Software Defined Interviews

Ben Savage is CEO and founder of Veritas Automata, a consultancy doing AI, blockchain and IoT, and CTO at Apex, where one of his teams built the Little Caesars Pizza Portal. He explains why those pickup cubbies mostly don't need heat (people just feel better when they're warm), what a logistics check call is, and why a routing algorithm is really a search algorithm. Whitney and Coté ask how a consultancy keeps its bench busy, and when code is too safety-critical to let AI write it: a robot can't "-ish" a command. Also: model routers, decision models, and turning S...

Rick Clark is Global Head of Cloud Advisory at UST, and co-founded OpenStack. His argument is that enterprise architecture is nearly extinct, killed off by fifteen years of shifting every decision left, and that this is how one insurance company he worked with ended up running over 50 secrets managers in production. Whitney and Coté push on whether platform engineering was meant to solve exactly that, and on what a modern enterprise architect would do instead - write the rules the platform enforces. The back half is agents: why nobody is ready to run them in production, and the difference b...

Viktor Farcic is a developer advocate at Upbound, runs the DevOps & AI Toolkit YouTube channel, and was last on the show back in episode 89. Whitney and Coté start with the animated bedtime stories he has started making - tech history told as fairy tales with a nightmare at the end - which he began after catching sight of himself in a mirror and deciding people should not have to watch that. From there it is what his working day looks like now, with 20 to 50 agents running at once, a coder and a tester and a reviewer who are not a...

Lin Sun is Head of Open Source at Solo.io, a recent KubeCon + CloudNativeCon program co-chair, and an emeritus member of the CNCF Technical Oversight Committee. Whitney and Coté start with the keynote she gave in Amsterdam, where she flew a drone over 13,000 people so an AI model on her laptop could score how engaged the audience was - it broke twice on stage, and Whitney, who was in the room, remembers nothing else from that day. Lin’s account of why it worked anyway is a checklist: a wow factor, something the audience does every day so they can...

Jason Yee is a Staff Technical Advocate at Datadog and one of three global co-chairs of DevOpsDays, and both jobs turn out to be mostly about getting other people to talk. Whitney and Coté ask him how the DevOpsDays machine actually works - local teams run the events, a global core team advises, and the co-chairs exist as a final escalation point - and what happens to conference sponsorship now that DevOps is mature rather than hot. His answer is that the sponsors who do well have stopped counting leads and started running workshops, on the grounds that a L...

Michael Rishi Forrester does AI workforce transformation at Accenture LearnVantage, after three years at KodeKloud and about thirty years in IT before that. Whitney and Coté talk with him about running tabletop role-playing games with AI. He built his 19-year-old son a homebrew campaign on top of Lancer, the sci-fi mech game, in about 20 hours instead of the 60 to 100 it would have taken him before - and got a website, a virtual tabletop and some Discord bots out of it. What breaks is the interesting part: there was a night when every shot did one damage, because the model h...

Bryan Ross is a Field CTO at GitLab, a role he describes as straddling sales, customer success, and solution architecture - or, as one of his customers renamed it, chief therapy officer, which he has since turned into a Substack. Whitney and Coté talk with him about what the job actually looks like: getting catapulted into an account by the sales team, asking a lot of questions, and finding out about four minutes in that the tech problem is a human one. He makes the case that changing job titles - sysadmin, DevOps engineer, platform engineer, now context engineer...

W. Edwards Deming was a physicist, statistician, and quality theorist who taught post-war Japanese manufacturers what eventually became the Toyota Production System - and, decades later, DevOps. John Willis, one of the founders of the DevOps movement and the author of a book on Deming, walks Whitney and Coté through that lineage: Deming's system of profound knowledge (theory of knowledge, variation, psychology, and systems thinking), how it landed at Toyota, and how it threads through Lean software development into modern delivery practice. From there, the conversation turns to what the industry is getting wrong about AI: bragging about K-LOC a...

Whitney and Coté talk with Emily Long, CEO and co-founder of Edera, about building a hardened container runtime that secures infrastructure foundations instead of chasing detect-and-respond alerts. Emily describes how Edera lets teams swap in a new container runtime without re-platforming or adopting yet another zero-trust migration, and why the "zero days as the new hotness" landscape makes that kind of structural change worth doing.

The conversation also covers her jump from COO to CEO - the ambiguity of the COO title, what actually changes when you're the one absorbing every decision - and what it's like r...

