Ardan Labs Podcast
95 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 7 ratingsThis podcast features intimate conversations with engineers who are in the forefront of building or teaching technology. Join us as we learn how our guests got started in tech, the type and level of education they've obtained, their work history, and personal stories about their journey. We publish the show on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and the Web biweekly on Wednesdays at 12pm US Eastern Time. Subscribe and STAY TUNED!
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Episodes
Teaching & Sharing Knowledge with Mark Thompson
May 25, 2022 16:00 - 2 hours - 85.4 MBMark Thompson is a senior developer relations engineer at Google. Mark has a passion for teaching and sharing knowledge with younger engineers. We hear about his experience growing up in Chicago, overcoming adversity & peer pressure, navigating the job market, interviewing at Google, and much more! Connect with Mark: Twitter: https://twitter.com/marktechson Website: https://marktechson.com Email List: http://marktechson.dev/welcome Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, D...
Leaving a Legacy of Love with Ken Wimberly
May 11, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBKen Wimberly is the founder of the Legacy of Love app, a parent-to-child journaling app designed to capture the moments that matter. Ken speaks about the challenges of building and growing an app as a non-technical founder, his entrepreneurial endeavors as the owner of a pizza place, in commercial real estate, and opening a chain of laundromats. Connect with Ken: Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lordwimberly Mentioned in today’s episode: Legacy of Love: https...
Environmental Consulting to Tech with Cathleen Turner
April 27, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 53.8 MBCathleen Turner is a senior software engineer at Perch and founder of Czero Grocery & CZero Foods (formerly listful.ai). We hear about how she first was introduced to programming through her studies of environmental science & oceanography. After realizing environmental consulting was not for her, Cathleen dove in head first to programming. We talk about coding bootcamps, working with startups, being a woman minority in tech, and more! Connect with Cathleen: Email: [email protected] Twitter: ht...
Knative & Kubernetes with Ville Aikas
April 13, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 65.5 MBVille Aikas is the founder of the supply chain security startup, Chainguard. We learn about foreign exchange student programs, early internet operating systems, working at Google, and working on projects like Kubernetes / Knative. Connect with Ville: Twitter: https://twitter.com/AikasVille LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/villeaikas/ Email: [email protected] Chainguard: https://chainguard.dev/ Mentioned in today’s episode: Google Cloud: https://cloud.google.com/ History of Goog...
Technical Legacy with Joonas Bergius
March 30, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 76.9 MBJoonas Bergius is currently a co-founder at Statype and an early employee of Digital Ocean. We talk about the experience of attending multiple schools in different countries, military service, technology consulting, containers, Kubernetes, and advice for technical entrepreneurs. Connect with Joonas: Twitter: https://twitter.com/joonas GitHub: https://github.com/joonas Mentioned in today’s episode: Digital Ocean: https://www.digitalocean.com/ VMware: https://www.vmware.com/ Heptio: https:...
Searching For New Challenges with Ishuah Kariuki
March 16, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBIshuah Kariuki is a software engineer at Microsoft. We talk about what it was like growing up in Kenya, the struggle of learning about computers with limited access to them, changing jobs as a means for career advancement, and more. Connect with Ishuah: Website: https://ishuah.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/ishuah_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ishuah/ Mentioned in today’s episode: Microsoft Expanding in Africa: https://news.microsoft.com/en-xm/features/furthering-our-investment...
Searching For New Challenges with Ishuah Kariuki
March 16, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBIshuah Kariuki is a software engineer at Microsoft. We talk about what it was like growing up in Kenya, the struggle of learning about computers with limited access to them, changing jobs as a means for career advancement, and more. Connect with Ishuah: Website: https://ishuah.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/ishuah_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ishuah/ Mentioned in today’s episode: Microsoft Expanding in Africa: https://news.microsoft.com/en-xm/features/furthering-our-investment...
Orchestration in Go with Tim Boring
March 02, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 59 MBTim Boring is a senior software engineer at Voltus and author of the book “Build an Orchestrator in Go.” Tim’s story shows us that many programming careers are far from linear. We learn about his struggles with Fortran in college, getting a masters in literature, a career pivot to programming, working at Google, and how things came full circle with his new book on orchestration in Go. Manning is offering our listeners 35% off any of their products! Use the code: podardan22 Get Tim’s book:...
Calculated Risk Taking with Blain Smith
February 16, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBBlain Smith is a senior software engineer at Subspace. From a young age, Blain knew he wanted to pursue a career in tech. We hear about his tough decision to leave university, working for Harvard, using Go for IoT wearables, entrepreneurship, and much more. Connect with Blain: Twitter: https://twitter.com/blainsmith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blainsmith/ Website: https://blainsmith.com Mentioned in today’s episode: Subspace: https://subspace.com Rensselaer Polytechnic Institu...
