DevEx Unpacked

#010:  In this episode of DevEx Unpacked, Alan Carson sits down with Des Anderson, co-founder and CTO of LearnUpon, to discuss the journey from start-up idea to global SaaS leader.

Des shares candid insights on co-founding a company during uncertain times, simplifying the LMS market, scaling engineering teams, and keeping innovation alive with AI and horizon-two projects.

From navigating cloud choices to balancing tech debt, security, and customer trust, this episode is packed with lessons for SaaS founders, engineers, and product leaders building the next generation of software platforms. 

• (00:00) - From Ireland to Serbia: Des Anderson’s Journey to Founding LearnUpon

#009: In this episode of DevEx Unpacked, Cloudsmith’s Chief Strategy Officer Alan Carson chats with Kerry Boden, HR Manager and the force behind scaling Cloudsmith during its explosive growth.

Kerry shares her journey from linguistics to HR leadership, her experience joining a 35-person startup, and how she helped grow the company to nearly 90 employees across four continents.

Learn how Cloudsmith balances rapid hiring with culture fit, how remote onboarding can actually outperform in-office programs, and the secret sauce behind keeping employees connected, even when they’re thousands of miles apart.

From the magic of offsites and Slack culture to the emotional impact of "Cheers for Peers" and the dangers of remote burnout, Kerry gives an honest, practical look into how to build, and maintain, a thriving culture in a high-growth, remote-first environment.

Whether you're an HR professional, a startup founder, or just someone fascinated by how culture scales, this episode offers valuable insights on setting high hiring standards, prioritising wellbeing, and using tools and rituals to build lasting employee connection in the modern world of work.

• (00:00) - From Language Degrees to HR Leadership: Kerry’s Unlikely Path

#008: In this episode of DevEx Unpacked, host Alan Carson sits down with Dave McConville, a customer success powerhouse at Cloudsmith, to explore what it truly takes to build lasting customer relationships in a complex, fast-growing tech company. 

Dave shares his candid journey from aspiring software engineer to technical writer, scrum master, and ultimately, the go-to guy for making customers successful.

With humour and deep insight, Dave unpacks the realities of artifact management, navigating curveballs post-sale, and the critical role of empathy, transparency, and trust in building partner-like relationships with customers. 

He discusses the early days of Cloudsmith, what it's like to move from Belfast to New Jersey as part of a remote-first company, and how he balances technical knowledge with human connection.

Tune in for practical wisdom, real stories, and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes Cloudsmith’s approach to customer engagement truly special.

• (00:00) - Finding the Path to Cloudsmith: From Code to Customers

#007:  What does it take to scale a world-class engineering team? In this episode of DevEx Unpacked, Alan Carson sits down with Ronan O'Dulaing, seasoned engineering leader and VP of Engineering at Cloudsmith, to explore the strategies behind hiring top-tier talent, structuring growing teams, and building psychologically safe, remote-first cultures. 

Ronan shares battle-tested lessons from Silicon Valley to Belfast, offering candid insights on what it really means to lead with authenticity, manage chaos, and foster sustainable pace in high-growth environments. 

Whether you're a founder, CTO, or engineering leader, this episode is packed with actionable advice on recruitment, onboarding, team structure, and guiding principles that keep dev orgs aligned and effective. 

Learn how to build not just software, but engineering cultures that scale. 

• (00:00) - Welcome to DevEx Unpacked: Meet Ronan O'Dulaing

#006:  In this episode of DevEx Unpacked, Cloudsmith co-founder Alan Carson sits down with CEO Glenn Weinstein for a deep dive into leadership, growth, and developer-first thinking. 

Glenn shares his journey from programming on a Commodore PET to founding and selling a startup, his lessons from Twilio, and what drew him to lead Cloudsmith. 

The two discuss what it takes to build a category-defining company from Belfast, navigating VC funding, and how values like resilience, clarity, and service drive long-term success.

A must-listen for founders, tech leaders, and anyone scaling with purpose. 

