

Lunch with Tech Leaders
RightBrain Networks
Listen on your lunch break to some of the greatest technology practitioners in the Great Lakes region as they have engaging conversations about software development and cloud engineering with other industry leaders and subject matter experts. These episodes are created by the Great Lakes Tech Leaders, a Discord community for like-minded technologists to stay up-to-date on the latest changes and trends in the industry. Please come join the conversation by visiting gltl.rbn.ai.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 27, 2023 • 29min
Episode 62: Serverless: Logging & Monitoring
In this continuation of his Serverless series, Jason Brown teams up with experts Preston Frazier and Tom Kowalski to unravel the deeper layers of analysis and visualization in AWS serverless logging. Dive in as they cover CloudWatch logs, shed light on potential pitfalls tied to CloudFormation stacks, and discuss how they approach Personal Identifiable Information (PII) in healthcare. Plus, tune in for insights on the latest AWS policy shifts around Lambda invocations and tools like Glue and Athena in shaping structured log analysis.

Oct 20, 2023 • 54min
Episode 61: Programming with ChatGPT
AI experts Henrik Kniberg and Adam Oberhausen discuss the transformative role of AI in programming, including the potential of AI in open-source, the importance of context in code readability, the dangers of blindly following AI advice, and the prospect of making programming more inclusive for non-programmers.

Oct 12, 2023 • 33min
Episode 60: IaC Strategies & Best Practices

Oct 6, 2023 • 42min
Episode 59: Estimates and Productivity Part 2
In this episode host Adam Oberhausen continues his series on Estimates & Productivity with tech experts Tom Kowalski & Nicole Anderson. What is "developer viscosity" - and is it really just about coding speed? How do distractions, in any setting, impact our work? And with paired programming showing potential, what hurdles still stand in the way? Join in as we explore these questions and more, emphasizing the need for continuous learning in the rapidly evolving tech space.

Sep 22, 2023 • 39min
Episode 58: What is "Senior" Engineering?
On Episode 58 of "Lunch with Tech Leaders," host Derek DeJonghe dives deep into the world of senior engineering with tech experts Tom Kowalski and Vagish Vela. Together, they unravel what it truly means to be a "senior" engineer, examining the blurred lines between job titles, skills, and capabilities. What is the impact of company culture on career progression and should titles be based on tenure or true qualifications? Tune in to hear their thoughts!

Sep 8, 2023 • 40min
Episode 57: Estimates & Productivity Part 1
In this week’s episode host Adam Oberhausen challenges us to rethink our approach to estimating engineering projects. Joined by experts Tom Kowalski and Nicole Anderson, they unpack burning questions like why do backward engineering estimates often fail? And how do we set realistic expectations when it comes to creating estimates for yourself and your team? Nicole offers insights from her experience in product management, emphasizing transparency and constant stakeholder communication. Dive into this discussion and learn about the art, science, and guesswork behind project estimation.

Sep 1, 2023 • 40min
Episode 56: Observation Driven Design
Are you ready to expand the way you think about software development?Then buckle up because episode 56 on Observation-Driven Design is live!Adam Oberhausen and Lance Carlson chat with Tom Kowalski as he takes us on a high-level overview of this methodology. Tune in and learn about the ongoing efforts to formalize this emerging paradigm.

Aug 25, 2023 • 32min
Episode 55: Serverless Event-Driven Architecture
In this episode, Jason Brown dives into the topic of event-driven serverless architecture with a panel of technology experts including Tom Kowalski, Preston Frazier, & David Meiser. The conversation kicks off with a brief overview of what event-driven architecture is and how it contrasts with traditional systems. They emphasize the asynchronous nature of event-driven models and highlight the efficiency of handling data and actions based on specific events. The discussion also touches on how Amazon's services like s3 integrate seamlessly into this architectural style. The conversation then delves deep into the healthcare sector, explaining how it naturally aligns with event-driven architecture. By the end, listeners gain insights into how this architecture optimizes data handling in healthcare and the potential for other industries.

Aug 17, 2023 • 41min
Episode 54: IaC Compare & Contrast Tools
Explore the fascinating world of Infrastructure as Code! This week’s episode focused on a detailed comparison and contrast of various IaC tools, breaking down their functionalities, ease of use, compatibility, and community support. Experts Ray Welker, Tom Francis, and Tom Kowalski share real-world experiences, providing invaluable insights into selecting the most suitable tools for various project needs.Whether you are a seasoned developer, an IT manager, or just curious about the future of infrastructure management, this episode will equip you with the knowledge and understanding of the IaC landscape and its tools. Don't miss this engaging exploration of a topic that continues to shape the future of technology.

Aug 11, 2023 • 36min
Episode 53: Shape Up: Agile
In this episode, we delve into the innovative "Shape Up" methodology, a brainchild of Ryan Singer from the renowned software firm 37 signals, now known as Basecamp. We explore the genesis of Shape Up, its departure from traditional Agile and Scrum practices, and how it addresses many of Agile's pitfalls.