Thomas Ager worked for 30y at the National Geospatial Agency on Radar satellite images and recently released ‘The Essentials of SAR’ a book breaking down Synthetic Aperture Radar for, as he puts it, “non electrical engineers”Sponsor: PlanetFind more about accessing Planet's high resolution & high frequency imagesAbout TomLinkedInHis book: The Essentials of SAR (Affiliate Link)Also available in MandarinShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.My Interview with Iain Woodhouse: Understanding Radar Satellite ImagesTom’s interview on Project GeospatialMapping London’s deformation70cm mapping of the MoonBook (and poem!) recommendationWho Is Fourier? (Affiliate Link)Project Geospatial: https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectgeospatialFern Hill by Dylan ThomasTimestamps(00:00) - Introduction(01:13) - Sponsor: Planet(02:28) - Tom describes himself(04:13) - National Geospatial Agency(05:46) - Why should anyone care about radar images?(09:52) - Why not just fly plane?(10:54) - SAR in the 80s(23:14) - Finding early use in SAR(27:09) - Skepticism in new tech(30:09) - Phase(35:32) - Bringing poetry to physics(42:01) - The most astonishing element of SAR(48:41) - Future of SAR(51:51) - The next step(56:49) - The language issue(59:45) - Tom's book(01:02:46) - Tom's book dedication(01:04:49) - Teaching(01:07:40) - Getting NGA's approval on the book(01:09:09) - Doing what people tell you not to do(01:11:34) - Machine Learning in SAR(01:15:55) - Book & Podcast recommendationSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Brian McClendon, an early investor at Keyhole and VP of Engineering at Google, talks about the development of Google Maps and Google Earth. He discusses the unique features of Keyhole, the challenges of mapping borders, and the rationale behind Google's investment in mapping. He also touches on his work at Uber and the future of self-driving technology. The podcast explores the impact of Google Maps' API on Uber, the importance of startups outside Silicon Valley, and the reflections on remote work during COVID-19.

Ariel Seidman, co-founder of Hivemapper, discusses competing with Google Maps, crowdsourced mapping, and crypto. They explain the process of collecting data for maps using dash cams and how contributors are paid. The role of cryptocurrency in building trust is explored, as well as privacy measures in data collection. The podcast also covers mapping objects in a map AI system and the benefits of exterior-mounted dashcams. Book and podcast recommendations are shared, and the changing landscape of journalism and technology is discussed.

It's the end of the year, so time for Christmas sweaters & looking back on the year through 12 conversations ranging from advice for people wanting to build things, discussing academia & companies, thinking about the roles of maps in the world and many others.Support the podcast & my work on PatreonListen to the full episodes mentioned today:Harold GoddijnSean GormanCan DurukJames KillickMila LulevaIain WoodhouseJed SundwallJavier de la TorreEste GeraghtyRenny BabiartzHongwei LiuSteve BrumbyTimestamps(00:00) - Intro(01:15) - Consider Supporting my Work on Patreon(02:49) - Harold Goddijn - Advice for Ambitious People(09:41) - Sean Gorman - Not Everyone needs to code(14:26) - Can Duruk - Making Maps Fun(19:32) - James Killick - Why Apple Got Into Maps(33:00) - Mila Luleva - Academia & Private Sector(38:33) - Iain Woodhouse - Teaching Satellite Image's Military History(46:48) - Jed Sundwall - ChatGPT's impact on Open Data(57:10) - Javier de la Torre - Policies are 10 years behind the science(01:00:10) - Este Geragthy - The Story behind John Hopkins Covid Dashboard(01:05:23) - Renny Babiartz - The Nuance in Communicating Findings(01:11:48) - Hongwei Liu - Indoor Mapping(01:15:58) - Steve Brumby - Maps Against Greenwashing(01:24:26) - OutroSupport the podcast on PatreonMy satellite image introduction videoMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterMax edited this episode this time so... follow me!

