TestGuild Devops Toolchain Podcast

Today's episode delves into the journey of transitioning from an individual contributor to an engineering leader. Our guest, Evan Niedojadlo, shares invaluable insights from his rich experience, beginning at a consulting firm and eventually breaking into the tech industry. Register for AutomationGuild 25 to see Evan's session: https://testguild.com/ag-2025/ As someone who has navigated various roles, Evan offers practical advice for those considering leadership positions, emphasizing the importance of resources. He discusses the delicate balance between maintaining technical skills and embracing management responsibilities, sharing his personal routines and favorite learning tools. Throughout our conversation, we delve into career path considerations, financial progression, and the potential fear of skill erosion when stepping into management. Drawing from his experiences with high-tier engineers and industry dynamics at companies like Meta and Google, Evan discusses the flexible and diverse career landscapes within tech. We also explore the benefits and challenges of using AI and chatbots in management processes and touch upon the macroeconomic factors influencing tech industry hiring. For those looking to transition to (or excel in) leadership roles, Evan's journey is packed with lessons on effective communication, stakeholder management, and personal growth. Listen up!

Today's guest, Andrew Duncan, founder of Vertice Labs, joins us to discuss how to build high-performing engineering teams and the importance of early team involvement in product discussions. We dive deep into aligning the strategic visions of the C-suite with the immediate tasks of technical teams, effective communication, the role of customer feedback, and motivating software engineers. Andrew shares the significance of transparent communication and shares actionable strategies for balancing perspectives across different organizational levels. We also explore the exciting world of generative AI, its potential roles in enhancing team efficiency, and how companies should approach AI integration strategically. Join us as we uncover the keys to creating dynamic, engaged, and productive engineering teams - listen up! Level up your DevOps game and tackle quality challenges with the free DevOps Quality Testing Playbook—download it now at https://testguild.me/devopsbook!

Welcome to another exciting episode of the DevOps Toolchain Podcast! Today, you'll hear from John Radford, a tech entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience spanning software development, product consulting, and AI integration. In this episode, John dives deep into the intricacies of scaling up teams while maintaining product quality and company culture. He shares invaluable insights on the importance of key hires like a head of engineering, the rising trend of remote work, and the role of AI in enhancing developer productivity. We also unpack strategies for product validation, pitfalls to avoid, such as feature creep, and the critical need for sales skills in tech roles. Whether you're a startup founder looking to build your dream team, or a DevOps enthusiast interested in leveraging AI for efficiency, this episode is packed with actionable advice and real-world examples. Plus, don't miss out on downloading our free DevOps Quality Testing Playbook to refine your processes further. Listen up!

Today's episode explores observability within the software delivery lifecycle, particularly test-related events. Joining us is Rodrigo Martin, a principal software engineer and test architect at New Relic with an impressive two decades of experience in software testing. Rodrigo sheds light on the often overlooked aspects of observability in testing environments, discussing how tracking test-related events can significantly enhance debugging capabilities, performance monitoring, and overall test suite reliability. He shares actionable insights on getting started with event tracking, the key metrics you need to focus on, and the common challenges you might face. Whether you're dealing with flaky tests, trying to improve pipeline performance, or simply wanting to understand your testing processes' inner workings better, Rodrigo's expert advice has got you covered. Don't miss this episode if you want to take your DevOps observability efforts to the next level. Grab your headphones and join us on this journey to make your CI/CD pipelines more efficient and your developer experience richer. Listen up!

Today, you're in for a treat with Eli Farhood, a licensed trader and financial market analyst with a remarkable 20 years of experience. Eli gained a deep knowledge of cybercrime and money laundering in his career. After becoming an identity theft victim, he created Katsh to solve a problem affecting hundreds of millions. Eli's unique perspective will guide us through the world of biometric authentication, a field he's been revolutionizing to eliminate the need for traditional credentials like passwords and usernames, thereby enhancing security against hacking risks. Eli will share insights on removing hardware dependency in biometric systems, making this advanced technology accessible on any smart device. We will also explore cybersecurity challenges in the age of AI. Find out the role of biometrics in ensuring GDPR compliance, their superiority over password generators, and the exciting developments in Web 3 and blockchain technology. So, get ready to discover the future of digital identities, cybersecurity, and the emerging threats of AI. Listen up!

