Tech Lead Journal

In this special in-person episode, Sanne Grinovero shares the story of Java’s evolution from his unique perspective as a long-time open-source contributor. He shares his 16-year career journey at Red Hat, highlighting his amazing work on key projects like Hibernate, Infinispan, and especially the creation of Quarkus. His career trajectory, from a student who initially disliked Java’s complexity to a leading figure in its modernization, shows the transformative power of open source.

A key part of the conversation focuses on how technical challenges spark innovation. Sanne explains how the task of making the popular Hibernate framework compatible with GraalVM’s limitations led directly to the birth of Quarkus. This journey tells the bigger story of how Java adapted for cloud-native development, ensuring it continues to be a top choice for developers seeking high performance and a great developer experience.  

Timestamps:

• (00:00:00) Trailer & Intro
• (00:02:16) Career Turning Points
• (00:04:52) Winning an Innovation Award
• (00:06:35) Java Heroes
• (00:08:04) Working as a Consultant
• (00:09:56) Taking a Massive Pay Cut to Work on Open Source
• (00:10:59) Contributing to Big Open Source as a Youngster
• (00:12:53) State of Hibernate Project
• (00:15:15) Spring Boot
• (00:16:54) Making Hibernate Work on GraalVM
• (00:21:05) GraalVM Limitations for Running Hibernate
• (00:26:09) Java for Cloud Native Application
• (00:28:04) Quarkus vs Spring Boot
• (00:33:21) JRebel & Quarkus
• (00:34:35) Java vs New Programming Languages
• (00:39:22) The ORM Dilemma
• (00:42:38) Some Hibernate Design Pattern Tips
• (00:46:40) Getting Paid Working on Open Source
• (00:48:41) Hibernate License Change
• (00:51:05) Intellectual Property & Meaningful Contributions
• (00:52:52) AI Usage & Copyright in Open Source
• (00:55:21) Biggest Challenge Working in a Big Open Source
• (00:56:08) Politics in Open Source
• (00:58:32) Security Risks in Open Source
• (01:02:25) Donating Hibernate to Commonhaus Foundation
• (01:04:49) The Future of Red Hat
• (01:06:39) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom

_____

Sanne Grinovero’s Bio
Sanne Grinovero has been a member of the Hibernate team for 10 years; today he leads this project in his role of Sr. Principal Software Engineer at Red Hat, while also working on Quarkus as a founding R&D engineer.

Deeply interested in solving performance and concurrency challenges around data access, scalability, and exploring integration with new storage technologies, distributed systems and search engines.

Working on Hibernate features led him to contribute to related open source technologies; most notably to Apache Lucene and Elasticsearch, Infinispan and JGroups, ANTLR, WildFly, various JDBC drivers, the OpenJDK and more recently getting interested in GraalVM.

After being challenged to reduce memory consumption and improve bootstrap times of Hibernate, Sanne worked as part of a small R&D team at Red Hat on some ideas which have evolved into what is known today as Quarkus.

Follow Sanne:

• LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/sannegrinovero
• Twitter – twitter.com/SanneGrinovero
• GitHub – github.com/sanne

Like this episode?
Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/220.
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Tired of feeling like your team is stuck in a cycle of frustration and miscommunication? What if the biggest blocker in your tech career isn’t your code, but your thinking?

That’s the core premise of Systems Thinking, and in this episode, Diana Montalion (author of “Learning Systems Thinking”) shares the practical insights and mental models to help you make that essential shift.

Key topics discussed:

• What systems thinking is and its core principles
• The difference between linear thinking (which we need) and systems thinking (which we’re missing)
• Why building a metaphorical “car boat” is a failure of “conceptual integrity” and how to avoid it
• How to break free from a “change-my-mind” culture and improve our collaboration
• The critical skill of metacognition: why you must understand your own thinking before you can influence others
• Practical ways to foster collective systems thinking and bridge the gap between Product and Tech
• Using modeling and visual tools to create alignment and solve the right problems
• How AI’s inability to handle true inference makes human systems thinking more valuable than ever

Whether you’re a software engineer, architect, team leader, or anyone tackling complex problems, learn why your technical skills alone are not enough and how a shift in your thinking can revolutionize your work and career.  

