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In this inspiring episode of Modern Figures Podcast, hosts Kyla McMullen and Jeremy Waisome sit down with Dr. Cheryl D. Seals, the Charles E. Barkley Professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Auburn University. From her early days in Louisiana to becoming a powerhouse in user experience, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence, Dr. Seals shares the pivotal moments that shaped her path in tech.
Thomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub, joins Azeem to explore how AI is fundamentally transforming software development. In this episode you'll hear: (01:50) What's left for developers in the age of AI? (04:54) How GitHub Copilot unlocks flow state (07:09) Three big shifts in how engineers work today (10:47) Is software development art or assembly line? (15:26) Why developers are climbing the abstraction ladder (19:35) Have we already lost control of the code? (23:15) What it's actually like to work with AI coding agents (39:35) Welcome to the age of ultra-personalized software(45:37) Building the next-generation web Thomas's links:GitHub: https://github.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtom/Twitter/X: https://x.com/ashtomAzeem's links:Substack: https://www.exponentialview.co/Website: https://www.azeemazhar.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azharTwitter/X: https://x.com/azeemOur new show This was originally recorded for "Friday with Azeem Azhar", a new show that takes place every Friday at 9am PT and 12pm ET. You can tune in through Exponential View on Substack. Produced by supermix.io and EPIIPLUS1 Ltd
We're talking about either the terrifying or totally mundane new world of "vibe coding" - using AI to generate code without deep technical expertise. Joining Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Coach Om Patel for this podcast, we're happy to welcome back to the podcast Lenar Mukhamadiev, CEO of iDelsoft (https://idelsoft.com)!Listen as we discuss how this trend is changing product development, software engineering careers, and business innovation. Stick around while we argue over resistance, how vibe coding enables faster market testing and many more points, including:Accelerating time-to-market for new ideasEvolving role of professional developersUnderstanding business problems is more valuable than codingEmergence of "product engineers," or notA future where everyone is a software creator#AIinTech #ProductDevelopment #FutureOfWork= = = = = = = = = = = =YouTubeSubscribe on YouTubeAppleSpotify= = = = = = = = = = = =Toronto Is My Beat (Music Sample)By Whitewolf (Source: https://ccmixter.org/files/whitewolf225/60181)CC BY 4.0 DEED (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)
BONUS: Tom Gilb on Building True Engineering Culture and Delivering Value Through Evolutionary Methods In this BONUS episode, we dive deep into the world of true engineering discipline with Tom Gilb, a pioneer who was writing about Agile principles before Agile was even named. We explore his latest book "Success - Super Secrets & Strategies for Efficient Value Delivery in Projects and Programs, and Plans" and uncover the fundamental flaws in how organizations approach project delivery and stakeholder management. The Genesis of Success-Focused Engineering "People were failing at project deliveries - even when using Agile. I saw there was very little about setting clear goals and reaching them, it had nothing to do with being successful." Tom's motivation for writing his latest book stems from a critical observation: despite the widespread adoption of Agile methodologies, project failure rates remain unacceptably high. The core issue isn't methodology but rather the fundamental lack of clarity around what success actually means. Tom emphasizes that true success is about achieving the improvements you want at a price you can afford, yet most organizations fail to define this clearly from the outset. In this segment, we refer to the book How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg who published statistics on the poor performance of projects in general. Beyond OKRs: The Power of Quantified Multi-Dimensional Objectives "First you need to have a definition of what it means to succeed. And that needs to be multi-dimensional. And you need to clarify what they are." While many organizations believe they're already quantifying objectives through frameworks like OKRs, Tom reveals significant weaknesses in these approaches. True value isn't just profit—it encompasses multiple dimensions including security, usability, and other stakeholder-specific benefits. The key insight is learning to quantify what needs to be achieved across all critical dimensions, as you simply cannot design for high-quality attributes like security without first quantifying and designing for them explicitly. In this segment, we talk about Tom's paper on OKR's titled "OKR Objectives and Key Results: what's wrong and how to fix it". The Missing Engineering Discipline "Why is the failure rate of our projects so high?" Tom identifies a paradoxical problem: engineering organizations often lack true engineering discipline. This fundamental gap explains why project success rates remain low despite technological advances. Real engineering requires systematic approaches to design, stakeholder analysis, and incremental value delivery—disciplines that are often overlooked in favor of rushed implementations. Stakeholder Analysis: Beyond User Stories "Stakeholders have a requirement - even if we don't know it. They might be people, but also law, contract, policies, etc. They all have requirements for us." Traditional user-centered methods like user stories can lead to failure when critical stakeholders are overlooked. Tom advocates for comprehensive stakeholder analysis as the foundation of engineering discipline. Stakeholders aren't just people—they include laws, contracts, policies, and other constraints that have requirements for your system. The practical tip here is to use AI tools to help identify and list these stakeholders, then quantify their specific requirements using structured approaches like Planguage. The Gilb Cycle: True Incremental Value Delivery "Get things done every week, next week, until it's all done. We need to decompose any possible design into enough increments so that each increment delivers some value." What distinguishes Tom's evolutionary approach from popular Agile frameworks is the focus on choosing the most efficient design and then systematically improving existing systems through measured increments. Each increment must deliver tangible value, and the decomposition process should be aided by AI tools to ensure optimal value delivery. This isn't just about iteration—it's about strategic improvement with measurable outcomes. Building Engineering Culture: A Two-Leader Approach "There are two leaders: the tech leaders and the management leaders. For management leaders: demand a value stream of results starting next week. To the tech leaders: learn the engineering process." Creating a true engineering culture requires coordinated effort from both management and technical leadership. Management leaders should demand immediate value streams with weekly results, while technical leaders must master fundamental engineering processes including stakeholder analysis and requirement quantification. This dual approach ensures both accountability and capability development within the organization. Further Resources During this episode we refer to several of Tom's books and papers. You can see this list below Software Metrics by Tom Gilb Principles of software engineering management - Also available in PDF Evo book About Tom Gilb Tom Gilb, born in the US, lived in London, and then moved to Norway in 1958. An independent teacher, consultant, and writer, he has worked in software engineering, corporate top management, and large-scale systems engineering. As the saying goes, Tom was writing about Agile, before Agile was named. In 1976, Tom introduced the term "evolutionary" in his book Software Metrics, advocating for development in small, measurable steps. Today, we talk about Evo, the name that Tom used to describe his approach. You can link with Tom Gilb on LinkedIn.
In this episode Patrick and Shelli talk with Firasat Hussain, the Chief Product and Technology Officer at SnapCare. Firasat shares his 25-year journey through various technology leadership roles at companies like Ticketmaster, Orbitz, and RR Donnelley, emphasizing the significance of thoughtful leadership and iterative innovation. He describes his transition to SnapCare, where he is leading the integration of new AI tools and modern tech stacks to transform healthcare staffing. The discussion delves into Firasat's leadership philosophies, the importance of trust and influence over demands, and his commitment to growth and learning, both personally and professionally.(00:00) Welcome to Firasat Hussain, CPTO at SnapCare(01:23) From Accounting to Technology: Firasat's Early Career(04:32) Transition to Healthcare Tech: Joining SnapCare(05:26) The Role of Technology in Healthcare Staffing(07:11) Personal Insights: Leadership and Growth(12:03) The Importance of Travel and Broader Perspectives(14:41) SnapCare's Mission and Operations(20:13) Balancing Leadership in Work and Family Life(24:18) The Power of Trust and Kindness Over Demands(27:07) Building Trust Through Honest Conversations(30:05) The Importance of Active Listening(32:23) Establishing Priorities and Reducing Cognitive Overload(37:59) Reflecting on Personal and Professional Growth(41:50) Final ThoughtsFirasat Hussain is the Chief Product and Technology Officer at SnapCare, a technology-driven healthcare staffing firm. His 25+ year career has spanned varied industries and organizations at a range of stages, from established global tech firms to promising startups. He was Chief Technology Officer at arrivia, VP of Software Engineering at Ticketmaster, and VP of Enterprise Architecture at RR Donnelley. He spent 10 years growing and leading at Orbitz Worldwide, with six years as Director of Hotel Product Development. He launched his early career at Cysive and Oracle.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.
In this episode of HOMO COSMOPOLITAN, we talk with Sara Arghwan Jameel, a Master's student in Software Engineering at the Faculty of Applied Informatics. Originally from Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq, often called "Little Dubai", Sara shares her first impressions of Zlín, why she chose UTB for her studies, and her aspirations for the future. Tune in to hear her journey into the world of technology and her plans as a future software engineer. Ready to be inspired? Listen to our new episode!
This interview was recorded for the GOTO Book Club.gotopia.tech/bookclubRead the full transcription of the interview hereStephen Fishman - Field CTO at Boomi & Co-Author of "Unbundling the Enterprise"Matt McLarty - CTO at Boomi & Co-Author of "Unbundling the Enterprise"Erik Wilde - Principal Consultant at INNOQRESOURCESStephenhttps://x.com/fistsOfReasonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenhfishmanhttps://github.com/StephenFishmanMatthttps://bsky.app/profile/mattmclartybc.bsky.socialhttps://x.com/MattMcLartyBChttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mattmclartybcErikhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/erikwildehttps://github.com/dretLinkshttps://itrevolution.com/articleshttps://www.hbs.edu/faculty/PagesDESCRIPTIONHow can businesses thrive by embracing optionality through digital transformation?Authors Matt McLarty and Stephen Fishman talk about their book “Unbundling the Enterprise” with Erik Wilde. They highlight the power of APIs and flexible systems in enabling companies to capitalize on unforeseen opportunities, or "happy accidents," and how low-cost experimentation can drive long-term success.The conversation emphasizes that optionality is crucial not only in tech but also in business strategy, urging organizations to view their digital capabilities as part of a broader platform that supports both developer empowerment and revenue growth. With insights on optimization, platform engineering, and the importance of aligning technology with business objectives, the authors offer a roadmap for companies to navigate the future with agility and resilience.RECOMMENDED BOOKSStephen Fishman & Matt McLarty • Unbundling the EnterpriseCarliss Y. Baldwin • Design Rules, Vol. 2Matthew Skelton & Manuel Pais • Team TopologiesForsgren, Humble & Kim • Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOpsKim, Humble, Debois, Willis & Forsgren • The DevOps HandbookMik Kersten • Project to ProductAndrew Harmel-Law • Facilitating Software ArchitectureBlueskyTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookCHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUSJoin this channel to get early access to videos & other perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/joinLooking for a unique learning experience?Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket: gotopia.techSUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL - new videos posted daily!
In this episode I talk with Dave Farley about how good software engineering prioritizes making code easy to change, since we inevitably need to revise our systems as requirements evolve. Dave also shares stories from building ultra-fast financial trading systems, where his team had to repeatedly rethink their architecture to meet performance demands. We also discuss how key concepts like abstraction and modularity connect to scientific thinking, with both requiring a healthy skepticism toward our own assumptions.Modern Software EngineeringThe Software Developers' GuidebookNonsense Monthly
Experts! Speak English! - How to talk your way into an international career without the bullxxit
EXPERTS SPEAK ENGLISH Clarity is the first of the 7 Cs of Communication and is crucial for engineering teams to avoid misunderstandings, wasted time, and missed deadlines.This solo episode with Corinne Wilhelm explores how to make your message simple, direct, and accessible-using clear language, logical structure, and the right communication channels.You'll hear practical tips for stripping away ambiguity and real-world examples from engineering projects.Mastering clarity boosts trust, team morale, and your reputation-setting the stage for the rest of the 7 Cs series.
