 23:42


If this past week's Crowdstrike outage taught us anything, it's that we seem to have forgotten the basics of how to run highly available environments. But what other critical skills are deteriorating? SHOW: 842SHOW TRANSCRIPT: The Cloudcast #842 TranscriptSHOW VIDEO: https://youtube.com/@TheCloudcastNET CLOUD NEWS OF THE WEEK - http://bit.ly/cloudcast-cnotwCHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS"SHOW SPONSOR:The Crowdstrike outage and market-driven brittlenessNetwork Engineering is a Dying ProfessionVista Equity writes off Pluralsight after $3.5B buyoutSHOW NOTES:WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO THE FUTURESystems are more interconnected and more criticalCompanies under-staff critical operationsDevelopers are the new kingmakers, but where are all the kings?PEOPLE DON'T IGNORE STABLE FOUNDATIONS, THEY FORGET ABOUT THEMNot enough people have home labs, or go after certificationsThe industry highlights the content creators, instead of the builders/fixersThere might be an opportunity to restart a focus on foundational skillsFEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netTwitter: @cloudcastpodInstagram: @cloudcastpodTikTok: @cloudcastpodOut-of-the-box insights from digital leadersDelivered is your window in the minds of people behind successful digital products. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

The Relatable Success Story
Episode #15: Balancing Careers and Motherhood: A Journey of Resilience with Bailey Dunlap

The Relatable Success Story

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2024 46:53


Join us on The Relatable Success Story as we sit down with Bailey Dunlap, a dedicated SMB AE at Pluralsight and a proud mother of two boys. Known for her exceptional work ethic and passion for both her career and family, Bailey shares her inspiring journey of navigating the challenges of balancing parenthood and professional growth. From her early career choices to pivotal moments like navigating through sales and recruiting, Bailey's story exemplifies resilience and determination. Tune in as she discusses the importance of support systems, managing career transitions, and the realities of returning to work post-leave. This episode aims to empower working moms everywhere with insights and advice on achieving work-life balance and pursuing career success while raising a family.

Software Defined Talk
Episode 474: There's at least a road to Nirvana

Software Defined Talk

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2024 60:33


This week, we explore the reasons behind the slowdown in DevOps adoption, compare open-source and proprietary foundation models, and discuss how AI might simplify CI/CD implementation. Additionally, Matt takes on an Australian history quiz. Watch the YouTube Live Recording of Episode (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xmarzk5aw8) 474 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xmarzk5aw8) Runner-up Titles No silver bullets If you aspire for nothing, you're done. We can hang out with the boulder at the bottom Who owns the black box You have to want to put in the effort Anyone on the bleeding edge is going to bleed Rundown A Eulogy for DevOps (https://matduggan.com/a-eulogy-for-devops/) DevOps Isn't Dead, but It's Not in Great Health Either (https://thenewstack.io/devops-isnt-dead-but-its-not-in-great-health-either/) The InfraRed Report from Redpoint (https://www.redpoint.com/infrared/report/) Dan Davies Explains Why Accountability Sinks Are Everywhere Now (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-01/dan-davies-explains-why-accountability-sinks-are-everywhere-now) Relevant to your Interests Indonesia won't pay an $8 million ransom after a cyberattack compromised its national data center (https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-ransomware-attack-national-data-center-213c14c6cc69d7b66815e58478f64cee) Odaseva raises $54M to secure Salesforce users (https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/27/odasevas-founder-once-solved-a-security-gap-for-saleforces-biggest-customer-now-hes-raised-54m-to-secure-all-of-its-users/) More YouTube Premium plans are coming (https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/27/24187590/youtube-premium-subscription-more-plans) Alibaba Cloud closing Australian and Indian datacenters (https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/01/alibaba_cloud_closes_india_australia/) Apple Poised to Get OpenAI Board Observer Role as Part of AI Pact (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-02/apple-to-get-openai-board-observer-role-as-part-of-ai-agreement) How Big Tech is swallowing the AI industry (https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/1/24190060/amazon-adept-ai-acquisition-playbook-microsoft-inflection) Apple Poised to Get OpenAI Board Observer Role as Part of AI Pact (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-02/apple-to-get-openai-board-observer-role-as-part-of-ai-agreement) Infrastructure as Code Landscape Overview 2024 (https://medium.com/@bgrant0607/infrastructure-as-code-landscape-overview-2024-a066124e5989) Infrastructure as Code reminds me of “make run-all” (https://medium.com/@bgrant0607/infrastructure-as-code-reminds-me-of-make-run-all-15eb6628f306) Is NVIDIA like Sun from the Dot Com Bubble? / Oxide (https://oxide.computer/podcasts/oxide-and-friends/1973013) “Everything's frozen”: Ransomware locks credit union users out of bank accounts (https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/07/everythings-frozen-ransomware-locks-credit-union-users-out-of-bank-accounts/) Exclusive-Vista Equity in talks to hand over Pluralsight to creditors, sources s (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-vista-equity-talks-hand-183356419.html) Nonsense Faces made of living skin make robots smile (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cedd3208veyo) Mandatory Texas vehicle safety inspections end in six months (https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/mandatory-texas-vehicle-safety-inspections-end-in-six-months/) Costco's bold new plan for the California housing crisis (https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/costco-housing-apartments-south-la-19541521.php?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email) Conferences DevOpsDays Birmingham (https://devopsdays.org/events/2024-birmingham-al/welcome/), August 19–21, 2024 DevOpsDays Antwerp (https://devopsdays.org/events/2024-antwerp/welcome/), 15th anniversary, Sep 4th-5th. SpringOne (https://springone.io/?utm_source=cote&utm_campaign=devrel&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=newsletterUpcoming)/VMware Explore US (https://blogs.vmware.com/explore/2024/04/23/want-to-attend-vmware-explore-convince-your-manager-with-these/?utm_source=cote&utm_campaign=devrel&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=newsletterUpcoming), August 26–29, 2024 SREday London 2024 (https://sreday.com/2024-london/), September 19th to 20th, Coté speaking. 20% off with the code SRE20DAY (https://sreday.com/2024-london/#tickets) SDT news & hype Join us in Slack (http://www.softwaredefinedtalk.com/slack). Get a SDT Sticker! Send your postal address to stickers@softwaredefinedtalk.com (mailto:stickers@softwaredefinedtalk.com) and we will send you free laptop stickers! Follow us: Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/sdtpodcast), Twitter (https://twitter.com/softwaredeftalk), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/softwaredefinedtalk/), Mastodon (https://hachyderm.io/@softwaredefinedtalk), BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/softwaredefinedtalk.com), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/software-defined-talk/), TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@softwaredefinedtalk), Threads (https://www.threads.net/@softwaredefinedtalk) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi3OJPV6h9tp-hbsGBLGsDQ/featured). Use the code SDT to get $20 off Coté's book, Digital WTF (https://leanpub.com/digitalwtf/c/sdt), so $5 total. Become a sponsor of Software Defined Talk (https://www.softwaredefinedtalk.com/ads)! Recommendations Brandon: House of Dragons Season 2 (https://www.hbo.com/house-of-the-dragon) Cloud News of the Month - June 2024 (https://www.thecloudcast.net/2024/07/cloud-news-of-month-june-2024.html) Photo Credits Header (https://unsplash.com/photos/brown-sail-ship-on-sea-during-sunset-1suNZRcP3AY) Artwork (https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/1*rQh4nSRu3CV3vqThSKI49A.jpeg)

The Imposter Syndrome Network Podcast

In this episode, Zoe is back with a one-on-one with Troy Hunt. He is the founder of the pivotal cybersecurity resource “Have I Been Pwned”, the Microsoft regional director, MVP, Pluralsight instructor, and an active member of the security community.Troy shares his unexpected journey from aspiring pilot to tech influencer, revealing how a simple blog post evolved into a career-defining move. He discusses the power of public contributions to Stack Overflow, user group attendance, and open-source code repositories in establishing credibility in the tech world.We delve into the importance of communication skills, not just in tech but in life, and how blogging tests one's knowledge. We also touch on the challenges of self-employment, the balance between work and personal life, and the lessons learned from mistakes.Don't miss this candid conversation that explores the intersections of tech, career growth, and the personal journeys that shape us.-Just go out there and do stuff.Put yourself out there.-Links: LinkedInTwitterBloghttps://bigmachine.io/pwned/ --Thanks for being an imposter - a part of the Imposter Syndrome Network (ISN)! We'd love it if you connected with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-imposter-syndrome-network-podcast Make it a great day.

Test Automation Experience
Master React Development: Cory House

Test Automation Experience

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2024 43:42


Is it possible to prioritize quality AND speed? In this episode, we dive into the importance of personal responsibility in software development. Cory House, a seasoned React and JavaScript consultant, shares how to balance speed and quality, manage relationship dynamics within teams, and advocate for quality code. Cory also offers technical advice for web development. He discusses common developer mistakes in React, TypeScript's benefits and trade-offs, automated tools to manage code quality, and strategies for transitioning to modern JavaScript frameworks.❓What did you think of the show? Leave your anonymous feedback:https://forms.gle/Df5sDABiNMQn4YSj7 CONNECT WITH CORY HOUSE

Tank Talks
News Rundown: Cohere's $450M Raise, PluralSight Write Down, and Anti-Woke Stock Market with John Ruffolo of Maverix Private Equity

Tank Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024 21:35


This week John Ruffolo of Maverix Private Equity is back with Matt to talk about the news affecting the venture capital and financial sectors including Cohere's recent $450 million fundraising, featuring investments from Nvidia, Salesforce Ventures, and others. The conversation shifts to the resurgence of crypto interest, Vista Equity's write-off of Pluralsight, private equity firms targeting individual assets within companies rather than entire companies, and how that could present opportunities for venture capitalists to recover some value from underperforming investments.They also cover Canada's capital gains plan's slow progress and impact on investment stability, as well as the proposal of a new “anti-woke” Texas stock exchange, which aims to offer a more business-friendly environment free from some of the regulatory burdens seen in current exchanges.Finally, they discuss recent interest rate changes by the Bank of Canada and the European Central Bank, and their implications for the Canadian economy and inflation.In this episode, we discuss:* (00:49) Cohere's $450 million fundraising.* (02:49) Discussion on AI space valuations.* (04:28) Crypto resurgence and political implications.* (07:46) Vista Equity's write-off of Pluralsight.* (10:55) Private equity targeting individual assets.* (12:48) Canada's capital gains plan delay.* (14:24) Proposal of Texas stock exchange.* (17:05) Interest rate changes by Bank of Canada and ECB.* (19:54) Impact of interest rates on the economy.Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.ai This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

The Relatable Success Story
Episode #12: Navigating Career Paths: A True Journey to Success

The Relatable Success Story

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024 46:57


Join us on this episode of The Relatable Success Story as we delve into the inspiring journey of Nate Shipp, the Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations at High Point University. We explore Nate's career trajectory, from his childhood aspirations to his current role, shedding light on the twists and turns that led him to where he is today.In this insightful conversation, Nate reflects on his early dreams, the influence of his upbringing, and his initial foray into the world of work. Discover how a seemingly perfect fit at the Round Rock Express turned out to be a detour, leading Nate to reassess his path and ultimately find himself in the tech industry. After a stint in tech, it was time to reassess again.Throughout the episode, we unpack the importance of taking risks and embracing change, highlighting Nate's journey as a testament to the power of resilience and self-discovery. From his time at Pluralsight to his current endeavors, Nate shares valuable insights and lessons learned, offering listeners a glimpse into the transformative potential of pursuing one's passion!!

Azure DevOps Podcast
Scott Forsyth: Gen AI or Generative Artificial Intelligence - Episode 301

Azure DevOps Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2024 43:59


Scott has spent over 25 years in the IT field, working in disciplines such as systems architecture, software development, team growth, and entrepreneurship. He was a Microsoft MVP for 12 years in ASP.NET and IIS. He's co-authored two books (IIS 7 and IIS 8 Professional), is a Pluralsight author, and has spoken at various conferences, code camps, and user groups. He's now shifted into the AI space, building AI solutions and supporting others in their AI journey. He's also co-founding a new startup, so he's spending much of his time as an Entrepreneur.   Topics of Discussion: [2:15] Scott's career path and what steered him into AI. [5:18] AI development and Scott's journey learning about generative AI. [7:15] AI use cases, including chatbots, text-to-speech, and speech-to-text. [13:14] Flowise AI. [15:48] RAG, AKA retrieval augmented generation. [17:32] Code interpreter. [18:10] How do we know that AI is terrible at math, and what are the other things it's not good at? [26:13] Using small language models for natural language processing. [37:13] Kitchen Co-Pilot app.   Mentioned in this Episode: Clear Measure Way Architect Forum Software Engineer Forum Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at programming@palermo.net. Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor) .NET DevOps for Azure: A Developer's Guide to DevOps Architecture the Right Way, by Jeffrey Palermo — Available on Amazon! Jeffrey Palermo's Twitter — Follow to stay informed about future events! Flowise Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Attention is All You Need kitchen copilot zapier Make Perplexity Claude Groq The Groq LPU Inference Engine @scottforsyth Scott on LinkedIn   Want to Learn More? Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.

