Beyond Coding

Latest Episodes:

How to be a Great Product and People Manager with Roman Arcea Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

Roman shares his insight and experience in field of Product Management and People Management. We discuss the attributes of a great product manager. Crucial skills to learn and attributes that are harder to learn.

Next to that, Roman shares he's had many roles in the tech industry. Some with people management responsibilities and some fully without. Luckily all experience matters, but what drives him to switch roles in the first place?

Listen in to find out!

Connect with Roman Arcea:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/arcea

https://twitter.com/sidthen

References:

Roman's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8UlhL33fsz-4g1cJbzaDjg

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

https://youtu.be/kaB7ezE-8tA

Beyond Coding Podcast with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙Patrick Akil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

OUTLINE

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:21 - Roman loves surfing

00:02:43 - Surfing in NL

00:04:49 - Patrick's first surf experience

00:06:26 - Surfing made Roman a better Product Manager

00:08:18 - What makes a great product manager

00:09:58 - Comfort in ambiguity

00:11:33 - Thinking through alternatives

00:12:38 - Influencing others

00:14:29 - Including different perspectives

00:16:50 - Listening to the essence

00:20:27 - A big vision

00:23:38 - Don't be too dogmatic

00:25:43 - How to create a product vision

00:27:28 - A product vision should be simple and clear

00:31:45 - Moving in and out of people management

00:34:56 - Unlocking options for people

00:37:10 - Everyone has goals

00:40:00 - Structured process of coaching

00:42:25 - Lack of will

00:44:37 - Enabling others as people manager

00:45:26 - Why it's worth investing in people

00:46:28 - Switching roles in an organization

00:51:02 - Big thanks to Roman!

Starting a Career in Data Science with Massimiliano Ungheretti Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

Massi shares his insight and experience in field of Data Science and AI. We discuss how the field has evolved and how you can distinguish yourself, build up your network and grow as fast as possible.

If you're just starting out as a data scientist, or in the tech field, this episode is for you!

Connect with Massimiliano Ungheretti:

https://linkedin.com/in/massimilianoungheretti

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

https://youtu.be/qMD5lJ5iiFA

Beyond Coding Podcast with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙Patrick Akil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

OUTLINE
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:25 - The habit of taking daily walks
00:02:08 - Smokers at work
00:03:33 - Catching baddies at ING
00:06:26 - Being in over your head
00:09:24 - Finding Comfort as a Data Scientist
00:13:22 - What Massi is doing with GenAI at TomTom
00:15:05 - Finding fulfillment in outcomes
00:18:16 - Asking for feedback
00:19:06 - How have Data Science has evolved
00:23:02 - Data Scientist and. other data roles
00:25:20 - Qualifying as Data Scientist
00:26:18 - From meetups to a first Data Science job
00:29:53 - How to distinguish yourself as Data Scientist
00:33:18 - What to put in your portfolio
00:35:21 - Data Science interviews
00:37:57 - Handling rejection from technical interviews
00:41:17 - How to grow as fast as possible
00:46:08 - Feedback that has stuck with Massi
00:47:49 - Way of working as Data Scientists
00:52:28 - Experimenting and managing expectations

Developer Productivity, Platform Engineering & Architecture with Dennis van de Laar Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Dennis and I and discusses his transition to Microsoft, the impact of developer productivity, and the evolution of the architect's role in tech. Tune in for insights on creating value in cloud-native technology and navigating the balance between autonomy and structured platform engineering.

