In this Leanpub Podcast episode, Len Epp interviews Qiusheng Wu, author of Introduction to GIS Programming: A Practical Python Guide to Open Source Geospatial Tools. They discuss Qiusheng’s journey from growing up in rural China to earning a PhD and becoming a leading figure in the open-source GIS community.

Qiusheng shares insights into his development of popular Python packages like geemap, leafmap, and geoai, which are widely used for geospatial analysis and Earth Engine workflows. He talks about his passion for teaching and democratizing access to GIS tools through his YouTube channel and his book.

The episode explores the intersections of open source, data science, and education, highlighting Qiusheng’s philosophy of building tools that are not only powerful but also accessible and practical for a broad community of learners and professionals.

This interview was recorded on June 30, 2025.

The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM318-Qiusheng-Wu-2025-06-30.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this Leanpub podcast episode, Len Epp interviews Ed Barnard, author of Beyond Prompt Engineering: The Revolutionary Way to Learn Augmented Thinking. With two 20-year careers—first in operating system development at Cray Research and then in web software development—Ed brings deep technical expertise and philosophical insight to the conversation.

They discuss the evolution of computing and Ed’s powerful approach to learning and working with AI beyond simply crafting prompts. Ed shares stories from his early days working with the “wizards” at Cray, his practical experience with software consulting, and how the pursuit of deeper understanding in human-computer interaction has shaped his latest work.

The episode also explores the limitations of current AI thinking, the importance of structured learning, and how his book provides a conceptual roadmap for those seeking to become not just prompt engineers, but collaborative thinkers alongside machines. It’s a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of programming, AI, and human cognition.

This interview was recorded on June 10, 2025.

The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM317-Ed-Barnard-2025-06-10.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this episode of the Leanpub Podcast, Len Epp interviews Anne-Marie Charrett, author of The Quality Coach’s Handbook. Anne-Marie shares her journey from test automation to becoming a leader in quality coaching and engineering. She discusses her roles thoughout her career, and how she advocates for embedding quality practices throughout software teams.

The conversation explores the evolving nature of quality roles, how coaching can shift organizational mindsets, and why technical excellence must align with empathy and communication. Anne-Marie also shares lessons learned from conference speaking, mentoring others, and helping teams build a shared understanding of what “quality” means in different contexts.

For more from Anne-Marie, visit her website annemariecharrett.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

This interview was recorded on June 3, 2025.

The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM316-Anne-Marie-Charrett-2025-06-03.mp3. The podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this Leanpub Podcast episode, Len Epp interviews Jonathan B. Crossland, author of The Software Developer’s Handbook: Volume 1. Jonathan shares his unconventional path from performing arts into software development, and the inspiration behind his values-based engineering framework, Ammerse.

They dive into how personal values, like creativity and autonomy, influence great software development, and how developers can grow by embracing uncertainty and learning from mistakes. Jonathan also discusses the importance of writing, and how Leanpub empowers authors without gatekeepers.

This episode blends practical advice, philosophical insight, and reflections on both career decisions and becoming a professional programmer, making it essential listening for anyone passionate about software craftsmanship and lifelong learning.

This interview was recorded on May 28, 2025.

The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM315-Jonathan-Crossland-2025-05-28.mp3. The podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this episode of the Leanpub Podcast, Len Epp interviews Alex Telford, Senior Pipeline and Software Engineer and author of Practical Python for Production Under Pressure. Alex shares insights from his career in VFX and animation, where developers must build and fix tools quickly while productions are running full tilt.

They discuss the origins of his book, written to help technical directors, software engineers, and indie developers solve real-world problems with Python under intense time constraints. Alex explains how his experience at studios informed his pragmatic approach, and he emphasizes the importance of clear communication, clean interfaces, and sustainable practices in chaotic environments.

The episode is packed with valuable tips for coders working in high-pressure creative industries, and for anyone managing fast-paced technical projects in production.

This interview was recorded on May 20, 2025.