The Relatable Success Story
Episode #11: Diving into New Waters: A Career Evolution with Matt Byrd

The Relatable Success Story

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2024 40:01


Join us on this episode of The Relatable Success Story as we dive deep into the career journey of Matt Byrd, the BDR Manager at Pluralsight, a leading tech company in the e-learning space. From his humble beginnings following his passion for swimming to his thriving career in the tech industry, Matt shares invaluable insights and practical advice for anyone considering a career change. Discover how Matt turned his love for swimming into a successful coaching career and ultimately transitioned into the tech world. Learn about the pivotal moments that led him to explore new opportunities and how he found his footing in the tech industry. Whether you're contemplating a career switch or aspiring to leadership roles, this episode offers actionable strategies and inspiration to help you navigate your own path to success.

The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
This Week in SaaS: PluralSight Goes to Zero, Salesforce and Mongo Hit Hard, The Next IPO Candidates and How Do We Solve the Problem of Liquidity in Venture Capital

The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 69:11


Jason Lemkin is one of the OG SaaS investors with all of his first five investments turning into unicorns with Pipedrive, Algolia, Talkdesk, Salesloft and RevenueCat all in his portfolio. SaaStr is the largest global community in SaaS and he has taught a generation the fundamentals of SaaS on saastr.com. In Our First Ever Episode of This Week in SaaS 1. PluralSight Goes to Zero: WTF happened to PluralSight? How did it go from $3.5BN to $0? Will this have a wider impact on the willingness of PE to buy tech companies? Who are the next contenders to go from hero to zero? Zendesk? Anaplan? Will this generation of PE funds be let off by their LPs for a poor vintage? 2. Salesforce's Worst Stock Market Drop Since 2004 + Mongo Takes a 23% Hit: Why did Salesforce lose $50BN of market cap in a single day? Is the same true for MongoDB taking a 23% hit in one day? What does it mean when the new normal is these once hyper-growth companies now growing only 6% per annum? 3. The Settlers into Slow Growth: Why does Jason believe that Dropbox and Box have both settled into a world of slow growth? What happens to Twilio from here in a world post Jeff Lawson? What happens to Retool from this point on? Would Jason be a buyer of Notion at $10BN? 4. Venture Capital is Broken: Why does Jason believe that we need to see a relation of public multiples for the math in venture capital to work again? Why does Jason believe that the way we mark portfolios with TVPI leads to corrupt and bad behaviour? How does Jason think we will solve the problem of liquidity with IPOs being shut, M&A being out of the window and now PE being a doubt as the source of buyers?

The Relatable Success Story
Episode #8: Navigating Layoffs and Finding Your Footing: Katie Giori's Story

The Relatable Success Story

Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2024 41:05


In this episode we delve into the inspiring journey of Katie Giori, who shares her relatable success story of navigating layoffs and finding her footing in the corporate world.Join us as Katie Giori takes us through her time at Splash, illuminating how those experiences laid the foundation for her career and shaped her professional trajectory. Discover her biggest takeaways from that chapter of her life and how she knew it was time to move on.However, the journey wasn't without its challenges. Katie Giori candidly recounts the emotions and uncertainties that accompanied her unexpected layoff from Pluralsight. She then shares insights into her brief stint at Moodys and the valuable lessons learned during that period.Throughout the conversation, Katie Giori exemplifies patience and strategic thinking in the face of adversity, offering practical advice on navigating layoffs and maintaining resilience during challenging times. She emphasizes the importance of never settling for less than what you deserve, a mindset that propelled her towards new opportunities and achievements.

Career on Course w/ Scott Jeffrey Miller
Ep. 18 - Becoming a Chief Human Resource Officer with Anita Grantham of BambooHR

Career on Course w/ Scott Jeffrey Miller

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2024 48:25


In this episode of Career on Course, host Scott Miller interviews Anita Grantham, Head of HR at BambooHR, about her career journey and insights on being a successful HR leader. They discuss the changing nature of HR, key skills needed, and advice for aspiring HR professionals.Join us as Anita Grantham shares her unconventional career path to becoming a prominent Chief Human Resource Officer. From insights on balancing personal and professional life to leveraging AI for employee satisfaction, Anita's story is a must-listen for aspiring HR leaders.Discover how she navigates challenges, invests in self-development, and drives organizational success by aligning HR priorities with company objectives.Key Points:The future of HR and AIDay-to-day as a head of HRThe fundamentals of HR that will never changeGetting out of HR to become a better HR leaderWhy HR leaders burn out and how Anita avoids itKey skills and experiences that will accelerate your careerThe importance of business acumen and strategy for HR leadersAnita's career path, from med school and selling jewelry on a cruise ship to landing an HR roleGuest Bio:Anita Grantham is currently serving as Head of HR at BambooHR. She previously held HR leadership roles at Pluralsight and Infusionsoft.Enjoyed this episode? Check out Scott's latest book, Career on Course: 10 Strategies to Take Your Career from Accidental to Intentional.

The Brand Called You
From High-Tech to High Impact | Aleksandra Majkić | Partner & Expert Trainer, In Touch Female Leadership & Career Academy

The Brand Called You

Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2024 25:51


In the dynamic landscape of the high-tech industry, where innovation reigns supreme, the presence of women leaders has been historically sparse. However, individuals like Aleksandra Majkić are challenging the status quo and paving the way for a more inclusive and diverse future. With over 15 years of experience in exporting IT services from Serbia to global markets, Aleksandra has not only navigated through the male-dominated culture of the tech world but has also emerged as a champion for empowering women leaders. Join us as we delve into her experiences, challenges, and impactful initiatives aimed at fostering a more inclusive environment for women in tech. [00:33] - About Aleksandra Majkić Aleksandra is an expert trainer and a partner with In Touch Female Leadership and Career Academy. She is a Pluralsight author. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tbcy/support

Dark Rhino Security Podcast
S14 E7 Cracking the Code: Password Manager Insights

Dark Rhino Security Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2024 54:10


This week on Dark Rhiino Security's Security Confidential podcast, Host Manoj Tandon talks to Troy Hunt. Troy is an Australian Microsoft Regional Director and MVP for Developer Security. He's known for his expertise in web security, as well as his creation of 'Have I Been Pwned?' He's a prolific author for Pluralsight, a sought-after speaker at global conferences, and has been featured in a number of articles with publications including Forbes, TIME magazine, Mashable, PCWorld, ZDNet and Yahoo! Tech. Aside from technology and security, Troy is an avid snowboarder, windsurfer and tennis player 00:00 Introduction 01:17 We're going to outsource you 05:20 Have I Been Pwned? 10:10 Does the value length matter? 15:13 Convenience vs Security 20:20 Recovering an account 34:08 What is the effectivity of 2FA? 37:45 Artificial Intelligence and NLP 443:27 If you're going to do nothing, at least do this 52:25 More about Troy -------------------------------------------- To learn more about Troy visit https://www.troyhunt.com/ https://haveibeenpwned.com/ https://ndcoslo.com/ To learn more about Dark Rhiino Security visit https://www.darkrhiinosecurity.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SOCIAL MEDIA: Stay connected with us on our social media pages where we'll give you snippets, alerts for new podcasts, and even behind the scenes of our studio! Instagram: @securityconfidential and @Darkrhiinosecurity Facebook: @Dark-Rhiino-Security-Inc Twitter: @darkrhiinosec LinkedIn: @dark-rhiino-security Youtube: @DarkRhiinoSecurity ​

The PowerShell Podcast
From Blogging to DevOps with Jeff Brown Tech

The PowerShell Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2024 64:26


In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, we are thrilled to host Jeff Brown, a seasoned educator and PowerShell enthusiast. Jeff takes us on a journey spanning nearly two decades of his prolific blog writing, revealing how it shaped his career trajectory. Delving into the importance of certifications, Jeff emphasizes their role as a structured pathway for acquiring new skills and advancing in the tech industry. We explore Jeff's transition from Azure Engineer to the dynamic realm of DevOps, uncovering valuable insights along the way. Join us as Jeff shares his wealth of experience, offering invaluable advice and perspectives for aspiring IT professionals and seasoned experts alike. Guest Bio and links: Jeff Brown is 16+ year veteran of the IT industry working with Windows Server, Office 365, Azure, and PowerShell. He is an active blogger and course creator for companies like CloudSkills, Cybrary, and PluralSight. He currently works as a DevOps Engineer focusing on Azure Cloud and Terraform.   Watch The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kaOMe2ZP7w https://discord.gg/pdq https://jdhitsolutions.com/blog/powershell/9343/github-scripting-challenge-solution/ https://o365reports.com/2024/03/14/creating-a-free-microsoft-365-e5-developer-tenant-is-no-longer-possible/ https://www.thelazyadministrator.com/2024/03/22/getting-started-with-github-copilot-in-the-cli/ https://www.pdq.com/blog/how-to-manage-powershell-secrets-with-secretsmanagement/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ucSdX39zZU  

The PowerShell Podcast
Crafting a Fulfilling Career: Wisdom from Industry Leaders Jeff Hicks and Mike F. Robbins

The PowerShell Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2024 72:48


Episode Summary: In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, Andrew Pla is joined by esteemed guests Jeff Hicks, Microsoft MVP, and Mike F. Robbins, renowned Azure PowerShell writer. Together, they delve into the essential non-PowerShell skills necessary for a thriving career in IT. The conversation extends to the invaluable experiences gained from the OnRamp program at PowerShell Summit, highlighting the significance of passing on knowledge to the next generation. They also explore various community projects, recommend insightful books that capture the essence of the Summit experience, and stress the importance of fostering curiosity in one's journey. Tune in for a wealth of wisdom and inspiration from these industry experts! Guest Bio and links: Jeffery Hicks is an IT veteran with more than 30 years of experience, much of it as an IT infrastructure consultant specializing in Microsoft server technologies with an emphasis on automation and efficiency. He is a multi-year recipient of the Microsoft MVP Award. He works today as an independent author, teacher, and consultant. Jeff has taught and presented on PowerShell and the benefits of automation to IT Pros worldwide. He has authored, co-authored, and edited several books, writes for numerous online sites and print publications, is a Pluralsight author, and is a frequent speaker at technology conferences and user groups. Mike F. Robbins, a former Microsoft MVP, is the lead technical writer for Azure PowerShell at Microsoft. With extensive experience in  PowerShell, he is a scripting, automation, and efficiency expert. As a lifelong learner, Mike continuously strives to improve his skills and empower others by sharing his knowledge and experience. Mike is also a published author, and when he's not writing documentation for Microsoft,  he can be found sharing his thoughts and insights on his blog at http://mikefrobbins.com. Watch The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kPqaXb6JjE https://github.com/StartAutomating/Emoji https://github.com/NetSPI/PowerHuntShares https://firstpr.me/https://github.com/mdgrs-mei/PowerShellRun https://twitter.com/jsnover/status/1192068780198973442 https://twitter.com/stevenjudd/status/1758373131800949191 https://jdhitsolutions.github.io/ https://ironscripter.us https://mikefrobbins.com/2023/10/26/building-and-deploying-a-blog-with-hugo-and-github-pages/ https://mikefrobbins.com/2019/08/01/whats-in-your-powershell-psdefaultparametervalues-preference-variable/ https://leanpub.com/modernautomationwithpowershell https://leanpub.com/ps7now https://leanpub.com/bookstore?type=all&search=powershell new-timespan -Start (Get-date) -end ([datetime]"4/8/2024") https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KSESLJ0LWA https://mikefrobbins.com  

HR Unplugged
Using Data to Influence Change—Communicating Difficult HR Topics to Leadership

HR Unplugged

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2024 53:01


Are you ready to put data front and center of your HR strategy? Data is a crucial tool to help you make decisions that will improve employee engagement, relations, retention, and more. Without it, HR teams are left guessing, without a clear direction to follow. But how do you begin to use data effectively? In this episode of HR Unplugged, Anita and Vanessa sit down with Will Clive, Chief People Officer at Pluralsight, to swap ideas, advice, and insights on using data within HR. They explore the use of storytelling to paint a picture with data to get that all-important leadership buy-in and to boost employee survey engagement. You'll also hear some advice for getting started with data, the best practices for presenting data, and how to become a better data storyteller. Key moments: How to start using data How to tell a story with your data What to do when you don't have buy-in from leadership Tips for increasing survey engagement How to get help with data from different departments Best practices for using data How to become a better data storyteller Key links: Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/ Join HR Heros Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQw HR Reporting Slides Template: Tools to analyze data https://www.bamboohr.com/pl/hr-reporting-template?utm_campaign=BAMB-DG-DAR+hrunplugged+episode39+resource-202401&utm_medium=offline&utm_source=webinar&utm_content=blank&utm_term=Webinar Connect with Will on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willclive/

B2B Marketing Exchange
Two Marketers, One Candid Conversation About Lower Funnel B2B Marketing + The Challenges That Come With It

B2B Marketing Exchange

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2024 38:50


Let's face it, your B2B company is not really a household name…yet. Unlike, say, Doritos, your logo likely wouldn't get recognized if it came without the title of your company; and that's OK! But according to MNTN's VP of Marketing Ali Haeri and Pluralsight's Sr. Director of Marketing Koji Takagi, doubling down and digging deeper into your lower funnel strategies won't cut it (and burn budgets). Long story short: We can do better. During this candid fireside chat at the 2023 B2B Sales & Marketing Exchange, Haeri and Takagi shared their perspective on how to better generate demand, reach your addressable market and focus on understanding the incentives and objectives of the entire go-to-market team. More hot takes include how to: Attract qualified hand raisers with demand efforts; Identify characteristics of audiences across channels;Fit retargeting into the bigger picture of your marketing strategy; Use Connected TV in your targeting and retargeting efforts; andGet internal teams to care about brand building. Haeri and Takagi did not hold back during this conversation. Tune in now to get their contrarian take on lower funnel B2B marketing.RELATED LINKS: Learn more about Pluralsight here. Get the scoop on all things Connected TV here. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.Register for the B2B Marketing Exchange in Scottsdale, Ariz. (It's not too late!) 