Connect with Dennis van de Laar:

https://linkedin.com/in/dennis-van-de-laar-0374b4

References:

Pace-layered Application Strategy - https://www.gartner.com/en/information-technology/glossary/pace-layered-application-strategy

Jim Wilt - Five Pillars of IT Architecture - https://iasaglobal.org/Services/Public/TOPICS/Iasa_Five_Pillars_Presentation.aspx

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

https://youtu.be/UumRYf4WVsk

Beyond Coding Podcast with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙Patrick Akil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

OUTLINE

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:26 - Dennis worked with JP (Xebia NL MD)

00:01:03 - Executive Briefing Center

00:01:43 - How Dennis ended up at Microsoft

00:04:01 - Joining a team focussed on Cloud Native Technology

00:06:22 - Creating win-wins

00:08:36 - Focus on adding value

00:11:02 - Gartner's Pace-Layered Application Strategy

00:14:15 - Low code and innovation

00:17:15 - Low code has a bad rep

00:18:21 - Patrick's experience with GenAI

00:19:52 - The value of Microsoft Copilot

00:22:16 - Common customer productivity challenges

00:25:07 - Exploring Platform Engineering

00:26:41 - Developer Productivity linked to Innovation

00:28:25 - Losing autonomy with Platform Engineering

00:30:01 - Focus on Tech, People and Process

00:31:28 - Sharing experiences on way of working

00:33:42 - Letting go of your ideas

00:34:30 - The role of an architect is evolving

00:36:38 - Jim Wilt and human dynamics

00:38:57 - When to push and pull

00:41:51 - The best ideas don't always win

00:44:09 - Include people along your journey

00:45:36 - Final thoughts

End User Computing and Working at Silicon Valley Startups with Ruben Spruijt Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

Connect with Ruben Spruijt:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rspruijt

https://twitter.com/rspruijt

Mentioned References:

Videos from Ruben's digital twin - https://www.youtube.com/@dizzion-frame/videos

Dizzion - https://www.dizzion.com

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

https://youtu.be/AfPxmTQT7ZI

Beyond Coding Podcast with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙Patrick Akil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

OUTLINE
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:25 - Beyond Coding Podcast style and audience
00:02:59 - Retaining information from podcasts and books
00:06:42 - What is End User Computing
00:08:57 - The end user experience needs to be king
00:10:02 - How long has End User Computing been around?
00:11:30 - The tech and user experience side of End User Computing
00:12:53 - Shadow IT
00:15:29 - Accessibility leads to adoption
00:16:39 - Virtual desktops are coming back?!
00:18:53 - Data and compute being close to each other
00:19:55 - New remote streaming protocols
00:21:11 - No more company laptops needed soon
00:23:10 - E-waste and sustainable hardware
00:26:43 - Competing cloud resources
00:27:44 - Working remotely for startups in Sillicon Valley
00:30:48 - Work on your personal brand
00:32:39 - Taking the plunge
00:34:44 - Managing risk
00:37:49 - Things are moving faster
00:40:08 - Business relationships
00:43:55 - Many Dutch people in the EUC communities
00:45:23 - The pros and cons of startups
00:47:45 - Faster impact
00:49:03 - Wearing multiple hats
00:50:36 - AI in end user computing
00:51:53 - Ruben created a digital twin
00:54:57 - How to stay ahead of the ai game
00:57:09 - Measuring success
00:59:32 - Final thoughts

Saving Lives Through Technology with Dr. Cara Antoine Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

Connect with Dr. Cara Antoine:

https://linkedin.com/in/caraantoine

https://twitter.com/carainholland

Literature References:

The Second Mountain by David Brooks

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

https://youtu.be/LZLG7sxVM_g

Beyond Coding Podcast with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙Patrick Akil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

