Software Defined Interviews

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.

Special Guest: Melissa Smolensky.

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 for making open-source business models successful.

You can watch the video of this recording as well, if you prefer that kind of thing.

Find out more about and from Emily: her consultancy; her podcast, The Business of Open Source; LinkedIn; The New Stack writing; and she has a well traveled, IRL-background.

Special Guest: Emily Omier.

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 is the video of this recording if you prefer that kind of thing.

Here is the leaked Mr. Beast memo Coté mentions.

Special Guest: Brian Gracely.

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.

Special Guest: Sasha Czarkowski.

Katie Greenley shares her experiences managing events and community programs like the CNCF Ambassadors. Coté, Whitney, and Katie also discuss career development, managing a community team, and the delicate art of introducing cereal decanting into the home.

Checdk out Katie in LinkedIn, and the CNCF Ambassadors program.

Special Guest: Katie Greenley.

In this episode, Whitney and Coté talk with Viktor Farcic, Developer Advocate at Upbound, about platform engineering, the evolution of DevOps, project managing a content creation engine of one, and the virtues of imperfection. Also, the strategic avoidance of asking for directions, or, really, talking with people in general.

Find Viktor in YouTube, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and his website.

Special Guest: Viktor Farcic.