Dear SQL DBA
Power BI Performance Tuning with Eugene Meidinger

Dear SQL DBA

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2024 53:54


Eugene Meidinger stops by to chat about Power BI Performance Tuning with Kendra. We talk about the various engines and languages used in Power BI and big-picture strategies for getting performance from the start. Eugene then talks about the community of tools and techniques that can be used to dig in and solve performance problems in Power BI. Eugene's new Pluralsight course on Perf tuning Power BI launches on February 5th, 2024. The first 50 sales will be only $20. If you don't get one of those lucky spots, use code RACOONS to get 50% off. Find more of Eugene's content at sqlgene.com.

Easy Prey
The Changing World of Data Breaches with Troy Hunt

Easy Prey

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2023 52:11


Everyone who's on the internet is exposed to risk. Every time you set up a new account or app, you create another place where your data can be hacked or breached. This makes your differing passwords crucial. Today's guest is Troy Hunt. Troy is a Pluralsight author and instructor, Microsoft Regional Director, and Most Valued Professional specializing in online security and cloud development. He is a conference speaker and runs workshops on how to build more secure software with organizations. He is also the creator of the popular data breach aggregation service known as Have I Been Pwned. Show Notes: [1:26] - Troy shares what he currently does and the work he is known for. [2:57] - You can put your data in one place and it can traverse the internet and end up in places you don't expect. [6:54] - There's a challenge in running a site that has millions of queries at any time. [9:25] - Troy shares some of the accomplishments of Have I Been Pwned. [13:32] - Does he experience a lot of malicious traffic? He used to. Troy explains how he has managed this. [18:14] - Have I Been Pwned has been around for a while and began as a lot of manual labor for Troy. [23:10] - It is crucial for organizations to be receptive to security reports. [25:09] - In a lot of ransoms, data of specific groups of people are used as threats. [27:56] - Troy lists some of the things that happen on the back end of running a site like Have I Been Pwned. [30:36] - Cloud services have been an amazing advancement in technology, but they open up more points of entry. [33:35] - There is a hierarchy of multi-factor authentication. Troy discusses the current strategies that are best practice. [35:45] - For users, what is the second-factor authentication you can manage to use? [37:27] - There are different risk levels to different things. What do you actually need to carefully protect and what level of inconvenience are you willing to bear? [39:59] - Troy shares how his parents have been impacted by confusing technology. What is the right technology for a demographic? [43:15] - Some data is more important than other pieces of information. [45:33] - Some data is also more or less important to different individuals. [46:54] - For those managing and discussing data breaches, we also need to be aware that there are pieces of data that could be important to someone but isn't important to others. [48:24] - Unfortunately, data breaches haven't gotten less common and aren't really getting better. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.  Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Have I Been Pwned? Troy Hunt's Website

EATEL Business Podcast (Audio)
#096: Tech Buying Guide for the 2023 Holidays

EATEL Business Podcast (Audio)

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2023 51:20


This is DartPoints Podcast #96 for Tuesday, December 12th, 2023.  In this podcast, we talk about tech-related gifts for your holiday buying season!  These gifts range from general tech stocking stuffers to something for the data center engineer. All this and more…. on this DartPoints Podcast. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers own---and do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of DartPoints or a guest's employer. #DartPoints #DaaS, #Storage, #DataCenter, #Cybersecurity, #TechNews, #DisasterRecovery, #DataProtection, #Enterprise, #InternetPrivacy, #LifecycleManagement, #VMware, #NOC, #NetworkOperationsCenter, #ManagedDetectionAndResponse, #MDR Form Smart Swim Goggles - $249 Meta Quest 2 (or the new 3) - $249-$499 Garmin Vivoactive 5 GPS smartwatch - $300 Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum - $399 iRobot Roomba - J7+ - Wet/dry Robot Vacuum - $699 Furbo 360 Dog Camera - $147 Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router - $199 on UI.com Intel NUC 13 Pro (Arena Canyon) - $699.00 w/512GB NVMe SSD, 16GB of DDR4 RAM Synology DS723+ - $447.00 for 2 Drive Bay version PluralSight.com - Premium $449 per year, Standard $299 per year VMware VMUG Advantage - General is free, Advantage is $200 per year. OhSnap.com - Modular Wallet ACE Card Tracker - Tracker for Apple Find my and Google. Apple Vision Pro - Next-gen augmented reality headset. Samsung T9 (4TB) - Portable SSD Storage  

The PowerShell Podcast
Code in Action: Embracing Hands-On Learning with Jeff Hicks

The PowerShell Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2023 65:48


In this episode of the PowerShell Podcast, guest Jeff Hicks leads a dynamic discussion on the power of hands-on learning with PowerShell and the numerous benefits of learning by doing. Jeff challenges the community with a scripting challenge, encouraging active participation. The episode also features a showcase of some outstanding community blogs, including topics like PowerShell performance testing, web scraping, and module development. Jeff shares insights into his own remarkable modules, and the hosts delve into noteworthy community projects. Don't miss Jeff's scripting challenge and be sure to check out the community blogs and links discussed in this episode! Guest Bio and links: Jeffery Hicks is an IT veteran with more than 30 years of experience, much of it as an IT infrastructure consultant specializing in Microsoft server technologies with an emphasis on automation and efficiency. He is a multi-year recipient of the Microsoft MVP Award. He works today as an independent author, teacher, and consultant. Jeff has taught and presented on PowerShell and the benefits of automation to IT Pros worldwide. He has authored, co-authored, and edited several books, writes for numerous online sites and print publications, is a Pluralsight author, and is a frequent speaker at technology conferences and user groups.  Links: Watch the PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV5RXZPiM_0 https://powershell.org/2023/11/earlybirdnowopen/  https://jeffhicks.substack.com/p/ask-jeff-ab8  https://devdojo.com/hcritter/powershell-perfomance-test-get-the-maximum https://blog.griff.systems/published/2023/getting_download_links_from_webpages/ https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-save-our-hone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JTnEydEPnM https://jdhitsolutions.github.io/ https://leanpub.com/psprimer  https://github.com/PowerShell/GraphicalTools/  https://github.com/mgajda83/PSWindowsUpdate  https://github.com/jdhitsolutions/PSGalleryReport https://github.com/jdhitsolutions/PSWorkItem https://discord.gg/pdq https://gist.github.com/jdhitsolutions/36f16e9b2d89353cfa93edc8e4b5b3c3  

Screaming in the Cloud
Terraform and The Art of Teaching Tech with Ned Bellavance