Apologies for the hiatus! Dave needed some time off to recover from burnout, and these episodes remained in the can. Thanks for Waiting for us
Amid the buzz of the AWS Summit in London, I sat down with Eiso Kant, the CTO and Co-Founder of Poolside, to explore how his team is reshaping the future of software development through AI. This conversation was recorded right on the show floor inside a surprisingly sleek podcast booth at the ExCel, where Eiso unpacked what sets Poolside apart in a space many claim to be in but few truly build for. Poolside is not just another AI company. It's one of a handful globally that is actually training foundation models from the ground up. While most firms are chasing general-purpose AI, Poolside has chosen a different path. They focus solely on empowering software developers inside high-consequence environments, such as banking, defense, and major global retailers. These are systems where precision and security matter, and where AI can drive measurable gains in productivity and reliability. What struck me during this discussion is how deliberately Poolside has been built for enterprise use from the start. Their model doesn't just live in the cloud. It is designed to live within the customer's own infrastructure, whether that's in their private AWS environment or even on-prem. This focus on data privacy, security, and customizability is helping Poolside win trust where it counts most. And the partnership with AWS takes this a step further, making it easier for enterprises to deploy Poolside's AI within existing cloud frameworks while meeting strict governance requirements. Eiso explained that Poolside doesn't just throw larger models at problems. Instead, they use reinforcement learning from code execution, training on millions of real codebases and test suites. This approach helps the model go beyond autocomplete and simple bug fixes. It's now stepping into longer, more complex tasks, nudging us closer to a future where AI could serve as a true teammate for software engineers. We also tackled one of the most important discussions in AI today: whether this is a cost-cutting tool or a productivity multiplier. Eiso didn't dodge the nuance. While some may use AI to reduce headcount, Poolside's focus is on enabling companies to build more, ship faster, and innovate with greater speed. That shift is not about replacing people. It's about creating leverage for development teams under pressure to deliver more in less time. If you're a CTO, CIO, or engineering leader, this episode is packed with practical insights. Whether it's understanding the ROI of AI-assisted development, the importance of retaining control of your own models, or how to think about enterprise-grade security in the age of LLMs, there's a lot here to digest. So how should we really be thinking about AI in the enterprise? Is it a partner, a tool, or the beginning of an entirely new workforce paradigm? Tune in to find out.
How do you move from dabbling with AI and vibe coding to building real, production-grade software with it? In this episode, Austin Vance, CEO of Focused returns and we transition the conversation from building AI-enabled applications to fostering AI-native engineering teams. Austin shares how generative AI isn't just a shortcut—it's reshaping how we architect, code, and lead. We also get to hear Austin's thoughts on the leaked ‘AI Mandate' memo from Shopify's CEO, Tobi Lutke. We cover what Austin refers to as ‘AI-driven development', how to win over the skeptics on your teams, and why traditional patterns of software engineering might not be the best fit for LLM-driven workflows. Whether you're an engineer,product leader, or startup founder, this episode will give you a practical lens on what AI-native software development actually requires—and how to foster adoption on your teams quickly and safely to get the benefits of using AI in product delivery. Unlock the full potential of your product team with Integral's player coaches, experts in lean, human-centered design. Visit integral.io/convergence for a free Product Success Lab workshop to gain clarity and confidence in tackling any product design or engineering challenge. Inside the episode... Why Shopify's leaked AI memo was a "permission slip" for your own team The three personas in AI adoption: advocates, skeptics, and holdouts How AI-driven development (AIDD) differs from “AI-assisted” workflows Tools and practices Focused uses to ship faster and cheaper with AI Pair programming vs. pairing with an LLM: similarities and mindset shifts How teams are learning to prompt effectively—without prompt engineering training Vibe coding vs. integrating with entrenched systems: what's actually feasible Scaling engineering culture around non-determinism and experimentation Practical tips for onboarding dev teams to tools like Cursor, Windsurf, and Vercel AI SDK Using LLMs for deep codebase exploration, not just code generation Mentioned in this episode Cursor Windsurf LangChain Claude GPT-4 / ChatGPT V0.dev GitHub Copilot Focused (focused.io) Shopify internal AI memo Unlock the full potential of your product team with Integral's player coaches, experts in lean, human-centered design. Visit integral.io/convergence for a free Product Success Lab workshop to gain clarity and confidence in tackling any product design or engineering challenge. Subscribe to the Convergence podcast wherever you get podcasts including video episodes to get updated on the other crucial conversations that we'll post on YouTube at youtube.com/@convergencefmpodcast Learn something? Give us a 5 star review and like the podcast on YouTube. It's how we grow. Follow the Pod Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/convergence-podcast/ X: https://twitter.com/podconvergence Instagram: @podconvergence
Send us a textDigital Transformation | Leadership | Pharma | Engineering & Data | HealthTech | Step into the world of digital leadership and transformation with this episode's inspiring guest, Anja Leth Zimmer. As the Corporate Vice President of Digital Products & Software Engineering at Novo Nordisk, Anja brings over 16 years of experience spanning Pharma, Consumer Goods, and Management Consulting. Her career journey includes pivotal roles at Deloitte and Carlsberg, and today, she leads a diverse team of software engineers, designers, and project managers-driving innovation at the intersection of technology and healthcare.Anja shares the pivotal moments that shaped her as a leader, including tough choices, failures, and the lessons learned along the way. Discover how she built the confidence to create her own opportunities, and hear her unique “pizza analogy” for taking charge of your career. Anja opens up about navigating periods of status quo and personal challenges, such as returning from maternity leave and turning obstacles into opportunities for growth.We dive into her approach to authentic leadership, the questions she asks when mentoring others, and how she encourages her team to “make their own pizza” rather than wait for a bigger slice. Anja also offers her insights on the evolving landscape of digital transformation, the importance of working across the value chain, and how to foster a culture of empowerment rather than fear.Whether you're interested in digital trends, leadership development, or making a meaningful impact through innovation, this conversation with Anja Leth Zimmer is packed with actionable advice and inspiration for your own leadership journey!Follow Anja on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjazimmer/
BONUS: Software Engineers are Paid to Solve Problems, Not Write Code! With John Crickett In this BONUS episode, we explore a thought-provoking LinkedIn post by John Crickett that challenges a fundamental misconception in software engineering. John shares insights on why engineers should focus on problem-solving rather than just coding, how to develop business context understanding, and why this shift in perspective is crucial in the age of AI. Beyond Writing Code: Understanding the True Value of Software Engineering "A lot of us come to software engineering because we care about building, and missed the goal: solving a problem for a customer." John Crickett explains the fundamental disconnect many software engineers experience in their careers. While many enter the field with a passion for building and coding, they often lose sight of the ultimate purpose: solving real problems for customers. This misalignment can lead to creating technically impressive solutions that fail to address actual business needs. John emphasizes that the most valuable engineers are those who can bridge the gap between technical implementation and business value. In this section, we refer to John's Coding Challenges and Developing Skills websites. The Isolation Problem in Engineering Teams "We have insulated people from seeing and interacting with customers, perhaps because we were afraid they would create a problem with customers." One of the key issues John identifies is how engineering teams are often deliberately separated from customers and end-users. This isolation, while sometimes implemented with good intentions, prevents engineers from gaining crucial context about the problems they're trying to solve. John shares his early career experience of participating in the sales process for software projects, which gave him valuable insights into customer needs. He highlights the Extreme Programming (XP) approach, which advocates for having the customer "in the room" to provide direct and immediate feedback, creating a tighter feedback loop between problem identification and solution implementation. In this segment, we refer to the book XP Explained by Kent Beck. The AI Replacement Risk "If all you are doing is taking a ticket that is fully spec'ed out, and coding it, then an LLM could also do that. The value is in understanding the problem." In a world where Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly capable of generating code, John warns that engineers who define themselves solely as coders face a significant risk of obsolescence. The true differentiation and value come from understanding the business domain and problem space—abilities that current AI tools haven't mastered. John advises engineers to develop domain knowledge specific to their business or customers, as this expertise allows them to contribute uniquely valuable insights beyond mere code implementation. Cultivating Business Context Understanding "Be curious about what the goal is behind the code you need to write. When people tell you to build, you need to be curious about why you are being asked to build that particular solution." John offers practical advice for engineers looking to develop better business context understanding. The key is cultivating genuine curiosity about the "why" behind coding tasks and features. By questioning requirements and understanding the business goals driving technical decisions, engineers can transform their role from merely delivering code to providing valuable services and solutions. This approach allows engineers to contribute more meaningfully and become partners in business success rather than just implementers. Building the Right Engineering Culture "Code is always a liability, sometimes it's an asset. The process starts with hiring the CTO—the people at the top. You get the team that reflects your values." Creating an engineering culture that values problem-solving over code production starts at the leadership level. John emphasizes that the values demonstrated by technical leadership will cascade throughout the organization. He notes the counter-intuitive truth that code itself is inherently a liability (requiring maintenance, updates, and potential refactoring), only becoming an asset when it effectively solves business problems. Building a team that understands this distinction begins with leadership that demonstrates curiosity about the business domain and encourages engineers to do the same. The Power of Asking Questions "Be curious, ask more questions." For engineers looking to make the shift from coder to problem-solver, John recommends developing the skill of asking good questions. He points to Harvard Business Review's article on "The Surprising Power of Questions" as a valuable resource. The ability to ask insightful questions about business needs, user requirements, and problem definitions allows engineers to uncover the true challenges beneath surface-level requirements. This curiosity-driven approach not only leads to better solutions but also positions engineers as valuable contributors to business strategy. In this segment, we refer to the article in HBR titled The Surprising Power of Questions. About John Crickett John is a passionate software engineer and leader on a mission to empower one million engineers and managers. With extensive expertise in distributed systems, full-stack development, and evolving tech stacks from C++ to Rust, John creates innovative coding challenges, insightful articles, and newsletters to help teams level up their skills. You can link with John Crickett on LinkedIn.