Timestamps:

• (00:00:00) Trailer & Intro
• (00:02:23) Career Turning Points
• (00:04:35) Writing Learning Systems Thinking
• (00:08:53) Definition of Systems Thinking
• (00:13:39) Systems Thinking vs Linear Thinking
• (00:19:31) Definition of System
• (O0:24:13) Conceptual Integrity
• (00:30:02) Practices to Improve Our Systems Thinking
• (00:36:21) Metacognition and Self-Awareness
• (00:44:42) Practices to Improve Our Collective Systems Thinking
• (00:53:04) Collaboration with Consent
• (00:55:29) The Importance of Modeling
• (01:02:20) AI Usage and System Thinking
• (01:11:04) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom

_____

Diana Montalion’s Bio
Diana Montalion is a systems architect, learning facilitator, and founder of Mentrix Group, with over 20 years of experience delivering transformative software initiatives for organizations like Stanford, The Gates Foundation, The Economist, and The Wikimedia Foundation. As the author of Learning Systems Thinking: Essential Nonlinear Skills & Practices for Software Professionals (O’Reilly), she empowers tech professionals to navigate complex systems through practices like systemic reasoning, metacognition, and collaborative modeling.

Follow Diana:

• LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/dianamontalion
• Website – montalion.com
• Twitter – @dianamontalion
• Mastodon - @[email protected]
• Bluesky - @mentrix.bsky.social
• Mentrix Group – https://mentrixgroup.com/
• SystemCrafters Collective – https://mentrix.systems/
• 📚 Learning Systems Thinking – oreilly.com/library/view/learning-systems-thinking/9781098151324/

Our Sponsors

Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.

Get a 40% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead24 for all products in all formats.

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Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/219.
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Understand the secret behind one of Amazon’s most powerful innovation tools and learn how you can use it to drive clarity, alignment, and better decision-making.

In this episode, Marcelo Calbucci, author of “The PRFAQ Framework,” dives deep into the PRFAQ (Press Release & Frequently Asked Questions) framework, a unique approach that combines narrative storytelling and strategic FAQs to crystallize initiative vision and strategy.

Key topics discussed:

• What the PRFAQ framework is — and why it’s more than just a product management tool
• How PRFAQ brings Amazon’s “working backwards” philosophy to life
• The structure of a PRFAQ: press release, customer FAQs, and internal FAQs
• Why storytelling and precise writing are essential for strategic vision and alignment
• Overcoming resistance: making writing and reading strategic documents part of your culture
• Practical tips for adopting PRFAQ in any organization, large or small
• Common mistakes to avoid when implementing PRFAQ
• The importance of collaborative feedback in the PRFAQ process

Whether you’re launching a startup, building a new product, or transforming internal processes, this episode breaks down how this method can help you avoid common pitfalls and deliver results that matter.

Timestamps:

• (00:00) Trailer & Intro
• (02:10) Career Turning Points
• (03:56) The PRFAQ Framework
• (05:19) PRFAQ is Forward-Looking
• (07:09) Working Backwards & PRFAQ
• (07:58) Why Writing a Book About PRFAQ
• (11:37) PRFAQ: Why Less Adoption Than Other Frameworks?
• (14:40) Writing PRFAQ vs Speed of Execution
• (16:28) The PRFAQ Template
• (19:05) The Six Page of PRFAQ
• (21:24) Precise Writing
• (25:09) The Strict Guidelines of PRFAQ
• (26:40) PRFAQ: Press Release
• (29:56) The Power of Narratives / Storytelling
• (32:03) PRFAQ: Customer FAQ
• (34:15) Jobs-to-Be-Done vs. Personas
• (36:46) PRFAQ: Internal FAQ
• (39:34) How to Come Up with the Internal FAQs
• (40:49) The Level of Details in the FAQs
• (43:20) PRFAQ: Appendix
• (45:27) Advice on Starting PRFAQ
• (46:11) Adapting from the Amazon’s PRFAQ
• (48:55) Common Mistakes when Adopting PRFAQ
• (50:05) Providing Good Feedback for PRFAQ
• (51:18) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom

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Marcelo Calbucci’s Bio
Marcelo Calbucci is an entrepreneur, innovator, and technologist. He’s been building software products for over thirty years, having sold his first software at age fourteen. He has worked at Microsoft (Exchange Server & Bing) and Amazon (People eXperience & Technology), leading software engineering, product, data science, and UX. He is an author of The PRFAQ Framework.