Screaming in the Cloud

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2023 35:02


Ned Bellavance worked in the world of tech for more than a decade before joining the family profession as an educator. He joins Corey on Screaming in the Cloud to discuss his shift from engineer to educator and content creator, the intricacies of Terraform, and how changes in licensing affect the ecosystem.About NedNed is an IT professional with more than 20 years of experience in the field. He has been a helpdesk operator, systems administrator, cloud architect, and product manager. In 2019, Ned founded Ned in the Cloud LLC to work as an independent educator, creator, and consultant. In this new role, he develops courses for Pluralsight, runs multiple podcasts, writes books, and creates original content for technology vendors.Ned is a Microsoft MVP since 2017 and a HashiCorp Ambassador since 2020.Ned has three guiding principles: embrace discomfort, fail often, and be kind.Links Referenced: Ned in the Cloud: https://nedinthecloud.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ned-bellavance/ TranscriptAnnouncer: Hello, and welcome to Screaming in the Cloud with your host, Chief Cloud Economist at The Duckbill Group, Corey Quinn. This weekly show features conversations with people doing interesting work in the world of cloud, thoughtful commentary on the state of the technical world, and ridiculous titles for which Corey refuses to apologize. This is Screaming in the Cloud.Corey: Welcome to Screaming in the Cloud. I'm Corey Quinn. My guest today is Ned Bellavance, who's the founder and curious human over at Ned in the Cloud. Ned, thank you for joining me.Ned: Yeah, it's a pleasure to be here, Corey.Corey: So, what is Ned in the Cloud? There are a bunch of easy answers that I feel don't give the complete story like, “Oh, it's a YouTube channel,” or, “Oh no, it's the name that you wound up using because of, I don't know, easier to spell the URL or something.” Where do you start? Where do you stop? What are you exactly?Ned: What am I? Wow, I didn't know we were going to get this deep into philosophical territory this early. I mean, you got to ease me in with something. But so, Ned in the Cloud is the name of my blog from back in the days when we all started up a blog and hosted on WordPress and had fun. And then I was also at the same time working for a value-added reseller as a consultant, so a lot of what went on my blog was stuff that happened to me in the world of consulting.And you're always dealing with different levels of brokenness when you go to clients, so you see some interesting things, and I blogged about them. At a certain point, I decided I want to go out and do my own thing, mostly focused on training and education and content creation and I was looking for a company name. And I went through—I had a list of about 40 different names. And I showed them to my wife, and she's like, “Why don't you go Ned in the Cloud? Why are you making this more complicated than it needs to be?”And I said, “Well, I'm an engineer. That is my job, by definition, but you're probably right. I should just go with Ned in the Cloud.” So, Ned in the Cloud now is a company, just me, focused on creating educational content for technical learners on a variety of different platforms. And if I'm delivering educational content, I am a happy human, and if I'm not doing that, I'm probably out running somewhere.Corey: I like that, and I'd like to focus on education first. There are a number of reasons that people will go in that particular direction, but what was it for you?Ned: I think it's kind of in the heritage of my family. It's in my blood to a certain degree because my dad is a teacher, my mom is a teacher-turned-librarian, my sister is a teacher, my wife is a teacher, her mother is a teacher. So, there was definitely something in the air, and I think at a certain point, I was the black sheep in the sense that I was the engineer. Look, this guy over here. And then I ended up deciding that I really liked training people and learning and teaching, and became a teacher of sorts, and then they all went, “Welcome to the fold.”Corey: It's fun when you get to talk to people about the things that they're learning because when someone's learning something I find that it's the time when their mind is the most open. I don't think that that's something that you don't get to see nearly as much once someone already, quote-unquote, “Knows a thing,” because once that happens, why would you go back and learn something new? I have always learned the most—even about things that I've built myself—by putting it in the hands of users and seeing how they honestly sometimes hold it wrong and make mistakes that don't make sense to me, but absolutely make sense to them. Learning something—or rather, teaching something—versus building that thing is very much an orthogonal skill set, and I don't think that there's enough respect given to that understanding.Ned: It's an interesting sphere of people who can both build the thing and then teach somebody else to build the thing because you're right, it's very different skill sets. Being able to teach means that you have to empathize with the human being that you're teaching and understand that their perspective is not yours necessarily. And one of the skills that you build up as an instructor is realizing when you're making a whole bunch of assumptions because you know something really well, and that the person that you're teaching is not going to have that context, they're not going to have all those assumptions baked in, so you have to actually explain that stuff out. Some of my instruction has been purely online video courses through, like, Pluralsight; less of a feedback loop there. I have to publish the entire course, and then I started getting feedback, so I really enjoy doing live trainings as well because then I get the questions right away.And I always insist, like, if I'm delivering a lecture, and you have a question, please don't wait for the end. Please interrupt me immediately because you're going to forget what that question is, you're going to lose your train of thought, and then you're not going to ask it. And the whole class benefits when someone asks a question, and I benefit too. I learn how to explain that concept better. So, I really enjoy the live setting, but making the video courses is kind of nice, too.Corey: I learned to speak publicly and give conference talks as a traveling contract trainer for Puppet years ago, and that was an eye-opening experience, just because you don't really understand something until you're teaching other people how it works. It's how I learned Git. I gave a conference talk that explained Git to people, and that was called a forcing function because I had four months to go to learn this thing I did not fully understand and welp, they're not going to move the conference for me, so I guess I'd better hustle. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that approach. These days, it seems like you have a, let's say, disproportionate level of focus on the area of Infrastructure as Code, specifically you seem to be aiming at Terraform. Is that an accurate way of describing it?Ned: That is a very accurate way of describing it. I discovered Terraform while I was doing my consulting back in 2016 era, so this was pretty early on in the product's lifecycle. But I had been using CloudFormation, and at that time, CloudFormation only supported JSON, which meant it was extra punishing. And being able to describe something more succinctly and also have access to all these functions and loops and variables, I was like, “This is amazing. Where were you a year ago?” And so, I really just jumped in with both feet into Terraform.And at a certain point, I was at a conference, and I went past the Pluralsight booth, and they mentioned that they were looking for instructors. And I thought to myself, well, I like talking about things, and I'm pretty excited about this Terraform thing. Why don't I see if they're looking for someone to do a Terraform course? And so, I went through their audition process and sure enough, that is exactly what they were looking for. They had no getting started course for Terraform at the time. I published the course in 2017, and it has been in the top 50 courses ever since on Pluralsight. So, that told me that there's definitely an appetite and maybe this is an area I should focus on a little bit more.Corey: It's a difficult area to learn. About two months ago, I started using Terraform for the first time in anger in ages. I mean, I first discovered it when I was on my way back from one of those Puppet trainings, and the person next to me was really excited about this thing that we're about to launch. Turns out that was Mitchell Hashimoto and Armon was sitting next to him on the other side. Why he had a middle seat, I'll never know.But it was a really fun conversation, just talking about how he saw the world and what he was planning on doing. And a lot of that vision was realized. What I figured out a couple months ago is both that first, I'm sort of sad that Terraform is as bad as it is, but it's the best option we've got because everything else is so much worse. It is omnipresent, though. Effectively, every client I've ever dealt with on AWS billing who has a substantial estate is managing it via Terraform.It is the lingua franca of cloud across the board. I just wish it didn't require as much care and feeding, especially for the getting-started-with-a-boilerplate type of scenario. So, much of what you type feels like it's useless stuff that should be implicit. I understand why it's not, but it feels that way. It's hard to learn.Ned: It certainly can be. And you're right, there's a certain amount of boilerplate and [sigh] code that you have to write that seems pointless. Like, do I have to actually spell this all out? And sometimes the answer is yes, and sometimes the answer is you should use a module for that. Why are you writing this entire VPC configuration out yourself? And that's the sort of thing that you learn over time is that there are shortcuts, there are ways to make the code simpler and require less care and feeding.But I think ultimately, your infrastructure, just like your software, evolves, changes has new requirements, and you need to manage it in the same way that you want to manage your software. And I wouldn't tell a software developer, “Oh, you know, you could just write it once and never go back to it. I'm sure it's fine.” And by the same token, I wouldn't tell an infrastructure developer the same thing. Now, of course, people do that and never go back and touch it, and then somebody else inherits that infrastructure and goes, “Oh, God. Where's the state data?” And no one knows, and then you're starting from scratch. But hopefully, if you have someone who's doing it responsibly, they'll be setting up Terraform in such a way that it is maintainable by somebody else.Corey: I'd sure like to hope so. I have encountered so many horrible examples of code and wondering what malicious person wrote this. And of course, it was me, 6 or 12 months ago.Ned: Always [laugh].Corey: I get to play architect around a lot of these things. In fact, that's one of the problems that I've had historically with an awful lot of different things that I've basically built, called it feature complete, let it sit for a while using the CDK or whatnot, and then oh, I want to make a small change to it. Well, first, I got to spend half a day during the entire line dependency updates and seeing what's broken and how all of that works. It feels like for better or worse, Terraform is a lot more stable than that, as in, old versions of Terraform code from blog posts from 2016 will still effectively work. Is that accurate? I haven't done enough exploring in that direction to be certain.Ned: The good thing about Terraform is you can pin the version of various things that you're using. So, if you're using a particular version of the AWS provider, you can pin it to that specific version, and it won't automatically upgrade you to the latest and greatest. If you didn't do that, then you'll get bit by the update bug, which certainly happens to some folks when they changed the provider from version 3 to version 4 and completely changed how the S3 bucket object was created. A lot of people's scripts broke that day, so I think that was the time for everyone to learn what the version argument is and how it works. But yeah, as long as you follow that general convention of pinning versions of your modules and of your resource provider, you should be in a pretty stable place when you want to update it.Corey: Well, here's the $64,000 question for you, then. Does Dependabot on your GitHub repo begin screaming at you as soon as you've done that because in one of its dependencies in some particular weird edge cases when they're dealing with unsanitized, internet-based input could wind up taking up too many system resources, for example? Which is, I guess, in an ideal world, it wouldn't be an issue, but in practice, my infrastructure team is probably not trying to attack the company from the inside. They have better paths to get there, to be very blunt.Ned: [laugh].Corey: Turns out giving someone access to a thing just directly is way easier than making them find it. But that's been one of the frustrating parts where, especially when it encounters things like, I don't know, corporate security policies of, “Oh, you must clear all of these warnings,” which well-intentioned, poorly executed seems to be the takeaway there.Ned: Yeah, I've certainly seen some implementations of tools that do static scanning of Terraform code and will come up with vulnerabilities or violations of best practice, then you have to put exceptions in there. And sometimes it'll be something like, “You shouldn't have your S3 bucket public,” which in most cases, you shouldn't, but then there's the one team that's actually publishing a front-facing static website in the S3 bucket, and then they have to get, you know, special permission from on high to ignore that warning. So, a lot of those best practices that are in the scanning tools are there for very good reasons and when you onboard them, you should be ready to see a sea of red in your scan the first time and then look through that and kind of pick through what's actually real, and we should improve in our code, and what's something that we can safely ignore because we are intentionally doing it that way.Corey: I feel like there's an awful lot of… how to put this politely… implicit dependencies that are built into things. I'll wind up figuring out how to do something by implementing it and that means I will stitch together an awful lot of blog posts, things I found on Stack Overflow, et cetera, just like a senior engineer and also Chat-Gippity will go ahead and do those things. And then the reason—like, someone asks me four years later, “Why is that thing there?” And… “Well, I don't know, but if I remove it, it might stop working, so…” there was almost a cargo-culting style of, well, it's always been there. So, is that necessary? Is it not?I'm ashamed by how often I learned something very fundamental in a system that I've been using for 20 years—namely, the command line—just by reading the man page for a command that I already, quote-unquote, “Already know how to use perfectly well.” Yeah, there's a lot of hidden gems buried in those things.Ned: Oh, my goodness, I learned something about the Terraform CLI last week that I wish I'd known two years ago. And it's been there for a long time. It's like, when you want to validate your code with the terraform validate, you can initialize without initializing the back-end, and for those who are steeped in Terraform, that means something and for everybody else, I'm sorry [laugh]. But I discovered that was an option, and I was like, “Ahhh, this is amazing.” But to get back to the sort of dependency problems and understanding your infrastructure better—because I think that's ultimately what's happening when you have to describe something using Infrastructure as Code—is you discover how the infrastructure actually works versus how you thought it worked.If you look at how—and I'm going to go into Azure-land here, so try to follow along with me—if you go into Azure-land and you look at how they construct a load balancer, the load balancer is not a single resource. It's about eight different resources that are all tied together. And AWS has something similar with how you have target groups, and you have the load balancer component and the listener and the health check and all that. Azure has the same thing. There's no actual load balancer object, per se.There's a bunch of different components that get slammed together to form that load balancer. When you look in the portal, you don't see any of that. You just see a load balancer, and you might think this is a very simple resource to configure. When it actually comes time to break it out into code, you realize, oh, this is eight different components, each of which has its own options and arguments that I need to understand. So, one of the great things that I have seen a lot of tooling up here around is doing the import of existing infrastructure into Terraform by pointing the tool at a collection of resources—whatever they are—and saying, “Go create the Terraform code that matches that thing.” And it's not going to be the most elegant code out there, but it will give you a baseline for what all the settings actually are, and other resource types are, and then you can tweak it as needed to add in input variables or remove some arguments that you're not using.Corey: Yeah, I remember when they first announced the importing of existing state. It's wow, there's an awful lot of stuff that it can be aware of that I will absolutely need to control unless I want it to start blowing stuff away every time I run the—[unintelligible 00:15:51] supposedly [unintelligible 00:15:52] thing against it. And that wasn't a lot of fun. But yeah, this is the common experience of it. I only recently was reminded of the fact that I once knew, and I'd forgotten that a public versus private subnet in AWS is a human-based abstraction, not something that is implicit to the API or the way they envision subnets existing. Kind of nice, but also weird when you have to unlearn things that you've thought you'd learned.Ned: That's a really interesting example of we think of them as very different things, and when we draw nice architecture diagrams there—these are the private subnets and these are the public ones. And when you actually go to create one using Terraform—or really another tool—there's no box that says ‘private' or ‘make this public.' It's just what does your route table look like? Are you sending that traffic out the internet gateway or are you sending it to some sort of NAT device? And how does traffic come back into that subnet? That's it. That's what makes it private versus public versus a database subnet versus any other subnet type you want to logically assign within AWS.Corey: Yeah. It's kind of fun when that stuff hits.Ned: [laugh].Corey: I am curious, as you look across the ecosystem, do you still see that learning Terraform is a primary pain point for, I guess, the modern era of cloud engineer, or has that sunk below the surface level of awareness in some ways?Ned: I think it's taken as a given to a certain degree that if you're a cloud engineer or an aspiring cloud engineer today, one of the things you're going to learn is Infrastructure as Code, and that Infrastructure as Code is probably going to be Terraform. You can still learn—there's a bunch of other tools out there; I'm not going to pretend like Terraform is the end-all be-all, right? We've got—if you want to use a general purpose programming language, you have something like Pulumi out there that will allow you to do that. If you want to use one of the cloud-native tools, you've got something like CloudFormation or Azure has Bicep. Please don't use ARM templates because they hurt. They're still JSON only, so at least CloudFormation added YAML support in there. And while I don't really like YAML, at least it's not 10,000 lines of code to spin up, like, two domain controllers in a subnet.Corey: I personally wind up resolving the dichotomy between oh, should we go with JSON or should we go with YAML by picking the third option everyone hates more. That's why I'm a staunch advocate for XML.Ned: [laugh]. I was going to say XML. Yeah oh, as someone who dealt with SOAP stuff for a while, yeah, XML was particularly painful, so I'm not sad that went away. JSON for me, I work with it better, but YAML is more readable. So, it's like it's, pick your poison on that. But yeah, there's a ton of infrastructure tools out there.They all have basically the same concepts behind them, the same core concepts because they're all deploying the same thing at the end of the day and there's only so many ways you can express that concept. So, once you learn one—say you learned CloudFormation first—then Terraform is not as big of a leap. You're still declaring stuff within a file and then having it go and make those things exist. It's just nuances between the implementation of Terraform versus CloudFormation versus Bicep.Corey: I wish that there were more straightforward abstractions, but I think that as soon as you get those, that inherently limits what you're able to do, so I don't know how you square that circle.Ned: That's been a real difficult thing is, people want some sort of universal cloud or infrastructure language and abstraction. I just want a virtual machine. I don't care what kind of platform I'm on. Just give me a VM. But then you end up very much caring [laugh] what kind of VM, what operating system, what the underlying hardware is when you get to a certain level.So, there are some workloads where you're like, I just needed to run somewhere in a container and I really don't care about any of the underlying stuff. And that's great. That's what Platform as a Service is for. If that's your end goal, go use that. But if you're actually standing up infrastructure for any sort of enterprise company, then you need an abstraction that gives you access to all the underlying bits when you want them.So, if I want to specify different placement groups about my VM, I need access to that setting to create a placement group. And if I have this high-level of abstraction of a virtual machine, it doesn't know what a placement group is, and now I'm stuck at that level of abstraction instead of getting down to the guts, or I'm going into the portal or the CLI and modifying it outside of the tool that I'm supposed to be using.Corey: I want to change gears slightly here. One thing that has really been roiling some very particular people with very specific perspectives has been the BSL license change that Terraform has wound up rolling out. So far, the people that I've heard who have the strongest opinions on it tend to fall into one of three categories: either they work at HashiCorp—fair enough, they work at one of HashiCorp's direct competitors—which yeah, okay, sure, or they tend to be—how to put this delicately—open-source evangelists, of which I freely admit I used to be one and then had other challenges I needed to chase down in other ways. So, I'm curious as to where you, who are not really on the vendor side of this at all, how do you see it shaking out?Ned: Well, I mean, just for some context, essentially what HashiCorp decided to do was to change the licensing from Mozilla Public licensing to BSL for, I think eight of their products and Terraform was amongst those. And really, this sort of tells you where people are. The only one that anybody really made any noise about was Terraform. There's plenty of people that use Vault, but I didn't see a big brouhaha over the fact that Vault changed its licensing. It's really just about Terraform. Which tells you how important it is to the ecosystem.And if I look at the folks that are making the most noise about it, it's like you said, they basically fall into one of two camps: it's the open-source code purists who believe everything should be licensed in completely open-source ways, or at least if you start out with an open-source license, you can't convert to something else later. And then there is a smaller subset of folks who work for HashiCorp competitors, and they really don't like the idea of having to pay HashiCorp a regular fee for what used to be ostensibly free to them to use. And so, what they ended up doing was creating a fork of Terraform, just before the licensing change happened and that fork of Terraform was originally called OpenTF, and they had an OpenTF manifesto. And I don't know about you, when I see the word ‘manifesto,' I back away slowly and try not to make any sudden moves.Corey: You really get the sense there's going to be a body count tied to this. And people are like, “What about the Agile Manifesto?” “Yeah, what about it?”Ned: [laugh]. Yeah, I'm just—when I see ‘manifesto,' I get a little bit nervous because either someone is so incredibly passionate about something that they've kind of gone off the deep end a little bit, or they're being somewhat duplicitous, and they have ulterior motives, let's say. Now, I'm not trying to cast aspersions on anybody. I can't read anybody's mind and tell you exactly what their intention was behind it. I just know that the manifesto reads a little bit like an open-source purist and a little bit like someone having a temper tantrum, and vacillating between the two.But cooler heads prevailed a little bit, and now they have changed the name to OpenTofu, and it has been accepted by the Linux Foundation as a project. So, it's now a member of the Linux Foundation, with all the gravitas that that comes with. And some people at HashiCorp aren't necessarily happy about the Linux Foundation choosing to pull that in.Corey: Yeah, I saw a whole screed, effectively, that their CEO wound up brain-dumping on that frankly, from a messaging perspective, he would have been better served as not to say anything at all, to be very honest with you.Ned: Yeah, that was a bit of a yikes moment for me.Corey: It's very rare that you will listen yourself into trouble as opposed to opening your mouth and getting yourself into trouble.Ned: Exactly.Corey: You wouldn't think I would be one of those—of all people who would have made that observation, you wouldn't think I would be on that list, yet here I am.Ned: Yeah. And I don't think either side is entirely blameless. I understand the motivations behind HashiCorp wanting to make the change. I mean, they're a publicly traded company now and ostensibly that means that they should be making some amount of money for their investors, so they do have to bear that in mind. I don't necessarily think that changing the licensing of Terraform is the way to make that money.I think in the long-term, it's not going—it may not hurt them a lot, but I don't think it's going to help them out a lot, and it's tainted the goodwill of the community to a certain degree. On the other hand, I don't entirely trust what the other businesses are saying as well in their stead. So, there's nobody in this that comes out a hundred percent clean [laugh] on the whole process.Corey: Yeah, I feel like, to be direct, the direct competitors to HashiCorp along its various axes are not the best actors necessarily to complain about what is their largest competitor no longer giving them access to continue to compete against them with their own product. I understand the nuances there, but it also doesn't feel like they are the best ambassadors for that. I also definitely understand where HashiCorp is coming from where, why are we investing all this time, energy, and effort for people to basically take revenue away from us? But there's also the bigger problem, which is, by and large, compared to how many sites are running Terraform and the revenues that HashiCorp puts up for it, they're clearly failing to capture the value they have delivered in a massive way. But counterpoint, if they hadn't been open-source for their life until this point, would they have ever captured that market share? Probably not.Ned: Yeah, I think ultimately, the biggest competitor to their paid offering of Terraform is their free version of Terraform. It literally has enough bells and whistles already included and plenty of options for automating those things and solving the problems that their enterprise product solves that their biggest problem is not other competitors in the Terraform landscape; it's the, “Well, we already have something, and it's good enough.” And I'm not sure how you sell to that person, that's why I'm not in marketing, but I think that is their biggest competitor is the people who already have a solution and are like, “Why do I need to pay for your thing when my thing works well enough?”Corey: That's part of the strange thing that I'm seeing as I look across this entire landscape is it feels like this is not something that is directly going to impact almost anyone out there who's just using this stuff, either the open-source version as a paying customer of any of these things, but it is going to kick up a bunch of dust. And speaking of poor messaging, HashiCorp is not really killing it this quarter, where the initial announcement led to so many questions that were unclear, such as—like, they fixed this later in the frequently asked questions list, but okay, “I'm using Terraform right now and that's fine. I'm building something else completely different. Am I going to lose my access to Terraform if you decide to launch a feature that does what my company does?” And after a couple of days, they put up an indemnity against that. Okay, fine.Like, when Mongo did this, there was a similar type of dynamic that was emerging, but a lot fewer people are writing their own database engine to then sell onward to customers that are provisioning infrastructure on behalf of their customers. And where the boundaries lay for who was considered a direct Terraform competitor was unclear. I'm still not convinced that it is clear enough to bet the business on for a lot of these folks. It comes down to say what you mean, not—instead of hedging, you're not helping your cause any.Ned: Yeah, I think out of the different products that they have, some are very clear-cut. Like, Vault is a server that runs as a service, and so that's very clear what that product is and where the lines of delineation are around Vault. If I go stand up a bunch of Vault servers and offer them as a service, then that is clearly a competitor. But if I have an automation pipeline service and people can technically automate Terraform deployments with my service, even if that's not the core thing that I'm looking to do, am I now a competitor? Like, it's such a fuzzy line because Terraform isn't an application, it's not a server that runs somewhere, it's a CLI tool and a programming language. So yeah, those lines are very, very fuzzy. And I… like I said, it would be better if they say what they meant, as opposed to sort of the mealy-mouthed language that they ended up using and the need to publish multiple revisions of that FAQ to clarify their position on very specific niche use cases.Corey: Yeah, I'm not trying to be difficult or insulting or anything like that. These are hard problems that everyone involved is wrestling with. It just felt a little off, and I think the messaging did them no favors when that wound up hitting. And now, everyone is sort of trying to read the tea leaves and figure out what does this mean because in isolation, it doesn't mean anything. It is a forward-looking thing.Whatever it is you're doing today, no changes are needed for you, until the next version comes out, in which case, okay, now do we incorporate the new thing or don't we? Today, to my understanding, whether I'm running Terraform or OpenTofu entirely comes down to which binary am I invoking to do the apply? There is no difference of which I am aware. That will, of course, change, but today, I don't have to think about that.Ned: Right. OpenTofu is a literal fork of Terraform, and they haven't really added much in the way of features, so it should be completely compatible with Terraform. The two will diverge in the future as feature as new features get added to each one. But yeah, for folks who are using it today, they might just decide to stay on the version pre-fork and stay on that for years. I think HashiCorp has pledged 18 months of support for any minor version of Terraform, so you've got at least a year-and-a-half to decide. And we were kind of talking before the recording, 99% of people using Terraform do not care about this. It does not impact their daily workflow.Corey: No. I don't see customers caring at all. And also, “Oh, we're only going to use the pre-fork version of Terraform,” they're like, “Thanks for the air cover because we haven't updated any of that stuff in five years, so tha”—Ned: [laugh].Corey: “Oh yeah, we're doing it out of license concern. That's it. That's the reason we haven't done anything recent with it.” Because once it's working, changes are scary.Ned: Yeah.Corey: Terraform is one of those scary things, right next to databases, that if I make a change that I don't fully understand—and no one understands everything, as we've covered—then this could really ruin my week. So, I'm going to be very cautious around that.Ned: Yeah, if metrics are to be believed across the automation platforms, once an infrastructure rollout happens with a particular version of Terraform, that version does not get updated. For years. So, I have it on good authority that there's still Terraform version 0.10 and 0.11 running on these automation platforms for really old builds where people are too scared to upgrade to, like, post 0.12 where everything changed in the language.I believe that. People don't want to change it, especially if it's working. And so, for most people, this licensing chain doesn't matter. And all the constant back and forth and bickering just makes people feel a little nervous, and it might end up pushing people away from Terraform as a platform entirely, as opposed to picking a side.Corey: Yeah, and I think that that is probably the fair way to view it at this point where right now—please, friends at HashiCorp and HashiCorp competitors don't yell at me for this—it's basically a nerd slap-fight at the moment.Ned: [laugh].Corey: And of one of the big reasons that I also stay out of these debates almost entirely is that I married a corporate attorney who used to be a litigator and I get frustrated whenever it comes down to license arguments because you see suddenly a bunch of engineers who get to cosplay as lawyers, and reading the comments is infuriating once you realize how a little bit of this stuff works, which I've had 15 years of osmotic learning on this stuff. Whenever I want to upset my wife, I just read some of these comments aloud and then our dinner conversation becomes screaming. It's wonderful.Ned: Bad legal takes? Yeah, before—Corey: Exactly.Ned: Before my father became a social studies teacher, he was a lawyer for 20 years, and so I got to absorb some of the thought process of the lawyer. And yeah, I read some of these takes, and I'm like, “That doesn't sound right. I don't think that would hold up in any court of law.” Though a lot of the open-source licensing I don't think has been tested in any sort of court of law. It's just kind of like, “Well, we hope this stands up,” but nobody really has the money to check.Corey: Yeah. This is the problem with these open-source licenses as well. Very few have never been tested in any meaningful way because I don't know about you, but I don't have a few million dollars in legal fees lying around to prove the point.Ned: Yeah.Corey: So, it's one of those we think this is sustainable, and Lord knows the number of companies that have taken reliances on these licenses, they're probably right. I'm certainly not going to disprove the fact—please don't sue me—but yeah, this is one of those things that we're sort of assuming is the case, even if it's potentially not. I really want to thank you for taking the time to discuss how it is you view these things and talk about what it is you're up to. If people want to learn more, where's the best place for them to find you?Ned: Honestly, just go to my website. It's nedinthecloud.com. And you can also find me on LinkedIn. I don't really go for Twitter anymore.Corey: I envy you. I wish I could wean myself off of it. But we will, of course, include a link to that in the show notes. Thank you so much for being so generous with your time. It's appreciated.Ned: It's been a pleasure. Thanks, Corey.Corey: Net Bellavance, founder and curious human at Ned in the Cloud. I'm Cloud Economist Corey Quinn, and this is Screaming in the Cloud. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice, whereas if you've hated this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice, along with an angry comment that I will then fork under a different license and claim as my own.Corey: If your AWS bill keeps rising and your blood pressure is doing the same, then you need The Duckbill Group. We help companies fix their AWS bill by making it smaller and less horrifying. The Duckbill Group works for you, not AWS. We tailor recommendations to your business, and we get to the point. Visit duckbillgroup.com to get started.