Jason Boone runs the Boone Loves Videos YouTube Channel with nearly 100k subscribers, teaching people visual effects & map animations. This led him to work with some of the biggest YouTubers out there, including Johnny Harris. We talked about running an online business teaching people map animations, using maps to tell stories and Jason's recent dive into tech startups.Sponsor: PlanetFind more about accessing Planet's high resolution & high frequency imagesAboutTwitterLinkedInJason’s Youtube channel: Boone Loves VideosShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.Jack JoyceJohnny HarrisGoogle Earth StudioThe Origins of European Imperialism by Johnny Harris“How Johnny Harris rewrites history” by Present PastMapalEvery Frame a paintingBook & Podcast recommendationVagabonding (Affiliate Link)This American Life Documentary SeriesRange by David Epstein (Affiliate Link)Timestamps(00:00) - Introduction(00:44) - Sponsor: Planet(01:58) - How would you describe yourself(04:22) - Jason's path to becoming a YouTuber(12:43) - Documentary itch(15:43) - Maps!(21:30) - Geo layers(24:07) - Leaning into a niche(27:40) - Getting the data you need to tell a story(32:02) - Working with Johnny Harris(36:49) - Telling Stories(40:37) - Travelling through maps(43:05) - Joining a tech startup(43:16) - Felt(45:22) - Income as a freelancer(54:54) - Helping others get jobs(56:09) - A story of respecting Johny Harris(59:52) - Tech Startups(01:03:04) - Youtubers also run startups(01:05:14) - Current YouTube landscape(01:06:54) - Do I need film school?(01:10:16) - One hit wonders of YouTubers(01:13:32) - YouTube algorithm(01:15:06) - Jason's relationship to analytics(01:16:50) - Advice for content creators(01:20:57) - Embracing a niche(01:24:25) - Family privacy(01:30:51) - Book & podcast recommendation(01:36:20) - Behind The Scenes available on PatreonSupport the podcast on PatreonMy satellite image introduction videoMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Javier de la Torre started a Biologist Researcher, went on to start Vizzuality and later Carto where he is now. Javier works at the intersection mapping, software based companies & geospatial. He is also one of the founding members of the Tierra Pura Foundation focused on mitigation and adaptions tactics to climate change.Sponsor: FeltCheck out their QGIS Plugin to easily share your QGIS projectsAbout JavierLinkedInTwitterCartoShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.VizzualityAl Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth documentaryTierra Pura FoundationAndrej Karpathy’s tweetGeospatial + AI Javier talk at Spatial Data Science ConferenceBook & Podcast recommendationFreakonomics PodcastThe Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf (Affiliate Link)Timestamps(00:00) - Introduction(00:53) - Sponsor: Felt(02:19) - Javier Describes Himself(03:49) - Curiosity as a driving factor(07:16) - From Researcher to Starting a Company(14:42) - Policy is 10 years behind Science(18:04) - Solving the Worlds Biggest Problems(21:01) - Focusing on a single problem(27:38) - Carto(31:29) - Commercial viability as a key to success(39:00) - Buiding a company vs Doing the work(43:01) - So, why host a conference?(47:52) - Online vs in person community(51:13) - Geo and AI(55:46) - English is the ultimate programming language(01:05:03) - Will SQL survive?(01:13:00) - The valuable skills in a post-AI world(01:17:29) - Book/podcast- Support the podcast on Patreon- My video on an introduction to satellite images- Website- My Twitter- Podcast Twitter- Read Previous Issues of the Newsletter- Edited by Peter Xiong. Find more of his work

Hongwei Liu is the CEO & Co-Founder of MappedIn, a company focused on indoor mapping. I know a lot about what it takes to map the outdoor world, but little about what’s required to map indoors. That’s what this conversation is about.Episode Sponsor: SkyFiGet high resolution imagery easily, with prices up front on SkyFi.comAbout HongweiLinkedInTwitterShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.MappedInMaker, their free new iOS appMy conversation with James Killick3D Gaussian Splatting Github repositoryHongwei’s blogHow I got into startupsMy video on how satellite images workBook & podcast recommendation:Hardcore HistoryThe Catcher in the Rye (Amazon Affiliate)Timestamps(00:00) - Introduction(01:03) - Sponsor: SkyFi(02:13) - Hongwei Describes Himself(04:45) - "Accidentally" Starting a company(08:15) - Solving a technological vs a people problem(10:21) - Starting a business as students(13:45) - Sales is about convincing people(17:50) - Continuing to experiment(21:42) - What does it actually take to map the indoors?(26:32) - Maps vs Models(28:01) - Why do we even need good indoor maps?(34:58) - An indoor approach to Tesla's mapping(41:04) - All Privacy aside, what would it take to automate indoor mapping?(45:39) - Making a free mapping app(48:25) - Product vs Sales lead companies(01:02:12) - "Only the paranoid survive"(01:06:15) - AR/VR(01:09:35) - Hongwei's hard work ethic(01:11:05) - Unconventional path(01:16:42) - Difficulty of finding your own lane(01:21:38) - Grinding for the people that coming after(01:25:21) - Faith(01:28:45) - Visiting China(01:34:50) - Misunderstandings through language(01:40:22) - Leveraging the internet(01:43:16) - Book & Podcast Recommendations(01:45:29) - Consider supporting me on Patreon- Support the podcast on Patreon- Website- My Twitter- Podcast Twitter- Read Previous Issues of the Newsletter- Edited by Peter Xiong. Find more of his work 

