

Ardan Labs Podcast
Bill Kennedy
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!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 28, 2021 • 1h 1min
Finding the Balance Between Art and Technology with Anthony Starks
Anthony Starks is an engineer, designer and consultant with a focus on data visualization. But we might also call him an artist. Growing up with a love for photography and computers, Anthony has long been enamored with the idea of melding art and technology. We hear his experience with low-level punch card programming, UNIX, writing the beginning of firewalls, & his more recent passion for data visualization using Go! Anthony prides himself on being a lifelong learner and credits his success to curiosity and a little boldness. Connect with Anthony:TwitterSpeaker DeckGitHubMentioned in today’s episode:Recreation of W.E.B Du Bois Data PortraitsJ Everett Light Career CenterFirewalls and Internet SecurityProcessing.orgDecksh on GitHubWant more from Ardan Labs?You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Apr 14, 2021 • 1h 12min
Identifying Trends and Adapting to Change with Michael Gasch
Michael Gasch is a Staff Engineer in the Office of the CTO at VMware. Growing up around his father’s business, the seeds were planted for his love of technology. Michael spent many years pursuing a career in music but technology always found a way back into his life. We explore how Michael made the leap from hardware to software and wrap up by getting his thoughts on the future of cloud and Kubernetes. Connect with Michael:TwitterLinkedInMichael's websiteMentioned in today’s episode:KubernetesVMwareMax Planck SocietyIBM OS2Want more from Ardan Labs?You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Mar 31, 2021 • 1h 14min
Tenacity, Independence and Problem Solving with Vanesa Ortiz
Vanesa Ortiz is a community advocate at Sourcegraph and the founder of the Women Who Go - Berlin chapter. We learn about Vanesa’s incredible journey from freelancing at age 13 to interviewing for a Golang position with zero knowledge of the language (oh yeah, and she got the job). One thing remained constant, Vanesa’s problem solving ability is off the charts. Her natural curiosity and desire to learn has truly helped her excel at every challenge presented to her.Connect with Vanesa:@vanesacodesMentioned in today’s episode:SourcegraphWakaTimeWomen Who GoHackbright AcademyWant more from Ardan Labs?You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Mar 17, 2021 • 1h 35min
From Idea to Execution with Mat Ryer
Mat Ryer is a serial entrepreneur and a panelist on the Go Time podcast! He is currently the co-founder at Pace.dev & Firesearch.dev. In this episode, we hear about Mat’s very early experiences with programming at the age of six and how teachers influenced his opinions of higher education. Then Bill digs in to find out how Mat is able to continually identify product opportunities and execute at lightning speed. Connect with Mat:Pace.devFiresearch.devXbar (formerly Bitbar)GithubTwitterLinkedinMentioned in today’s episode:Xbar on GitHubMachine box Mat’s GitHub sponsor pageBill Kennedy on Mechanical SympathyWant more from Ardan Labs?You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

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!