The PowerShell Podcast PowerShell to Distinguished Engineer with Ryan Spletzer
Jan 5, 2026
01:12:03
Distinguished Software Engineer Ryan Spletzer joins The PowerShell Podcast to talk about building a long-term career in tech through curiosity, continuous learning, and strong community connections. Ryan shares how PowerShell helped shape his path from early work in SharePoint, automation, and identity management to leading AI initiatives at Autodesk, where his team built an internal ChatGPT-style solution using Azure OpenAI before enterprise ChatGPT options existed.
They also dig into AI-assisted coding, mentorship, and how foundational software engineering skills still matter more than ever. Ryan offers practical guidance for using AI tools responsibly, overcoming imposter syndrome, and growing by learning adjacent domains like authentication, networking, and data engineering. Key Takeaways:
• AI is a force multiplier for experienced engineers, but mentorship is critical to help early-career engineers learn how to ask the right questions and avoid “blind troubleshooting.”
• Breadth matters as you level up. Understanding adjacent domains and collaborating well with others becomes a key differentiator at senior and staff levels.
• PowerShell remains a career accelerator. Ryan explains how PowerShell led him into infrastructure automation, identity, and modern auth—and why it’s still his go-to tool for quick, high-impact scripting today. Guest Bio:
Ryan Spletzer is a Distinguished Software Engineer at Autodesk, where he works in an internal organization focused on AI, data, and automation. With a background spanning SharePoint development, .NET engineering, identity systems, and enterprise automation, Ryan has spent years building tools that scale across organizations. He’s also a strong advocate for continuous learning and mentorship. Resource Links:
They also dig into AI-assisted coding, mentorship, and how foundational software engineering skills still matter more than ever. Ryan offers practical guidance for using AI tools responsibly, overcoming imposter syndrome, and growing by learning adjacent domains like authentication, networking, and data engineering. Key Takeaways:
• AI is a force multiplier for experienced engineers, but mentorship is critical to help early-career engineers learn how to ask the right questions and avoid “blind troubleshooting.”
• Breadth matters as you level up. Understanding adjacent domains and collaborating well with others becomes a key differentiator at senior and staff levels.
• PowerShell remains a career accelerator. Ryan explains how PowerShell led him into infrastructure automation, identity, and modern auth—and why it’s still his go-to tool for quick, high-impact scripting today. Guest Bio:
Ryan Spletzer is a Distinguished Software Engineer at Autodesk, where he works in an internal organization focused on AI, data, and automation. With a background spanning SharePoint development, .NET engineering, identity systems, and enterprise automation, Ryan has spent years building tools that scale across organizations. He’s also a strong advocate for continuous learning and mentorship. Resource Links:
- Ryan links - https://www.spletzer.com/about/
- Ryan's blog - https://www.spletzer.com/
- Andrew's links - https://andrewpla.tech/links
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