Coffee and Open Source
Rob Conery

Coffee and Open Source

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2023 64:34


My name is Rob Conery and I help developers of all sorts learn what's new with technology. I work at Microsoft as a Developer Advocate and I am fortunate to get invited to speak at global conferences from time to time. I have been working in the technology field full time since 1998 as a DBA and then a web developer. My original focus was the Microsoft ASP.NET stack, building tools like Subsonic and the first Micro-ORM: Massive. In addition I co-founded Tekpub.com (acquired by Pluralsight) with James Avery and co-host This Developer's Life with my friend, Scott Hanselman. I currently create videos for Pluralsight and build open source things as I can. You can find Rob Conery on the following sites: Website Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Medium Here are some links provided by Rob Conery: This Developer's Life The Imposter's Handbook: 2nd Edition PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Spotify: ⁠http://isaacl.dev/podcast-spotify⁠ Apple Podcasts: ⁠http://isaacl.dev/podcast-apple⁠ Google Podcasts: ⁠http://isaacl.dev/podcast-google⁠ RSS: ⁠http://isaacl.dev/podcast-rss⁠ You can check out more episodes of Coffee and Open Source on ⁠https://www.coffeeandopensource.com⁠ Coffee and Open Source is hosted by Isaac Levin (⁠https://twitter.com/isaacrlevin⁠) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coffeandopensource/support