Sean Gorman is currently on his 4th start-up, Zephr, working on improving smartphone location. Previously he worked on 3D mapping (acquired by Snap), mapping fibre optics infrastructure (and caught the NAS's attention as a grad student). I was recently in Colorado and got to spend a few days with Sean, at the end of which we recorded a conversation about building great teams, finding what to work on and building businesses around mapsSponsor: FeltTry out collaborative online mapping with FeltCheck out their Youtube Channel for walkthroughs of their latest featuresAbout SeanTwitterLinkedInShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.We recorded this conversation right after SatCamp, that we mentioned a few timesMatthew Ball EssaysZephrBook & Podcast RecommendationsRadiolabHard ForkNew York Times DailyMalazan Book of the Fallen 01: Garden of the Moon by Steven Erikson (Affiliate Link)Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (Affiliate Link)Timestamps(00:00) - Introduction(00:48) - Sponsor: Felt(01:53) - Sean Describes Himself(05:22) - Accidentally becoming an entrepreneur(11:36) - Ending up in front of the NSA as a grad student(25:33) - Propelled into starting a company as a grad student(30:45) - Not Everybody has to code(35:40) - Base, Hits or Bunts: A Baseball Analogy to start-up exits(41:15) - VC vs Angel investing(45:02) - Deciding what to work on(59:25) - Building a library of ideas(01:02:35) - Sean's current project: Zephr(01:11:05) - Smartphone location information isn't that good(01:18:51) - How do you solve the trust problem(01:26:33) - Advice for people wanting to build things(01:29:39) - Building a Good Team(01:33:35) - Gravitating towards small teams(01:37:37) - Predictions on the AR market(01:40:15) - Podcast/book recommendation- Support the podcast on Patreon- Website- My Twitter- Podcast Twitter- Read Previous Issues of the Newsletter- Edited by Peter Xiong. Find more of his work 

Harold Goddijn is one of the co-founders & the CEO of TomTom. TomTom has pivoted many times, from it's beginnings making PDA software in the early 90s, stumbling onto map applications, building its own hardware to millions of devices sold in a day, to its current form today. TomTom is a fascinating company in the mapping industry and I'm excited to share a conversation with the person leading it all, Harold Goddijn.Episode Sponsor: SkyFiGet high resolution imagery easily, with prices up front on SkyFi.comAbout HaroldLinkedInTomTomShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.PsionTomTom GoThe Overture Maps FoundationMy interview with Mark Prioleau the Executive Director of OvertureBooks & Podcast Recommendations:Napoleon: A concise biography from Davis A. Bell. (Affiliate Link)Timestamps(00:00) - Introduction(00:58) - Sponsor: SkyFi(02:07) - Harold describes himself(03:49) - Being an entrepreneur(06:53) - TomTom in the early days(11:26) - Why get into mapping in the early days?(17:41) - Technical hurdles to mapping(21:06) - The not-so-smooth relationship with data providers(25:55) - The 2000s down turn(28:52) - Launching TomTom Go(30:11) - From a downturn to sudden growth(33:31) - Going IPO without raising capital(35:18) - 2008 was a rough year(41:40) - Pivoting the company(45:35) - What is TomTom today?(47:42) - The challenges of making maps today(53:04) - Working with car manufacturers(56:44) - Products for entreprises vs consumers(01:00:53) - One map to rule them all?(01:05:12) - How does TomTom make money while providing a free map?(01:07:07) - Why collaboration with Meta, Amazon & Microsoft?(01:08:04) - What is Harold excited about for the future?(01:12:27) - Mapping attracts many people(01:14:59) - Appreciating beautiful maps(01:16:03) - Advice for entrepreneurs(01:22:55) - Book/podcast recommendation- Support the podcast on Patreon- Website- My Twitter- Podcast Twitter- Read Previous Issues of the Newsletter- Edited by Peter Xiong. Find more of his work

Guest James Killick, former employee of Apple Maps team and experienced mapping professional, discusses the motivations behind Apple's entry into the mapping industry, challenges faced in creating digital maps, the significance of OpenStreetMap, and Apple's recent announcement on spatial computing and their new mixed reality headsets, Vision Pro.