Follow Marcelo Calbucci:

• LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/marcelocalbucci
• Twitter / X – @calbucci
• Email – [email protected]
• 📚 The PRFAQ Framework – theprfaq.com

Our Sponsors

Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.

Get a 40% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead24 for all products in all formats.

Like this episode?
Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/218.
Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
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(08:54) Brought to you by Swimm.io.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start modernizing your mainframe faster with ⁠⁠⁠Swimm⁠⁠⁠. Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code. Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement.

Why do so many well-intentioned initiatives fail to move the needle?

In this episode, Sriram Narayan, author of ‘Impact Intelligence,’ reveals how to ensure your efforts translate into real, measurable business impact. Stop shooting in the dark and start delivering tangible results that matter.

Key topics discussed:

• What “Impact Intelligence” means and why it is crucial for any business
• The common pitfalls: Why many tech and digital initiatives fail to achieve their intended business impact
• The common misconceptions about “outcomes” in tech and product teams, and why delivery or adoption metrics are not enough
• Surprising insights from the non-profit sector on rigorous impact measurement practices
• Understanding the difference between immediate (proximate) results and long-term (downstream) impact
• How to visualize and map your initiatives to core business goals using an “Impact Network”
• The critical challenge of “Impact Attribution” – how to know if your project actually moved the needle
• Addressing “Measurement Debt” — if you can’t measure it, should you build it?
• The iRex framework: A modular approach to building your organization’s Impact Intelligence
• Balancing speed vs impact: Not just shipping features, but delivering measurable business results

Whether you’re a tech leader, product manager, or executive, this episode will equip you with actionable frameworks and real-world examples to focus on what really matters: delivering measurable, meaningful business impact.

Tune in and start building your organization’s Impact Intelligence muscle today!  

Timestamps:

• (00:00) Trailer & Intro
• (02:22) Career Turning Points
• (10:52) Impact Intelligence
• (11:40) The Importance of Impact Intelligence
• (15:09) Understanding Business Impact
• (19:11) Learning & Adopting from the NGO Space
• (22:35) Impact Feedback Loops
• (26:25) Proximate vs Downstream Impact
• (28:20) Building an Impact Network
• (36:47) Differences with OKR
• (38:12) Impact Attribution
• (44:51) The Importance of Measurement & Measurement Debt
• (48:31) iRex Framework
• (54:26) Balancing Between Speed of Delivery and Business Impact
• (57:32) 1 Tech lead Wisdom

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Sriram Narayan’s Bio
Sriram Narayan is an independent consultant in the area of impact intelligence. He also helps clients improve digital, product and tech performance.

Pearson published his first book, Agile IT Org Design , in 2015. It won endorsements from the then CIO of The Vanguard Group and the then MD of Consumer Digital at Lloyds Bank.

Sriram has served in product, technology, innovation, and transformation leadership roles since 2006. He has also helped some of his clients move to a product operating model. His write-up of the topic in 2018 has since become a de facto industry reference. His other writings and talks are available at agileorgdesign.com

Follow Sriram:

• LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/mrsriramnarayan
• Bluesky - @srny.bsky.social
• Twitter / X – @sriramnarayan
• 📚 Impact Intelligence Website – impactintel.net
• 📚 Agile Org Design Website – agileorgdesign.com
• Email – [email protected]

Our Sponsors

Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.

Get a 40% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead24 for all products in all formats.

Like this episode?
Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/217.
Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

(05:46) Brought to you by Swimm.io.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start modernizing your mainframe faster with ⁠⁠Swimm⁠⁠.Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code.Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement.

Feeling uneasy about how your personal data is used, and wondering if companies are doing enough to protect it?

In this episode, Katharine Jarmul, author of “Practical Data Privacy,” dives deep into one of the most critical and rapidly evolving topics today. Discover how data privacy impacts you as a user and what organizations should be doing to protect your information responsibly. Learn why simply blaming users isn’t the answer and how we can build a more trustworthy technological future.

