Kent Beck is an original signer of the Agile Manifesto, author of the Extreme Programming book series, rediscoverer of Test-Driven Development, and an inspiring Keynote Speaker. I read his TDD book 20 years ago.
Topics of Discussion:
[3:46] What led Kent to extreme programming?
[7:52] What critical practices have stood the test of time?
[10:58] The role of software design in Agile Development.
[13:11] The inspiration behind Tidy First?
[16:16] Why software design is both a critical skill and an exercise in human relationships.
[22:05] What is "normalizing symmetry"?
[25:04] Empirical design.
[28:09] Design changes tend to be reversible.
[30:41] Experimentation with the GPT phase of AI on publications.
[35:13] Advice for young developers and programmers.
Matt is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and has worked with SQL Server since 2000. He is the leader of the Lexington, KY Data Technology Group and a frequent domestic and international community speaker. He's an IDERA ACE alumnus and Redgate Community Ambassador. His original data professional role was in database development, which quickly evolved into query tuning work that further evolved into being a DBA in the healthcare realm. He has supported several critical systems utilizing SQL Server and managed dozens of live site SQL Server implementations. As a Microsoft Lead Data Architect at Centric Consulting, he works with customers large, medium, and small to migrate to the cloud, make their data estate operate efficiently, and find the right tools and solutions within the Microsoft Data Platform.
Topics of Discussion:
[3:08] Matt's career journey and overcoming a fear of public speaking.
[5:42] Changes and consistencies in working with SQL Server over the years.
[7:18] Advice on the process and tools for database change management and DevOps.
[12:29] Recommendations for database monitoring and observability.
[19:30] Specific monitoring tool recommendations and their pros and cons.
[24:04] The role of ORMs and their impact on database performance.
[30:59] Thoughts on the evolution of microservices and database architecture patterns.
[36:55] Considerations for working with small versus large database sizes.
Henry Quillin is a student in the Canfield computer science and business honors program (CSB) at UT Austin and a software engineer intern at Bank of America. He likes building things. He is interested in software development, entrepreneurship, and blockchain/crypto. He has completed several internships and other contracts and has earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. He always has several software projects going, and when not buried in VSCode or books, he enjoys weightlifting, cooking, and listening to podcasts. He's currently helping artists monetize their scrapped music as the CTO of Scraps. You can check out his website at henry henryquillin.me.
Topics of Discussion:
[3:49] Henry's college experience and mindset shift.
[5:00] Realizing the value of college.
[6:48] Henry describes the computer science courses he took in his freshman year, including data structures, discrete math, and operating systems.
[11:16] The computer programming classes Henry took in his freshman year.
[12:54] The importance of practical experience and the value of hands-on learning in computer science.
[20:27] Living arrangements and the social dynamics of college.
[23:27] Advice for aspiring computer scientists.
[28:07] Why internships are great, and how to make the most out of them.
[33:12] Henry's Bank of America internship experience.
[35:24] Learning to be comfortable with new and emerging technologies.
David Starr is a Principal Solutions Architect at Microsoft, focusing on Azure and cloud marketplaces. With over 20 years of experience, he has led software development initiatives, held architectural responsibilities, built high-performance teams, and fostered technical learning. He is passionate about delivering great software, designing cloud-scale solutions, and quality-focused engineering practices.
He has contributed to or led several team initiatives that enable and accelerate the Azure Marketplace, such as the Marketplace FastTrack Copilot using Azure Open AI, the SaaS Accelerator, the Data Sales Accelerator, and the .NET and Java SaaS fulfillment libraries. Additionally, he is the program owner for Mastering the Marketplace, a comprehensive learning platform for Microsoft partners and customers.
Topics of Discussion:
[6:09] Agile methodologies, Scrum, and software development leadership.
[6:38] Working with Agile Alliance and Scrum.org.
[7:50] What David learned working for several years at GoDaddy.