This is the Engineering Culture Podcast, from the people behind InfoQ.com and the QCon conferences. In this podcast, Shane Hastie, Lead Editor for Culture & Methods spoke to John Gesimondo about how to leverage generative AI tools to support sustainable mental peace and productivity in the complex, interruption-prone world of software engineering - especially for neurodivergent individuals - by developing a practical framework that addresses emotional recovery, overcoming being stuck, structured planning and communication, maximizing flow, and fostering divergent thinking. Read a transcript of this interview: https://bit.ly/4iyCqpr Subscribe to the Software Architects' Newsletter for your monthly guide to the essential news and experience from industry peers on emerging patterns and technologies: https://www.infoq.com/software-architects-newsletter Upcoming Events: InfoQ Dev Summit Boston (June 9-10, 2025) Actionable insights on today's critical dev priorities. devsummit.infoq.com/conference/boston2025 InfoQ Dev Summit Munich (October 15-16, 2025) Essential insights on critical software development priorities. https://devsummit.infoq.com/conference/munich2025 QCon San Francisco 2025 (November 17-21, 2025) Get practical inspiration and best practices on emerging software trends directly from senior software developers at early adopter companies. https://qconsf.com/ QCon AI New York 2025 (December 16-17, 2025) https://ai.qconferences.com/ The InfoQ Podcasts: Weekly inspiration to drive innovation and build great teams from senior software leaders. Listen to all our podcasts and read interview transcripts: - The InfoQ Podcast https://www.infoq.com/podcasts/ - Engineering Culture Podcast by InfoQ https://www.infoq.com/podcasts/#engineering_culture - Generally AI: https://www.infoq.com/generally-ai-podcast/ Follow InfoQ: - Mastodon: https://techhub.social/@infoq - Twitter: twitter.com/InfoQ - LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/infoq - Facebook: bit.ly/2jmlyG8 - Instagram: @infoqdotcom - Youtube: www.youtube.com/infoq Write for InfoQ: Learn and share the changes and innovations in professional software development. - Join a community of experts. - Increase your visibility. - Grow your career. https://www.infoq.com/write-for-infoq
This interview was recorded for the GOTO Book Club.http://gotopia.tech/bookclubRead the full transcription of the interview hereAndrew Harmel-Law - Technical Principal at Thoughtworks & Author of "Facilitating Software Architecture"Sonya Natanzon - Senior Director of Software Engineering at Guardant HealthRESOURCESAndrewhttps://bsky.app/profile/andrewhl.bsky.socialhttps://twit.social/@ahlhttps://github.com/andrewharmellawhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewharmellawSonyahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-natanzonLinkshttps://facilitatingsoftwarearchitecture.comhttps://martinfowler.com/articleshttps://www.thoughtworks.com/radar/techniqueshttps://www.cognitect.com/blog/2011/11/15https://medium.com/@vanessamformicolaDESCRIPTIONSonya Natanzon and Andrew Harmel-Law explore key concepts from Andrew's book, fostering decentralized sociotechnical systems, emphasizing the importance of embracing imperfection in decision-making, and combating cognitive biases like the framing effect.They highlight the shift to prioritizing learning, adaptability, and small, fast iterations in socio-technical systems. Andrew discusses psychological safety as vital for empowering teams to innovate while maintaining accountability, advocating for experimentation and collective ownership of evolving codebases. Together, they underline the importance of balancing creativity and structure to build resilient, adaptive systems that thrive in complexity.RECOMMENDED BOOKSAndrew Harmel-Law • Facilitating Software ArchitectureDiana Montalion • Learning Systems ThinkingDonald G. Reinertsen • The Principles of Product Development FlowAlexander, Ishikawa, Silverstein, Jacobson, Fiksdahl-King & Ange • A Pattern LanguagePatty McCord • PowerfulShoshana Zuboff • The Age of Surveillance CapitalismMatthew Skelton & Manuel Pais • TeaBlueskyTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookCHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUSJoin this channel to get early access to videos & other perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/joinLooking for a unique learning experience?Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket: gotopia.techSUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL - new videos posted daily!
You might think you know software engineering, but what are the really fundamental elements? What are the concepts, ideas and practices that are completely essential? What makes software engineering what it is? Thoughtworker Nate Schutta and Dan Vega are attempting to address those questions in their upcoming book with O'Reilly, The Fundamentals of Software Engineering. Covering topics ranging from reading code through to the importance of learning to learn, it promises to offer a fresh insight into the skills and knowledge needed to be a successful software engineer. In this episode of the Thoughtworks Technology Podcast, Nate and Dan join hosts Neal Ford and Ken Mugrage to discuss the book and to dive into what really are the fundamental elements of software engineering. Listen for a fresh perspective on the discipline and a deep dive that shows it's about far more than just writing code. Learn more about The Fundamentals of Software Engineering: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/fundamentals-of-software/9781098143220/
Episode 14 | The Effortless PodcastIn this episode of The Effortless Podcast, hosts Dheeraj Pandey and Amit Prakash sit down with Harpinder "Happy" Singh, AI/ML Engineer at DevRev, to explore the future of AI and machine learning in business automation. Happy, who joined DevRev in 2021, shares his journey from computer science to AI, discussing how DevRev is leveraging cutting-edge technologies like large language models (LLMs) and function calling to streamline enterprise workflows.Happy breaks down the key concepts of AI-driven workflows, the debate between federated and integrated systems, and the growing importance of Python in AI. He also shares insights from the CodeAct paper, which proposes using Python code execution for more efficient and flexible LLMs. The conversation highlights the transformative potential of AI in enterprise automation and how it is reshaping industries.They also cover:The evolution of AI at DevRev: From workflows to AI-driven automationThe role of Python in executing complex tasks for LLMsUnderstanding the user-agent-environment model in AI systemsHow federated vs. integrated systems impact AI performanceThe future of AI in enterprise automation and DevRev's innovationsHappy's decision to stay in India and the growing tech ecosystem in IndiaThis episode provides valuable insights into how AI is transforming business operations, making complex workflows more efficient and accessible. Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a developer, or a business leader, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone interested in the next wave of AI-driven innovation.Key Topics & Timestamps:00:00 – Introduction to Harpinder "Happy" Singh & His Journey into AI03:00 – Happy's Early Background: From Shahjahanpur to BITS Pilani06:30 – Transition to AI at DevRev09:30 – Bangalore Life and Growing with DevRev13:00 – AI in India vs. the US18:00 – Federated vs. Integrated Systems: Which Approach Works Best for AI?25:00 – The Role of Python in AI32:00 – User, Agent, and Environment Model in AI39:30 – The CodeAct Paper: Replacing Tool Calls with Python Code Execution47:00 – AI in Enterprise Automation: How DevRev Uses AI to Streamline Workflows54:00 – Looking Ahead at DevRev's AI Innovations1:00:00 – Final Reflections: The Future of AI in Business and AutomationHosts:Dheeraj Pandey: Co-founder and CEO at DevRev, formerly CEO of Nutanix, a tech visionary passionate about AI and systems thinking.Amit Prakash: Co-founder and CTO at ThoughtSpot, former engineer at Google and Microsoft, and expert in distributed systems and machine learning.Guest:Harpinder Jot Singh: AI/ML Engineer at DevRev, working on the cutting edge of large language models (LLMs), AI-driven workflows, and integrating AI into enterprise systems.Follow the Host and the Guest:Dheeraj Pandey: LinkedIn | XAmit Prakash: LinkedIn | XHarpinder Singh: LinkedInHave questions or thoughts on AI? Drop us a mail at effortlesspodcasthq@gmail.comDon't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more insights into the future of AI, business automation, and enterprise technology!
In this crossover episode of The Cognitive Revolution, Nathan Labenz joins Liron Shapira of Doom Debates, for a wide-ranging news and analysis discussion about recent AI developments. The conversation covers significant topics including GPT-4o image generation's implications for designers and businesses like Waymark, debates around learning to code, entrepreneurship versus job security, and the validity of OpenAI's $300 billion valuation. Nathan and Leron also explore AI safety organizations, international cooperation possibilities, and Anthropic's new mechanistic interpretability paper, providing listeners with thoughtful perspectives on the high-stakes nature of advanced AI development across society. All the links mentioned in the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LyFMLH5VpkhY7KfFBpgi2vhfbmdbDtQ4hh03KXEXyiE/edit?usp=sharing SPONSORS: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI): Oracle Cloud Infrastructure offers next-generation cloud solutions that cut costs and boost performance. With OCI, you can run AI projects and applications faster and more securely for less. New U.S. customers can save 50% on compute, 70% on storage, and 80% on networking by switching to OCI before May 31, 2024. See if you qualify at https://oracle.com/cognitive Shopify: Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive NetSuite: Over 41,000 businesses trust NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud ERP, to future-proof their operations. With a unified platform for accounting, financial management, inventory, and HR, NetSuite provides real-time insights and forecasting to help you make quick, informed decisions. Whether you're earning millions or hundreds of millions, NetSuite empowers you to tackle challenges and seize opportunities. Download the free CFO's guide to AI and machine learning at https://netsuite.com/cognitive PRODUCED BY: https://aipodcast.ing CHAPTERS: (00:00) About the Episode (02:58) Introduction and Guest Background (08:23) P Doom Discussion (13:15) Anthropic Leadership Concerns (Part 1) (19:50) Sponsors: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) | Shopify (21:04) Sponsors: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) | Shopify (23:00) Anthropic Leadership Concerns (Part 2) (29:34) GPT-4o Image Capabilities (Part 1) (29:43) Sponsors: NetSuite (31:11) GPT-4o Image Capabilities (Part 2) (38:19) AI Impact on Creative Work (48:26) Future of Software Engineering (01:02:10) NVIDIA Stock Discussion (01:09:21) OpenAI's $300B Valuation (01:17:37) AI Models and Safety (01:33:58) Packy's AI Concerns Critique (01:46:41) Emmett Shear's Organic Alignment (02:04:43) Anthropic's Interpretability Paper (02:17:53) International AI Cooperation (02:27:38) Outro
Brian Houck from Microsoft returns to discuss effective strategies for driving AI adoption among software development teams. Brian shares his insights into why the immense hype around AI often serves as a barrier rather than a facilitator for adoption, citing skepticism and inflated expectations among developers. He highlights the most effective approaches, including leadership advocacy, structured training, and cultivating local champions within teams to demonstrate practical use cases. Brian emphasizes the importance of honest communication about AI's capabilities, avoiding over-promises, and ensuring that teams clearly understand what AI tools are best suited for. Additionally, he discusses common pitfalls, such as placing excessive pressure on individuals through leaderboards and unrealistic mandates, and stresses the importance of framing AI as an assistant rather than a replacement for developer skills. Finally, Brian explores the role of data and metrics in adoption efforts, offering practical advice on how to measure usage effectively and sustainably.Where to find Brian Houck: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhouck/ • Website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/people/bhouck/ Where to find Abi Noda:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abinoda In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Intro: Why AI hype can hinder adoption among teams(01:47) Key strategies companies use to successfully implement AI(04:47) Understanding why adopting AI tools is uniquely challenging(07:09) How clear and consistent leadership communication boosts AI adoption(10:46) The value of team leaders ("local champions") demonstrating practical AI use(14:26) Practical advice for identifying and empowering team champions(16:31) Common mistakes companies make when encouraging AI adoption(19:21) Simple technical reminders and nudges that encourage AI use(20:24) Effective ways to track and measure AI usage through dashboards(23:18) Working with team leaders and infrastructure teams to promote AI tools(24:20) Understanding when to shift from adoption efforts to sustained use(25:59) Insights into the real-world productivity impact of AI(27:52) Discussing how AI affects long-term code maintenance(29:02) Updates on ongoing research linking sleep quality to productivityReferenced:DX Core 4 Productivity FrameworkEngineering Enablement PodcastDORA MetricsDropbox Engineering BlogEtsy Engineering BlogPfizer Digital InnovationBrown Bag Sessions – A GuideIDE Integration and AI ToolsDeveloper Productivity Dashboard Examples
This interview was recorded for the GOTO Book Club.http://gotopia.tech/bookclubRead the full transcription of the interview hereEvelyn van Kelle - Behavioral Change Consultant at XebiaGien Verschatse - Senior Consultant at AardlingKenny Baas-Schwegler - Collaborative Modeling Facilitator at Weave ITXin Yao - Independent Consultant Contextualizing DDD & Sociotechnical ArchitectureRESOURCESEvelynhttps://bsky.app/profile/evelynvankelle.bsky.socialhttps://evelynvankelle.comGienhttps://bsky.app/profile/selketjah.bsky.socialhttps://www.gienverschatse.comKennyhttps://bsky.app/profile/kenny.weave-it.orghttps://weave-it.orgXinhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/xinxinhttps://bsky.app/profile/settling-mud.bsky.socialLinkshttps://collaborative-software-design.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/collaborative-software-design.comDESCRIPTIONIn a spirited discussion on collaborative modeling and decision-making, the the authors of “Collaborative Software Design: How to Facilitate Domain Modeling Decisions”—Evelyn vVan Kelle, Gien Verschatse, and Kenny Baas-Schwegler—explored the power of inclusive decision-making, shared understanding, and how to navigate social dynamics like bias, ranking and conflict in teams together with Xin Yao.They highlighted the importance of facilitating not just through structured methods, but by empowering everyone in the team to contribute and lead decisions. Drawing from their experiences, they shared insights into the process of making better decisions through collaboration, the impact of "Deep Democracy", and the value of being able to step back and allow teams to thrive independently. Their conversation also touched on resources like Thinking, Fast and Slow, Jam Cultures, and Sitting in the Fire—tools to help teams make smarter decisions and grow together.RECOMMENDED BOOKSvan Kelle, Verschatse &Baas-Schwegler • Collaborative Software DesignJitske Kramer • Jam CulturesDanielle Braun & Jitske Kramer • The Corporate TribeArnold Mindell • Sitting in the FireDaniel Kahneman • Thinking, Fast and SlowGeBlueskyTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookCHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUSJoin this channel to get early access to videos & other perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/joinLooking for a unique learning experience?Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket: gotopia.techSUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL - new videos posted daily!