Key topics discussed:

• Understanding Data Privacy: The meaning of data privacy and how it links to autonomy, trust, and choice
• More Than Just PII: The full scope of sensitive data needing protection
• The “Spying” Phone Feeling: How too much data collection can be used to infer sensitive details
• Organizational Responsibility: Shifting data protection burden from users to companies building and deploying technology
• Privacy by Design: Embedding privacy into tech right from the start
• Essential Data Governance: Why knowing your data is key to privacy
• Practical Privacy Techniques: Pseudonymization, anonymization, data masking, and more
• Privacy Enhancing Technologies: Exploring tools like differential privacy, federated learning, and encrypted computation
• AI & Privacy Challenges: Using AI responsibly with sensitive information
• Navigating Privacy Laws: Understanding GDPR, data sovereignty, and global regulations
• Building a Privacy Culture: Fostering a culture of learning, psychological safety, and risk awareness around privacy

Tune in to learn how we can build a safer, more responsible, and trustworthy digital future for everyone.  

Timestamps:

• (00:00) Trailer & Intro
• (01:20) Career Turning Points
• (02:14) Data Privacy Landscape
• (07:45) PII (Personally Identifiable Information)
• (11:33) Data Privacy Risk in Current Technologies
• (14:13) Data Utility vs Privacy
• (19:01) Privacy by Design
• (24:19) Data Governance
• (29:06) Retention Schedule
• (31:10) Data Privacy Practices & Techniques
• (34:09) Privacy Enhancing Technologies
• (38:52) Fostering Data Privacy Practice & Culture
• (47:05) The Legal Aspects of Data Privacy
• (51:10) AI and Data Privacy
• (56:08) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom

_____

Katharine Jarmul’s Bio
Katharine Jarmul is a Principal Data Scientist at Thoughtworks Germany and author of the recent O’Reilly book Practical Data Privacy . Previously, she has held numerous roles at large companies and startups in the US and Germany, implementing data processing and machine learning systems with a focus on reliability, testability, privacy and security.

She is a passionate and internationally recognized data scientist, programmer, and lecturer. Katharine is also a frequent keynote speaker at international software and AI conferences.

Follow Katharine:

• LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/katharinejarmul
• Newsletter – https://probablyprivate.com
• YouTube – @ProbablyPrivate
• 📚 Practical Data Privacy: Enhancing Privacy and Security in Data – https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/practical-data-privacy/9781098129453/

Our Sponsors

Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.

Get a 40% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead24 for all products in all formats.

Like this episode?
Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/216.
Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

(04:07) Brought to you by Swimm.io.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start modernizing your mainframe faster with ⁠Swimm⁠.Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code.Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement.

Are too many meetings killing your productivity and making your team less effective?
Discover a new approach to work where meetings are no longer the default and deep work takes the center stage.

In this episode, Sumeet Moghe, the author of the “Async-First Playbook”, shares actionable insights on building high-performing teams through async-first approach.

Key topics discussed:

• The real reasons behind the return-to-office trend, and why remote and async work are far from dead
• How async-first companies like GitLab, Shopify, and Automattic operate, and why it’s not an all-or-nothing approach
• Surprising survey findings: Why most people want to work remotely, and how meetings and interruptions are damaging productivity
• The async-first mindset: Making meetings the last resort, prioritizing written communication, and defining reasonable response lags
• The ConveRel Quadrants: A framework for deciding when to meet based on relationship strength and meeting purpose
• Inclusion as a first-class responsibility: How async work empowers introverts, non-native speakers, parents, and diverse team members
• The “default to action” principle: How teams can move faster by embracing reversible decisions and reducing bottlenecks
• Async-first leadership: Building trust, modeling the right behaviors, and creating systems that replace performative busyness
• Practical tips for better business writing and reading, plus how AI tools can supercharge your communication
• The future of work: Why top talent will continue to demand autonomy, and how AI and fractional work are shaping new collaboration models

Tune in to discover how to build high-performing, effective and inclusive teams with fewer meetings by adopting async-first.  