• (00:00) - Introduction

#005:  In this episode of DevEx Unpacked, Alan Carson chats with Ciara Carey, Solutions Engineer at Cloudsmith, about her career journey from developer to DevRel to her current customer-facing role. 

Ciara shares real-world insights on software supply chain security, how teams are using Enterprise Policy Management (EPM) to control open source risk, and why Cloudsmith’s cloud-native platform is a game changer for DevSecOps workflows. 

You’ll also hear stories about support chats, high-stakes demos, speaking gigs, and what makes a successful customer onboarding journey. 

A must-listen for engineers, platform teams, and security-conscious startups. 

• (00:00) - From DevRel to Solution Engineering: Ciara’s Cloudsmith Journey

#004: In this episode of DevEx Unpacked, Alan Carson chats with Jack Spargo, CTO of Control Alt, about his fascinating career journey from aerospace engineering to leading blockchain-powered investment platforms. 

Jack shares lessons from being acquired overnight, the challenges of building a platform from scratch, and why he’s betting big on junior engineers and AI augmentation. They explore the realities of compliance, software supply chain security, and why Northern Ireland is fast becoming a serious start-up hub. 

A must-listen for technical founders, engineering leaders, and DevOps pros navigating scale and innovation. 

#003: In this episode of DevEx Unpacked, Alan Carson sits down with Tom Gibson, Principal Engineer and long-time Cloudsmith team member, to trace his journey from early start-up to leading strategic innovation in the CTO’s office. 

Tom shares behind-the-scenes stories about engineering through scale, building continuous security scanning, and what it takes to evolve a developer-first platform. 

Hear how Cloudsmith grew from four engineers to an enterprise-ready company, while staying true to its developer DNA. 

If you're building DevOps platforms, growing an engineering team, or just love a good Pac-Man rivalry, this episode is for you. 

#002: In this episode of DevEx Unpacked, Alan Carson sits down with Dan McKinney, one of Cloudsmith’s earliest team members and now Head of Solutions Engineering. 

Dan reflects on his unique journey from writing docs and filming DevRel videos to leading high-stakes enterprise sales. 

Discover how Cloudsmith scaled from a two-person start-up to a platform trusted by global enterprises, why software supply chain security is more urgent than ever, and what features make developers and security teams lean in. 

Bonus: hear the Pac-Man showdown story and why a black "Alan" T-shirt sums up start-up confidence. 

00:00:00 Donuts, Documentation & Day One: How Dan Joined Cloudsmith
00:06:00 DevRel Origins and “Hi, Dan from Cloudsmith”
00:09:45 Pac-Man Rivalries & Retro Tech: Culture and Camaraderie
00:11:30 Crawling Through Ceilings: Building Infrastructure from Scratch
00:14:45 Early Belief in a Bold Vision: Betting on Artefact Management
00:18:00 From Customer Support to Solutions Engineering
00:21:00 Why Enterprises Are Rethinking Software Supply Chain Security
00:30:00 From Startups to Fortune 500s: The Enterprise Evolution
00:36:45 Every Toolchain Is Unique: The Complexity Cloudsmith Solves
00:39:55 Lean-In Features: What Customers Love About the Platform
00:46:00 People + Product: What Dan Loves Most About Cloudsmith
00:48:40 The “Alan” T-Shirt and the Power of Staying the Course

#001: In this inaugural episode of DevEx Unpacked, host Alan Carson sits down with Alison Sickelka, VP of Product at Cloudsmith, for a deep dive into the evolution of software supply chain security. 

Alison shares her journey from journalism to product leadership, the unique talent landscape in Belfast, and how Cloudsmith is pioneering secure artifact management. 

Learn how Cloudsmith's Enterprise Policy Management is shaping compliance strategies, why SBOMs are crucial, and where AI fits in a secure DevOps future. 

Perfect for developers, security pros, and tech leaders looking to stay ahead in a shifting ecosystem. 

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