Today, we have an exciting episode for you. We're joined by Naveen Krishnan, a Microsoft solution Architect who's passionate about AI and cloud computing. Naveen's diverse career spans working with startups in India, consulting in the US, and bringing his expertise to Microsoft in 2021. In today's episode, we'll explore how Naveen leverages AI tools like Microsoft Bing Copilot and Office 365 Copilot, the intricacies of generative AI, and the pivotal role AI plays in enhancing Azure features. We'll also dive into large vs. small language models, the functionalities of Microsoft Fabric, and how AI transforms the developer experience, from testing and security to code generation. And if you're curious about running language models locally or maximizing AI in your workflow, Naveen has some invaluable insights to share. Listen up!

Today, we're joined by Görkem Ercan , Jozu's CTO. With over 25 years of experience in developer tools and DevOps, Gorkem has significantly contributed to projects like Eclipse and the VS Code Java Extension. In this episode, we'll dive into the intricate world of AI and machine learning in regulated industries, the importance of data science teams, and how Jozu's innovative open-source project, KitOps ML, aims to streamline AI/ML model management. We'll also explore the growing necessity of MLOps, the unique challenges of integrating AI/ML models into existing systems, and the evolving role of AI in coding. Get ready for an enlightening discussion on the future of AI technologies, compliance, and how developers can better navigate this rapidly changing landscape. Listen up!

Welcome to another exciting episode of the DevOps Toolchain Podcast! Today, we're diving deep into AI Code Quality in DevOps with our special guest, Itamar Friedman, CEO and co-founder of Qodo, formerly Codium AI. Itamar shares his insights on how automation—specifically AI—is poised to exceed expectations, drawing parallels with historic technological revolutions like electricity and transistors. We'll explore the evolving role of developers as AI takes on more tasks, emphasizing that while AI can increase productivity and skill set, human expertise in complex problem-solving and code verification remains irreplaceable. Itamar introduces us to Qodo's innovative tools that significantly enhance test suite coverage and code quality and discusses the importance of developing AI as a core skill, much like learning a new programming language. We'll also tackle the current and future landscape of end-to-end testing, the concept of "flow engineering," and the complex balance between code generation and quality assurance. Itamar offers a glimpse into the future of technical product management with AI-driven feature generation and the potential emergence of new roles such as "AI Guardrail Engineers." Prepare for an enlightening discussion on the challenges, opportunities, and advancements in AI-driven software development. Let's get started!

Welcome to another fantastic session of the DevOps Toolchain podcast! Today, we have a genuinely transformative episode lined up for you. Dagna Bieda joins us; an engineer turned career coach who shares her journey from coding to guiding tech professionals toward impactful career transformations. In this episode, Dagna reveals her unique approach to identifying and bridging skill gaps. She mainly focuses on the often-overlooked yet pivotal soft skills imperative for career advancement in roles like staff engineer, architect, and CTO. We'll delve into her strategies for tackling burnout, overcoming impostor syndrome, and setting essential personal boundaries derived from her personal experiences and coaching expertise. Dagna also sheds light on the art of self-marketing for developers and redefines it as an honest form of educating others about your value. She introduces concepts from her new book, "Brain Refactor: Optimize Your Internal Code to Thrive in Tech and Engineering," showcasing how psychological insights can help reprogram your mindset for success. This episode is packed with valuable tips, from outlining practical steps to restructure your mental 'code' to sharing actionable techniques for receiving and handling feedback constructively. Join us as we explore how refactoring your brain can be the key to unlocking new career heights.

Today, we're speaking with Brian Vallelunga, the founder and CEO of Doppler, the pioneering secrets management platform designed specifically for developers. Brian's journey is nothing short of inspiring. From his early days as an intern at Uber, where he made significant safety improvements, to being named one of Forbes 30 under 30, Brian's assertive and innovative approach has consistently led him to new heights. In this episode, Brian shares how his struggles with managing environment variables inspired him to create Doppler. He narrates his journey, from overcoming challenges at Uber to pivoting side projects, which ultimately led to the creation of this robust secrets management solution. He imparts practical advice on listening to customers, addressing security vulnerabilities, and the importance of a centralized secrets management tool, empowering you with the knowledge to navigate similar situations. For all aspiring entrepreneurs, Brian's story of learning from multiple failures and his mantra of taking chances is particularly inspiring. His journey will motivate you to keep pushing forward, and his insights on effective customer research and the importance of solving urgent, significant problems will encourage you to tackle your own entrepreneurial challenges. So, get ready to gain invaluable insights into how you can streamline your DevOps practices, enhance your security measures, and lead your projects to success.