Beyond Coding

We're back with another Q&A episode! 🙌 Tons of great questions and a very special guest jumps in here and there as well! The man with many names, my friend and producer: Roald Willemsen 🎙Enjoy! 🤗 Full episode on YouTube ▶️https://youtu.be/srJp0N9_iLc New episodes every Wednesday with me 🎙Patrick Akil!   Big shoutout to ⁠Xebia⁠ for making this episode possible! OUTLINE:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:47 - If you could start your career over what would you do differently?00:05:00 - How valuable did you find the podcast in terms of personal development and giving back to the community?00:05:07 - Personal Development00:10:07 - Giving back to the community00:11:49 - What’s next for the podcast?00:13:05 - Patrick Akil Podcast00:14:55 - Are you a native English speaker?00:17:33 - How much do you work remote and how much do you go to the office?00:20:31 - If you couldn’t do the podcast anymore what would you do?00:22:17 - How does a new software engineer make themselves valuable as an employee in this era of AI and machine learning?00:27:12 - As a software engineer, what is the one thing you'll never actually want to do?00:29:23 - Who or what has inspired you in your career?00:33:53 - How would your 10 year old self react to what you are doing now?00:35:14 - What do you remember most about your first job?00:43:53 - Outro

Our 100th episode special with Jason Lengstorf! It's been a while since we've done an in-person episode, but Jason happened to be in the neighbourhood, so we made it happen 🙌 We had a blast and kept rolling longer than usual with exciting discussions on various topics 🚀 Thank you so much for tuning in for this milestone episode, I truly appreciate your support! 🤗 Connect with Jason Lengstorf: https://www.jason.af https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlengstorf https://twitter.com/jlengstorf https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnty0z0pNRDgnuoirYXnC5A Full episode on YouTube ▶️https://youtu.be/RNW7S9U7VkA New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!   Big shoutout to ⁠Xebia⁠ for making this episode possible! OUTLINE:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:37 - Live podcasts00:01:48 - In person podcasts00:03:15 - Public speaking00:05:28 - Finding your topic00:07:21 - Preventing a burnout00:11:48 - Work-life balance00:15:01 - Creative outlets00:16:38 - Different ways to consume information00:19:41 - Authenticity and integrity00:22:35 - Relationships throughout your career00:25:23 - Type of work and the scale of the organisation00:31:27 - Mapping out your core values00:36:10 - Understanding the politics of an organization00:39:57 - The challenges with big organisations00:42:37 - Strategically levering relationships00:44:45 - Stress and weird behaviour00:48:37 - Big picture thinking00:52:22 - Outcomes vs output00:57:00 - Culture and marketing01:04:08 - Engaging media01:15:48 - Company cultures01:19:43 - Changing perception01:23:48 - Amazing USPs01:32:32 - Customer value01:37:54 - Come build with me01:41:36 - Streaming in front of people01:47:27 - Riding the waves01:50:17 - Big thank you!

What started out as a passion project turned into a full-fledged global organization for Vanessa Sanyauke. She shares how to level up in your career, set realistic expectations and how she started a side hustle which later became her main hustle.  What really stuck with me is how far hard work and dedication can bring you, but not without sacrifice. Enjoy! 🎙 Connect with Vanessa Sanyauke: https://www.vanessasanyauke.com https://linkedin.com/in/vanessa-chiedza-sanyauke-9b41171a https://twitter.com/vanessasanyauke https://www.girlstalklondon.com Full episode on YouTube ▶️https://youtu.be/NFALtI3_vcA New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!   Big shoutout to Xebia for making this episode possible! OUTLINE:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:32 - Remote working internationally00:01:58 - Working from the office00:02:28 - Raising investment00:03:14 - Controlling your nerves while pitching00:03:59 - Minorities and the chance of getting funded00:04:31 - Day to day Business00:05:48 - Running a global organisation00:06:57 - Challenges of running a global organisation00:09:12 - Remote working vs in-person working00:10:10 - Building a community00:13:01 - Ethics around picking your sponsorships00:15:43 - Building a network00:17:13 - Companies and networking00:19:13 - Starting your career00:22:23 - Talking with people00:23:23 - Leveling up in your career00:24:49 - Working for yourself00:27:31 - Starting a side hustle00:29:12 - Preventing a burnout00:33:03 - How to say NO?00:36:26 - Invest in yourself00:39:38 - Work ethic00:44:04 - Outro