In today's rapidly evolving world, one of the most essential leadership skills is learning to embrace the unknown. Take it from Erica Banks, VP of Software Engineering at CNN — who doesn't shy away from uncertainty but finds opportunity in the unexpected. In this episode, we explore how leaders can lead with confidence in the face of ambiguity and navigate the dynamic media technology environment. If you're looking to step up your leadership game, this conversation is a must-listen.
Building and growing winning teams – thoughts from a seasoned fintech leader on managing high-performing engineering teams. Detailed Summary: In this episode Naga Rishyender, Manager of Software Engineering at Discover Financial Services, shares his thoughts on building and managing high-performing engineering teams in the fast-evolving fintech space. He begins by discussing his career journey—from his education at UNCC to roles at Wells Fargo, Oracle, Amazon, and now Discover—highlighting the impact of his leadership on major projects like Amazon's “Pay with Affirm” feature. At Discover, he currently leads a team of engineers working on critical payment authorization systems, fraud prevention, and infrastructure modernization, with a strong focus on innovation and cloud technology. Naga goes on to detail his philosophy for assembling effective engineering teams. He emphasizes diversity—not just in background, but in experience levels—as a key to fostering collaboration, mentorship, and innovation. Psychological safety, clear roadmaps, and continuous learning opportunities are all pillars of his leadership approach to ensure team alignment and growth. The conversation also explores the evolving relationship between academia and the fintech industry. Naga praises the rise of fintech-specific courses in universities and highlights Discover's Student Rotational Program as a successful model for bridging the gap between education and real-world experience. He advocates for more industry-academic collaboration through mentorship, hackathons, internships, and curriculum development. These partnerships, he argues, prepare students more effectively for careers in fintech by offering practical experience, exposure to regulations, and insight into company cultures before graduation. More info: Discover FS: https://www.discover.com/ Naga Rishyendar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naga-rishyendar-p/ Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/ Finovate: https://www.finovate.com ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/ #fintech #leadership #engineering #financialservices #innovation #mentorship #finovate
What happens when one of the most legendary minds in tech delves deep into the real workings of modern AI? A 2-hour long masterclass that you don't want to miss. Bret Taylor, current chairman of OpenAI, unpacks why AI is transforming software engineering forever, how founders can survive acquisition (he's done it twice), and why the true bottlenecks in AI aren't what most think. Drawing on his extensive experiences at Facebook, Google, Twitter and more, he explains why the next phase of AI won't just be about building better models—it's about creating entirely new ways for us to work with them. Bret exposes the reality gap between what AI insiders understand and what everyone else believes. Listen now to recalibrate your thinking before your competitors do. (00:02:46) Aha Moments with AI (00:04:43) Founders Working for Founders (00:07:59) Acquisition Process (00:14:14) The Role of a Board (00:17:05) Founder Mode (00:20:29) Engineers as Leaders (00:24:54) Applying First Principles in Business (00:28:43) The Future of Software Engineering (00:35:11) Efficiency and Verification of AI-Generated Code (00:36:46) The Future of Software Development (00:37:24) Defining AGI (00:47:03) AI Self-Improvement? (00:47:58) Safety Measures and Supervision in AI (00:49:47) Benefiting Humanity and AI Safety (00:54:06) Regulation and Geopolitical Landscape in AI (00:55:58) Foundation Models and Frontier Models (01:01:06) Economics and Open Source Models (01:05:18) AI and AGI Accessibility (01:07:42) Optimizing AI Prompts (01:11:18) Creating an AI Superpower (01:14:12) Future of Education and AI (01:19:34) The Impact of AI on Job Roles (01:21:58) AI in Problem-Solving and Research (01:25:24) Importance of AI Context Window (01:27:37) AI Output and Intellectual Property (01:30:09) Google Maps Launch and Challenges (01:37:57) Long-Term Investment in AI (01:43:02) Balancing Work and Family Life (01:44:25) Building Sierra as an Enduring Company (01:45:38) Lessons from Tech Company Lifecycles (01:48:31) Definition and Applications of AI Agents (01:53:56) Challenges and Importance of Branded AI Agents (01:56:28) Fending Off Complacency in Companies (02:01:21) Customer Obsession and Leadership in Companies Bret Taylor is currently the Chairman of OpenAI and CEO of Sierra. Previously, he was the CTO of Facebook, Chairman of the board for X, and the Co-CEO of Salesforce. Newsletter - The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it's completely free. Learn more and sign up at fs.blog/newsletter Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: fs.blog/membership and get your own private feed. Watch on YouTube: @tkppodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
(05:57) Brought to you by Swimm.io.Start modernizing your mainframe faster with Swimm.Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code.Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement.Are we looking at software engineering the wrong way?What if it's less about writing code and more about making better decisions in an ever-changing system?Learn a revolutionary approach to understanding complex software systems in my conversation with Tudor Girba, the CEO of feenk. We explore “Moldable Development,” a groundbreaking concept that challenges traditional views of software engineering. Learn why treating development as a decision-making process, supported by custom tools, is crucial for tackling today's software challenges, especially when dealing with legacy systems.Key topics discussed:Software Engineering as Decision-Making: Why software development is fundamentally about making informed decisions rather than just constructing systems.The Inefficiency of Reading Code: Developers spend over 50% of their time reading code, yet this activity remains unoptimized.Moldable Development: Learn how creating custom tools tailored to specific problems can revolutionize your workflow and decision-making process.Legacy Systems as Opportunities: Reframe legacy systems as value-creation opportunities instead of burdens.Glamorous Toolkit: Discover the innovative development environment enabling thousands of micro-tools for better system understanding.The Future of Development Environments: Explore how AI, moldable development, and tools like Glamorous Toolkit can coexist to solve diverse class of problems.This conversation will completely transform how you think about software development! Timestamps:(00:01:57) Career Turning Points(00:08:29) Understanding How We Read Code(00:10:43) Software Engineering is a Decision-Making Activity(00:13:19) Reading Code is a Suboptimal Activity(00:16:44) Moldable Development(00:22:47) The Challenges with Legacy Systems(00:30:17) Moldable Development Workflow(00:46:02) Glamorous Toolkit(00:54:15) IDE, AI, and Glamorous Toolkit(01:00:36) Writing with Simon Wardley(01:03:01) 1 Tech Lead Wisdom_____Tudor Girba's BioTudor Girba is the CEO of feenk, a company focused on modernizing legacy systems. They do that through Moldable Development, a way of programming through contextual tools. They build Glamorous Toolkit, a free and open-source moldable development environment, to show how working through thousands of contextual tools per system can be practical. In 2014, Tudor received the prestigious Dahl-Nygaard Junior Prize for his work on modeling and visualisation of evolution and interplay of large numbers of objects.Follow Tudor:LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/girbaBluesky – bsky.app/profile/tudorgirba.comX – x.com/girbafeenk – feenk.comGlamorous Toolkit – gtoolkit.com
This is one of my favorite conversations that I wanted to replay this week. If you are in any post sales Customer Success, or Account Management world, you have most likely heard of this week's guest. This week's guest started his journey studying Information Systems and Software Engineering before making the shift into Professional Services, Support, and Customer Success. At the time of recording, he was an Executive VP of Corporate Market and Chief Customer Officer at Higher Logic. Now, he is the CEO of Balboa Solutions, where they help their clients maximize the value of the Pendo platform to power adoption, enablement, and user analytics.This week's guest is the heart of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Mr. Jay Nathan. In this week's episode, we discussed:Customer Centric MindsetNatural Curiosity For CustomersLessons From Duke Energy (Large Enterprises and Heavy Process)The Start of The Largest CS CommunityUsing Your Own ProductMuch More! Please enjoy this week's episode with Jay Nathan.____________________________________________________________________________I am now in the early stages of writing my first book! In this book, I will be telling my story of getting into sales and the lessons I have learned so far, and intertwine stories, tips, and advice from the Top Sales Professionals In The World! As a first time author, I want to share these interviews with you all, and take you on this book writing journey with me! Like the show? Subscribe to the email: https://mailchi.mp/a71e58dacffb/welcome-to-the-20-podcast-communityI want your feedback!Reach out to 20percentpodcastquestions@gmail.com, or find me on LinkedIn
In this episode, we're joined by author and researcher Gene Kim for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolution of DevOps, developer experience, and the systems thinking behind organizational performance. Gene shares insights from his latest work on socio-technical systems, the role of developer platforms, and how AI is reshaping the shape of engineering teams. We also explore the coordination challenges facing modern organizations, the limits of tooling, and the deeper principles that unite DevOps, lean, and platform engineering.Mentions and links:Phoenix ProjectDecoding the DNA of the Toyota Production SystemWiring the Winning OrganizationETLS VegasFind Gene on LinkedInDiscussion points:(0:00) Introduction(2:12) The evolving landscape of developer experience(10:34) Option Value theory, and how GenAI helps developers(13:45) The aim of developer experience work(19:59) The significance of layer three changes(23:23) Framing developer experience(32:12) GenAI's part in ‘the death of the stubborn developer”(36:05) GenAI's implications on the workforce(38:05) Where Gene's work is heading
When you make your living settling other people's disagreements, it can be easy to fall back on the skills and tools gained in that Professional environment when trying to resolve an argument that is Personal in nature. And like an almost comical right-of-passage, it's a mistake that EVERY lawyer makes at some point, typically early on in their career. The type of detached logic we use to navigate a problem is great for guaranteeing Justice, but it's also what makes it terrible for acknowledging (much less validating) the role emotions play in interpersonal relationships. And when your spouse, colleague, or friend suddenly feels like they're being cross-examined, it doesn't end well.Trust me. But as my guest this week discovered through his own journey, oftentimes the logic of relationships only breaks down because we're trying to solve for the wrong variables. And sometimes we're not even working on the same equation. Rod Jeter is a Navy veteran who found success in multiple careers including Real Estate and Software Engineering, but as he writes in his latest book, his personal life was on a downward slope. Not one to give up easily, Rod began working backwards to figure out why it seemed like even though two people had the exact same information AND knew each other well, they could come to such vastly different conclusions about something. This question would lead him to develop the YBAngry relationship tool with the goal of creating happier homes and helping as many people as possible solve conflicts and disagreements with less chaos and more fun. On this week's episode of Legal Grounds, Rod shares his journey, insights learned from working with hundreds of couples, and a couple of laughs along the way. Enjoy the show.