Microsoft Business Applications Podcast
Navigating the Fascinating World of BizApps, AI, and Tech with David Yack

Microsoft Business Applications Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2023 22:47 Transcription Available


FULL SHOW NOTES https://podcast.nz365guy.com/488 Join me as I sit down with the charismatic CTO of Colorado Technology Consultants, David Yack, a Microsoft MVP with two decades of rich experience. Get ready to embark on a fascinating journey with us as we meander through David's career path, his passion for developing on Microsoft platforms, his most cherished memories from Build and the MVP Summit, and his enthusiasm about the matured BizApps and AI.The second half of our conversation catapults you into the exhilarating world of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Together with David, we address the learning curve associated with this technology, and its realistic capabilities, and offer insights on maintaining balanced expectations. We explore its potential benefits for individuals and businesses, share tips on smart investments in AI, and David generously reveals how everyone can access AI functionality through 365.training. This enlightening episode serves as a tech appetizer, whetting your appetite with David's wisdom and zest for technology.OTHER RESOURCES: Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP  90-Day Mentoring Challenge - https://ako.nz365guy.com/ White Paper: https://msft.it/60159ZvRl PowerUsers: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/2391 GitHub: https://github.com/davidyack Pluralsight: https://www.pluralsight.com/authors/david-yack CRM 4.0 Developer Book: http://www.thecrmbook.com/ 365 Training: https://365.training/Instructors/detail/DavidYack AgileXRM AgileXRm - The integrated BPM for Microsoft Power PlatformSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening

We The  Sales Engineers: A Resource for Sales Engineers, by Sales Engineers
#284 Continuous Learning, Types of Learning, The Best Technique and Assessments

We The Sales Engineers: A Resource for Sales Engineers, by Sales Engineers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2023 63:21


As Sales Engineers, our job is complex, but it's very hard to do if we don't stay on top of our learning. Therefore a great skill that we need to develop is continuous learning. Or even more importantly the skill to set time aside to do continuous learning or to learn on the fly!    Today's podcast is an interview with Max Van Burke, Director of pre-sales at Pluralsight for EMEA. EMEA stands for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. We will cover the topic of continuous learning, how Max tackles it, and what he expects his team to do as well.   And If you're not familiar with Pluralsight, it is a learning website that owns Cloud Guru that I've been using on my AWS journey! show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show284

What's Essential hosted by Greg McKeown
228. Entering the World of Another with Nate Walkingshaw (Part 1)

What's Essential hosted by Greg McKeown

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2023 38:35


Have you ever had an experience where you were able to get out of your head and into the head of another person and discover the richness that is possible, the relationship that follows, and the depth of connection? In today's episode, we have part one of a two-part conversation with Nate Walkingshaw. He's a passionate investor and a serial entrepreneur. He's been tremendously successful with an obsession with solving systemic problems. He began his life as an EMT and while responding to life-threatening emergencies, he recognized the need for a safer, faster patient transport system. And the products he helped to create in that first startup are now used by 70% of the world's hospitals. He went on to become the chief experience officer of Pluralsight and totally transformed the way that that whole organization thinks about people listening, understanding each other, and being able to work together in a deep and connected way. By the end of today's episode, you will have a clearer sense of the rich opportunity you have to be able to enter the world of another. Learn more about Nate here: https://www.torus.co/our-story Join my weekly newsletter at GregMcKeown.com/1mw Learn more about my books and courses at GregMcKeown.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Built for Change
A Mature Approach to Skilling: What Companies Need to Know

Built for Change

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2023 32:09


According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a fourth of the American workforce will be over the age of 55 by 2024. At the same time, technology is changing at such a rapid pace that skill gaps and talent shortages are emerging at every level. To help close those gaps, business leaders should invest in a talent pool that is often overlooked: our aging workforce. And yet, Accenture research shows that only 23% of workers feel that their workplace provides them with a learning environment that promotes skill development. In this episode, we'll explore why the onus is on business leaders to offer better opportunities for skilling — and speak to a former teacher who made a successful transition into a tech career. Our guests will be Michele Richmond, Software Engineer Associate at Accenture Federal Services; Allison Horn, Global Talent Lead at Accenture; and Aaron Skonnard, Co-Founder and C.E.O. at Pluralsight.

The Sure Shot Entrepreneur
Software Will Solve Broken Systems in Every Aspect of Healthcare

The Sure Shot Entrepreneur

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2023 32:55


Scott Barclay, Managing Director at Insight Partners, delves into the potential of software to revolutionize healthcare's flawed systems. He explores the dynamics of VC firms operating across various stages in the ecosystem, weighing the pros and cons of seed-stage investments for larger firms. Additionally, Scott shares insights on why now is an opportune time to embark on AI endeavors.In this episode, you'll learn:[3:47] What approaches is Insight Partners employing to establish the most scalable framework as a leading global software investor?[7:32] A VC's reputation is built on their interactions with founders, regardless of whether or not they get on the founder's cap table.[11:29] Genuine success narratives within healthcare emerge at the crossroads of empathetic product development and high-quality go-to-market strategies.[16:10] 2023 to 2025 will be a phenomenal time to start something in AI.[24:56] Certain occasions demand the recognition that achieving greatness requires strategic boldness and the willingness to take early leaps.The non-profit organization that Scott is passionate about: Camp JabberwockyAbout Scott BarclayScott Barclay is a managing director for the health practice at Insight Partners. He's focused on how teams—armed with technical prowess and an earned empathy to the problem—can build something greater than themselves in healthcare with software and data. Previously, Scott was a partner at DCVC, an angel investor, and an operator at Surescripts. He has been instrumental in Insight's investment in UnoBravo, Kintsugi, Trialjectory, IDOVEN, AiVF among others.About Insight PartnersInsight Partners is a New York-based global software investor that partners with growth-stage technology and software companies, with a deep focus in Fintech, Cybersecurity, AI/ML, DevOps, and Healthcare sectors. Insight's portfolio companies include wiz, Calm, Checkout, Divvy, Kaseya, Espressive, ncino, onetrust, Pluralsight, among others.Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode. Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Screaming in the Cloud
The Role of DevRel at Google with Richard Seroter