Forrest Knight shares how his perspective towards ChatGPT has shifted as we discuss the benefits of having AI as a team member, its place in a team, and the tasks that AI can handle. Next to that we cover the benefits of working in a team in comparison to working on personal projects, the value of creating, and the differences between learning from research and experience. You’ll really like this one! Enjoy 🎙 Connect with Forrest Knight: https://youtube.com/c/@fknight  https://twitter.com/forrestpknight https://www.linkedin.com/in/forrestpknight Full episode on YouTube ▶️ New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!   Big shoutout to Xebia for making this episode possible! OUTLINE:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:28 - ChatGPT00:02:10 - Coding with ChatGPT00:03:04 - What kind of tool is ChatGPT?00:09:00 - ChatGPT as Team Member00:10:08 - AI's Place in the Team00:12:35 - Tasks for AI00:17:07 - Research in Content Creation00:21:04 - Coding outside of work00:27:39 - Benefits of working in a team00:31:19 - Asking for help inside a team00:36:09 - Scheduling Research00:41:22 - Working by yourself VS working in a Team00:43:49 - Changing Workflows00:48:22 - Research, experience and learning00:49:27 - The Value of Creating00:51:59 - Don't be afraid of AI00:53:13 - Outro

Milan Milanović shares his structured approach to personal development. A fundamental aspect of that is personal goals. He explains why setting the right goals is crucial for success, and how to sustainably achieve them over time.  Next to that, we touch upon the significance of mentoring and coaching and how a regular cadence can accelerate your personal development and career growth.  Enjoy 🎙 Connect with Milan Milanović:  https://milan.milanovic.org  https://www.linkedin.com/in/milanmilanovic https://twitter.com/milan_milanovic Full episode on YouTube ▶️ https://youtu.be/vW3w3CWyI7w New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!   Big shoutout to Xebia for making this episode possible! OUTLINE 00:00:00 - Intro00:00:23 - Milan is an avid reader00:02:27 - Putting theory into practise00:04:43 - How Milan organizes knowledge00:06:33 - Finding your life path00:09:19 - Ikigai00:12:19 - Companies should invest in your growth00:13:57 - Measurable goals00:16:39 - Patrick's experience with goals00:18:42 - Where will you be in 5 years?00:19:59 - How to find a mentor or coach00:21:20 - Mentoring process00:23:49 - The benefits of mentors and coaches00:25:02 - Soft skills are necessary00:27:50 - Milan's love for hands-on tech00:31:59 - Milan's 5 year plan00:33:08 - Inspiration vs. output00:35:04 - Passion and opportunity00:37:15 - Sustainable work00:38:00 - Condensing content and sharing00:41:12 - Patrick's horrible note taking system00:44:05 - Systems are better than goals00:46:02 - Consistency > motivation

Alex Freberg comes on and shares his experience of pursuing content creation and consultancy full-time, along with the thought process behind his decision. Additionally, he gives us a little sneak peek into the product he's building with his startup. We also discuss the various analyst roles you might come across and what the differences are between them. Finally, we touch on big data challenges and the best practices for companies to collect and store data effectively. Enjoy 🎙 Connect with Alex Freberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-freberg https://www.youtube.com/@alextheanalyst https://twitter.com/Alex_TheAnalyst Full episode on YouTube ▶️ https://youtu.be/y6EDBUNS_UI New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!   Big shoutout to Xebia for making this episode possible! OUTLINE: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:32 - Alex is a dad and husband first 00:01:11 - Quitting a stable job 00:03:10 - Hyperbolic concerns 00:04:15 - Alex had a YT channel reviewing watches 00:05:09 - Where did Alex the analyst come from? 00:06:43 - Data analyst vs. Business analyst 00:08:39 - Every company is different 00:09:40 - Generalist vs. Specialist 00:12:34 - Alex's passion for education 00:13:59 - 1-1 sessions vs. YouTube 00:15:08 - Re-evaluating priorities 00:18:05 - Saying no 00:18:49 - Alex's startup 00:21:00 - The best client to work with 00:23:27 - Things don't go perfectly 00:24:39 - Feeling part of the team 00:25:27 - Learning collaboratively 00:26:17 - What happens post go-live? 00:27:37 - An authentic feeling 00:29:57 - Saying NO to sponsorships 00:31:06 - Sponsorships gone bad 00:33:27 - Great sponsorships and collaborations 00:34:44 - Patrick's take on Udemy 00:35:48 - What data to collect and store 00:37:54 - Issues with storing data you don't use 00:39:55 - No company has perfect data 00:41:13 - YOU CAN DO IT!