Timestamps:

• (00:00) Trailer & Intro
• (02:19) Career Turning Points
• (06:21) The Return to Office Trend
• (11:36) Companies Embracing Async-First
• (13:20) People’s Working Style Preference
• (17:37) What is Async-First?
• (21:39) Team Handbook and Ways of Working
• (23:24) The ConveRel Quadrants
• (27:41) Inclusion as a First-Class Responsibility
• (32:14) Defaulting to Action
• (35:50) Async-First Leadership
• (40:38) Being Good in Written Communication
• (44:35) AI Usage in Written Communication
• (46:17) Time to Read and Reading Comprehension
• (51:14) The Future of Work
• (58:33) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom

_____

Sumeet Moghe’s Bio
Sumeet Gayathri Moghe is an Agile enthusiast, product manager, and design nerd at Thoughtworks. Sumeet has recently authored The Async-First Playbook. His practical recommendations for effective collaboration within remote and distributed teams stand for what he’s learned from his colleagues, their successes, and their occasional misadventures.

Sumeet kicked off “The async-first manifesto” , a set of principles he is co-creating with volunteer enthusiasts from around the world. He is also bringing async-work to life with stories of “Humans of remote work” .

Follow Sumeet:

• LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/sumeetmoghe
• Website – asyncagile.org
• 📚 Async-First Playbook – https://informit.com/async
• Use the code "MOGHE" to get 35% off

Our Sponsors

Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.

Get a 40% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead24 for all products in all formats.

Like this episode?
Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/215.
Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

(03:59) Brought to you by Swimm.io.

⁠⁠⁠⁠Start modernizing your mainframe faster with Swimm.
Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code.
Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement.

Stop fearing Friday and late-night deployments!
Discover how the most painful part of software development—deploying to production—can become routine, safe, and even boring.

In this episode, I sit down with Valentina Servile (ThoughtWorks lead developer and author of “Continuous Deployment”) to discuss the principles, practices, and mindset shift required to achieve true Continuous Deployment.

Key topics discussed:

• The key differences between Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, and Continuous Deployment
• Why “if it hurts, do it more often” is the secret to safer, faster releases
• Applying Lean principles like one-piece flow and reducing batch size for higher quality and speed
• The importance of removing the final manual deployment gate and automating everything
• Essential minimum practices: robust automated testing, feature flags, static analysis, and zero-downtime deployments
• Separating deployment from release with feature flags and expand/contract patterns
• Overcoming challenges in regulated industries, technical hurdles, and third-party integrations
• The critical mindset shift: treating production as a first-class citizen and embracing “shift left” for quality and security
• Cautions and advice on using AI tools in a continuous deployment workflow

Tune in to level up your software delivery and learn how to make deployments so routine that you’ll never dread another release.  

Timestamps:

• (02:00) Career Turning Points
• (06:05) Tips for Juniors Starting Their Careers
• (08:00) Continuous Deployment Book
• (10:16) Definitions of CI, CD, Continuous Deployment
• (15:42) If It Hurts, Do It More Often
• (19:18) Why Remove The Final Manual Gate to Production
• (24:56) Common Challenges in Adopting Continuous Deployment
• (30:02) Minimum Practices for Continuous Deployment
• (35:17) Hiding Work-in-Progress
• (38:46) The Difference Between Deployment vs Release
• (41:40) Slicing the Work
• (45:10) Coordinating Changes Between Systems & Third Parties
• (47:58) The Importance of Backward Compatibility
• (50:05) The Required Mindset Shift
• (53:16) AI Caution in Continuous Deployment
• (55:35) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom

_____

Valentina Servile’s Bio
Valentina Servile is a full-stack software craftswoman and Lead Software Developer at Thoughtworks.

She has worked with over a dozen companies in 5 different countries, ranging from start-up to enterprise scale. Her work has been focused on clean code, distributed systems and microservices, CI/CD practices, and evolutionary architectures in a variety of tech stacks. As a technical lead, she also coordinates delivery, and ensures a shared vision around ways of working and technical health in her cross-functional teams.

Valentina is passionate about creating an engineering baseline of clean code, testing and automation as the the most fundamental enabler of Agile, Lean and DevOps principles.

Follow Valentina:

• LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/valentina-servile
• Bluesky – @valentinaservile.bsky.social
• 📚 Continuous Deployment – https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/continuous-deployment/9781098146719/

Our Sponsors

Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.

Get a 40% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead24 for all products in all formats.

Like this episode?
Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/214.
Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

(05:57) Brought to you by Swimm.io.