Whitney and Coté discuss with Josh Berkus (Red Hat, Kubernetes contributor) how liberal and fine arts degrees (philosophy, photography, sculpture, pottery) apply to tech careers. Berkus details how early hardware experience influenced his database performance work, noting hardware's renewed relevance with AI and multi-arch computing. The conversation covers Sun Microsystems’ 1990s internet role, internal politics, and its MySQL/Postgres strategy. They examine open source's shift from end-user to vendor-driven models, foundations' roles, and contributor incentives. Berkus describes Kubernetes release processes, contributor-experience programs, and its resilience to low-quality AI contributions.

You can also watch the video recording of thi...

Whitney and Coté talk with Heidi Waterhouse, co-author of the book Progressive Delivery.

You can watch the video of the recording as well, if you're into that kind of thing.

Heidi on the World Wide Web:
LinkedIn.
Her Website.
The book, Progressive Delivery.

Special Guest: Hedi Waterhouse.

Spotting talent, getting innovation adoption and driving use, open source, AI, and developing taste - those are the major topics Coté and Andrew discussed this week at the live reading. Also, a framework for creating the perfect burger. This was recorded at cfgmgmtcamp 2026, in Ghent, Belgium. Thanks to the staff for making it happen!

You can watch the video recording of this episode as well, if you're into that kind of thing.

If you missed cfgmgmtcamp this year, keep an eye on cfgmgmtcamp for next year - it's a great conference to start the year w...

Coté and Whitney talk with Nathen Harvey, who leads the DORA research program at Google Cloud. They talk about what 15 years of DevOps and delivery data actually says about AI. The answer feels something like "it makes you even better at what you're already good at." High-performing teams get better, while struggling teams just move faster into bottlenecks. They talk about AI-assisted software development, why throughput is rising while stability drops, how culture still beats tools, and why “user-centric” work remains stubbornly hard despite being obvious.

You can watch the video version of this episoode in YouTube, if yo...

In this episode, Whitney and Coté talk with Lian, a "cloud-native human" with a 15-year career in tech. Lian discusses her transition from tech to performance art, her experiences in amateur musical theater, stand-up comedy, and improv theater. She talks about platform engineering, the importance of community building in tech, and balancing professional life with personal projects. They also cover her unique improv workshops for engineers at conferences and the popular KubeCon karaoke parties she organizes.

If you prefer video, you can watch that.

Mentions:

The Octopus Organization is a great collection of organization anti-patterns. This week, one of the co-authors, Jana Werner talks with Whitney and Coté about those patterns and her own experiences. They go over topics like reading habits, the role of business books, decision making, ownership, curiosity in organizations. practical steps to avoid common corporate anti-patterns, the importance of clear communication and leadership principles, and rubber pigs.

You can also watch the video version of this episode if you prefer that kind of thing.

Check out the book, The Octopus Organization.

Also, an HBR o...

Whitney and Coté chat with Jason Hand. They discuss the challenges and rewards of organizing conferences, the impact of the pandemic on in-person events, and the nuances of developer relations.

Jason shares his experiences with AI Tools Lab, vibe coding, and personal projects such as developing his own tools to replace commercial SaaS products. They also talk about devrel differences at large vs. mid-sized companies, and how to maintaining personal energy and sanity in high-demand roles.

Check out just about everything Jason Hand related at his home page on the World Wide Web.

I...

This week, Whitney Lee joins us to discuss KubeCon news, Coding Assistants, and conference tips. Plus, vegan food and note-taking recommendations.

Watch the YouTube Live Recording of Episode 547

This is a cross-over episode with Software Defined Talk.

Whitney and Coté talk with Andrew Clay Shafer, co-founder of Puppet and principal at an advisory firm, about the nuances of DevOps transformation, open source dynamics, and running his burger restaurant, All American Burger. They talk about the challenges of integrating social and technical systems, managing metrics and KPIs, and the evolving ecosystem of open source software. Also, they go over Andrew's experience in running a fast food restaurant and the parallels between managing a tech company and a food business.

You can also watch the video version of this episode if you're into that kind of t...

We talk with Russell Davies this episode. He has done many things, above all else made lots of interesting content and messed around with producing content. Advertising, blogging and the World Wide Web of the 2000's, interesting conferences (call exactly that: interesting), books, and of late, he's been mastering the short video format. I am a big fan of Flora and his ("he's"?) recent podcast, WIP. Here is a fantastic episode.

All of Russell's stuff is to be found on his home page on the World Wide Web, those his photos take some time tracking down.

Blogs! Whitney and Coté talk with Manton Reece, founder and owner of micro.blog. They talk about journaling, the urge to write and publish, and a whole lot about blogging, social media, and how AI fits into all of that. Check out micro blog at, well, micro.blog and also Manton's blog.

Special Guest: Manton Reece.

