Great Software & Storytelling Is Emotional | Kelsey Hightower (Legendary Developer, Kubernetes Pioneer, Former Distinguished Engineer at Google)

Kelsey Hightower is a legend. He regularly gives live software demos in front of tens of thousands of people, improvising them like it’s jazz. He’s a master storyteller and a master craftsman. He helped evangelize and establish Kubernetes and recently retired (at 42!) from Google where he was a distinguished engineer. 

Kelsey loves to level people up and in this conversation we discuss the power of innovation that happens after going from Zero to One. Or, as Kelsey puts it, “From Hello, World to Hello, Revenue” — and why those boring innovations show true grit and craftsmanship. 

We also discuss the art of the demo, how Kelsey engages crowds with his humanity, and how you can, too. 

And Kelsey shares what he’s learned in his first year of retirement. He’s actually quite busy and has to remind folks that “I’m retired; not tired.” He’s fixing up his house, making time for others, and “learning how to live.” We get into what that means… 

This episode is very special. Enjoy!

Key Moments:

[03:06] “I’m retired; not tired.” – What Kelsey’s been up to in his first year off the job — and why he refuses to mount his TV over the fireplace

[04:51] “How do the makers mature?” — Kelsey’s thoughts on how developers can advance their careers by getting good at innovating after, sometimes long after, going from zero to one

[08:53] Keeping an open mindset: how developers integrate new technologies, e.g. Docker 

[17:13] “Creating good software is very emotional”

[20:40] The art of the live demo

[25:39] Humans are natural storytellers – embrace it! 

[27:31] Vulnerability and how Kelsey learned to be so confident on stage

[30:38] The time Kelsey nearly bombed on stage, but turned it around into an “extra dope” moment on stage at a Google keynote

[36:15] “A lot of people don’t realize how much power they have until way later in life” – why even the really little things (like saying hello to a stranger) matter

[39:28] Representation matters: being a black man in tech

[42:15] The power of open source

[45:04] “What is my actual impact on society?” — why Kelsey retired: 

[47:46] Kelsey’s hopes for the future — and why we should be more excited about human intelligence, not just artificial intelligence

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