O11ycast

In episode 85 of o11ycast, Dr. Cat Hicks unpacks AI’s impact on software teams from a psychological and social-science perspective. Along with Ken, Jess, and Austin, she explores how AI magnifies long-standing tensions between solitary and collaborative models of development, and how fears about AI often reflect deeper issues like undervaluing collaboration or having unrealistic productivity expectations. The discussion also explores empathy, theory of mind, and pluralistic ignorance, highlighting why developers may prepare more for AI than for each other.

Maddy Montaquila, Lead PM for .NET Aspire at Microsoft, shares insights on making developer experiences smoother. She delves into how Aspire simplifies app setup and enhances telemetry, making debugging easier. The conversation covers integrating OpenTelemetry with tools like Blazor and MAUI, while also discussing real-world challenges and hilarious demo moments. Montaquila emphasizes the importance of user feedback and the community, spotlighting initiatives like 'Aspire Fridays' to engage developers and enhance their coding journeys.

In episode 83 of o11ycast, the Honeycomb team chats with Dan Ravenstone, the o11yneer. Dan unpacks the crucial, often underappreciated, role of the observability engineer. He discusses how this position champions the user, bridging the gap between technical performance and real-world customer experience. Learn about the challenges of mobile observability, the importance of clear terminology, and how building alliances across an organization drives successful observability practices.

Morgante Pell, the visionary behind Grit and now part of Honeycomb R&D, dives into the fascinating evolution of AI in coding. She discusses the challenges of deploying AI agents while managing user expectations and the importance of clear communication. Pell shares insights on integrating code awareness with production awareness, revealing how this can enhance development processes. The conversation also touches on the complexities of large language models in startups and the need for real-world data in testing, highlighting both skepticism and excitement among engineers.

Join Hazel Weakly, a systems thinker tackling complex socio-technical issues, and Matt Klein, CTO of Bitrift and Envoy creator, as they delve into the future of observability. They discuss the evolution to 'observability 3.0', emphasizing the integration of technical and socio-technical challenges. Hear insights on the cost implications of observability tools, the necessity of optimized system design, and the transformative potential of AI in enhancing real-time workflows. The duo advocates for perceiving observability as an investment rather than a cost.

In episode 80 of o11ycast, Ken Rimple and Jessica Kerr chat with Kent Beck about the emerging world of AI-assisted coding. Beck shares his experiences with "augmented coding," discussing the benefits, challenges, and the evolving relationship between developers and AI agents. They explore how these tools are changing software development practices and what it means for the future of coding.

Hamel Husain, a machine learning expert with over 25 years of experience at Airbnb and GitHub, dives deep into the world of AI and observability. He discusses the misleading nature of off-the-shelf metrics and highlights the critical role of error analysis in making AI models reliable. Listeners learn about the unique challenges in monitoring AI systems and the importance of insightful data analysis. Hamel also shares fascinating insights into Honeycomb's Query Assistant and how AI can evolve in coding practices.

Join Tyler Helmuth, an engineer at Honeycomb, and Evan Bradley, a key maintainer at Dynatrace, as they unpack the innovative OpenTelemetry Transformation Language (OTTL). They delve into OTTL’s powerful telemetry data transformations and its evolution within the OpenTelemetry ecosystem. Discover the practical applications, challenges, and limitations of OTTL, including issues with state management. The conversation also highlights the need for better documentation and emphasizes community involvement as OTTL approaches its beta version.

Jeremy Morrell, a Principal Engineer at Cloudflare and former leader of the observability team at Heroku, shares his insights on OpenTelemetry and the evolving landscape of observability. He discusses the significance of standardization in engineering to optimize workflow. The conversation covers the importance of real-time data accessibility, structured logging, and the benefits of public writing for community knowledge sharing. Morrell emphasizes a culture of curiosity and safe experimentation for enhancing efficiency in software development.

In episode 76 of o11ycast, Jessica Kerr and Martin Thwaites speak with Andrew Keller, Principal Engineer at ObservIQ, about the evolving world of telemetry and observability. They explore the role of OpenTelemetry, the groundbreaking Open Agent Management Protocol (OpAMP), and how open standards are shaping the future of data pipelines. Learn how ObservIQ’s innovations help standardize telemetry collection and empower organizations with dynamic, scalable tools for managing their observability ecosystems.