In this episode, Whitney and Coté speak with Saad Ansari, a product manager at Databricks, about his journey from working at Microsoft to co-founding a startup focused on creating sensors for monitoring cow behavior. They go over the challenges and rewards of transitioning from large corporations to startups and back, the differences in company scales, and the various lessons learned along the way. Saad shares some stories about developing technology for dairy farming, tackling supply chain issues, and the importance of passion in one's work. The conversation also touches on the unique cultural aspects of dairy farming around the w...

In this episode, Whitney and Coté talk about the integration of AI into daily life with Hannah Foxwell, organizer of AI for the Rest of Us, among many other doings. They talk about stuff like practical applications of AI in daily tasks like finding recipes and tech support to the complexities of adopting AI in professional settings. Hannah also talks about building AI communities and conferences in general. Also, you hear about the upcoming conference AI for the Rest of Us.

You can also watch the video recording of this interview, if you prefer that kind of t...

In this episode, Whitney and Coté talk with Rachel Chalmers. Rachel shares her experiences as an analyst, her approach to VC investing, and a little on life as a industry analyst. The conversation also touches on the evolving landscape of venture capital, the importance of psychological safety in teams, and innovative methods for engaging with early-stage startups. Also, lots of horse-talk.

You can also watch the video recording, if you're into that kind of thing.

Rachel's podcast: https://www.heavybit.com/library/podcasts/generationship
The Generationship fund: https://www.generationship.ai
Rachel LinkedIn: h...

In this episode, Whitney and Coté chat with Mary Thengvall, exploring the development and significance of Developer Relations (devrel) over the years. They discuss the transition from tech "evangelism" to the modern devrel roles, the challenges and successes in community building, the importance of internal support for devrel teams, and the impact of AI on content creation. Mary also shares insights from her book, The Business Value of Developer Relations, and her experience with the devrel Collective community.

You can also watch the video version of this episode if you're into that kind of thing.

L...

In this episode, Whitney and Coté talk with James Eastham about developing social skills through reading, the importance of deep work in productivity, and the mental challenges of ultrarunning. They also discuss strategies for reducing screen time in an age of Internet addiction, how thumbnails in YouTube videos influence viewer engagement, and the evolving landscape of short-form video content.

Watch the video, if you prefer that kind of thing.

Mentioned in the show:

Manager versus Maker.
Deborha Tannan books: Talking 9 to 5 and You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation.

Chris, of course, had his System generate a title and summary for this episode, so we're using that AI-driven fun this week.

In this lively and open conversation, Chris Dancy — the self-proclaimed "Most Connected person in the World" — joins hosts Cote and Whitney to discuss digital minimalism, hyper-organization, life augmentation, and cyborg spirituality. The episode is a blend of humor, tech wisdom, and raw human truth. From cord-hoarding and emotional databases to AI for cold case solving and life automation, Chris opens up his digital soul with passion and presence.

The trio wanders delightfully through stor...

In this episode, Whitney and Coté talk with AmyJune Hineline. They delve into Amy's diverse career, transitioning from a hospice nurse to a mechanical engineer and eventually working in tech and open source. They discuss the meticulous process of creating certification exams at the Linux Foundation, balancing altruistic and professional motivations in open source, and peering into the human aspects of her hospice work. They together AmyJune's experiences working in open source projects and working in hospice care. Also, strategies for keeping cool in the summer.

You can also watch this episode in YouTube, if you prefer t...

In this episode, Whitney and Coté discuss with Betty Junod, CMO of Heroku, the evolution of growing up without the internet to the present day's AI advancements and its implications for future generations. They explore how AI is changing critical thinking and curiosity, and how it affects children and business use cases. They also delve into workplace dynamics, such as transitioning between large tech companies and startups, leveraging frameworks to drive business goals, and the evolving role of marketers. Additionally, they talk about the nuances of using industry analysts in marketing strategies and the increasing prevalence of AI-generated content.

In this episode, Whitney and Coté discuss Whitney's newfound enthusiasm for AI after a recent stint with the tool Cursor. The conversation covers how AI tools can aid in coding, building engineering journals, and even drafting compelling conference talk abstracts. They highlight the difference between tasks and prompts in AI, personalizing AI interactions, and maximizing efficiency with various MCP servers. Along the way, they delve into practical use cases for AI in professional and personal contexts, exploring its potential and limitations. (This description was generated by AI...of course!)

Check out the video recording of this episode, i...

In this episode, Whitney and Coté talk with Taegan Goddard, founder of Political Wire. They talk about what drives people to go above and beyond in their work, especially journalism like Taegan does. There's some fun conversation about how Taegan runs the business, keeping up his never ending coverage. Having run the site for well over two decades, they also talk about how the back-end stack has evolved over the years. And, some notes on how to make a great cup of coffee.

Check out and subscribe to politicalwire.com, highly recommended. The blog coverage is great a...

