Lizzie Matusov, Co-founder and CEO of Quotient, discusses the intricate relationship between software architecture and developer productivity. She emphasizes that effective collaboration and company culture significantly influence project success. Lizzie also highlights evolving frameworks for measuring productivity, including the holistic SPACE framework. Additionally, she examines the challenges in translating engineering research into practice and the essential role of leadership in navigating team dynamics. Her insights aim to foster a more human-centric approach in tech.

In this episode, Thomas Betts speaks with Andrew Harmel-Law about his new book, Facilitating Software Architecture: Empowering Teams to Make Architectural Decisions. The conversation includes a discussion of what constitutes an architecturally significant decision, how the practice of architecture is evolving, and how architects have a role to facilitate software architecture, rather than being the only ones making architectural decisions. Read a transcript of this interview: https://bit.ly/3D6iQlz Subscribe to the Software Architects’ Newsletter for your monthly guide to the essential news and experience from industry peers on emerging patterns and technologies: https://www.infoq.com/software-architects-newsletter Upcoming Events: QCon London (April 7-10, 2025) Discover new ideas and insights from senior practitioners driving change and innovation in software development. https://qconlondon.com/ InfoQ Dev Summit Boston (June 9-10, 2025) Actionable insights on today’s critical dev priorities. devsummit.infoq.com/conference/boston2025 InfoQ Dev Summit Munich (October 15-16, 2025) Essential insights on critical software development priorities. https://devsummit.infoq.com/ QCon San Francisco 2025 (17-21, 2025) Get practical inspiration and best practices on emerging software trends directly from senior software developers at early adopter companies. https://qconsf.com/ InfoQ Dev Summit New York (Save the date - December 2025) https://devsummit.infoq.com/ The InfoQ Podcasts: Weekly inspiration to drive innovation and build great teams from senior software leaders. Listen to all our podcasts and read interview transcripts: - The InfoQ Podcast https://www.infoq.com/podcasts/ - Engineering Culture Podcast by InfoQ https://www.infoq.com/podcasts/#engineering_culture - Generally AI: https://www.infoq.com/generally-ai-podcast/ Follow InfoQ: - Mastodon: https://techhub.social/@infoq - Twitter: twitter.com/InfoQ - LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/infoq - Facebook: bit.ly/2jmlyG8 - Instagram: @infoqdotcom - Youtube: www.youtube.com/infoq Write for InfoQ: Learn and share the changes and innovations in professional software development. - Join a community of experts. - Increase your visibility. - Grow your career. https://www.infoq.com/write-for-infoq

In a compelling conversation with Randy Shoup, Senior VP of Engineering at Thrive Market, they delve into how to create resilient software systems amidst inherent fragilities. Randy shares insights on the importance of acknowledging software's vulnerabilities and the necessity of designing for failure. They explore the dynamics between architecture and team performance, highlighting the balance between orchestration and choreography in workflows. Additionally, the discussion touches on modern security challenges and the critical role of trust in online marketplaces.

Avraham Poupko, an expert in software architecture and AI, shares his insights on how architects can effectively utilize Generative AI instead of being replaced by it. He discusses the limitations of AI's intelligence compared to human experience and emphasizes the importance of personal learning. The conversation dives into the complex decision-making in architecture, highlighting how emotional and relational factors influence this process—something LLMs struggle to replicate. Poupko encourages architects to leverage their unique skills while navigating the evolving landscape of AI.

In this conversation, Apoorva Joshi, a Senior AI Developer Advocate at MongoDB with a rich background in cybersecurity and machine learning, delves into the intricacies of evaluating LLM applications. He discusses strategies for optimizing performance through observability and monitoring, and the evolution of LLMs from text generation to complex multimedia tasks. Joshi also highlights the importance of tailored evaluations for specific industries and makes a case for democratizing these models for broader accessibility.

In this engaging conversation, Anne Currie, a green tech leader and community co-chair of the Green Software Foundation, and Sara Bergman, a senior software engineer at Microsoft, delve into the evolving meaning of 'green' in IT. They discuss the crucial concepts of energy efficiency and sustainable practices, emphasizing the shared responsibility of developers and cloud providers. Topics like optimizing software deployments and the environmental impact of AI models highlight the urgent need for greener approaches in technology, making this dialogue a must-listen for all software practitioners.

Susan Shu Chang, Principal Data Scientist at Elastic, delves into the synergy between foundational machine learning and generative AI. She emphasizes the critical role of collaboration between machine learning practitioners and software engineers to ensure effective model deployment. Chang discusses the challenges of harnessing large language models for summarizing log data and explores practical tools for developing generative AI applications. Additionally, she shares strategies for navigating machine learning job interviews, highlighting the importance of a well-rounded skill set.

The discussion highlights key advancements in AI technology and its significance in software engineering. Notably, trends like cell-based architecture and green software practices are explored. The hosts examine the interplay between sustainability and cloud deployments, emphasizing cost benefits. Cybersecurity challenges and the ethical implications of AI are also key points. The podcast ventures into the transformation of cloud technology, the rise of specialized AI models, and the emerging role of platform engineering, showcasing a forward-looking perspective on tech innovation.

Time zones can be baffling, and the discussion reveals their quirks, including oddities like Troll station and Lord Howe Island. Delving into predictive modeling, the speakers share the challenges of machine learning with temporal data, including humorous takes on daylight saving time. The transformative role of the Transcontinental Railroad is highlighted, showing how it revolutionized travel and commerce in America. The conversation also draws parallels between historic projects and current software industry challenges, particularly in adapting to new technologies.

Ixchel Ruiz, a Senior Software Developer at Karakun, and Gunnar Morling, a Software Engineer at Decodable, discuss the latest trends in Java and share insights from the 2024 InfoQ Java Trends Report. They explore Java's six-month release cadence and innovations like Project Lilliput, focusing on memory management and performance. The conversation also touches on nullability issues, the impact of Python, and a challenge involving processing one billion rows. Their passion for community engagement shines through as they highlight Java's ongoing relevance in the tech landscape.