The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM314-Alex-Telford-2025-05-20.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this Leanpub Podcast episode, Len Epp interviews Ivan Krnić, author of BizTech Evolution: From Transactional Services to Strategic Alliances and Director of Engineering at CROZ. Ivan shares his insights on the changing relationship between business and technology teams, advocating for a shift from traditional siloed interactions to strategic partnerships. They discuss why empathy and shared context are crucial for success in modern organizations, and how his book provides a practical guide to fostering collaboration between engineers and business stakeholders. The conversation highlights how aligning incentives and focusing on outcomes can help organizations deliver more value and build more resilient, adaptive cultures.

This interview was recorded on May 16, 2025.

The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM313-Ivan-Krnic-2025-05-16.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this episode of the Leanpub Podcast, Len Epp, co-founder of Leanpub, interviews Isaak Tsalicoglou, author of Phoenix Product Codex. Isaak shares the story behind his book, which grew out of real-world problems faced in his family’s business. He explains how he built a REST API for managing product data using Elixir and the Phoenix web framework, with SQLite and Ecto for database modeling.

The discussion explores Isaak’s transition from product management and marketing into full-stack development, the advantages of using Elixir for reliability and performance, and how the Leanpub platform helped him iteratively write and publish his book. Len and Isaak also discuss broader issues like digitization for small businesses, and the role of developer-entrepreneurs building real tools for real problems.

Check out Isaak’s work at via his Leanpub author page.

This interview was recorded on May 5, 2025.

The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM312-Isaak-Tsalicoglou-2025-05-05.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

This interview has been edited for conciseness and clarity.

In this Leanpub Podcast episode, Len Epp interviews Nicolas Brown, author of Real World Agility: Backed by evidence, built for results.

Nicolas shares his unique path from the Royal Mail to working in e-commerce, financial services, and eventually as a sought-after agility and product consultant. He explains his evidence-based approach to agile coaching, and why focusing on flow, value, and culture leads to meaningful results. The conversation covers metrics, agile dogma, writing a book, and how leaders can create truly adaptive organizations.

📘 Learn more about the book: Real World Agility

🎙️ Listen to more episodes: The Leanpub YouTube Channel

This interview was recorded on April 1, 2025.

The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM311-Nicolas-Brown-2025-04-01.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this Leanpub podcast episode, co-founder Len Epp interviews Isaak Tsalicoglou, author of Northwind Elixir Traders: Learn Elixir and database modeling with Ecto and SQLite, all in one project. They discuss Isaak’s professional background in digital transformation, how a conversation with a friend sparked his obsession with functional programming, and why Elixir stood out as a powerful and elegant language for modern software development.

Isaak explains how his book combines real-world business logic with hands-on technical learning by recreating the classic Northwind database in Elixir using Ecto and SQLite. The conversation also explores his passion for education, his iterative writing process, and the balance between accessibility and technical depth when writing for developers.

They touch on the open-source mindset, and the psychological elements of learning and productivity. This episode offers both practical programming insights and inspiration for anyone interested in combining creativity, entrepreneurship, software engineering, and writing books.

This interview was recorded on May 24, 2025.

The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM310-Isaak-Tsalicoglou-2025-03-24.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

This interview has been edited for conciseness and clarity.

In this episode of the Leanpub podcast, host Len Epp speaks with Dan Holloway, host of the Self-Publishing News podcast, for a comprehensive review of the book industry in 2024. They delve into critical developments, including the expanding role of AI in publishing and its impact on authorship, content creation, and reader engagement.

Holloway also highlights evolving trends in author incomes, emphasizing challenges and opportunities for independent authors in a competitive digital landscape.

Key controversies discussed include the WordPress dispute involving WP Engine, as well as the Internet Archive’s ongoing legal battles and their implications for digital lending and copyright law. The conversation also touches on the cultural phenomenon of cozy literature and its resurgence as a top genre in 2024, reflecting readers’ desires for comfort and familiarity amidst global uncertainty.

Looking ahead to 2025, Holloway offers predictions for the industry, including further disruptions from AI, the continued transformation of traditional publishing models, and the rise of ethical considerations in digital media. The episode provides valuable guidance for authors, publishers, and readers navigating a rapidly evolving landscape.

This interview was recorded on January 2, 2025.

The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM309-Dan-Holloway-2025-01-02.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.