Asynchronous & Unreliable - Conversations on The Edge of Software

Ep 10: What Is Platform Engineering and how will it work in an AI world? With Paula Kennedy

SHOWNOTES What Is Platform Engineering and how will it work in an AI world? An In-Depth Conversation with Paula Kennedy In this episode, Anne Currie chats with old friend and colleague Paula Kennedy, COO of platform engineering startup Syntasso about the fundamentals of platform engineering, its evolution, and its impact on organizations of all sizes. They explore how platform engineering helps manage the growing cognitive load in modern software development and operational practices. This episode is a great companion to episode 3 - Niki Manoledaki's on platform engineering at Grafana Labs Key Topics Covered: * The origins and definition of platform engineering, tracing back to the earliest days of software development * How platform engineering bridges the gap between code creation and deployment infrastructure * The role of platform teams as enablers and marketplace providers within organizations * Ownership, responsibility, and the importance of platform as a product mindset * The impact of AI on platform engineering, automation, and operational efficiency * Avoiding bottlenecks: scaling platform capabilities to meet rising code generation and operational demands * Practical insights into managing complexity, security, and costs across organization-wide platforms Timestamps: * (0:00) – Introduction to platform engineering and tools for easy editing of recordings * (3:00) – Defining platform engineering as the space between code and infrastructure * (6:00) – The evolution from traditional IT to DevOps and modern platform teams * (9:00) – How cognitive load and responsibility are distributed across teams * (12:00) – Historical perspective: from separate dev and ops teams to integrated platforms * (15:00) – The role of ownership and product mindset in platform success * (20:00) – The marketplace model for platform services, enabling internal contribution * (23:00) – The importance of clear boundaries and ownership akin to cloud provider models * (28:00) – The influence of AI and agents on future platform strategies * (36:00) – Recognizing system bottlenecks and scaling horizontally as a key challenge * (37:00) – The timeless nature of operational principles and organizational constraints For transcript [https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/episode-10-paula-kennedy]

Ep 9: Should Tech Learn More Lessons From History? With Jamie Dobson

Jamie Dobson and Anne Currie Join us in this enlightening episode as Anne Currie chats with Jamie Dobson, co-founder of Container Solutions and author of Rebels, Visionaries, and Machines. They dive into the history of technology, the evolution of the tech industry, and the challenges and opportunities in communicating complex ideas in tech today. This conversation offers valuable insights for tech enthusiasts, educators, and communicators alike. Key Topics Covered: * The history of cloud computing and its cultural impact since 1799 * How tech conferences like Software Circus aimed to reshape industry conversations * The ethical and social implications of AI and automation in the workforce * The importance of understanding problem context before choosing tools * Strategies for explaining complex technical ideas without oversimplification * Lessons from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein applied to tech ethics and responsibility * The challenge of capturing audience attention in storytelling and education * How to communicate the essence of microservices, patterns, and cloud-native concepts effectively * Reflecting on the role of stories and analogies in making tech more accessible #tech #AI #techconferences #cloudnative #techcommunications

Ep 8: When Will AI Write All The (Mission Critical) Software? With Jon Berger

Most companies are underestimating how quickly AI will transform software development. When AI can seemingly write mission-critical code, what does that mean for the future of engineering, quality, and human expertise? Anne Currie and Jon Berger discuss Martin Davidson’s groundbreaking insights in episode 7 on creating mission critical software using AI [https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/asynchronous-and-unreliable-e7] Will AI-driven software eliminate the need for traditional coding teams alogether? Is all the system software going to get re-written in Rust? What about maintenance and operations? Shownotes & transcript [https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/asynchronous-and-unreliable-episode-8] #tech #podcast #softwareengineering #AI #sustainability #green #software #distributedsystems #rustlang

Ep 7: Can AI Ever Create Mission Critical Software? With Martin Davidson

Join host Anne Currie in this episode of "Asynchronous and Unreliable," where she talks with veteran technologist Martin Davidson about his journey from telecommunications to AI-driven software development. Discover how AI looks set to reshape the software industry, including by building high-quality, production-ready code and redefining testing, design, and organizational structures. - Martin Davidson’s career evolution from high-resilience telco software to AI and machine learning  - The concept of oracle-driven development for AI-generated code quality  - Practical experimentation with rewriting libraries and building emulators in Rust using AI - The extension of traditional unit testing to fuzz testing, differential testing, and other AI-powered validation  - The importance of defining success criteria ("what good looks like") upfront in AI projects  - Parallelization strategies in AI and software architectures: from agents to cores and teams  - Organizational implications of AI-driven productivity increases and automation  - Future outlook for legacy software companies amid AI disruptions  - The cultural and economic impacts of AI on software engineering careers and industry stability #tech #podcast #softwareengineering #AI #sustainability #green #software #distributedsystems shownotes and transcript: https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/asynchronous-and-unreliable-e7 [https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/asynchronous-and-unreliable-e7]

Ep 6: What Does The Energy Transition Mean for Software? With Sara Bergman

SHOWNOTES Discover how the rapid shift from fossil fuels to renewables, especially solar and wind, is shaping the tech industry and global economy. Hosted by Anne Currie and Sara Bergman, this episode explores the exponential growth of renewable energy, the role of software in optimizing energy use, and the geopolitical and environmental implications of this transition. Main insights: * The exponential rise of solar energy generation and its implications * The importance of grid management and energy storage solutions in a renewable-powered world * How different countries are adopting strategies like East-West data centers in China and time-of-use tariffs in India to optimize renewable energy consumption * The role of software in enabling carbon-aware computing and energy efficiency * Challenges and opportunities of integrating variable renewable sources into the energy mix * The historical context of fossil fuels as first gear in industrial development and the move towards more complex, resilient energy systems * Innovations like balcony solar panels and plug-in solar devices, and their potential for widespread adoption * The geopolitical considerations, including nuclear debates in Sweden and France's energy independence * How increasing renewable infrastructure can accelerate economic development, especially in Africa [https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/asynchronous-and-unreliable-episode-6-transcript] Shownotes and transcript [https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/asynchronous-and-unreliable-episode-6-transcript] #tech #podcast #softwareengineering #AI #sustainability #green #software #distributedsystems