The Value of Mentorship with Melissa Trebell
February 02, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 51.3 MBMelissa Trebell is a full stack engineer for Punchcard Systems (Previously at TrustBix). Although she had an affinity for computers in high school, Melissa wasn’t sure if this was something she wanted to pursue in university. By a stroke of luck, she was introduced to a woman that worked for HP and encouraged her to get into the field. We learn about Melissa’s journey from C++ to Go, the agrifood industry, and the importance of mentorship. Connect with Melissa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/...
Programming on Paper with Henry Erabor
January 19, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 49.1 MBEhioje Henry Erabor is a senior software engineer at BFREE. Growing up in Nigeria in the 1990’s, programming was not common in schools. Henry recalls a memory of his class being brought to the computer lab but they were instructed NOT to touch, only look. From that moment he wanted to know how these "TV’s with keyboards" operated. We learn about the school system in Nigeria, programming on paper, the National Youth Service Corps, and Henry’s path to becoming a software engineer. Connect wit...
Connecting Developers in Alaska with Jeff Levin
January 05, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 64.9 MBJeff Levin is a software engineer, entrepreneur, and the former director of the Alaska Developer’s Alliance. Growing up in Alaska, Jeff was constantly drawn to computers. Going so far as to memorize the DOS commands to boot windows by the age of 4. We learn about life in Alaska, his unique high school experience, finding dev work from remote areas, and how the Alaska Developers Alliance is building a community for software professionals. Connect with Jeff: https://twitter.com/JeffLevin3 htt...
Finding a Model for Open-Source with Alex Ellis
December 22, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBAlex Ellis is the Founder of OpenFaaS, an open-source project focused on making it simple to deploy serverless functions with containers. Alex tells stories of breaking the family computer with Linux, hacking his school and the challenges he faced as a teenage programmer. We learn all about what led him to create OpenFaaS and the barriers you encounter when trying to grow an open-source project. Connect with Alex: https://www.openfaas.com https://www.alexellis.io https://twitter.com/alexell...
Music, Dot-com Websites, and Helping Others with Martin Gallagher
December 08, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 58.1 MBMartin Gallagher is a specialist Go recruiter, matching developers with interesting companies across Europe. Many people out there may have a negative impression of recruiters, but every so-often you find one like Martin. Someone who genuinely cares about you, your family, and your livelihood. We hear about Martin’s experience growing up in Northern Ireland during social unrest, moving to the big city, his love for music, and how he found himself working with Go developers! Connect with M...
Open Source, Internet Security, and Nature with Matt Holt
November 24, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 52 MBMatt Holt is the creator of popular open source projects like Caddy Web Server, CertMagic, PapaParse, & others. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to maintain open source projects full-time, Matt is the man to speak with. We learn how he came up with the idea for Caddy, how it works, and the pro’s and con’s of building a sustainable an open source project. Want to show your support for Caddy? Become a sponsor on GitHub! Connect with Matt: https://twitter.com/mholt6 https://gith...
Work Ethic, Entrepreneurship, and Engineering with Kelsey Hightower
November 10, 2021 17:00 - 2 hours - 87.3 MBKelsey Hightower is a Principal Engineer at Google Cloud, open-source advocate, and one of our favorite speakers in tech. We hear about his early experiences with computers, thoughts on CS degree vs self-taught, running a tech support business, managing comedians, open-source, and his journey through tech. Regardless of where you are in your career, Kelsey drops knowledge on how to get yourself to where you want to go. Connect with Kelsey: https://twitter.com/kelseyhightower https://github....
Music, Mentorship, and Programming with Mark Bates
October 28, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBMark Bates is the co-founder at Gopher Guides, papercall.io, and gobuffalo.io. Many of us know Mark for his programming expertise but much of this episode is focused around his passion for music. Music has always been an integral part of his life and even was a catalyst for his journey into programming. Tune in for advice on following your passions, stories of early internet, and the value of sharing knowledge with others. Connect with Mark: https://twitter.com/markbates https://github.com/...
Facing Fears, Growth Mindset, and Kubernetes with Gergely Brautigam
October 14, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBGergely Brautigam is a software developer at Weaveworks working with Go & Kubernetes. As he describes it, Gergely knew he wanted to work with computers from the first time his mother brought home a ZX Spectrum. We learn some valuable lessons on facing fears, interview tactics, and learning new skills. Connect with Gergely: https://twitter.com/Skarlso Mentioned in today’s episode: Weaveworks ZX Spectrum Kubernetes Up and Running Advent of Code Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go,...