Screaming in the Cloud

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2023 34:07


Richard Seroter, Director of Outbound Product Management at Google, joins Corey on Screaming in the Cloud to discuss what's new at Google. Corey and Richard discuss how AI can move from a novelty to truly providing value, as well as the importance of people maintaining their skills and abilities rather than using AI as a black box solution. Richard also discusses how he views the DevRel function, and why he feels it's so critical to communicate expectations for product launches with customers. About RichardRichard Seroter is Director of Outbound Product Management at Google Cloud. He's also an instructor at Pluralsight, a frequent public speaker, and the author of multiple books on software design and development. Richard maintains a regularly updated blog (seroter.com) on topics of architecture and solution design and can be found on Twitter as @rseroter. Links Referenced: Google Cloud: https://cloud.google.com Personal website: https://seroter.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/rseroter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seroter/ TranscriptAnnouncer: Hello, and welcome to Screaming in the Cloud with your host, Chief Cloud Economist at The Duckbill Group, Corey Quinn. This weekly show features conversations with people doing interesting work in the world of cloud, thoughtful commentary on the state of the technical world, and ridiculous titles for which Corey refuses to apologize. This is Screaming in the Cloud.Corey: Human-scale teams use Tailscale to build trusted networks. Tailscale Funnel is a great way to share a local service with your team for collaboration, testing, and experimentation.  Funnel securely exposes your dev environment at a stable URL, complete with auto-provisioned TLS certificates. Use it from the command line or the new VS Code extensions. In a few keystrokes, you can securely expose a local port to the internet, right from the IDE.I did this in a talk I gave at Tailscale Up, their first inaugural developer conference. I used it to present my slides and only revealed that that's what I was doing at the end of it. It's awesome, it works! Check it out!Their free plan now includes 3 users & 100 devices. Try it at snark.cloud/tailscalescream Corey: Welcome to Screaming in the Cloud, I'm Corey Quinn. We have returning guest Richard Seroter here who has apparently been collecting words to add to his job title over the years that we've been talking to him. Richard, you are now the Director of Product Management and Developer Relations at Google Cloud. Do I have all those words in the correct order and I haven't forgotten any along the way?Richard: I think that's all right. I think my first job was at Anderson Consulting as an analyst, so my goal is to really just add more words to whatever these titles—Corey: It's an adjective collection, really. That's what a career turns into. It's really the length of a career and success is measured not by accomplishments but by word count on your resume.Richard: If your business card requires a comma, success.Corey: So, it's been about a year or so since we last chatted here. What have you been up to?Richard: Yeah, plenty of things here, still, at Google Cloud as we took on developer relations. And, but you know, Google Cloud proper, I think AI has—I don't know if you've noticed, AI has kind of taken off with some folks who's spending a lot the last year… juicing up services and getting things ready there. And you know, myself and the team kind of remaking DevRel for a 2023 sort of worldview. So, yeah we spent the last year just scaling and growing and in covering some new areas like AI, which has been fun.Corey: You became profitable, which is awesome. I imagined at some point, someone wound up, like, basically realizing that you need to, like, patch the hole in the pipe and suddenly the water bill is no longer $8 billion a quarter. And hey, that works super well. Like, wow, that explains our utility bill and a few other things as well. I imagine the actual cause is slightly more complex than that, but I am a simple creature.Richard: Yeah. I think we made more than YouTube last quarter, which was a good milestone when you think of—I don't think anybody who says Google Cloud is a fun side project of Google is talking seriously anymore.Corey: I misunderstood you at first. I thought you said that you're pretty sure you made more than I did last year. It's like, well, yes, if a multi-billion dollar company's hyperscale cloud doesn't make more than I personally do, then I have many questions. And if I make more than that, I have a bunch of different questions, all of which could be terrifying to someone.Richard: You're killing it. Yeah.Corey: I'm working on it. So, over the last year, another trend that's emerged has been a pivot away—thankfully—from all of the Web3 nonsense and instead embracing the sprinkle some AI on it. And I'm not—people are about to listen to this and think, wait a minute, is he subtweeting my company? No, I'm subtweeting everyone's company because it seems to be a universal phenomenon. What's your take on it?Richard: I mean, it's countercultural now to not start every conversation with let me tell you about our AI story. And hopefully, we're going to get past this cycle. I think the AI stuff is here to stay. This does not feel like a hype trend to me overall. Like, this is legit tech with real user interest. I think that's awesome.I don't think a year from now, we're going to be competing over who has the biggest model anymore. Nobody cares. I don't know if we're going to hopefully lead with AI the same way as much as, what is it doing for me? What is my experience? Is it better? Can I do this job better? Did you eliminate this complex piece of toil from my day two stuff? That's what we should be talking about. But right now it's new and it's interesting. So, we all have to rub some AI on it.Corey: I think that there is also a bit of a passing of the buck going on when it comes to AI where I've talked to companies that are super excited about how they have this new AI story that's going to be great. And, “Well, what does it do?” “It lets you query our interface to get an answer.” Okay, is this just cover for being bad UX?Richard: [laugh]. That can be true in some cases. In other cases, this will fix UXes that will always be hard. Like, do we need to keep changing… I don't know, I'm sure if you and I go to our favorite cloud providers and go through their documentation, it's hard to have docs for 200 services and millions of pages. Maybe AI will fix some of that and make it easier to discover stuff.So in some cases, UIs are just hard at scale. But yes, I think in some cases, this papers over other things not happening by just rubbing some AI on it. Hopefully, for most everybody else, it's actually interesting, new value. But yeah, that's a… every week it's a new press release from somebody saying they're about to launch some AI stuff. I don't know how any normal human is keeping up with it.Corey: I certainly don't know. I'm curious to see what happens but it's kind of wild, too, because there you're right. There is something real there where you ask it to draw you a picture of a pony or something and it does, or give me a bunch of random analysis of this. I asked one recently to go ahead and rank the US presidents by absorbency and with a straight face, it did it, which is kind of amazing. I feel like there's a lack of imagination in the way that people talk about these things and a certain lack of awareness that you can make this a lot of fun, and in some ways, make that a better showcase of the business value than trying to do the straight-laced thing of having it explain Microsoft Excel to you.Richard: I think that's fair. I don't know how much sometimes whimsy and enterprise mix. Sometimes that can be a tricky part of the value prop. But I'm with you this some of this is hopefully returns to some more creativity of things. I mean, I personally use things like Bard or what have you that, “Hey, I'm trying to think of this idea. Can you give me some suggestions?” Or—I just did a couple weeks ago—“I need sample data for my app.”I could spend the next ten minutes coming up with Seinfeld and Bob's Burgers characters, or just give me the list in two seconds in JSON. Like that's great. So, I'm hoping we get to use this for more fun stuff. I'll be fascinated to see if when I write the keynote for—I'm working on the keynote for Next, if I can really inject something completely off the wall. I guess you're challenging me and I respect that.Corey: Oh, I absolutely am. And one of the things that I believe firmly is that we lose sight of the fact that people are inherently multifaceted. Just because you are a C-level executive at an enterprise does not mean that you're not also a human being with a sense of creativity and a bit of whimsy as well. Everyone is going to compete to wind up boring you to death with PowerPoint. Find something that sparks the imagination and sparks joy.Because yes, you're going to find the boring business case on your own without too much in the way of prodding for that, but isn't it great to imagine what if? What if we could have fun with some of these things? At least to me, that's always been the goal is to get people's attention. Humor has been my path, but there are others.Richard: I'm with you. I think there's a lot to that. And the question will be… yeah, I mean, again, to me, you and I talked about this before we started recording, this is the first trend for me in a while that feels purely organic where our customers, now—and I'll tell our internal folks—our customers have much better ideas than we do. And it's because they're doing all kinds of wild things. They're trying new scenarios, they're building apps purely based on prompts, and they're trying to, you know, do this.And it's better than what we just come up with, which is awesome. That's how it should be, versus just some vendor-led hype initiative where it is just boring corporate stuff. So, I like the fact that this isn't just us talking; it's the whole industry talking. It's people talking to my non-technical family members, giving me ideas for what they're using this stuff for. I think that's awesome. So yeah, but I'm with you, I think companies can also look for more creative angles than just what's another way to left-align something in a cell.Corey: I mean, some of the expressions on this are wild to me. The Photoshop beta with its generative AI play has just been phenomenal. Because it's weird stuff, like, things that, yeah, I'm never going to be a great artist, let's be clear, but being able to say remove this person from the background, and it does it, as best I can tell, seamlessly is stuff where yeah, that would have taken me ages to find someone who knows what the hell they're doing on the internet somewhere and then pay them to do it. Or basically stumble my way through it for two hours and it somehow looks worse afterwards than before I started. It's the baseline stuff of, I'm never going to be able to have it—to my understanding—go ahead just build me a whole banner ad that does this and hit these tones and the rest, but it is going to help me refine something in that direction, until I can then, you know, hand it to a professional who can take it from my chicken scratching into something real.Richard: If it will. I think that's my only concern personally with some of this is I don't want this to erase expertise or us to think we can just get lazy. I think that I get nervous, like, can I just tell it to do stuff and I don't even check the output, or I don't do whatever. So, I think that's when you go back to, again, enterprise use cases. If this is generating code or instructions or documentation or what have you, I need to trust that output in some way.Or more importantly, I still need to retain the skills necessary to check it. So, I'm hoping people like you and me and all our —every—all the users out there of this stuff, don't just offload responsibility to the machine. Like, just always treat it like a kind of slightly drunk friend sitting next to you with good advice and always check it out.Corey: It's critical. I think that there's a lot of concern—and I'm not saying that people are wrong on this—but that people are now going to let it take over their jobs, it's going to wind up destroying industries. No, I think it's going to continue to automate things that previously required human intervention. But this has been true since the Industrial Revolution, where opportunities arise and old jobs that used to be critical are no longer centered in quite the same way. The one aspect that does concern me is not that kids are going to be used to cheat on essays like, okay, great, whatever. That seems to be floated mostly by academics who are concerned about the appropriate structure of academia.For me, the problem is, is there's a reason that we have people go through 12 years of English class in the United States and that is, it's not to dissect of the work of long-dead authors. It's to understand how to write and how to tell us a story and how to frame ideas cohesively. And, “The computer will do that for me,” I feel like that potentially might not serve people particularly well. But as a counterpoint, I was told when I was going to school my entire life that you're never going to have a calculator in your pocket all the time that you need one. No, but I can also speak now to the open air, ask it any math problem I can imagine, and get a correct answer spoken back to me. That also wasn't really in the bingo card that I had back then either, so I am a hesitant to try and predict the future.Richard: Yeah, that's fair. I think it's still important for a kid that I know how to make change or do certain things. I don't want to just offload to calculators or—I want to be able to understand, as you say, literature or things, not just ever print me out a book report. But that happens with us professionals, too, right? Like, I don't want to just atrophy all of my programming skills because all I'm doing is accepting suggestions from the machine, or that it's writing my emails for me. Like, that still weirds me out a little bit. I like to write an email or send a tweet or do a summary. To me, I enjoy those things still. I don't want to—that's not toil to me. So, I'm hoping that we just use this to make ourselves better and we don't just use it to make ourselves lazier.Corey: You mentioned a few minutes ago that you are currently working on writing your keynote for Next, so I'm going to pretend, through a vicious character attack here, that this is—you know, it's 11 o'clock at night, the day before the Next keynote and you found new and exciting ways to procrastinate, like recording a podcast episode with me. My question for you is, how is this Next going to be different than previous Nexts?Richard: Hmm. Yeah, I mean, for the first time in a while it's in person, which is wonderful. So, we'll have a bunch of folks at Moscone in San Francisco, which is tremendous. And I [unintelligible 00:11:56] it, too, I definitely have online events fatigue. So—because absolutely no one has ever just watched the screen entirely for a 15 or 30 or 60-minute keynote. We're all tabbing over to something else and multitasking. And at least when I'm in the room, I can at least pretend I'll be paying attention the whole time. The medium is different. So, first off, I'm just excited—Corey: Right. It feels a lot ruder to get up and walk out of the front row in the middle of someone's talk. Now, don't get me wrong, I'll still do it because I'm a jerk, but I'll feel bad about it as I do. I kid, I kid. But yeah, a tab away is always a thing. And we seem to have taken the same structure that works in those events and tried to force it into more or less a non-interactive Zoom call, and I feel like that is just very hard to distinguish.I will say that Google did a phenomenal job of online events, given the constraints it was operating under. Production value is great, the fact that you took advantage of being in different facilities was awesome. But yeah, it'll be good to be back in person again. I will be there with bells on in Moscone myself, mostly yelling at people, but you know, that's what I do.Richard: It's what you do. But we missed that hallway track. You missed this sort of bump into people. Do hands-on labs, purposely have nothing to do where you just walk around the show floor. Like we have been missing, I think, society-wise, a little bit of just that intentional boredom. And so, sometimes you need at conference events, too, where you're like, “I'm going to skip that next talk and just see what's going on around here.” That's awesome. You should do that more often.So, we're going to have a lot of spaces for just, like, go—like, 6000 square feet of even just going and looking at demos or doing hands-on stuff or talking with other people. Like that's just the fun, awesome part. And yeah, you're going to hear a lot about AI, but plenty about other stuff, too. Tons of announcements. But the key is that to me, community stuff, learn from each other stuff, that energy in person, you can't replicate that online.Corey: So, an area that you have expanded into has been DevRel, where you've always been involved with it, let's be clear, but it's becoming a bit more pronounced. And as an outsider, I look at Google Cloud's DevRel presence and I don't see as much of it as your staffing levels would indicate, to the naive approach. And let's be clear, that means from my perspective, all public-facing humorous, probably performative content in different ways, where you have zany music videos that, you know, maybe, I don't know, parody popular songs do celebrate some exec's birthday they didn't know was coming—[fake coughing]. Or creative nonsense on social media. And the the lack of seeing a lot of that could in part be explained by the fact that social media is wildly fracturing into a bunch of different islands which, on balance, is probably a good thing for the internet, but I also suspect it comes down to a common misunderstanding of what DevRel actually is.It turns out that, contrary to what many people wanted to believe in the before times, it is not getting paid as much as an engineer, spending three times that amount of money on travel expenses every year to travel to exotic places, get on stage, party with your friends, and then give a 45-minute talk that spends two minutes mentioning where you work and 45 minutes talking about, I don't know, how to pick the right standing desk. That has, in many cases, been the perception of DevRel and I don't think that's particularly defensible in our current macroeconomic climate. So, what are all those DevRel people doing?Richard: [laugh]. That's such a good loaded question.Corey: It's always good to be given a question where the answers are very clear there are right answers and wrong answers, and oh, wow. It's a fun minefield. Have fun. Go catch.Richard: Yeah. No, that's terrific. Yeah, and your first part, we do have a pretty well-distributed team globally, who does a lot of things. Our YouTube channel has, you know, we just crossed a million subscribers who are getting this stuff regularly. It's more than Amazon and Azure combined on YouTube. So, in terms of like that, audience—Corey: Counterpoint, you definitionally are YouTube. But that's neither here nor there, either. I don't believe you're juicing the stats, but it's also somehow… not as awesome if, say, I were to do it, which I'm working on it, but I have a face for radio and it shows.Richard: [laugh]. Yeah, but a lot of this has been… the quality and quantity. Like, you look at the quantity of video, it overwhelms everyone else because we spend a lot of time, we have a specific media team within my DevRel team that does the studio work, that does the production, that does all that stuff. And it's a concerted effort. That team's amazing. They do really awesome work.But, you know, a lot of DevRel as you say, [sigh] I don't know about you, I don't think I've ever truly believed in the sort of halo effect of if super smart person works at X company, even if they don't even talk about that company, that somehow presents good vibes and business benefits to that company. I don't think we've ever proven that's really true. Maybe you've seen counterpoints, where [crosstalk 00:16:34]—Corey: I can think of anecdata examples of it. Often though, on some level, for me at least, it's been okay someone I tremendously respect to the industry has gone to work at a company that I've never heard of. I will be paying attention to what that company does as a direct result. Conversely, when someone who is super well known, and has been working at a company for a while leaves and then either trashes the company on the way out or doesn't talk about it, it's a question of, what's going on? Did something horrible happen there? Should we no longer like that company? Are we not friends anymore? It's—and I don't know if that's necessarily constructive, either, but it also, on some level, feels like it can shorthand to oh, to be working DevRel, you have to be an influencer, which frankly, I find terrifying.Richard: Yeah. Yeah. I just—the modern DevRel, hopefully, is doing a little more of product-led growth style work. They're focusing specifically on how are we helping developers discover, engage, scale, become advocates themselves in the platform, increasing that flywheel through usage, but that has very discreet metrics, it has very specific ownership. Again, personally, I don't even think DevRel should do as much with sales teams because sales teams have hundreds and sometimes thousands of sales engineers and sales reps. It's amazing. They have exactly what they need.I don't think DevRel is a drop in the bucket to that team. I'd rather talk directly to developers, focus on people who are self-service signups, people who are developers in those big accounts. So, I think the modern DevRel team is doing more in that respect. But when I look at—I just look, Corey, this morning at what my team did last week—so the average DevRel team, I look at what advocacy does, teams writing code labs, they're building tutorials. Yes, they're doing some in person events. They wrote some blog posts, published some videos, shipped a couple open-source projects that they contribute to in, like gaming sector, we ship—we have a couple projects there.They're actually usually customer zero in the product. They use the product before it ships, provides bugs and feedback to the team, we run DORA workshops—because again, we're the DevOps Research and Assessment gang—we actually run the tutorial and Docs platform for Google Cloud. We have people who write code samples and reference apps. So, sometimes you see things publicly, but you don't see the 20,000 code samples in the docs, many written by our team. So, a lot of the times, DevRel is doing work to just enable on some of these different properties, whether that's blogs or docs, whether that's guest articles or event series, but all of this should be in service of having that credible relationship to help devs use the platform easier. And I love watching this team do that.But I think there's more to it now than years ago, where maybe it was just, let's do some amazing work and try to have some second, third-order effect. I think DevRel teams that can have very discrete metrics around leading indicators of long-term cloud consumption. And if you can't measure that successfully, you've probably got to rethink the team.[midroll 00:19:20]Corey: That's probably fair. I think that there's a tremendous series of… I want to call it thankless work. Like having done some of those ridiculous parody videos myself, people look at it and they chuckle and they wind up, that was clever and funny, and they move on to the next one. And they don't see the fact that, you know, behind the scenes for that three-minute video, there was a five-figure budget to pull all that together with a lot of people doing a bunch of disparate work. Done right, a lot of this stuff looks like it was easy or that there was no work at all.I mean, at some level, I'm as guilty of that as anyone. We're recording a podcast now that is going to be handed over to the folks at HumblePod. They are going to produce this into something that sounds coherent, they're going to fix audio issues, all kinds of other stuff across the board, a full transcript, and the rest. And all of that is invisible to me. It's like AI; it's the magic box I drop a file into and get podcast out the other side.And that does a disservice to those people who are actively working in that space to make things better. Because the good stuff that they do never gets attention, but then the company makes an interesting blunder in some way or another and suddenly, everyone's out there screaming and wondering why these people aren't responding on Twitter in 20 seconds when they're finding out about this stuff for the first time.Richard: Mm-hm. Yeah, that's fair. You know, different internal, external expectations of even DevRel. We've recently launched—I don't know if you caught it—something called Jump Start Solutions, which were executable reference architectures. You can come into the Google Cloud Console or hit one of our pages and go, “Hey, I want to do a multi-tier web app.” “Hey, I want to do a data processing pipeline.” Like, use cases.One click, we blow out the entire thing in the platform, use it, mess around with it, turn it off with one click. Most of those are built by DevRel. Like, my engineers have gone and built that. Tons of work behind the scenes. Really, like, production-grade quality type architectures, really, really great work. There's going to be—there's a dozen of these. We'll GA them at Next—but really, really cool work. That's DevRel. Now, that's behind-the-scenes work, but as engineering work.That can be some of the thankless work of setting up projects, deployment architectures, Terraform, all of them also dropped into GitHub, ton of work documenting those. But yeah, that looks like behind-the-scenes work. But that's what—I mean, most of DevRel is engineers. These are folks often just building the things that then devs can use to learn the platforms. Is it the flashy work? No. Is it the most important work? Probably.Corey: I do have a question I'd be remiss not to ask. Since the last time we spoke, relatively recently from this recording, Google—well, I'd say ‘Google announced,' but they kind of didn't—Squarespace announced that they'd be taking over Google domains. And there was a lot of silence, which I interpret, to be clear, as people at Google being caught by surprise, by large companies, communication is challenging. And that's fine, but I don't think it was anything necessarily nefarious.And then it came out further in time with an FAQ that Google published on their site, that Google Cloud domains was a part of this as well. And that took a lot of people aback, in the sense—not that it's hard to migrate a domain from one provider to another, but it brought up the old question of, if you're building something in cloud, how do you pick what to trust? And I want to be clear before you answer that, I know you work there. I know that there are constraints on what you can or cannot say.And for people who are wondering why I'm not hitting you harder on this, I want to be very explicit, I can ask you a whole bunch of questions that I already know the answer to, and that answer is that you can't comment. That's not constructive or creative. So, I don't want people to think that I'm not intentionally asking the hard questions, but I also know that I'm not going to get an answer and all I'll do is make you uncomfortable. But I think it's fair to ask, how do you evaluate what services or providers or other resources you're using when you're building in cloud that are going to be around, that you can trust building on top of?Richard: It's a fair question. Not everyone's on… let's update our software on a weekly basis and I can just swap things in left. You know, there's a reason that even Red Hat is so popular with Linux because as a government employee, I can use that Linux and know it's backwards compatible for 15 years. And they sell that. Like, that's the value, that this thing works forever.And Microsoft does the same with a lot of their server products. Like, you know, for better or for worse, [laugh] they will always kind of work with a component you wrote 15 years ago in SharePoint and somehow it runs today. I don't even know how that's possible. Love it. That's impressive.Now, there's a cost to that. There's a giant tax in the vendor space to make that work. But yeah, there's certain times where even with us, look, we are trying to get better and better at things like comms. And last year we announced—I checked them recently—you know, we have 185 Cloud products in our enterprise APIs. Meaning they have a very, very tight way we would deprecate with very, very long notice, they've got certain expectations on guarantees of how long you can use them, quality of service, all the SLAs.And so, for me, like, I would bank on, first off, for every cloud provider, whether they're anchor services. Build on those right? You know, S3 is not going anywhere from Amazon. Rock solid service. BigQuery Goodness gracious, it's the center of Google Cloud.And you look at a lot of services: what can you bet on that are the anchors? And then you can take bets on things that sit around it. There's times to be edgy and say, “Hey, I'll use Service Weaver,” which we open-sourced earlier this year. It's kind of a cool framework for building apps and we'll deconstruct it into microservices at deploy time. That's cool.Would I literally build my whole business on it? No, I don't think so. It's early stuff. Now, would I maybe use it also with some really boring VMs and boring API Gateway and boring storage? Totally. Those are going to be around forever.I think for me, personally, I try to think of how do I isolate things that have some variability to them. Now, to your point, sometimes you don't know there's variability. You would have just thought that service might be around forever. So, how are you supposed to know that that thing could go away at some point? And that's totally fair. I get that.Which is why we have to keep being better at comms, making sure more things are in our enterprise APIs, which is almost everything. So, you have some assurances, when I build this thing, I've got a multi-year runway if anything ever changes. Nothing's going to stay the same forever, but nothing should change tomorrow on a dime. We need more trust than that.Corey: Absolutely. And I agree. And the problem, too, is hidden dependencies. Let's say what is something very simple. I want to log in to [unintelligible 00:25:34] brand new AWS account and spin of a single EC2 instance. The end. Well, I can trust that EC2 is going to be there. Great. That's not one service you need to go through that critical path. It is a bare minimum six, possibly as many as twelve, depending upon what it is exactly you're doing.And it's the, you find out after the fact that oh, there was that hidden dependency in there that I wasn't fully aware of. That is a tricky and delicate balance to strike. And, again, no one is going to ever congratulate you—at all—on the decision to maintain a service that is internally painful and engineering-ly expensive to keep going, but as soon as you kill something, even it's for this thing doesn't have any customers, the narrative becomes, “They're screwing over their customers.” It's—they just said that it didn't have any. What's the concern here?It's a messaging problem; it is a reputation problem. Conversely, everyone knows that Amazon does not kill AWS services. Full stop. Yeah, that turns out everyone's wrong. By my count, they've killed ten, full-on AWS services and counting at the moment. But that is not the reputation that they have.Conversely, I think that the reputation that Google is going to kill everything that it touches is probably not accurate, though I don't know that I'd want to have them over to babysit either. So, I don't know. But it is something that it feels like you're swimming uphill on in many respects, just due to not even deprecation decisions, historically, so much as poor communication around them.Richard: Mm-hm. I mean, communication can always get better, you know. And that's, it's not our customers' problem to make sure that they can track every weird thing we feel like doing. It's not their challenge. If our business model changes or our strategy changes, that's not technically the customer's problem. So, it's always our job to make this as easy as possible. Anytime we don't, we have made a mistake.So, you know, even DevRel, hey, look, it puts teams in a tough spot. We want our customers to trust us. We have to earn that; you will never just give it to us. At the same time, as you say, “Hey, we're profitable. It's great. We're growing like weeds,” it's amazing to see how many people are using this platform. I mean, even services, you don't talk about having—I mean, doing really, really well. But I got to earn that. And you got to earn, more importantly, the scale. I don't want you to just kick the tires on Google Cloud; I want you to bet on it. But we're only going to earn that with really good support, really good price, stability, really good feeling like these services are rock solid. Have we totally earned that? We're getting there, but not as mature as we'd like to get yet, but I like where we're going.Corey: I agree. And reputations are tricky. I mean, recently InfluxDB deprecated two regions and wound up turning them off and deleting data. And they wound up getting massive blowback for this, which, to their credit, their co-founder and CTO, Paul Dix—who has been on the show before—wound up talking about and saying, “Yeah, that was us. We're taking ownership of this.”But the public announcement said that they had—that data in AWS was not recoverable and they're reaching out to see if the data in GCP was still available. At which point, I took the wrong impression from this. Like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hang on. Hold the phone here. Does that mean that data that I delete from a Google Cloud account isn't really deleted?Because I have a whole bunch of regulators that would like a word if so. And Paul jumped onto that with, “No, no, no, no, no. I want to be clear, we have a backup system internally that we were using that has that set up. And we deleted the backups on the AWS side; we don't believe we did on the Google Cloud side. It's purely us, not a cloud provider problem.” It's like, “Okay, first, sorry for causing a fire drill.” Secondly, “Okay, that's great.” But the reason I jumped in that direction was just because it becomes so easy when a narrative gets out there to believe the worst about companies that you don't even realize you're doing it.Richard: No, I understand. It's reflexive. And I get it. And look, B2B is not B2C, you know? In B2B, it's not, “Build it and they will come.” I think we have the best cloud infrastructure, the best security posture, and the most sophisticated managed services. I believe that I use all the clouds. I think that's true. But it doesn't matter unless you also do the things around it, around support, security, you know, usability, trust, you have to go sell these things and bring them to people. You can't just sit back and say, “It's amazing. Everyone's going to use it.” You've got to earn that. And so, that's something that we're still on the journey of, but our foundation is terrific. We just got to do a better job on some of these intangibles around it.Corey: I agree with you, when you s—I think there's a spirited debate you could have on any of those things you said that you believe that Google Cloud is the best at, with the exception of security, where I think that is unquestionably. I think that is a lot less variable than the others. The others are more or less, “Who has the best cloud infrastructure?” Well, depends on who had what for breakfast today. But the simplicity and the approach you take to security is head and shoulders above the competition.And I want to make sure I give credit where due: it is because of that simplicity and default posturing that customers wind up better for it as a result. Otherwise, you wind up in this hell of, “You must have at least this much security training to responsibly secure your environment.” And that is never going to happen. People read far less than we wish they would. I want to make very clear that Google deserves the credit for that security posture.Richard: Yeah, and the other thing, look, I'll say that, from my observation, where we do something that feels a little special and different is we do think in platforms, we think in both how we build and how we operate and how the console is built by a platform team, you—singularly. How—[is 00:30:51] we're doing Duet AI that we've pre-announced at I/O and are shipping. That is a full platform experience covering a dozen services. That is really hard to do if you have a lot of isolation. So, we've done a really cool job thinking in platforms and giving that simplicity at that platform level. Hard to do, but again, we have to bring people to it. You're not going to discover it by accident.Corey: Richard, I will let you get back to your tear-filled late-night writing of tomorrow's Next keynote, but if people want to learn more—once the dust settles—where's the best place for them to find you?Richard: Yeah, hopefully, they continue to hang out at cloud.google.com and using all the free stuff, which is great. You can always find me at seroter.com. I read a bunch every day and then I've read a blog post every day about what I read, so if you ever want to tune in on that, just see what wacky things I'm checking out in tech, that is good. And I still hang out on different social networks, Twitter at @rseroter and LinkedIn and things like that. But yeah, join in and yell at me about anything I said.Corey: I did not realize you had a daily reading list of what you put up there. That is news to me and I will definitely track in, and then of course, yell at you from the cheap seats when I disagree with anything that you've chosen to include. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me and suffer the uncomfortable questions.Richard: Hey, I love it. If people aren't talking about us, then we don't matter, so I would much rather we'd be yelling about us than the opposite there.Corey: [laugh]. As always, it's been a pleasure. Richard Seroter, Director of Product Management and Developer Relations at Google Cloud. I'm Cloud Economist Corey Quinn, and this is Screaming in the Cloud. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice, whereas if you've hated this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice, along with an angry comment that you had an AI system write for you because you never learned how to structure a sentence.Corey: If your AWS bill keeps rising and your blood pressure is doing the same, then you need The Duckbill Group. We help companies fix their AWS bill by making it smaller and less horrifying. The Duckbill Group works for you, not AWS. We tailor recommendations to your business and we get to the point. Visit duckbillgroup.com to get started.