⁠⁠⁠⁠Start modernizing your mainframe faster with Swimm.
Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code.
Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement.

Are we looking at software engineering the wrong way?
What if it’s less about writing code and more about making better decisions in an ever-changing system?

Learn a revolutionary approach to understanding complex software systems in my conversation with Tudor Girba, the CEO of feenk. We explore “Moldable Development,” a groundbreaking concept that challenges traditional views of software engineering. Learn why treating development as a decision-making process, supported by custom tools, is crucial for tackling today’s software challenges, especially when dealing with legacy systems.

Key topics discussed:

• Software Engineering as Decision-Making: Why software development is fundamentally about making informed decisions rather than just constructing systems.
• The Inefficiency of Reading Code: Developers spend over 50% of their time reading code, yet this activity remains unoptimized.
• Moldable Development: Learn how creating custom tools tailored to specific problems can revolutionize your workflow and decision-making process.
• Legacy Systems as Opportunities: Reframe legacy systems as value-creation opportunities instead of burdens.
• Glamorous Toolkit: Discover the innovative development environment enabling thousands of micro-tools for better system understanding.
• The Future of Development Environments: Explore how AI, moldable development, and tools like Glamorous Toolkit can coexist to solve diverse class of problems.

This conversation will completely transform how you think about software development!  

Timestamps:

• (00:01:57) Career Turning Points
• (00:08:29) Understanding How We Read Code
• (00:10:43) Software Engineering is a Decision-Making Activity
• (00:13:19) Reading Code is a Suboptimal Activity
• (00:16:44) Moldable Development
• (00:22:47) The Challenges with Legacy Systems
• (00:30:17) Moldable Development Workflow
• (00:46:02) Glamorous Toolkit
• (00:54:15) IDE, AI, and Glamorous Toolkit
• (01:00:36) Writing with Simon Wardley
• (01:03:01) 1 Tech Lead Wisdom

_____

Tudor Girba’s Bio
Tudor Girba is the CEO of feenk, a company focused on modernizing legacy systems. They do that through Moldable Development, a way of programming through contextual tools. They build Glamorous Toolkit, a free and open-source moldable development environment, to show how working through thousands of contextual tools per system can be practical. In 2014, Tudor received the prestigious Dahl-Nygaard Junior Prize for his work on modeling and visualisation of evolution and interplay of large numbers of objects.

Follow Tudor:

• LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/girba
• Bluesky – bsky.app/profile/tudorgirba.com
• X – x.com/girba
• feenk – feenk.com
• Glamorous Toolkit – gtoolkit.com
• 📝 Rewilding Software Engineering – medium.com/feenk/rewilding-software-engineering-900ca95ebc8c

_____

Our Sponsors

Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.

Get a 40% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead24 for all products in all formats.

Like this episode?
Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/213.
Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

(07:40) Brought to you by Swimm.io.

⁠⁠⁠⁠Start modernizing your mainframe faster with Swimm.
Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code.
Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement.

What if everything you’ve been taught about software architecture is fundamentally at odds with how the real world works?

Dive into my conversation with Barry O’Reilly, a veteran architect and former Chief Architect at Microsoft, as we explore a radical rethinking of software architecture that embraces uncertainty and complexity. Discover how to design systems that survive in an ever-changing world.

Key topics discussed:

• The Architect’s Paradox: Why rigid logic fails when applied to human systems and business complexity.
• The Failures of Traditional Architecture: Why requirements engineering and rigid models often fall short.
• Residuality Theory: A revolutionary approach focused on how systems collapse and adapt over time.
• Correctness vs. Criticality: Designing architectures that survive off-spec scenarios rather than aiming for perfection.
• Philosophy in Architecture: Unpacking hidden “default” philosophies that shape how we build software–and why they need to change.
• Essential Mindset for Architects: Humility, pessimism, and embracing uncertainty as tools for success.  

Whether you’re a developer, architect, or business stakeholder, this episode will challenge your assumptions and inspire new ways of thinking about software architecture.