Telnet Games, Baghdad, and Silicon Valley with Sarah Murphy
September 29, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBSarah Murphy is a Senior Site Reliability Engineer at WePay. Sarah’s curiosity and willingness to take leaps took her all over the world, from being a journalist in Baghdad to working with top Silicon Valley companies. Tune in to hear stories of early internet gaming, self-funding trips to Iraq, and sword training. Connect with Sarah: https://twitter.com/sarahmaeve1 Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through ou...
Don’t Walk, Sprint! with Miriah Peterson
September 15, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 44 MBMiriah Peterson is a data engineer at Weave, a founder of the Forge Foundation, and the founder for the Women Who Go Utah. If you think she’s busy now, just tune in to hear about her childhood. Miriah always kept herself busy with projects and learning new things. We discuss topics like video creation, quantum physics, quantum optics, getting your first software job, learning Go, GraphQL, and much more! Connect with Miriah: https://twitter.com/captainnobody1 https://twitch.tv/soypete01 http...
Part 2: Persistence, Goals, and a Growth Mindset with Steve Hoffman
September 01, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 64.8 MBIn this episode, we pick up where we left off with Steve Hoffman. Last we heard, he had just launched a few successful video games in the mid-90’s. Steve then started a new company focused on interactive TV games. It is during this time where he got a crash course in entrepreneurship. Tune in to hear tips on starting companies, raising venture funds, navigating crises, and more! Connect with Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/foundersspace/ https://twitter.com/FoundersSpace Mentioned in to...
Part 1: Persistence, Goals, and a Growth Mindset with Steve Hoffman
August 18, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 54.7 MBSteve Hoffman is a CEO, author, angel investor, and above all a creator. Steve currently runs a global startup incubator called Founders Space but his life has taken many turns to reach this place. So many turns that we couldn’t fit it all in one episode! Tune in to hear about a kid who followed his passions and wouldn’t take no for an answer. We hear about programming video games in high school, electrical engineering in college, film school, Hollywood, working for SEGA, and leaving it all...
Persistence, Goals, and a Growth Mindset with Steve Hoffman
August 18, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 54.7 MBSteve Hoffman is a CEO, author, angel investor, and above all a creator. Steve currently runs a global startup incubator called Founders Space but his life has taken many turns to reach this place. So many turns that we couldn’t fit it all in one episode! Tune in to hear about a kid who followed his passions and wouldn’t take no for an answer. We hear about programming video games in high school, electrical engineering in college, film school, Hollywood, working for SEGA, and leaving it all...
Computer Science by Accident with Ronna Steinberg
August 05, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 48.6 MBRonna Steinberg is currently the Chapter Lead for Women Who Go Berlin and Senior Software Engineer for Delivery Hero. In this episode, we hear how many unexpected events led Ronna into tech and even Go. Now she’s helping other women get into the industry and equipping them with the knowledge she wished she had at their age. Connect with Ronna: https://twitter.com/ronnax https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronnas/ Mentioned in today’s episode: https://www.womenwhogo.org https://www.deliveryhero.com...
Foreign Languages, Pharmaceuticals, and Pascal with Renee Richards
July 21, 2021 16:00 - 54 minutes - 38.1 MBRenee Richards is a Programmer Analyst for Carepoint, Inc. Renee has been a software developer for two years after spending most of her life as a pharmacy technician. We hear about how she made the tough decision to make a career change and the tricks she used to pull it off successfully. It just goes to show it’s never too late to get into tech if you really want to. Connect with Renee: https://twitter.com/Renee7076 Mentioned in today’s episode: Pascal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasc...
Building Confidence in Your Skills with Ukiah Smith
July 08, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 46.7 MBUkiah Smith is a Software Engineer at Apple, using Go to write API’s for internal teams. After graduating with an art degree, Ukiah’s path into tech was anything but traditional. Being a self-taught programmer, he didn’t always have the confidence in his skills. However, he was able to shift his career from design to front-end development to technical support. Eventually turning that into his current job at Apple. Connect with Ukiah: ukiahsmith.com twitter.com/ukiahsmith Mentioned in today...
Sharing Knowledge to Level Up Society with Nic Jackson
June 24, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 50.6 MBNic Jackson is a Principal Developer Advocate for HashiCorp. He’s also the author of the book Building Microservices with Go and an avid speaker on all things microservices. We learn about his first job in tech performing data collection for an environmental agency and how that sparked his interest in computer science. Nic would go on to work with many cutting-edge technologies but what he realized he enjoys most is helping others. Connect with Nic: Twitter YouTube channel LinkedIn jackson...