OUTLINE
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:26 - Cara's podcasting experience
00:01:59 - Seeing the learning
00:04:07 - Shrinking attention spans
00:07:28 - Starting with the conclusion
00:09:06 - How Cara started at Polaroid
00:11:11 - Making artwork more accessible to everyone
00:14:36 - Save, improve and change people's lives and the planet
00:17:42 - People who made a difference for you
00:18:53 - Mission statements for drive and motivation
00:21:30 - The Second Mountain
00:24:08 - Why there are 2 mountains
00:25:31 - The stool of life
00:28:12 - Balancing life
00:30:22 - Saving lives with digital sensors
00:33:02 - Finding the real issue
00:36:02 - Digitizing the environment
00:38:01 - Losing the home away from home
00:40:58 - Hit repeat on a different part of the organisation
00:44:42 - The opportunities and fear of AI
00:47:36 - AI has existed for years
00:49:49 - GenAI FoMO
00:52:54 - Personalized customer experiences
00:55:55 - The evolution of predictive models
00:58:24 - Problems of current GenAI models
01:00:44 - The need for diversity
01:04:00 - Easee and AI technology
01:08:00 - Parity of individual capabilities
01:11:26 - Be a learn-it-all
01:11:52 - Start today and start small
01:13:41 - How the windshield wiper came to be
01:15:29 - The spark of innovation
01:17:37 - Looking forward

Q&A #7: 2024 Tech Trends, Managing Conflict, Gaining Respect & More with Patrick Akil Jan 03, 2024

Show notes

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

https://youtu.be/7iBLidwN49o

OUTLINE
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:29 - Getting ready!
00:00:45 - What new hobby would you like to try for 2024?
00:01:52 - What tech trends are you anticipating for 2024?
00:04:37 - My favourite Christmas gift
00:04:44 - How do you see the future of the IT industry?
00:07:26 - How do you see your future in IT?
00:08:36 - Is there demand for .NET engineers?
00:12:09 - With AI evolving, how do software engineers evolve with it?
00:14:57 - AI and experienced software engineers
00:17:44 - How do you find out what field to focus on?
00:22:14 - What are some tools I should incorporate in my workflow?
00:24:14 - Web dev and software engineering tools
00:28:53 - How do you explain a career gap?
00:31:59 - Have you ever been on a project which was fun, but not ethically responsible?
00:35:44 - Enjoying the domain you work in
00:38:01 - Life and career goals
00:41:19 - Work and family illness
00:44:17 - Patrick's conflict story
00:48:15 - Handling conflict
00:51:33 - How do you gain respect as a junior?
00:55:05 - Ask for feedback
00:55:52 - If it's not 2024...

How to work with Anyone with Julia Sullivan Dec 27, 2023

Show notes

Connect with Julia Sullivan:

https://juliasullivan.nl

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jusullivan

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

https://youtu.be/0EjMupALvOo

Beyond Coding Podcast with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙Patrick Akil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

OUTLINE
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:21 - Perfectionism and writing
00:02:58 - It has to be good
00:05:25 - Allow yourself to be a learner
00:06:55 - I should know what I'm doing
00:08:46 - Keep asking questions
00:10:39 - Fear of looking stupid
00:12:31 - The "human stuff" in teams
00:14:11 - Team building
00:16:08 - Shared mission and shared vision
00:18:08 - The pressure of being a team leader
00:19:26 - Prices and benefits
00:22:00 - Getting buy-in from larger teams
00:24:23 - Team values
00:26:19 - Another obligation
00:28:29 - Fear of making mistakes
00:31:29 - Doing your best to look the part
00:33:37 - Breaking down masks
00:34:43 - Communication styles
00:37:50 - Being flexible in how you communicate
00:39:05 - Connecting with anyone
00:40:52 - The price of honesty
00:42:57 - Handling disappointments
00:45:08 - We are all sensitive
00:46:44 - How to work with people
00:49:37 - Main responsibility as team lead
00:52:00 - As a leader, you need to be real
00:54:44 - Going against the stream
00:56:22 - Understanding leadership
00:58:28 - Meaningful work

Tech Founder Decisions and Challenges with Malcolm Matalka Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

Connect with Malcolm Matalka:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/malcolm-matalka-a6527382

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

https://youtu.be/htpxkxyCX9I

Beyond Coding Podcast with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙Patrick Akil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

OUTLINE

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:25 - Where to dock your boat?

00:02:49 - Patrick's friends bought a boat

00:03:31 - Malcolm sold his house and bought a boat

00:05:52 - Relaxing on a boat

00:07:47 - Living small and minimalistic

00:09:22 - Taking the plunge twice

00:10:32 - Terrateam is a TACoS

00:11:47 - What is OpenTofu?

