
Ardan Labs Podcast
This podcast features intimate conversations with engineers who are in the forefront of building or teaching technology. Join us as we learn how our guests got started in tech, the type and level of education they've obtained, their work history, and personal stories about their journey. We publish the show on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and the Web biweekly on Wednesdays at 12pm US Eastern Time. Subscribe and STAY TUNED!
Latest episodes

Mar 3, 2021 • 55min
Do What You Love and Figure the Rest Out Later with Kris Brandow
Kris Brandow is a Senior Software Engineer at Wunderkind and a panelist on the GoTime podcast! We learn about Kris’s experience growing up in a technical household and how he had no desire to follow in his parents footsteps. Although he went to college for writing and audio engineering, we uncover that Kris may have accidentally received the ultimate computer science degree.Connect with Kris:Skriptble.meTwitterGithubLinkedInMentioned in today’s episode:GoTime PodcastWunderkindDrupalMongoDBWant more from Ardan Labs?You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Feb 17, 2021 • 58min
Piano Mastery to Cloud Computing with Guinevere Saenger
Guinevere Saenger is a Software Engineer on the Development Lifecycle Team at Github. We hear about the challenges of pursuing a career in music and how, through an unbelievable turn of events, she has since transitioned to a successful career in tech! Although its clear Guinevere put in the work to get where she is today, she is outspoken regarding the lucky breaks she received in tech versus music. Connect with Guinevere:LinkedInGithubTwitterMentioned in today’s episode:kube-service-exporterAda Developers AcademySamsung SDS Cloud Native Computing TeamGithubWant more from Ardan Labs?You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!Work with us: https://www.ardanlabs.com/my/careers/

Feb 3, 2021 • 1h
Always Be Working Towards Your Goals with Bryan Liles
Bryan Liles is a Principal Engineer at VMware where he is working on the Telco & Edge Cloud BU team building telecom software that runs on Kubernetes. We examine Bryan’s unique path to success, which he credits to being goal focused and knowing his worth, among other things. He talks candidly about how his encounters with racism and poor leadership led to his frequent job hopping. This leads Bill to re-evaluate some of the criteria he uses when looking at a resume. Connect with Bryan:LinkedInTwitterMentioned in today’s episode:VMwareHeptioWant more from Ardan Labs?You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Jan 20, 2021 • 59min
A Champion of Chaos and Inclusion with Ana Margarita Medina
Ana Margarita Medina is a Senior Chaos Engineer at Gremlin. You may know her from one of her many conference talks or maybe just from Twitter! In this episode, Ana shares her journey into tech and why it is OK to take a nonlinear path to the job of your dreams. From running a freelance company at the age of 15 to dropping out of college to enter the workforce, Ana’s experiences have contributed to her vast knowledge and passion for her industry. Connect with Ana:www.anammedina.comTwitterLinkedInInstagramMentioned in today’s episode:NAFTechqueriaCode2040GremlinWant more from Ardan Labs?You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Jan 6, 2021 • 44min
Assembly Code, Semiconductors, & the Blockchain with Dave Appleton
Dave Appleton is a man of many talents (Seriously, he has too many to mention!). We kick off our conversation hearing about Dave’s first experiences with programming in the late '60s using hand punch cards. We discuss his early years as a low-level hardware programmer, working with semiconductors, and how he ended up working with blockchain technologies!Connect with Dave:Dave Appleton on TwitterHelloGoldGolang MalaysiaWant more from Ardan Labs?You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Dec 23, 2020 • 48min
If You Know the Spell You Can Have Whatever You Want with John Arundel
John Arundel is software consultant, mentor, and author of the book “For the Love of Go”. We talk about his early fascination with computers, the role his mother played in planting these seeds, and the steps he took in his younger years to follow his passion. We then explore John’s indirect job path, having to settle for work as a technical writer out of college and stumbling into IT and system administration. But the major lesson that comes out of this is that these 'detours' actually served John's later work, developing parts of his expertise that would aid him in his writing and mentoring.Connect with John:LinkedInTwitterBook: For the Love of GoWant more from Ardan Labs?You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Dec 9, 2020 • 50min
From Automating Solitaire to Automated Machine Images with Wilken Rivera
Wilken Rivera is a senior software engineer with the Packer team at HashiCorp. In this interview, listeners will get a sense of Wilken’s journey from a dance background to software engineering, his career timeline, and how he earned the privilege to choose where he wanted to work instead of having to take any job he was offered. As the conversation comes to a close, Wilken shares how he learned the Go programming language and what it meant for him to become a part of the community.Connect with Wilken:LinkedInTwitterWant more from Ardan Labs?You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Nov 25, 2020 • 54min
Code Projects as Work Experience, Traditional Education, and Community with Carlisia Thompson
Carlisia Thompson is a senior OSS engineer at VMware and host of The Podlets podcast. We cover the unique path Carlisia took from her childhood in Brazil to becoming an influential member of the Go community. She shares the story of her path to a graduate CS degree, her thoughts on the value of traditional education, and offers valuable advice for anyone who is looking to get into software engineering. Connect with Carlisia:TwitterLinkedInWant more from Ardan Labs?You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Nov 9, 2020 • 51min
Fighting Viruses and Caring for Others with Andy Walker
In this episode, we talk to Andy Walker about his childhood and how he got into programming, his journey in cybersecurity, and some of the soft skills that are so valuable to have in this industry. We kick things off by hearing Andy talk about his early love of computers, his early hacks, and how he fell into more serious programming at college after switching from Biology to a CS major. We talk about the value of meetups for making friends and how these events can be more welcoming! We then wrap up hearing Andy talk about where he would like to see himself in the future.About The Guest:Andy Walker is a Gopher, Go GDE, security nerd, and eternal student. He enjoys camping, home fabrication and long walks on the beach with serialized data formats. He lives in Columbia, Maryland, which is just a lovely little town.Connect with Andy:LinkedInTwitterGitHubMentioned in Today’s Episode:AmeriCorpsSourcefireCISCOWarGamesBaltimore Go MeetupOrlanGoWant more from Ardan Labs?You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!