Using Your Powers for Good with John Reese
June 09, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 42.3 MBJohn Reese is a Senior Software Engineer at Yubico. He is also an active contributor to the open source projects Konstraint and Conftest. John’s foray into programming started a bit earlier than most, publishing websites in PHP by 6th grade. We hear stories of cyber mischief, John’s thoughts on the value of a computer science degree, and the importance of culture in a job. Connect with John: https://reese.dev Twitter LinkedIn GitHub Mentioned in today's episode: Yubico Open Policy Agent Ko...
Coffee, Code, and Career Transitions with Jessica Greene
May 26, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 43 MBJessica Greene is a Backend Developer with Ecosia, the search engine that plants trees. We talk about film, the science of coffee, and what caused her to pivot her career into tech. Jessica shares insightful feedback on how she approached her career transition, and the importance of having support throughout the process. Connect with Jessica: GitHub Twitter LinkedIn Mentioned in today’s episode: Ecosia.org - The search engine that plants trees Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, ...
Finding Your Superpower with Kris Nóva
May 12, 2021 16:00 - 56 minutes - 39 MBKris Nóva is a Senior Principal Software Engineer at Twilio Inc. We hear about her incredible journey from a nerdy teen installing Linux on the family computer to becoming an outspoken voice in the tech community. Growing up in Texas with conservative parents, Kris faced many challenges that helped mold her into the person who she is today. Kris leaves us with a few big lessons today: Advocate for yourself, it’s OK to speak up Obscurity is everyone’s secret superpower Be proud of yourse...
Finding Your Superpower with Kris Nova
May 12, 2021 16:00 - 56 minutes - 39 MBKris Nova is a Senior Principal Software Engineer at Twilio Inc. We hear about her incredible journey from a nerdy teen installing Linux on the family computer to becoming an outspoken voice in the tech community. Growing up in Texas with conservative parents, Kris faced many challenges that helped mold her into the person who she is today. Kris leaves us with a few big lessons today: Advocate for yourself, it’s OK to speak up Obscurity is everyone’s secret superpower Be proud of yourse...
Finding the Balance Between Art and Technology with Anthony Starks
April 28, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 42.6 MBAnthony Starks is an engineer, designer and consultant with a focus on data visualization. But we might also call him an artist. Growing up with a love for photography and computers, Anthony has long been enamored with the idea of melding art and technology. We hear his experience with low-level punch card programming, UNIX, writing the beginning of firewalls, & his more recent passion for data visualization using Go! Anthony prides himself on being a lifelong learner and credits his succe...
Identifying Trends and Adapting to Change with Michael Gasch
April 14, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 49.8 MBMichael Gasch is a Staff Engineer in the Office of the CTO at VMware. Growing up around his father’s business, the seeds were planted for his love of technology. Michael spent many years pursuing a career in music but technology always found a way back into his life. We explore how Michael made the leap from hardware to software and wrap up by getting his thoughts on the future of cloud and Kubernetes. Connect with Michael: Twitter LinkedIn Michael's website Mentioned in today’s episode: ...
Tenacity, Independence and Problem Solving with Vanesa Ortiz
March 31, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 51 MBVanesa Ortiz is a community advocate at Sourcegraph and the founder of the Women Who Go - Berlin chapter. We learn about Vanesa’s incredible journey from freelancing at age 13 to interviewing for a Golang position with zero knowledge of the language (oh yeah, and she got the job). One thing remained constant, Vanesa’s problem solving ability is off the charts. Her natural curiosity and desire to learn has truly helped her excel at every challenge presented to her. Connect with Vanesa: @vane...
From Idea to Execution with Mat Ryer
March 17, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 65.7 MBMat Ryer is a serial entrepreneur and a panelist on the Go Time podcast! He is currently the co-founder at Pace.dev & Firesearch.dev. In this episode, we hear about Mat’s very early experiences with programming at the age of six and how teachers influenced his opinions of higher education. Then Bill digs in to find out how Mat is able to continually identify product opportunities and execute at lightning speed. Connect with Mat: Pace.dev Firesearch.dev Xbar (formerly Bitbar) Github Twitter...
Do What You Love and Figure the Rest Out Later with Kris Brandow
March 03, 2021 17:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBKris Brandow is a Senior Software Engineer at Wunderkind and a panelist on the GoTime podcast! We learn about Kris’s experience growing up in a technical household and how he had no desire to follow in his parents footsteps. Although he went to college for writing and audio engineering, we uncover that Kris may have accidentally received the ultimate computer science degree. Connect with Kris: Skriptble.me Twitter Github LinkedIn Mentioned in today’s episode: GoTime Podcast Wunderkind Drup...
