Betatalks the podcast

In this episode, we talk with Panu, a Microsoft MVP and CTO at Adafy Oy. He shares his passion for technology and his hands-on role balancing coding, Azure tasks, and team engagement. We discuss Microsoft's latest AI developments, comparing Semantic Kernel and AI Extensions, and the challenges of integrating AI models. Panu also reflects on the evolution of C#, warning against the "lava layer anti-pattern". Outside of tech, his hobby of gold digging provides a refreshing contrast with a strong belief in the transformative power of technology.About this episode, and Panu Oksala in particular: you can find Panu on LinkedIn, or Bluesky. Or, visit his website Panu Oksala - C#, Fabric, Azure, Data, AI, Passion.About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

In this episode, we talk with Keith, a Microsoft MVP, MCT, Power Platform solutions architect, international speaker, and much more. We discuss his professional work and community involvement. Keith shares how he collaborates with customers to design and build solutions using the evolving Power Platform. We explore the platform's maturity, including improvements in source control and the blending of citizen and professional developers. Keith also highlights the role of AI tools in bridging the gap between low-code and pro-code approaches. Additionally, we dive into his involvement in organizing the Festive Tech Calendar and Keith's ongoing passion for learning and development. About this episode, and Keith Atherton in particular: you can find Keith on LinkedIn, or Bluesky. Or, visit his website keithatherton.com.About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

In this episode, we talk with Rocky, VP of Strategy at Xebia. We discuss his journey from programming in the 1980s to shaping modern development. We explore his passion for distributed computing—sparked by early networked arcade games—and reflect on major technological shifts, from the rise of PCs to AI’s growing influence. We dive into AI’s potential to boost developer productivity while considering its economic impact on creative fields. Additionally, we discuss his work on CSLA.NET, which enhances business logic in software development. Finally, we wrap up with his insights on the future of cloud computing, Blazor, and Kubernetes.About this episode, and Rocky Lhotka in particular: you can find Rocky on LinkedIn, GitHub or Bluesky. Or, visit his website Rockford Lhotka | lhotka.net.About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

In the 100th episode of Betatalks the Podcast, Rick and Oscar celebrate the milestone with guest Rendle, a software development consultant at RendleLabs and member of the parody band The Line Breakers. Rendle shares the band’s journey from a comedy quiz round to performing tech-themed cover songs at conferences. He highlights his efforts to bring humor and lightheartedness to tech events, including his talk The Worst Programming Language Ever. They also discuss the importance of personal storytelling, overcoming imposter syndrome, and fostering a welcoming tech community. He reflects on his unique career path, blending programming, stand-up comedy, and tech advocacy.About this episode, and Rendle in particular: you can find Rendle on LinkedIn or Bluesky. Or, visit his website rendle.dev. If you want to book The Line Breakers or learn more about them, visit their website. About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

In this episode, we talk with Wesley, a cloud architect and expert, about the evolution of cloud offerings moving from IaaS to PaaS to serverless and the ongoing debate between Azure DevOps and GitHub. While opinions vary, the consensus is that Azure DevOps remains the more enterprise-ready platform, at least for now. We also dive into cloud security and networking, acknowledging the improvements in Azure but also the complexity that comes with managing virtual networks and debugging connectivity issues.About this episode, and Wesley Noordam in particular: you can find Wesley on LinkedIn.About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

In this episode, we have a Christmas special. We talk with two very special guests, the hosts themselves. They discuss their experiences over the past year. They reflect on the diverse range of topics covered on the podcast, from Azure to web development. The conversation touches on the increasing presence of AI and the importance of inclusive language. They discuss how they enjoyed learning about topics outside their daily work and getting to know the people behind the technologies.We want to thank all our guests and listeners for an amazing year, and we hope to see you in 2025.We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!About Betatalks: watch our podcast videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

In this episode, we chat with Valerie Junk, Microsoft Data Platform MVP and owner of PorcuBI. We discuss data visualization and business intelligence. Valerie highlights the importance of turning raw data into insights. We also talk about the challenges of bridging technical skills with business value, and her experiences in the male-dominated tech field. She also emphasizes the value of creativity, community, and balance in achieving success and inspiring others in the data space. About this episode, and Valerie Junk in particular: you can find Valerie on X @porcubi, GitHub and LinkedIn. Or, visit her website to learn more about all the amazing things she does About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

In this episode, we chat with Stefan Judis, a frontend developer. Stefan shares his journey from mastering HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to his current roles in Developer Relations and as a Playwright ambassador. We discuss the challenges of frontend development today, highlighting the need to balance complexity and simplicity while staying focused on performance, accessibility, and maintainability. He also emphasizes the importance of mastering core web technologies despite the rise of modern frameworks and tools. Stefan also shares his passion for continuous learning, including his blog and newsletter, Web Weekly, and we explore how tools like Playwright enhance developer workflows and improve the user experience.About this episode, and Stefan Judis in particular: you can find Stefan on X @stefanjudis, GitHub and LinkedIn. Read his blog and Web Weekly.About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

In this episode, we talk with Alex Thissen, a cloud architect at Xebia. We discuss the evolving .NET ecosystem and productivity tools for developers. Alex shares insights on the collaborative .NET community. We highlight the advantages of Dev Containers, which simplify setting up and managing development environments, allowing for seamless onboarding and multi-project work without conflicts. We also compare Visual Studio Code with the full Visual Studio IDE, noting strengths of each, and explore the value of OpenTelemetry in standardizing observability, making debugging and monitoring more efficient across platforms. About this episode, and Alex Thissen in particular: you can find Alex on X @alexthissen, GitHub and LinkedIn.About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

In this episode, we talk with Roelant Dieben, a cloud and AI architect at Sopra Steria, about his work in the .NET community and the evolving role of AI. He shares his passion for knowledge sharing and discusses AI's rapid advancements, as well as challenges like data quality and identifying good use cases. They also touch on the cooling AI hype, making this a prime time for practical implementations. Roelant emphasizes the need for governance, especially around data leakage, and they discuss AI's impact on developers, regression testing, and balancing budget, performance, and use cases in cloud and AI services. About this episode, and Roelant Dieben in particular: you can find Roelant on X @RoelantDieben and LinkedIn.About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.