Following on from our earlier episode on the Software Architecture: the hard parts, we’re joined by the other two co-authors of that book to explore issues around data architecture and how that fits into these broader concepts of architecture. We discuss how it is that what looks like a software decision is frequently influenced by data.

Things have come a long way since Kent Beck first wrote about test-driven development 20+ years ago: the languages we use, our deployment environments and the rise of low-code tools. Former Thoughtworker Saleem Siddiqui has just written a new book on TDD and joins our podcast team to discuss why this book — and subject — is more pertinent than ever.

There’s often debate around the build-versus-buy decision for digital capabilities. But when it comes to integrating disparate systems, the convenience of some modern integration tools can result in point-in-time integrations: ones that are never intended to evolve, with all the complexity and cost that entails. Here, we catch up with Brandon Byers to explore the limits of low-code tools and the perils of thinking you can buy integration.

In the past decade, NoSQL has gone from being an interesting experiment to becoming business critical. We catch up with Martin Fowler and Pramod Sadalage, co-authors of NoSQL Distilled, to understand why the database technology took off and where it’s proven its capabilities in the enterprise and how thinking around issues such as persistence models has evolved.

In today’s modern distributed systems are by their very nature complex. The decisions you need to make — around the wiring of your services, what size should the services be, and how should they call one another — are uniquely complex. In Software Architecture: the hard parts, the authors explore the rough edges of software architecture and look at how you can effectively do trade analyses that work for you. We catch up with two of the book’s co-authors.

From creating novel solutions for parking airplanes or identifying the winning formula for single malt whiskeys, our colleagues at Fourkind have extensive experience in building machine learning systems. Here, Max Pagels and Jarno Kartela highlight why deploying ML is different, how edge cases can confound well-trained models and the unexpected areas where ML can deliver better than human-levels of performance.

Lean Enterprise was a landmark book, exploring how large enterprise could learn from start-ups and deliver innovation at scale — how they could respond to changing market conditions, customer needs, and emerging technologies when building software-based products. Thoughtworks Technology Podcast catches up with two of the book’s authors to hear about its genesis, its impact and why there’s not likely to be a second edition.

Thoughtworks Technology Podcast catches up with retired Thoughtworker and co-signatory of the Agile Manifesto, Jim Highsmith. He talks us through his experiences, from working on the Apollo missions to dropped card desks, the birth of the agile movement and its future in a post-pandemic world.

Delving into the complexities of securing the software supply chain, the podcast discusses trust, managing provenance, and understanding vulnerabilities. It highlights the SolarWinds hack and emphasizes verifying dependencies, governance, and integrating security practices early in development. The importance of cybersecurity in sectors like healthcare and government is emphasized, along with the evolving approach to security influenced by legal considerations like GDPR. The conversation stresses the need for liability, education, behavior change, and feedback to enhance security practices.

Retrospectives can play a vital role in enabling teams to improve continuously. Here, our podcast team is joined by Paulo Caroli, author of Fun Retrospectives to get insights into delivering sessions that energize and inform the whole team — while ensuring they become increasingly effective at meeting their goals.