00:14:33 - Why people work on OpenTofu

00:16:05 - Terrateam and github actions

00:17:40 - Total cost of ownership

00:19:03 - The idea to start Terrateam

00:22:53 - Starting a business with a close friend

00:24:41 - Offering high quality support

00:25:44 - Full responsibility to choose the technology

00:28:13 - Choosing OCaml as backend language

00:31:16 - Ocaml solution directions

00:35:01 - Escape hatches

00:36:34 - Computers are really fast

00:38:10 - AI for developer productivity

00:41:55 - Generating the code doesn't reduce the bottleneck

00:44:25 - Productivity in a 2-man team

00:47:06 - Should engineers talk to customers?

00:49:39 - Offering flexibility and accommodating

00:52:59 - Rounding off

ChatGPT and Generative AI solutions at TomTom with Yu Guo Dec 13, 2023

Show notes

Connect with Yu Guo:

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/yu-guo-yguo⁠

TomTom at CES:

⁠https://www.tomtom.com/events/trade-show/ces-2024⁠

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

⁠https://youtu.be/Jip8CG1Mqi4⁠

Beyond Coding Podcast with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙Patrick Akil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

OUTLINE

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:31 - How Yu ended up at TomTom

00:01:45 - Leveraging generative AI

00:03:56 - ChatGPT location plugin

00:07:11 - Embracing ChatGPT within the organisation

00:09:57 - Generative AI and rapid prototyping

00:13:10 - Domain knowledge is key with generative AI

00:15:31 - Rapid company innovation with AI

00:17:38 - Cocreating with other organisations

00:19:26 - BentoML and optimizing model usage

00:21:28 - Partnering with Microsoft

00:22:24 - Protecting user data privacy

00:24:00 - Productive engineers with GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT

00:26:26 - Developer experience teams at TomTom

00:27:19 - Open sourcing AI solutions

00:28:25 - Past vs. present machine learning investments

00:31:08 - Where is generative AI heading?

00:33:19 - Uncertainty and fear of AI

00:34:52 - Knowledge gaps because of AI

00:36:29 - VisionGPT

00:37:00 - Sensory input in GPT

00:38:19 - AI hope and fear in big tech

Product Trends, Decisions and Domains with Bandan Jot Singh Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

Connect with Bandan Jot Singh:

https://twitter.com/bandanjot

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bandan

https://substack.com/@productify

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

https://youtu.be/Qg1kaCaS9pE

New episodes every Wednesday with our host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙Patrick Akil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Big shoutout to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Xebia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring this episode!

OUTLINE
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:20 - How to find like-minded people
00:02:36 - Creating content creates relationships
00:03:29 - Product strategy
00:05:53 - Growing responsibilities in Gojek
00:08:02 - Strategic thinking
00:10:02 - Market research vs. experimentation
00:13:38 - You're wrong 50% of the time
00:16:11 - Ideas are a commodity
00:16:38 - Product stages
00:18:32 - Early stage product, no product market fit
00:20:22 - Decision making on mature products
00:23:15 - Investing in data pipelines
00:25:27 - Optimizing for the organisation instead of yourself
00:29:01 - 10% of the Fortune 500 remain
00:31:50 - Payments and sticking to a domain
00:35:26 - Tech minded vs. market oriented product managers
00:38:29 - Domain becomes more important for product people
00:40:32 - Getting out of your comfort zone
00:41:43 - Empowering teams the right way
00:44:15 - Everyone needs to create content as a skill
00:46:28 - 3 ways of content creation and absorption you can do
00:48:16 - Why Bandan started writing
00:50:09 - People are seeking quality content
00:51:49 - A content writer's dilemma
00:54:40 - You shouldn't write that!
00:56:44 - Choosing to uphold your values
00:58:38 - Your closest circle
01:00:05 - Unique podcast experience :)

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