Adam Carolla Show
Part 1: Wimpy Meat Stick + Tyrus (ACS July 8)

Adam Carolla Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2022 67:51 Transcription Available Very Popular


After Gina talks about the Dodgers game she went to, the gang takes a deep dive into what makes a good hotdog and what are acceptable condiments. Adam remembers the time he and Jimmy Kimmel visited Snoop Dogg's house and waited for the ice cream truck with him. Wrestler and Fox News personality, Tyrus, talks to the gang about his new book ‘Just Tyrus, a Memoir', how he was told he was too big to be a comic, and how he got started working with Greg Gutfeld and Vince McMahon. He tells them about his time as Snoop Dogg's bodyguard and how Snoop is the black Willy Nelson. THANKS FOR SUPPORTING TODAY'S SPONSORS: Geico.com PluralSight.com/VISION The Jordan Harbinger Show

Adam Carolla Show
Part 2: Rob Dyrdek + News (ACS July 8)

Adam Carolla Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2022 64:04 Transcription Available Very Popular


Entrepreneur and Host of ‘Ridiculousness', Rob Dyrdek, comes in the studio and explains how he used the platform of skateboarding to launch media and business ventures to become an entrepreneur at an early age. He talks about being attacked by a shark, proposing at Disneyland, barrel rolling a Chevy Sonic, and surfing with Laird Hamilton. Gina Grad reports the news of today including: James Caan's passing, Boris Johnson stepping down as Prime Minister, Brittney Griner pleading guilty, Elon Musk having secret twins, Rihanna becoming the youngest self-made female billionaire, Jerry Harris sentenced to 12 years for sex charges, Logan Paul signing with the WWE, and Vince McMahon stepping down from the WWE. THANKS FOR SUPPORTING TODAY'S SPONSORS: Geico.com PluralSight.com/VISION The Jordan Harbinger Show