Sourcegraph is a powerful code search and intelligence tool that helps developers navigate and understand large codebases efficiently. It provides advanced search functionality across multiple repositories, making it easier to find references, functions, and dependencies. Additionally, Sourcegraph integrates with various development workflows to streamline code reviews and collaboration across teams. Beyang Liu is the CTO The post Sourcegraph and the Frontier of AI in Software Engineering with Beyang Liu appeared first on Software Engineering Daily.
Sourcegraph is a powerful code search and intelligence tool that helps developers navigate and understand large codebases efficiently. It provides advanced search functionality across multiple repositories, making it easier to find references, functions, and dependencies. Additionally, Sourcegraph integrates with various development workflows to streamline code reviews and collaboration across teams. Beyang Liu is the CTO The post Sourcegraph and the Frontier of AI in Software Engineering with Beyang Liu appeared first on Software Engineering Daily.
Datavant, one of the world's leading health data platform companies, has announced its expansion into Ireland with the opening of its global R&D centre in Galway. The company plans to initially hire up to 125 people at its Global Development Centre in Galway by the end of 2027. Recruitment is already underway with a range of diverse engineering roles now open. Datavant Ireland will be working out of the Portershed initially with plans to open a city centre location before the end of the year. The project is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland. Datavant CEO Kyle Armbrester is making the announcement at an event in Galway's Portershed this morning (March 31st), which will be attended by Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke T.D. and IDA CEO Michael Lohan. Members of Datavant's Executive Leadership Team also in attendance include Matt Vail, Chief Technology Officer; Arnaub Chatterjee, General Manager and President of Life Sciences, Ecosystem and Public Sector; and Susan Yun, Chief People Officer. The company is also announcing the appointment of its new Vice President, Engineering and Galway Technical Lead, Ciaran O'Toole, who will be based out of the Galway office. Ciaran will lead the effort to build the Datavant engineering team in Ireland with a focus on building the company's life sciences technology roadmap and integration with the enterprise technology organisation. Prior to joining Datavant, Ciaran was VP of Software Engineering for Globalisation Partners, a Boston-based global recruitment and talent company, where he led the build-out of the company's Irish engineering team and launched its Galway site. Throughout his career, Ciaran has worked on building out and maintaining multifunctional, high-performing engineering teams. Datavant is the world leader in secure, compliant healthcare data exchange and has more than 8,000 employees. It is making the world's health data secure, accessible and actionable. Datavant's vast and diverse health data exchange in the U.S. serves as a "network of networks," enabling seamless, privacy-preserving data exchange between life sciences, payers, and providers through its platform. By connecting disparate patient-level datasets ,EHRs, claims data, lab results, clinical trial data, consumer data, social determinants of health data, and more, in a privacy-compliant manner, Datavant helps each stakeholder in healthcare unlock insights and opportunities that weren't previously possible. Datavant's new Irish-based Global Development Centre will support the company's overall global development approach to product development and will operate as an integrated part of Datavant's tech and product development team. The decision to create a Global Development Centre outside of the U.S. was influenced by a desire to tap into top tech talent and to follow around-the-clock productivity. Two of the key reasons why Datavant chose Galway specifically were because of the rich talent pool in Galway and Ireland - especially highly-experienced people in the area of health tech - and because of its proximity to Datavant customers in the EU. Hiring has already begun for the new roles which will initially be in engineering, the majority of which will focus on building Datavant's Privacy and Linkage technologies to support its Life Sciences, Ecosystem and Public Sector business. The company is also recruiting for technology roles to support security and corporate systems. The Galway-based team will significantly expand upon Datavant's established presence of UK-based professionals, including engineers, data scientists, privacy experts, and product management specialists. Minister for Enterprise Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, T.D., congratulated Datavant on the opening of their R&D Centre in Galway, saying: "This great news comes with plans to hire 125 people in Galway over the next two years and is another vote of confidence in the Government and IDA's Regional De...
This interview was recorded for GOTO Unscripted.https://gotopia.techRead the full transcription of this interview hereSusanne Kaiser - Independent Tech Consultant & Author of "Architecture for Flow"Michaela Greiler - Code Reviews Expert, Trainer & ConsultantAdele Carpenter - Software Engineer at TriforkDaniel Terhorst-North - Originator of Behavior Driven Development (BDD) & Principal at Dan North & AssociatesSimon Wardley - Thought Lord, Mapper, Mostly GoodRESOURCESSusannehttps://mastodon.social/@suksrhttps://susannekaiser.netMichaelahttps://twitter.com/mgreilerhttps://michaelagreiler.comAdelehttps://bsky.app/profile/97adele.bsky.socialDanielhttps://bsky.app/profile/suksr.bsky.socialhttp://dannorth.net/blogSimonhttps://bsky.app/profile/swardley.bsky.socialhttp://blog.gardeviance.orgDESCRIPTIONExplore the rich tapestry of what it truly means to support developers.The conversation took a forward-looking turn as they examined the role of AI, not as a looming replacement, but as a powerful ally that enhances human creativity, much like past innovations that revolutionized workflows. They showcased how intuitive design—exemplified by tools like IntelliJ—can make a developer's experience seamless and enjoyable.RECOMMENDED BOOKSSusanne Kaiser • Adaptive Systems With Domain-Driven Design, Wardley Mapping & Team TopologiesSimon Wardley • Wardley MapsSimon Wardley • Wardley Mapping, The KnowledgeMatthew Casperson • DevEx as a ServiceChristian Clausen • Five Lines of CodeDavid Anderson, Marck McCann & Michael O'Reilly • TBlueskyTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookCHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUSJoin this channel to get early access to videos & other perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/joinLooking for a unique learning experience?Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket: gotopia.techSUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL - new videos posted daily!
What if the key to building better teams and products is hidden in our brain chemistry? In this episode, Brad Nelson joins us to break down the neuroscience behind motivation, happiness, and productivity—especially for Agile teams. From dopamine and serotonin to stress hormones like cortisol, we explore how brain science can inform leadership, team culture, and workplace habits. Plus, we connect these insights to practical Agile practices like pair programming, retrospectives, and sustainable velocity. Unlock the full potential of your product team with Integral's player coaches, experts in lean, human-centered design. Visit integral.io/convergence for a free Product Success Lab workshop to gain clarity and confidence in tackling any product design or engineering challenge. Inside the episode... The four key brain chemicals that drive motivation and happiness Why a lack of control is the most stressful thing at work The neuroscience behind agile practices How to use gratitude, movement, and breaks to boost productivity The connection between stress, cortisol, and sustainable team performance Practical ways leaders can create high-performing, engaged teams The surprising link between happiness, mastery, and continuous learning Mentioned in this episode Dan Pink's work on autonomy, mastery, and purpose - https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_the_puzzle_of_motivation?podconvergence DC and Ryan - https://www.apa.org/members/content/intrinsic-motivation?podconvergence Shawn Achor - https://www.shawnachor.com/?podconvergence Positive Psychology - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/positive-psychology?podconvergence Upward Spiral by Dr Alex Korb - https://www.amazon.com/Upward-Spiral-Neuroscience-Reverse-Depression/dp/1626251207?podconvergence Hawthorne studies - https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/hawthorne/01.html?podconvergence Maslow's hierarchy of needs - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs?podconvergence Meik Wiking and the Happiness Research Institute - https://www.happinessresearchinstitute.com/experts/meik-wiking?podconvergence HarvardX: Managing Happiness: https://www.edx.org/learn/happiness/harvard-university-managing-happiness?podconvergence Book: The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins: https://www.amazon.com/High-Habit-Take-Control-Simple/dp/1401962122?podconvergence TED talk on The brain-changing benefits of exercise by Wendy Suzuki: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHY0FxzoKZE?podconvergence Book: The infinite game by Simon Sinek: https://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Game-Simon-Sinek/dp/073521350X?podconvergence Peter Senge's “Learning Organization” - https://infed.org/mobi/peter-senge-and-the-learning-organization/?podconvergence Brad's favorite product: Nvidia Shield for streaming content: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/shield/shield-tv-pro/?podconvergence Brad's podcast Agile for Agilists: https://www.agileforagilists.com/?podconvergence Brad's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradgile/?podconvergence Places to get started on finding a therapist: Psychology Today - https://www.psychologytoday.com/?podconvergence Better Help - https://www.betterhelp.com/?podconvergence Talk Space - https://www.talkspace.com/?podconvergence Subscribe to the Convergence podcast wherever you get podcasts including video episodes to get updated on the other crucial conversations that we'll post on YouTube at youtube.com/@convergencefmpodcast Learn something? Give us a 5 star review and like the podcast on YouTube. It's how we grow. Follow the Pod Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/convergence-podcast/ X: https://twitter.com/podconvergence Instagram: @podconvergence
ABOUT ELIOT HOROWITZEliot Horowitz is the Founder and CEO of Viam, an engineering platform unlocking AI, automation, and data for devices in the physical world. With a deep commitment to advancing technology, Eliot leads Viam in helping companies build solutions across robotics, food and beverage, climate, marine, industrial manufacturing, and more.A career software developer and technology leader, Eliot co-founded MongoDB in 2007, writing the core code base for the pioneering database and leading the engineering and product teams for 13 years as CTO. MongoDB, which went public in 2017, has since reached a market cap of over $20 billion. Before MongoDB, he co-founded the ecommerce company ShopWiki and served as CTO, and he began his career in software development in the R&D group of adtech firm DoubleClick.Eliot is passionate about using technology to address pressing societal issues, including working with WAVS to protect marine life in the North Atlantic and supporting Billion Oyster Project's work to help restore New York Harbor's ecosystem.SHOW NOTES:The origin story of founding Viam (2:56)How Viam can be a game-changing platform, accelerating robotics software & hardware 10x to 100x (4:33)The ideation journey behind Viam: Building a platform that simplifies the integration of hardware and software development (6:11)Solving challenges with seamless APIs, a modular system, the right abstraction layers, and a comprehensive platform (9:54)Key questions for identifying the right abstraction layers at Viam (11:32)Optimizing your platform for flexibility and ease of use (13:32)The evolution of product building, from first-hand experience to customer-driven (16:33)How Eliot's MongoDB Experience shaped Viam's user-centric approach, open-source strategy, business model & ecosystem approach (18:48)Cultivating developer communities & leveraging community insights at MongoDB & Viam (23:01)Frameworks for deciding on your business model & pricing (24:52)Eliot's approach to building developer tools & products used by engineers (26:23)Aligning your eng team & stakeholders on the product vision (29:51)What it means to deeply understand engineers and how they interact with your product (31:10)Strategies for eng leaders to better connect with customers (34:38)Viam's real-world applications & what's next (36:31)Rapid fire questions (39:31)LINKS AND RESOURCESViam - At Viam, we believe in the power of technology to make our world smarter, happier, and more sustainable. We're building a revolutionary engineering platform for problem-solving in the physical world, so that innovators from all disciplines can address humanity's most complex challenges with practical solutions. Together with our partners, we're committed to making a lasting positive impact on industries, communities, and the planet.This episode wouldn't have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-HostJerry Li - Co-HostNoah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan's also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/
AI agents are set to transform software development, but software itself isn't going anywhere—despite the dramatic predictions. On this episode of The New Stack Makers, Mark Hinkle, CEO and Founder of Peripety Labs, discusses how AI agents relate to serverless technologies, infrastructure-as-code (IaC), and configuration management. Hinkle envisions AI agents as “dumb robots” handling tasks like querying APIs and exchanging data, while the real intelligence remains in large language models (LLMs). These agents, likely implemented as serverless functions in Python or JavaScript, will automate software development processes dynamically. LLMs, leveraging vast amounts of open-source code, will enable AI agents to generate bespoke, task-specific tools on the fly—unlike traditional cloud tools from HashiCorp or configuration management tools like Chef and Puppet. As AI-generated tooling becomes more prevalent, managing and optimizing these agents will require strong observability and evaluation practices. According to Hinkle, this shift marks the future of software, where AI agents dynamically create, call, and manage tools for CI/CD, monitoring, and beyond. Check out the full episode for more insights. Learn more from The New Stack about emerging trends in AI agents: Lessons From Kubernetes and the Cloud Should Steer the AI RevolutionAI Agents: Why Workflows Are the LLM Use Case to Watch Join our community of newsletter subscribers to stay on top of the news and at the top of your game.