After an extensive discussion of 7-Eleven pizza cuisine, in this episode, Whitney and Coté talk with Sarah Christoff. They discuss working at startups, the point of startups, working in open source and balancing commercial and community interests, moving to Europe, and more!

Find Sarah in LinkedIn. Also, Coté referenced a talk by Aneel Lakhani at Monktoberfest 2023.

Special Guest: Sarah Christoff.

Whitney and Coté talk with Robert Reeves about startups, catering, the Austin's tech scene, and the business of open source over the past 20 years. A sampling: Robert share some stories of early startup adventures and strategic moves, behind the scenes catering rock festivals, and the importance of geography for starting your career in tech. Check out the video version of this episode if you prefer that kind of thing.

Find Robert in LinkedIn.

Podcast banner art from r/CanadianGraffiti, November, 2015.

Special Guest: Robert Reeves.

Whitney and Coté tour through a couple decades of tech infrastructure history with Melissa Smolensky, whose marketing career spans Rackspace, GitLab, CoreOS, and the CNCF, among other places. They explore the OpenStack/Kubernetes evolution, how "radical transparency" actually functions in corporate settings, and the shifting landscape of tech marketing—from thought leadership to the changing role of industry analysts. Plus, they compare notes on the distinctive flavors of Austin and Portland tech scenes.

Find Melissa in LinkedIn.

You can also watch the video version of this episode if you prefer that kind of thing.

S...

In this episode, Whitney and Coté talk with Emily Omier, a consultant specializing in open source strategy and product management for businesses. They discuss the initial reactions and learning curve of new tech entrants to open source, the advantages and potential disadvantages of building a business around open-source software, and the ethical considerations in this space. Emily also goes over her experiences running a conference for open source founders and her insights into the challenges of commercializing open-source projects. They also discuss the importance of security, maintaining a balance between open source ideals and business interests, and practical advice f...

In this video, Coté and Whitney talk about tech education and learning with Mumshad Mannambeth. There's talk about certifications, but also how teaching online works and what it's like when it scales up to millions of people. Plus, Coté tries to figure out how to get access to more napkins.

You can also watch the video of this interview form if you prefer that kind of thing.

Check out KodeKloud and Mumshad in LinkedIn.

Special Guest: Mumshad Mannambeth.

In this episode, Whitney and Coté talk with Hazel Weakly about the unexpected success of content, the influence of corporate interests in open source, and the importance of emotional vulnerability in the tech industry. Hazel shares her experiences transitioning as a trans woman in tech, how her interactions changed post-transition, and the need for emotional connections and support. They also get into the Kubernetes ecosystem, corporate capture, and the role of legibility in software development.

Find all of Hazel's stuff on her home page on the World Wide Web.

Special Guest: Hazel Weakly.

In this episode, Whitney and Coté interview Marino Wijay, Coté finally gets to the bottom of why networking has so many layers. Why do we keep adding new layers and frameworks instead of just fixing the ones we have? They also talk about the challenges of platform engineering, the importance of empathy in tech, the difficulties of integrating multiple layers in tech stacks, the essential role of effective communication and prioritization, and Marino's side project, EmpathyOps.

Find Marino in LinkedIn, Bluesky, Twitter, and YouTube.

Special Guest: Marino Wijay.

Join Whitney and Coté as they talk with Richard Seroter from Google about the myth of the 10X developer and his perspective on hiring and managing tech talent. They also talk about the significance of learning and AI in the tech industry, the importance of communication skills, valuable resources for staying updated in tech, and Richard's personal strategies for maintaining a robust reading habit and public profile. Additionally, they explore AI tools, the nuances of career progression, and navigating the complex landscape of tech strategy.

Special Guest: Richard Seroter.

In this episode of Software Defined Interviews, Coté and Whitney host Brian Gracely, co-host of the Cloudcast podcast and head of portfolio strategy at Red Hat. They discuss the process of gathering and reporting cloud news, the evolution of PaaS, and the pros and cons of working at small startups versus large companies. Also: career advice, the importance of communicating value within organizations, and how to stay relevant in the ever-changing tech landscape. And still more: Brian shares insights on how to generate engaging content for podcasts and the impact of internal communication on company culture.

Here i...

What’s it really like to do all that DevOps-y transformation at companies? That’s what we talk about this week with Sasha Czarkowski…mostly. We also discuss learning how to learning, metrics, staying sane in chaotic systems and change, breaking presentation rules, Louisville, Kentucky, and Coté’s (odd?) dislike of the open spaces format.

You can also watch the video of this episode if you prefer that kind of thing.

Sasha in LinkedIn.
Where she works, Ergonautic.
Her learning talk.

Special Guest: Sasha Czarkowski.