Piano Mastery to Cloud Computing with Guinevere Saenger
February 17, 2021 17:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MBGuinevere Saenger is a Software Engineer on the Development Lifecycle Team at Github. We hear about the challenges of pursuing a career in music and how, through an unbelievable turn of events, she has since transitioned to a successful career in tech! Although its clear Guinevere put in the work to get where she is today, she is outspoken regarding the lucky breaks she received in tech versus music. Connect with Guinevere: LinkedIn Github Twitter Mentioned in today’s episode: kube-servic...
Always Be Working Towards Your Goals with Bryan Liles
February 03, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 41.5 MBBryan Liles is a Principal Engineer at VMware where he is working on the Telco & Edge Cloud BU team building telecom software that runs on Kubernetes. We examine Bryan’s unique path to success, which he credits to being goal focused and knowing his worth, among other things. He talks candidly about how his encounters with racism and poor leadership led to his frequent job hopping. This leads Bill to re-evaluate some of the criteria he uses when looking at a resume. Connect with Bryan: Lin...
A Champion of Chaos and Inclusion with Ana Margarita Medina
January 20, 2021 17:00 - 59 minutes - 40.7 MBAna Margarita Medina is a Senior Chaos Engineer at Gremlin. You may know her from one of her many conference talks or maybe just from Twitter! In this episode, Ana shares her journey into tech and why it is OK to take a nonlinear path to the job of your dreams. From running a freelance company at the age of 15 to dropping out of college to enter the workforce, Ana’s experiences have contributed to her vast knowledge and passion for her industry. Connect with Ana: www.anammedina.com Twitter...
Assembly Code, Semiconductors, & the Blockchain with Dave Appleton
January 06, 2021 17:00 - 43 minutes - 30 MBDave Appleton is a man of many talents (Seriously, he has too many to mention!). We kick off our conversation hearing about Dave’s first experiences with programming in the late '60s using hand punch cards. We discuss his early years as a low-level hardware programmer, working with semiconductors, and how he ended up working with blockchain technologies! Connect with Dave: Dave Appleton on Twitter HelloGold Golang Malaysia Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker &...
If You Know the Spell You Can Have Whatever You Want with John Arundel
December 23, 2020 20:00 - 47 minutes - 32.8 MBJohn Arundel is software consultant, mentor, and author of the book “For the Love of Go”. We talk about his early fascination with computers, the role his mother played in planting these seeds, and the steps he took in his younger years to follow his passion. We then explore John’s indirect job path, having to settle for work as a technical writer out of college and stumbling into IT and system administration. But the major lesson that comes out of this is that these 'detours' actually serve...
If You Know the Spell You Can Have Whatever You Want with John Arundel
December 23, 2020 20:00 - 47 minutes - 32.8 MBJohn Arundel is software consultant, mentor, and author of the book “For the Love of Go”. We talk about his early fascination with computers, the role his mother played in planting these seeds, and the steps he took in his younger years to follow his passion. We then explore John’s indirect job path, having to settle for work as a technical writer out of college and stumbling into IT and system administration. But the major lesson that comes out of this is that these 'detours' actually serve...
From Automating Solitaire to Automated Machine Images with Wilken Rivera
December 09, 2020 20:00 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MBWilken Rivera is a senior software engineer with the Packer team at HashiCorp. In this interview, listeners will get a sense of Wilken’s journey from a dance background to software engineering, his career timeline, and how he earned the privilege to choose where he wanted to work instead of having to take any job he was offered. As the conversation comes to a close, Wilken shares how he learned the Go programming language and what it meant for him to become a part of the community. Connect ...
Code Projects as Work Experience, Traditional Education, and Community with Carlisia Thompson
November 25, 2020 20:00 - 54 minutes - 37.3 MBCarlisia Thompson is a senior OSS engineer at VMware and host of The Podlets podcast. We cover the unique path Carlisia took from her childhood in Brazil to becoming an influential member of the Go community. She shares the story of her path to a graduate CS degree, her thoughts on the value of traditional education, and offers valuable advice for anyone who is looking to get into software engineering. Connect with Carlisia: Twitter LinkedIn Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Ku...
Fighting Viruses and Caring for Others with Andy Walker
November 09, 2020 19:00 - 50 minutes - 34.7 MBIn this episode, we talk to Andy Walker about his childhood and how he got into programming, his journey in cybersecurity, and some of the soft skills that are so valuable to have in this industry. We kick things off by hearing Andy talk about his early love of computers, his early hacks, and how he fell into more serious programming at college after switching from Biology to a CS major. We talk about the value of meetups for making friends and how these events can be more welcoming! We then...