Probably the most fun conversation I’ve had while having the most connectivity issues 😂 Hopefully nothing noticeable :) Bart Farrell comes on and shares his non-linear journey to the tech industry. I love how he leverages his previous experience in what he does now and isn’t afraid to jump into the unknown. Next to that, we discuss our learnings from having had many conversations with different. Listening is one of the key takeaways there. Enjoy 🎙 Connect with Bart Farrell: https://twitter.com/birthmarkbart https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-farrell Full episode on YouTube ▶️ https://youtu.be/qAvZ1gBg3eU New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!   Big shoutout to Xebia for making this episode possible! OUTLINE: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:28 - Bart's non-linear path to the tech industry 00:02:15 - Bart's YouTube channel 00:04:06 - Teaching and organising events 00:06:25 - Changing careers in Bart's environment 00:09:09 - Leveraging previous experience 00:11:00 - Baby steps 00:11:55 - Breaking things down into small pieces 00:15:16 - Patrick's podcasting journey 00:17:02 - Starting vs. Finishing 00:19:38 - Grinding it out 00:20:37 - Self reflection 00:22:48 - What Patrick has learned through talking to people 00:24:24 - Creating great environments 00:26:31 - Training for listening 00:29:02 - Listening as conference topic 00:30:38 - The feeling of being heard 00:32:25 - Powerful silences 00:34:50 - Podcasts we've listened to 00:37:04 - Why are people listening? 00:38:30 - Bart loves Ear Hustle 00:40:02 - Making notes while listening 00:41:38 - Facing imposter syndrome 00:44:28 - Suffering from not knowing 00:46:16 - Mentoring & Feedback 00:48:46 - Bouncing perceptions 00:51:10 - Bart has his calendly link open 00:53:44 - Truly helping people

What is Platform Engineering, why does it exist and why should you care? Those are the main questions we discuss in this episode and who better to do that with than Luca Galante 🙌 He shares his journey with platform engineering, the different flavours he's seen in organisations and how the DevOps is dead controversy developed. Enjoy! 🎙 Connect with Luca Galante:   https://twitter.com/luca_cloud https://linkedin.com/in/luca-galante More on Platform Engineering:   https://platformengineering.org Full episode on YouTube ▶️ https://youtu.be/x8kDNO1Pjc0 New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!   Big shoutout to Xebia for making this episode possible! OUTLINE: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:26 - How Luca got into Platform Engineering 00:04:01 - Shared identity 00:07:00 - What is platform engineering? 00:08:35 - Platform as a product 00:11:34 - Platform team structures 00:14:42 - The right level of abstraction 00:17:02 - Frustration in complex landscapes 00:18:46 - Ideal starting point for platform teams 00:21:23 - Platform teams competing 00:24:32 - Falling in love with your platform 00:26:09 - Managed solutions 00:28:31 - Blueprints and reference architectures 00:31:22 - Being sustainable 00:33:19 - Zero to one and one+ people 00:35:45 - No platform team yet? 00:38:14 - Tragedy of the commons 00:40:05 - Why platform initiatives fail 00:42:13 - Technical product owners 00:45:05 - Feedback & solving real problems 00:47:02 - The DevOps is dead controversy 00:50:32 - DevOps is dead booth on KubeCon 00:53:26 - Having a healthy conversation

Luca Rossi, founder of refactoring.club and a writing expert, shares his journey from developer to full-time writer. He discusses the challenges of transforming a side project into a successful newsletter with over 25,000 subscribers. The conversation dives into the importance of feedback, community engagement, and finding one’s niche when writing. Luca also emphasizes the transformative power of consistent writing for personal growth and the skills it develops, making a compelling case for why engineers should embrace writing.

Can companies afford ethics in bad times? Looking at the recent mass layoffs in big tech, it looks like they couldn't. Dorothea Baur shares how she combines ethics and strategy to bring value to organisations. Next to that, we discuss the relationship between ethics, purpose and company values. Through this lens, we discuss the reputational damage of the big tech layoffs. Enjoy! 🎙 Connect with Dorothea Baur: https://baurconsulting.ch https://twitter.com/DorotheaBaur https://linkedin.com/in/dorotheabaur Full episode on YouTube ▶️ https://youtu.be/KxS2THT7rM4 New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!   Big shoutout to Xebia for making this episode possible! OUTLINE: 0:00:00 - Intro 00:00:25 - The sea of fog in Switzerland 00:03:12 - Dorothea's day to day 00:04:06 - Synthetic media and plagiarism 00:06:24 - The EU AI Act 00:07:52 - Dorothea is an Ethics Strategy Consultant 00:09:07 - Combining Ethics and Strategy 00:10:45 - Company Values and Ethics 00:13:13 - Ethics and Core Business 00:16:02 - Interpretation of Ethics 00:18:08 - What is fair? 00:19:55 - Making money from ethical actions 00:21:57 - Ethics help create a strong culture 00:23:21 - Purpose 00:25:14 - Younger generations care about purpose 00:27:56 - Awareness of world impact 00:29:42 - Patrick lives under a rock 00:30:29 - Ethically sound and integrity 00:33:49 - Incentives and Ethics 00:34:58 - Layoffs in Big Tech 00:37:09 - Using the law to your advantage in firing people 00:39:00 - Can companies afford ethics? 00:41:25 - Reputational damage 00:42:43 - Employee protection & gaps in regulations 00:45:22 - The impact of ChatGPT 00:48:47 - Rounding off