Timestamps:

• (02:00) Career Turning Points
• (10:02) The Architect’s Paradox
• (15:54) Barry’s Definition of Architecture
• (20:24) The Challenges of Time and Change
• (24:09) The Danger of Software Abstractions
• (29:41) Understanding Our Architecture Philosophy
• (37:05) Residue as the Unit of Software Architecture
• (46:31) Practical Way of Applying Residuality
• (49:03) The Goal of Architecture is Criticality
• (52:17) Bridging the Gap Between Architecture and Stakeholders
• (55:09) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom

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Barry O’Reilly’s Bio
Barry is a veteran Architect who has held Chief Architect positions at Microsoft among others. He has also been a startup CTO, the Worldwide Lead for the Solutions Architecture Community at Microsoft, and founder of the Swedish Azure User Group. He is also a PhD candidate in software design and complexity science.

Barry is a regular speaker at international conferences and events, where he shares his insights and expertise. He is the Founder of Black Tulip Technology and the creator of Residuality Theory, which seeks to redefine architecture as the management of complexity.

Follow Barry:

• LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/barry-o-reilly-b924657/
• 📚 The Architect’s Paradox – leanpub.com/architectsparadox
• 📚 Residues: Time, Change, and Uncertainty in Software Architecture – leanpub.com/residuality
• 📚 Book bundle – leanpub.com/b/residues

_____

Our Sponsors

Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.

Get a 40% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead24 for all products in all formats.

Like this episode?
Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/212.
Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

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Are you feeling overwhelmed by the rapid pace of technological change?
How do you not just survive, but thrive through decades of major changes in the tech industry?

With 42 years experiencing the tech industry’s biggest transformations, Paula Paul (Distinguished Engineer, Technical Advisor, OpenJS Foundation Board Member) has seen it all. Hear her hard-won lessons on navigating massive technology shifts, from mainframes to modern AI and cloud. This episode explores why embracing change and building a healthy relationship with technology are crucial for a fulfilling career.

Key topics discussed:

• Insights from a 42+ year career spanning mainframes, CAD, the web, cloud, and AI
• A refreshing perspective on AI: Is it taking jobs away or creating choices?
• Why technology is often the “easy part” compared to managing changes
• How to cultivate a healthier relationship with technology and avoid overwhelm
• Timeless advice for building a successful and fulfilling tech career you love
• Navigating career pivots and embracing a non-linear path (“canvas vs. ladder”)
• The latest challenges of open source software, e.g. licensing and security risks
• Thoughts on diversity, inclusion, and meritocracy in the tech industry

Tune in for practical advice and deep reflections on building resilience, embracing curiosity, and finding your place in the ever-changing world of technology.  

Timestamps:

• (02:10) Career Turning Point
• (05:59) How to Approach AI and Rapid Technology Change
• (07:27) Long Feedback Loop in Software Development
• (10:35) Importance of Building the Right Things
• (13:35) The Fear of AI and Technology Changes
• (16:46) Timeless Tech Career Advice
• (19:34) Navigating Career Decisions
• (23:03) Every Company is a SaaS Company
• (26:22) The Huge Impact of Open Source
• (28:59) Open Source’s Security Challenge
• (31:04) Managing a Healthy JavaScript Ecosystem
• (33:11) Recent Trend of Open Source Licensing Change
• (35:46) Choosing Open Source vs. Commercial Software
• (37:18) Challenges of AI Model Training Based on Open Source
• (41:46) Recent Challenges with DEI Programs
• (45:05) The Value of Diversity
• (47:34) AI as Learning Tool
• (48:46) Creating Healthy Relationship with Technology
• (51:45) Dealing with Tech Anxiety
• (55:03) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom

_____

Paula Paul’s Bio
Paula is a trusted technical advisor and distinguished engineer who has served as a fractional CTO in multiple organizations. Paula championed API, Identity, and platform strategies as a Distinguished Engineer with ThoughtWorks and led cloud adoptions on AWS, GCP, and Azure through her company, Greyshore. Paula is passionate about Open Source; she has been a multi-year speaker and co-chair of Open Source Day for the Grace Hopper Celebration and currently serves as a board member with the OpenJS Foundation and the Brookline Music School.

Follow Paula:

• LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/paulapaul
• Medium – @paulapaul
• Website – http://greyshore.com

_____

Our Sponsors

Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.

Get a 40% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead24 for all products in all formats.

Like this episode?
Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/211.
Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Buy me a coffee or become a patron.