[9:49] Using Azure Marketplace to sell software and services, with examples of successful partners and their experiences.
[15:20] Who has full admin rights on MongoDB?
[17:49] Pricing models for AI models in Azure Marketplace.
[21:56] AI cost estimation and model selection.
[29:40] Azure Cloud Marketplace and AI advancements, with insights on how to get started with product development.
Brian A. Randell is a Staff Developer Advocate at GitHub where he works to help tell the good word about GitHub and how it can help you deliver solutions faster and more securely. For more than 30 years, he has been building software solutions. As a Partner at MCW Technologies, he educated teams on Microsoft technologies via writing and training — both in-person and on-demand. He's been a consultant for companies small and large, worldwide, including Fortune 100 companies like Microsoft. Brian is a passionate software craftsman who still enjoys coding as he helps teams to improve their processes from idea to release. He was a Microsoft MVP for 18 years and has co-authored books, written magazine articles, and more. When not working, Brian enjoys spending time with his wife, two children, dog, and extended family.
Topics of Discussion:
[3:01] Brian's career journey from software development to education and consulting.
[8:20] Brian's role as a developer advocate at GitHub.
[11:57] GitHub's CoPilot feature and its benefits for developers.
[12:04] The impact of GitHub on software delivery and security.
[18:22] How CoPilot can save you time and energy to spend more on innovation.
[20:36] CoPilot Workspace.
[24:11] Best setup for .NET development teams between Azure DevOps and GitHub.
[32:21] Prioritizing developer experience and value delivery in software development.
[40:09] Leading with a developer-first mindset.
[41:15] Using GitHub for code storage and collaboration.
[43:32] More info on the upcoming Essential DevOps book and San Francisco event.
Jason Haley is a Full Stack Solution Architect at Jason Haley Consulting, LLC, where he provides custom Azure and .NET application development solutions for a variety of clients. With over 20 years of experience using Microsoft technologies, he has earned the title of Microsoft Azure MVP and holds numerous certifications.
His expertise lies in developing Web Applications and Single Page Applications (SPA) using Blazor, Angular, jQuery, ASP.Net Core, Entity Framework Core, Redis, SQL Server, and Windows Azure Active Directory. In addition, he customizes build processes for Azure DevOps pipelines and creates courseware for .NET and Azure topics. He is deeply passionate about learning and sharing his knowledge with the local Azure and .NET community, and he leads two user groups in the Boston area.
Topics of Discussion:
[3:40] The two things that have stuck out in Jason's career.
[5:36] When Jason started paying attention to GenAI.
[9:12] Looking at GenAI from a solution perspective.
[10:52] Where to start as a .NET developer.
[16:49] Why aren't there more examples in C#?
[18:02] What is Graph RAG?
[19:11] Using language models for natural language processing tasks, including prompt engineering and token limits.
[20:56] The importance of prompt engineering, and how to optimize prompts.
[25:04] Cost and mechanics of using OpenAI's language model in Azure.
[32:12] Using Azure AI services for business problems and thinking about AI as an intern.
[34:48] Recommendations for .NET developers to get started with Azure Open AI and semantic search.
Gene Kim has been studying high-performing technology organizations since 1999. He was the founder and CTO of Tripwire, Inc. for 13 years, running an enterprise security software company. As an author, Gene's books have sold over 1 million copies, including earning recognition as a Wall Street Journal bestselling author. He most recently co-authored Wiring the Winning Organization, as well as The Phoenix Project, The DevOps Handbook, and the Shingo Publication Award-winning book, Accelerate. Since 2014, he has been the organizer and program chair of the DevOps Enterprise Summit, now called the Enterprise Technology Leadership Summit, which studies the technology transformations of large, complex organizations.
Topics of Discussion:
[2:11] Gene joins the show and shares more about his career background.
[9:51] Gene discusses the three key mechanisms that are common across various frameworks and methodologies: certification, simplification, and amplification.