Today's guest is a big deal. He's the CEO of software company Menlo Innovations and the author of two highly recommended books—Joy Inc., and Chief Joy Officer, and he joins us today to share some of the incredible insights he has gained during his impressive career. From his definition of joy at work and how he has built a very unique professional environment and culture at Menlo to the unusual interview experience at Menlo, our conversation is expansive and detailed, giving you the tools you need to adopt some of the same principles in your own leadership journey. Richard shares how he has cultivated an environment where feedback is welcomed, why he has chosen a transparent remuneration structure at Menlo, how he has set this up, and much more. Don't miss this inspiring conversation with today's deeply intentional and revolutionary guest. Thanks for tuning in! Guest Bio:Rich Sheridan is on a mission to end human suffering in technology. As CEO and Co-Founder of Menlo Innovations, he built a workplace driven by collaboration, experimentation, and joy.Once a fear-driven leader who micromanaged every detail, he discovered that joy at work isn't a luxury—it's a necessity. With a background in software and engineering (U-M BS '80, MS '82), his true passion is process, teamwork, and organizational design.Through his books, Joy, Inc. and Chief Joy Officer, Sheridan shares Menlo's story to help others create intentional cultures of joy. Because when joy leads, success follows.Key Points From This Episode: [00:00] Welcome and introduction to this episode and a catch up with your hosts.[06:40] Richard Sheridan from Menlo Innovations.[10:31] What Menlo Innovations does.[15:05] Richard's definition of bringing joy into work and how he measures it. [24:59] Why the work environment that he has built at Menlo would not be suited to everyone.[28:24] How Menlo approaches interviews differently.[34:47] The rewarding, promotion, and progress process at Menlo.[42:25] A story of how Richard realized that Menlo has excellent gender equity.[47:07] Navigating hesitation around salary transparency.[54:20] Why Richard is not transparent about his own compensation.[47:07] Managing the feedback process and making it easy for others to communicate how they feel.[01:03:58] How to book a tour at Menlo. Quotes: “We launched Menlo in June of 2001 with a crazy mission: we wanted to end human suffering in the world as it relates to technology. We've been doing that now for almost 24 years. It worked!” — @menloprez [0:09:33] “I don't think unjoyful people can make joyful results.” — @menloprez [0:16:44] “We have an interview process where we're actually trying to weed you in, not weed you out.” — @menloprez [0:31:06] “Humans are incredibly adaptable when they are given clear expectations.” — @menloprez [0:33:21]RESOURCES: [01:03:58]Menlo Innovations Tours and Workshops FOLLOW: Follow Richard Sheridan:LinkedInXMenlo InnovationsJoy, Inc.Chief Joy Officer FOLLOW:Follow Laura Eich:LinkedInFacebookInstagram Follow Mike McFall:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookXInstagram Follow BIGGBY® COFFEE & LifeLabTM:WebsiteFacebookXInstagramLinkedInAbout LifeLabTM ABOUT LOVE IN LEADERSHIP:At the Life You Love LaboratoryTM and BIGGBY® COFFEE, we're out to prove that financial success and healthy workplace culture aren't two separate goals. BIGGBY® COFFEE's own cultural transformation is proof that not only is it possible to have a successful company where people aren't miserable at work, but that the happier your people are, the more your business will grow. Each week, join host Laura Eich, Chief Purpose Officer at BIGGBY® COFFEE, and her co-host and BIGGBY® COFFEE co-CEO Mike McFall as they're joined by guests from around the world to learn how they are fostering a culture of love and growth in the world's most innovative and people-centric companies. Get inspired. Get real. Get ready to transform workplace culture in America with us. This is the Love in Leadership podcast.Learn more at: loveinleadershippodcast.com ABOUT THE HOSTS:Mike McFall began his journey with BIGGBY® COFFEE as a minimum-wage barista at the original store in East Lansing in 1996. Over the span of 23 years, alongside business partner Bob Fish, he has helped create one of the great specialty coffee brands in America. Today Mike is co-CEO with Bob, and BIGGBY® COFFEE has over 250 stores open throughout the Midwest that sell tens of thousands of cups of coffee each day. But more importantly to Mike and BIGGBY® COFFEE, the company is a profoundly people-first organization.Mike is also the author of Grind, a book which focuses on early-stage businesses and how to establish positive cash flow. Laura Eich is BIGGBY® COFFEE's Chief People Officer, having worked in a variety of roles at BIGGBY® COFFEE for the last 11+ years. She helped launch BOOST, the department at BIGGBY® COFFEE which ultimately became LifeLabTM — BIGGBY® COFFEE's in-house culture cultivation team designed to help people be the best versions of themselves and help companies support them along the way. In her role, Laura helps people build lives that they love through the process of building profitable businesses and robust, growth-filled careers.
Patrick Escarcega is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Meserow Design, a company known for its excellence in developing and maintaining custom software solutions. His background is in software engineering and has been leading software teams for many years. His technical focus has been on Microsoft development and cloud technologies. Topics of Discussion: [3:30] Patrick recalls the moment he transitioned from individual software developer to leading teams, highlighting the importance of understanding how software adds business value beyond just code. [5:00] Patrick describes the joy he rediscovered in coding when starting his own company, emphasizing the delicate balance between hands-on coding and leadership responsibilities. [7:50] The head chef and food scientist analogy. [9:26] The importance of creating a safe environment, a “pit of success,” so developers can naturally follow best practices without feeling constrained. [10:36] Why readable, maintainable code is crucial, especially for senior leaders whose time is spent reading code more than writing it. [13:27] Comparing software engineering creativity to building an engine from “invisible Lego bricks," emphasizes the hidden creativity involved in engineering solutions. [15:08] The importance of leaders giving developers space and freedom to craft innovative solutions, rather than overly prescribing methodologies. [17:00] Running integration tests. [20:41] Accessibility and WCAG compliance explained: Why accessibility should be an integral part of software development and testing workflows. [23:14] EqualWeb accessibility checker and Chrome browser extension. [25:02] Practical everyday use of AI in software development, especially GitHub Copilot, and why developers should embrace AI tools regularly to remain productive and competitive. [31:10] Patrick encourages developers to embrace AI and keep learning, emphasizing that continuous adaptation will keep careers vibrant over the next decade. 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 Patrick Escarcega Meserow Design Engineering Practices for LLM Application Development Want to Learn More? Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.
In 1970, Winston W. Royce published a paper “Managing the Development of Large Software Systems.” Later authors cited it as the justification for what had come to be called the "waterfall process." Yet Royce had quite specifically described that process as one that is "simplistic" and "invites failure."That's weird. People not only promoted a process Royce had said was inadequate, they cited him as their justification. And they ignored all the elaborations that he said would make the inadequate process adequate. What's up with that? In this episode, I blame metaphor and the perverse affordances of diagrams.I also suggest ways you might use metaphors and node-and-arrow diagrams in a way that avoids Royce's horrible fate.In addition to the usual transcript, there's also a Wiki version.Other sourcesLakoff and Johnson, Metaphors We Live By, 1980.Laurent Bossavit, The Leprechauns of Software Engineering, 2014.George A Miller, “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on our Capacity for Processing Information,” 1956.CreditsDawn Marick for the picture of the fish ladder. Used with permission.
In this episode, Airbnb Developer Productivity leader Anna Sulkina shares the story of how her team transformed itself and became more impactful within the organization. She starts by describing how the team previously operated, where teams were delivering but felt they needed more clarity and alignment across teams. Then, the conversation digs into the key changes they made, including reorganizing the team, clarifying team roles, defining strategy, and improving their measurement systems. Mentions and linksFollow Anna on LinkedInFor A deeper look into how our Engineers and Data Scientists build a world of belonging, check out The Airbnb Tech BlogDiscussion points:(0:00) Intro(1:40) Skills that make a great developer productivity leader(4:36) Challenges in how the team operated previously(10:49) Changing the platform org's focus and structure(16:04) Clarifying roles for EM's, PM's, and tech leads(20:22) How Airbnb defined its infrastructure org's strategy(28:23) Improvements they've seen to developer experience satisfaction(32:13) The evolution of Airbnb's developer experience survey
In this episode of AI + a16z, Netlify CEO and Cofounder Matt Biilmann joins a16z General Partner Martin Casado to explore how AI is reshaping web development — not just through faster code generation, but by fundamentally shifting how we think about building for the web. At the center of this shift is Agent Experience (AX), a new paradigm where AI agents aren't just tools, but active participants in development, shaping both the creative process and the underlying infrastructure.Matt shares how Netlify is evolving to meet this future, why the next 100 million web developers will collaborate with AI, and what's at stake if the web doesn't adapt — will we see a thriving, open, AI-powered internet, or a future dominated by walled gardens?Learn more:Introducing AX: Why Agent Experience MattersFollow everyone on X:Matt BiilmannMartin Casado Check out everything a16z is doing with artificial intelligence here, including articles, projects, and more podcasts.
