Network Automation Nerds NAN099: Bridging the Gap Between Innovative Tech and Everyday Users
Sep 3, 2025
William Collins, a tech evangelist and podcaster, shares his journey from early computing to creating engaging educational content. He emphasizes the importance of hands-on learning and tinkering with technology. The conversation explores trends in AI adoption, stressing its evolution from hype to practical applications in enterprises. Collins also discusses the consolidation of roles in networking and security, urging an experimentation mindset to embrace new tools and integration models. He wraps up with tips on communicating project value to leadership.
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From Floppies To A Networking Career
- William learned computing by installing Slackware from floppy disks and removing Windows 95 from his parents' PC.
- That early tinkering led him into networking, CCNA studies, and a career at an ISP.
Learning By Doing Deepens Understanding
- Hands-on practice turns abstract tools like Terraform into solid understanding for practitioners.
- William argues running, storing state remotely, and tearing down deployments makes the concepts click.
Create Content To Fill Gaps
- Pick content topics that fill gaps and apply recent, hands-on enterprise experience when creating courses or videos.
- William created LinkedIn Learning courses by choosing underrepresented, timely subjects he had practiced.