[10:06] What has changed since Gene released his first book in 2004?
[14:42] The two revelations in the book.
[18:25] The importance of layer 3 (organizational wiring) in complex systems.
[21:16] Reducing communication barriers in software development teams.
[24:33] Overcoming obstacles as a team.
[25:56] IT department's role in business, including challenges with communication and coordination.
[27:06] The Check Box project.
[30:11] Is the concept of the IT department a good or bad idea?
[32:11] What caused the DevOps moment?
[38:40] Wiring software organizations for success.
[43:08] How Gene learned what good architecture looks like.
[44:41] Gene is blown away by how important the notion of independence of action is.
Craig Loewen has had a love for technology ever since he was a child and has grown passionate about building things that empower people. From constructing his own quadcopter for photography to delivering developer tools that aid developers in driving technological innovation, he has done it all.
As a product manager at Microsoft, he is responsible for the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), a developer tool used by over 3 million developers and IT professionals. He defines the product vision and prioritizes the feature roadmap based on customer data, technical feedback, and market studies. On the personal side, he volunteers as a mentor at First Robotics, teaching high school students how to build robots and fostering a passion for STEM.
Topics of Discussion:
[3:52] Craig's career journey, starting as an intern working on Windows console and WSL features.
[5:18] Common use cases for WSL — allowing developers to use Linux tools while staying on Windows.
[7:43] How to get started with WSL.
[8:59] Does Craig have any favorite Linux programs?
[10:05] New Dev Home feature for managing WSL distros with a graphical interface.
[11:36] How WSL works using virtualization technology.
[13:35] Memory management in WSL — typical usage and automatic optimization.
[15:22 WSL is designed primarily for development scenarios, not production environments.
[20:33] Integration of local AI and small language models with WSL using VS Code AI Toolkit.
[23:37] Using small language models for various tasks, including issue labeling and search functionality.
[27:35] Intro to Sudo for Windows, bringing Linux-like elevated permissions to Windows commands.
[28:39] What exactly is Sudo?
[32:39] New enterprise features for WSL, including security controls and integration with Microsoft Defender.
Damian Brady is a Staff Developer Advocate at GitHub. He's a developer, speaker, and author specializing in DevOps, MLOps, developer process, and software architecture. Formerly a Cloud Advocate at Microsoft for four years, and before that, a dev at Octopus Deploy and a Microsoft MVP, he has a 25-year background in software development and consulting in a broad range of industries. In Australia, he co-organized the Brisbane .Net User Group and launched the annual DDD Brisbane conference.
Topics of Discussion:
[3:45] When Damian realized he was interested in the things surrounding software development.
[6:40] GitHub Copilot and AI tools to improve developer workflows.
[8:50] What can people love GitHub Copilot for today?
[16:06] How GitHub Copilot can assist developers without replacing them.
[21:11] AI-powered code generation and bug detection.
[25:15] Improving AI's ability to complete tasks by providing context and grounding it in truth.
[29:23] How the process of adding a new field works.
[34:03] Using Copilot to improve code development workflows.
Kayla Cinnamon is a Senior Product Manager at Microsoft working on the developer experience in Windows. This includes Dev Home and PowerToys. Kayla formerly worked on Windows Terminal and Cascadia Code, which is the font you all use inside Visual Studio. She holds a Master's degree in Information Technology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a concentration in Human-Computer Interaction. She recently was a speaker at the recent Microsoft Build conference.
Topics of Discussion:
[6:02] Kayla talks about DevHome.
[7:18] Examples of having agency over your machine.
[9:05] Setting up an environment in DevHome and a WinGet configuration file.
[10:10] Desired state configuration.
[10:47] How do we generate these files?
[12:26] Using Dev Home to simplify cloning and configuring repositories.
[14:22] DSC can toggle Windows settings as well.
[16:26] What is Dev Drive?
[20:36] How run environments help bring your Cloud and remote environments into a centralized place.