Organizations build and deploy applications at an unprecedented pace, but security is often an afterthought. This episode of ITSPmagazine's Brand Story features Jim Manico, founder of Manicode Security, in conversation with hosts Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli. The discussion explores the current state of application security, the importance of developer training, and how organizations can integrate security from the ground up to drive better business outcomes.The Foundation of Secure DevelopmentJim Manico has spent decades helping engineers and architects understand and implement secure coding practices. His work with the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), including contributions to the OWASP Top 10 and the OWASP Cheat Sheet Series, has influenced how security is approached in software development. He emphasizes that security should not be an afterthought but a fundamental part of the development process.He highlights OWASP's role in providing documentation, security tools, and standards like the Application Security Verification Standard (ASVS), which is now in its 5.0 release. These resources help organizations build secure applications, but Manico points out that simply having the guidance available isn't enough—engineers need the right training to apply security principles effectively.Why Training MattersManico has trained thousands of engineers worldwide and sees firsthand the impact of hands-on education. He explains that developers often lack formal security training, which leads to common mistakes such as insecure authentication, improper data handling, and vulnerabilities in third-party dependencies. His training programs focus on practical, real-world applications, allowing developers to immediately integrate security into their work.Security training also helps businesses beyond just compliance. While some companies initially engage in training to meet regulatory requirements, many realize the long-term value of security in reducing risk, improving product quality, and building customer trust. Manico shares an example of a startup that embedded security from the beginning, investing heavily in training early on. That approach helped differentiate them in the market and contributed to their success as a multi-billion-dollar company.The Role of AI and Continuous LearningManico acknowledges that the speed of technological change presents challenges for security training. Frameworks, programming languages, and attack techniques evolve constantly, requiring continuous learning. He has integrated AI tools into his training workflow to help answer complex questions, identify knowledge gaps, and refine content. AI serves as an augmentation tool, not a replacement, and he encourages developers to use it as an assistant to strengthen their understanding of security concepts.Security as a Business EnablerThe conversation reinforces that secure coding is not just about avoiding breaches—it is about building better software. Organizations that prioritize security early can reduce costs, improve reliability, and increase customer confidence. Manico's approach to education is about empowering developers to think beyond compliance and see security as a critical component of software quality and business success.For organizations looking to enhance their security posture, developer training is an investment that pays off. Manicode Security offers customized training programs to meet the specific needs of teams, covering topics from secure coding fundamentals to advanced application security techniques. To learn more or schedule a session, Jim Manico can be reached at Jim@manicode.com.Tune in to the full episode to hear more insights from Jim Manico on how security training is shaping the future of application security.Learn more about Manicode: https://itspm.ag/manicode-security-7q8iNote: This story contains promotional content. Learn more.Guest: Jim Manico, Founder and Secure Coding Educator at Manicode Security | On Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmanico/ResourcesDownload the Course Catalog: https://itspm.ag/manicode-x684Learn more and catch more stories from Manicode Security: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/manicode-securityAre you interested in telling your story?https://www.itspmagazine.com/telling-your-story
Joseph Ruscio of Heavybit joins Nick to discuss DeepSeek's Impact on Other LLMs, AI's Effect on Software Engineering, Nvidia's Future, and the Next Wave of Developer-First Companies. In this episode we cover: Impact of AI on Venture Capital and Developer Tools Challenges and Opportunities in Scaling Developer-First Companies Utilizing GitHub and Other Tools for Market Insights Recommendations for Founders and Investors Guest Links: Guest's LinkedIn Company's LinkedIn Company's Website Twitter/X (guest) The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter. Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!
Stewart Alsop sat down with Nick Ludwig, the creator of Kibitz and lead developer at Hyperware, to talk about the evolution of AI-powered coding, the rise of agentic software development, and the security challenges that come with giving AI more autonomy. They explored the power of Claude MCP servers, the potential for AI to manage entire development workflows, and what it means to have swarms of digital agents handling tasks across business and personal life. If you're curious to dive deeper, check out Nick's work on Kibitz and Hyperware, and follow him on Twitter at @Nick1udwig (with a ‘1' instead of an ‘L').Check out this GPT we trained on the conversation!Timestamps00:00 Introduction to the Crazy Wisdom Podcast00:52 Nick Ludwig's Journey with Cloud MCP Servers04:17 The Evolution of Coding with AI07:23 Challenges and Solutions in AI-Assisted Coding17:53 Security Implications of AI Agents27:34 Containerization for Safe Agent Operations29:07 Cold Wallets and Agent Security29:55 Agents and Financial Transactions33:29 Integrating APIs with Agents36:43 Discovering and Using Libraries43:19 Understanding MCP Servers47:41 Future of Agents in Business and Personal Life54:29 Educational and Medical Revolutions with AI56:36 Conclusion and Contact InformationKey InsightsAI is shifting software development from writing code to managing intelligent agents. Nick Ludwig emphasized how modern AI tools, particularly MCP servers, are enabling developers to transition from manually coding to overseeing AI-driven development. The ultimate goal is for AI to handle the bulk of programming while developers focus on high-level problem-solving and system design.Agentic software is the next frontier of automation. The discussion highlighted how AI agents, especially those using MCP servers, are moving beyond simple chatbots to autonomous digital workers capable of executing complex, multi-step tasks. These agents will soon be able to operate independently for extended periods, executing high-level commands rather than requiring constant human oversight.Security remains a major challenge with AI-driven tools. One of the biggest risks with AI-powered automation is security, particularly regarding prompt injection attacks and unintended system modifications. Ludwig pointed out that giving AI access to command-line functions, file systems, and financial accounts requires careful sandboxing and permissions to prevent catastrophic errors or exploitation.Containerization will be critical for safe AI execution. Ludwig proposed that solutions like Docker and other containerization technologies can provide a secure environment where AI agents can operate freely without endangering core systems. By restricting AI's ability to modify critical files and limiting its spending permissions, businesses can safely integrate autonomous agents into their workflows.The future of AI is deeply tied to education. AI has the potential to revolutionize learning by providing real-time, personalized tutoring. Ludwig noted that LLMs have already changed how people learn to code, making complex programming more accessible to beginners. This concept can be extended to broader education, where AI-powered tutors could replace traditional classroom models with highly adaptive learning experiences.AI-driven businesses will operate at unprecedented efficiency. The conversation explored how companies will soon leverage AI agents to handle research, automate customer service, generate content, and even manage finances. Businesses that successfully integrate AI-powered workflows will have a significant competitive edge in speed, cost reduction, and adaptability.We are on the verge of an "intelligence explosion" in both AI and human capabilities. While some fear AI advancements will outpace human control, Ludwig argued that AI will also dramatically enhance human intelligence. By offloading cognitive burdens, AI will allow people to focus on creativity, strategy, and high-level decision-making, potentially leading to an era of rapid innovation and problem-solving across all industries.
In this episode of ACM ByteCast, Harald Störrle hosts Darja Smite, Professor of Software Engineering at Blekinge Institute of Technology and a part-time research scientist at SINTEF ICT. Darja is an expert on the future of work and the impact of globalization and offshoring in software companies. She has conducted research with and international companies such as ABB, Boss Media, CALVI, DXC, Emerson Process Management, Ericsson, SONY, Spotify, and, Telenor and has insights from cooperating with offshore vendors in India, China, Poland, Latvia, Ukraine and Russia. Darja shares her background, growing up in Latvia with a love for math, and later moving to Sweden for work and Norway to conduct research at SINTEF, one of Europe's largest independent research organizations. She shares some of her research findings on outsourcing and discusses the effect automation will have on outsourcing and profitability. She also discusses reasons why people stay or leave their jobs, as well as cultural differences and the challenge of people from different cultures finding common ground. Darja also touches on the impact of COVID on work practices in the past five years and offers advice for people considering a career in IT.
Steve Ruiz, founder of TLDraw, discusses the revolutionary AI applications in TLDraw, the intricacies of infinite canvas editors, and the impact of AI on design and development. Links https://www.steveruiz.me https://www.tldraw.com https://makereal.tldraw.com https://teach.tldraw.com https://computer.tldraw.com https://gitnation.com/contents/make-real-tldraws-accidental-ai-play We want to hear from you! How did you find us? Did you see us on Twitter? In a newsletter? Or maybe we were recommended by a friend? Let us know by sending an email to our producer, Emily, at emily.kochanekketner@logrocket.com (mailto:emily.kochanekketner@logrocket.com), or tweet at us at PodRocketPod (https://twitter.com/PodRocketpod). Follow us. Get free stickers. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, fill out this form (https://podrocket.logrocket.com/get-podrocket-stickers), and we'll send you free PodRocket stickers! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces the UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Start understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at [LogRocket.com]. Try LogRocket for free today.(https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr)
Artificial intelligence is radically transforming software development. AI-assisted coding tools are generating billions in investment, promising faster development cycles, and shifting engineering roles from code authors to code editors. But how does this impact software quality, security, and team dynamics? How can product teams embrace AI without falling into the hype? In this episode, AI assisted Agile expert Mike Gehard shares his hands-on experiments with AI in software development. From his deep background at Pivotal Labs to his current work pushing the boundaries of AI-assisted coding, Mike reveals how AI tools can amplify quality practices, speed up prototyping, and even challenge the way we think about source code. He discusses the future of pair programming, the evolving role of test-driven development, and how engineers can better focus on delivering user value. Unlock the full potential of your product team with Integral's player coaches, experts in lean, human-centered design. Visit integral.io/convergence for a free Product Success Lab workshop to gain clarity and confidence in tackling any product design or engineering challenge. Inside the episode... Mike's background at Pivotal Labs and why he kept returning How AI is changing the way we think about source code as a liability Why test-driven development still matters in an AI-assisted world The future of pair programming with AI copilots The importance of designing better software in an AI-driven development process Using AI to prototype faster and build user-facing value sooner Lessons learned from real-world experiments with AI-driven development The risks of AI-assisted software, from hallucinations to security Mentioned in this episode Mike's Substack: https://aiassistedagiledevelopment.substack.com/ Mike's Github repo: https://github.com/mikegehard/ai-assisted-agile-development Pivotal Labs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pivotal_Labs 12-Factor Apps: https://12factor.net/ GitHub Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot Cloud Foundry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_Foundry Lean Startup by Eric Ries: https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898 Refactoring by Martin Fowler and Kent Beck https://www.amazon.com/Refactoring-Improving-Existing-Addison-Wesley-Signature/dp/0134757599 Dependabot: https://github.com/dependabot Tessl CEO Guy Podjarny's talk: https://youtu.be/e1a3WuxTY-k Aider AI Pair programming terminal: https://aider.chat/ Gemini LLM: https://gemini.google.com/app Perplexity AI: https://www.perplexity.ai/ DeepSeek: https://www.deepseek.com/ Ian Cooper's talk on TDD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN9lftH0cJc Mike's newest Mountain Bike IBIS Ripmo V2S: https://www.ibiscycles.com/bikes/past-models/ripmo-v2s Mike's recommended house slippers: https://us.giesswein.com/collections/mens-wool-slippers/products/wool-slippers-dannheim Sorba Chattanooga Mountain Biking Trails: https://www.sorbachattanooga.org/localtrails Subscribe to the Convergence podcast wherever you get podcasts, including video episodes on YouTube at youtube.com/@convergencefmpodcast Learn something? Give us a 5-star review and like the podcast on YouTube. It's how we grow.
Stats On Stats NotesIn this episode of Stats on Stats, we welcome William Hill, a Staff Software Engineer at Maroxa, for an insightful conversation on AI, software engineering, and the evolving tech landscape. William shares his journey from a small town in Mississippi to becoming a leader in data engineering, discussing how gaming sparked his interest in tech and how AI is reshaping the industry.Guest ConnectLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whill3/ Stats on Stats ResourcesMerch: https://www.statsonstats.io/shop LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/statsonstatspodcast Stats on Stats Partners & AffiliatesIntelliCON 2025Website: https://www.intelliguards.com/intellic0n-speakers Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/intellic0n-2025-tickets-1002600072807 Use Discount Code for 20% off Tickets: STATSONSTATSPath AIWebsite: https://yourpath.ai Discount Code: Join our Discord community for access!Antisyphon TrainingWebsite: https://www.antisyphontraining.com MAD20 TrainingWebsite: https://mad20.io Discount Code: STATSONSTATS15Ellington Cyber Academy: https://kenneth-ellington.mykajabi.com Discount Code: STATSONSTATSKevtech AcademyWebsite: https://www.kevtechitsupport.com Dream Chaser's Coffee Website: https://dreamchaserscoffee.com Discount code: STATSONSTATSPodcasts We LikeDEM Tech FolksWebsite: https://linktr.ee/developeverymind YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@demtechfolks IntrusionsInDepthWebsite: https://www.intrusionsindepth.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IntrusionsInDepth Elastic DoD ArchitectsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elasticdod -----------------------------------------------------Episode was shot and edited at BlueBox Studio Tampahttps://blueboxdigital.com/bluebox-studio/
Substack Week: The Shared Ownership Challenge, Understanding Clear Accountability in Engineering Teams With Rafa Páez Welcome to our Substack Week, where we interview thought leaders who publish newsletters on Substack to help you find inspiring voices that drive our community forward. In this episode, we explore the concept of shared ownership and its pitfalls with Rafa Páez, an experienced engineering leader with insights on creating clear accountability in teams. The Pitfalls of Shared Ownership In engineering teams, shared ownership often manifests as ambiguity in responsibility and accountability. Rafa shares a personal experience where assigning two engineers to lead an initiative resulted in nothing getting done, as each assumed the other would take action. This phenomenon highlights how shared ownership without clear accountability can lead to missed deadlines, poor quality deliverables, and team conflicts. "It might not be my fault because I thought the other person was available, I thought the other person had more time to actually work on that initiative." Understanding the Bystander Effect The bystander effect, a psychological phenomenon first identified by social psychologists, explains why people are less likely to take action when others are present. In a team setting, this manifests as members assuming someone else will take responsibility, leading to collective inaction. This effect can significantly impact team productivity and project outcomes. "Because there are more people there, someone thinks that someone else will take care of that thing, whether it's a project, initiative, or any other action." The DRI Framework: Creating Clear Ownership The Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) concept, popularized by Gitlab and Apple, addresses the accountability gap by ensuring one person is clearly responsible for each significant initiative. This framework emerged after a failed project launch where no clear ownership led to quality issues. The DRI approach creates clear lines of responsibility while maintaining collaborative team dynamics. "You can have multiple DRIs for different aspects, but at the end, it needs to be one responsible for the overall project." Implementing DRI Successfully For leaders implementing the DRI framework, several key considerations are crucial for success. DRIs should be assigned thoughtfully based on skills and experience, with senior team members often better suited for these roles. The framework must be supported by a culture that empowers DRIs to make decisions while maintaining team collaboration. "DRIs need to be empowered to make decisions. If they are not empowered to make decisions, this role is not going to work because they're going to feel frustrated." Avoiding Common Anti-patterns When implementing the DRI framework, leaders should be aware of potential anti-patterns that can emerge. These include DRIs becoming bottlenecks, erosion of team collaboration, and overuse of the framework for minor tasks. Success requires finding the right balance and ensuring the framework enhances rather than hinders team dynamics. "Another issue or anti-pattern is the erosion of collaboration - some people might get the wrong concept about DRIs and say 'I don't need to collaborate anymore.'" Building a Culture of Accountability Creating a successful culture of accountability requires clear communication about the DRI role and its implications. Leaders must ensure DRIs are supported while maintaining team collaboration and avoiding the framework becoming overly bureaucratic. The focus should be on enabling effective decision-making and clear ownership while preserving team dynamics. "Consider the skills when assigning DRIs, support people in this role, and remember that DRI is an organizational agnostic framework that adapts to the organizations we are within." Resources For Further Study The Gitlab handbook article about the DRI concept The book: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink The Engineering Leader newsletter by Rafa Páez [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]
Substack Week: Why Product Management is Broken and How to Fix It With Anton Zaides In this SPECIAL Substack Week episode, we dive deep into the current state of product management with Anton Zaides, a seasoned software engineer and leader. Anton shares his perspectives on why product management is fundamentally broken and offers practical solutions for organizations looking to improve their product development processes. The Journey to Engineering Leadership "I started to search for content from other engineering managers and focused on practical insights." Anton's journey spans 15 years in software engineering, from game development to DevOps and scaling startups. His transition to leadership revealed a gap in practical leadership content, which inspired him to start sharing his own experiences. Drawing from his four years as an engineering leader in a startup, Anton noticed patterns in product management that needed addressing, leading to his viral article on the topic. The Broken State of Product Management "My team was working on a feature, that got canceled the day after it was released." Product management faces several critical challenges in today's technology landscape. Anton identifies key issues including the development of unused features, increasing software complexity, and misaligned incentives that discourage innovation. Through his conversations with industry professionals, he discovered these problems were widespread, with teams frequently building features that get canceled or go unused. Despite following Agile methodologies, many organizations fail to properly evaluate feature impact, leading to wasted resources and frustrated teams. Product Managers vs. Program Managers "The PM spent only 5% of his time on talking to customers." One of the core issues Anton identifies is the transformation of product managers into glorified program managers. In many organizations, product managers spend most of their time managing JIRA tickets and dependencies rather than engaging with customers and driving innovation. The pressure to deliver on predetermined roadmaps, often dictated by executive teams, leaves little room for challenging assumptions or testing ideas with minimal scope. This shift away from customer interaction and strategic thinking has reduced the product manager's role to primarily managing internal processes. Fostering Better Product Management "PM's should be like a founder for the product business." To improve product management, Anton advocates for several key changes: Offloading program management responsibilities to the team Trusting product managers to make strategic decisions Requiring specific industry knowledge and experience Encouraging face-to-face customer interactions Moving product managers closer to commercial roles Involving engineers in customer conversations Organizational Structure and Communication "The more links you have in the communication chain, the worse the information gets communicated." Anton proposes a shift towards a more functional organizational structure where Product and Engineering work together more closely. He emphasizes the importance of direct communication between technical teams and customers, warning against over-reliance on data alone. The solution involves bringing everyone closer to the business side and creating stronger networks between organizations and engineers. Practical Implementation Tips "Get engineers to visit customers." Key recommendations for improving product management include: Involving engineers in customer and sales conversations Giving engineers visibility through release messaging and communications Establishing strong collaboration between engineering leaders and product managers Ensuring product managers have deep domain expertise Creating opportunities for direct customer interaction Treating product managers as business owners rather than project managers Recommended Resources for Further Study Anton's Article that we review in this interview: “Product Management is broken, a change is coming” John Cutle's article on Product Manager's Responsibilities Anton's Article on how to work effectively with your Product Managers A book recommendation: Empowered by Marty Cagan An episode of Lenny's podcast with Brian Chesky [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]
Tony Olivo and Ken Rahn from FlexGen join the conversation to discuss the evolution of energy storage and its role in grid stability. FlexGen has transitioned from a hardware-focused company to a software-first approach, helping utilities and developers optimize energy storage solutions.The discussion covers the challenges of communicating value in a complex industry, the growing importance of batteries in balancing supply and demand, and the future of renewable energy. Tony and Ken share insights into how FlexGen is solving real-world energy problems through advanced software and analytics.About Building Better:Building Better with Brandon Bartneck focuses on the people, products, and companies creating a better tomorrow, often in the transportation and manufacturing sectors. Previously called theFuture of Mobility podcast, the show features real, human conversations exploring what leaders and innovators are doing, why and how they're doing it, and what we can learn from their experiences. Topics include manufacturing, production, assembly, autonomous driving, electric vehicles, hydrogen and fuel cells, leadership, and more.About FlexGen:Based in Durham, N.C., FlexGen is an innovative software and services provider in the global energy storage sector. At the forefront of the energy transition, FlexGen leverages decades of engineering and software expertise to help shape the future of sustainable power both in the United States and globally.FlexGen's HybridOS™ software seamlessly integrates with any hardware vendor and with both traditional and renewable power sources. Their advanced analytics and AI-driven insights enable energy storage owners to effectively deploy diverse power market strategies, enhancing grid stability and increasing economic returns. With 1.5M hours of runtime and 8 GWh of energy storage systems managed with HybridOS™, FlexGen provides field-tested software and services solutions that are trusted by developers, utilities, government agencies, and industrial companies worldwide.Key Takeaways:FlexGen focuses on turning batteries on, keeping them operational, and extending their life.The company has evolved from hardware manufacturing to a software-first approach.Batteries play a crucial role in stabilizing the grid and managing energy supply and demand.Effective communication of value propositions is essential in the energy sector.The energy storage industry is influenced by the growth of electric vehicles and renewable energy sources.FlexGen aims to solve real-world problems in energy management.Understanding the character of energy is vital for effective grid management.The company is open to future opportunities beyond current technologies.Grid stability is affected by the balance of supply and demand.FlexGen's software can help utilities optimize their energy resources.About the Guests:Tony Olivo is the Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at FlexGen. With 17 years of experience in large-scale power conversion and energy storage systems, Tony leads the software development division for FlexGen's products in energy storage control, analytics, and orchestration. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is the author of seven patents.Ken Rahn is the Vice President of Marketing and Customer Solutions at FlexGen. Based in San Francisco, he brings extensive experience in technology and leadership, with a background in organizational communications and biomaterials. His career began in the U.S. Navy, where he led a team of over 50 Nuclear Electronics Technicians. He has since held roles at NRG Energy, Medallia, and Iterable, navigating multiple pre-IPO to post-IPO transitions. Ken is excited about FlexGen's potential for explosive growth in the energy sector.Links & Resources:Learn more about FlexGen:FlexGen WebsiteAccess insights and downloads:FlexGen ResourcesShow Notes:brandonbartneck.com/buildingbetter/flexgen