Beyond Coding

Latest Episodes:

Insecurities, Judgement, Behaviour and Self-Care with Alex Østergaard May 03, 2023

Show notes

Insecurities, everyone has them, but not everyone deals with them the same. And interestingly enough, behaviour and insecurities can originate from experiences you’ve had as a child.

This is one of the many takeaways I had from chatting with Alex Østergaard on this episode.

With an interest in coaching myself, it was a real pleasure to learn from his perspective and how he does things. Active listening, zero judgement and self-compassion being a few ingredients to his success.

Enjoy! 🎙

Connect with Alex Østergaard:

https://linkedin.com/in/alex-life-coach

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

https://youtu.be/u5xkR267WfA

New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!

Big shoutout to ⁠Xebia⁠ for making this episode possible!

OUTLINE:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:38 - Patrick's managers

00:01:42 - Resources to help with coaching

00:03:27 - How to build up trust

00:04:40 - No Judgement

00:06:03 - Criticism and drive

00:06:48 - Self-compassion

00:09:04 - Feeling of being not good enough

00:12:55 - Self-care

00:15:36 - Getting out of a slope

00:18:09 - Control how you feel

00:20:55 - Alex's LinkedIn profile is amazing

00:21:48 - Big Tech Tunnel Vision

00:24:18 - Toxic relationship with your company

00:25:50 - Weight of gold

00:26:47 - Fulfilment vs. compensation

00:28:52 - Self doubt and trusting yourself

00:32:38 - Patrick's past insecurities joining Xebia

00:35:38 - None of us know what we're doing

00:36:24 - What people think of you

00:38:26 - Fear of judgement

00:39:19 - Judgement from the podcast

00:40:30 - Asking for help

00:41:41 - 5 types of imposter syndrome

00:43:28 - Pride

00:45:37 - Behaviour explained through the past

00:47:30 - No one is to blame

00:49:00 - It's not right or wrong

High Performance Mindset with Reiner Kraft Apr 26, 2023

Show notes

Managing your mind. It’s not something I thought you could do, or would need to do. But after chatting with Reiner Kraft, I think doing so can have a profound impact on bringing focus and increasing performance.

Reiner shares his journey of becoming aware of mindfulness to now helping others to manage their minds with data and through coaching.

Enjoy! 🎙

Connect with Reiner Kraft:

https://linkedin.com/in/reiner

https://www.themindfulleader.net

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3uuWfXcVNWOG1g59f9520Q

Epigenetics:

https://www.epigenetikpraxis.de

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!

Big shoutout to ⁠Xebia⁠ for making this episode possible!

OUTLINE:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:25 - Work Culture USA VS EU

00:00:25 - Career path

00:01:32 - Changing Your Work environment

00:02:31 - Stress & Mindfulness

00:04:06 - Working culture in Europe

00:07:25 - Pressure at work

00:12:56 - A state of flow

00:17:04 - Measuring present awareness

00:20:05 - Becoming more mindful

00:27:46 - Mental work vs. physical work

00:32:59 - Growing up and focusing

00:37:56 - Influence of technology on body and mind

00:43:39 - Performance of the mind and body

00:49:44 - Changing your lifestyle

00:54:39 - Outro

Q&A #3: Personal Development, Podcast Goals & More with Patrick Akil Apr 19, 2023

Show notes

We're back with another Q&A episode! 🙌

Tons of great questions and a very special guest jumps in here and there as well!

The man with many names, my friend and producer: Roald Willemsen

🎙Enjoy! 🤗

Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/srJp0N9_iLc

New episodes every Wednesday with me 🎙Patrick Akil!

Big shoutout to ⁠Xebia⁠ for making this episode possible!

OUTLINE:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:47 - If you could start your career over what would you do differently?
00:05:00 - How valuable did you find the podcast in terms of personal development and giving back to the community?
00:05:07 - Personal Development
00:10:07 - Giving back to the community
00:11:49 - What’s next for the podcast?
00:13:05 - Patrick Akil Podcast
00:14:55 - Are you a native English speaker?
00:17:33 - How much do you work remote and how much do you go to the office?
00:20:31 - If you couldn’t do the podcast anymore what would you do?
00:22:17 - How does a new software engineer make themselves valuable as an employee in this era of AI and machine learning?
00:27:12 - As a software engineer, what is the one thing you'll never actually want to do?
00:29:23 - Who or what has inspired you in your career?
00:33:53 - How would your 10 year old self react to what you are doing now?
00:35:14 - What do you remember most about your first job?
00:43:53 - Outro

Changing Culture, Career Insights and Outcomes with Jason Lengstorf Apr 12, 2023

Show notes

Our 100th episode special with Jason Lengstorf!

It's been a while since we've done an in-person episode, but Jason happened to be in the neighbourhood, so we made it happen 🙌

We had a blast and kept rolling longer than usual with exciting discussions on various topics 🚀

Thank you so much for tuning in for this milestone episode, I truly appreciate your support! 🤗

Connect with Jason Lengstorf:

https://www.jason.af

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

https://twitter.com/jlengstorf

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnty0z0pNRDgnuoirYXnC5A

Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/RNW7S9U7VkA

New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!

Big shoutout to ⁠Xebia⁠ for making this episode possible!

OUTLINE:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:37 - Live podcasts
00:01:48 - In person podcasts
00:03:15 - Public speaking
00:05:28 - Finding your topic
00:07:21 - Preventing a burnout
00:11:48 - Work-life balance
00:15:01 - Creative outlets
00:16:38 - Different ways to consume information
00:19:41 - Authenticity and integrity
00:22:35 - Relationships throughout your career
00:25:23 - Type of work and the scale of the organisation
00:31:27 - Mapping out your core values
00:36:10 - Understanding the politics of an organization
00:39:57 - The challenges with big organisations
00:42:37 - Strategically levering relationships
00:44:45 - Stress and weird behaviour
00:48:37 - Big picture thinking
00:52:22 - Outcomes vs output
00:57:00 - Culture and marketing
01:04:08 - Engaging media
01:15:48 - Company cultures
01:19:43 - Changing perception
01:23:48 - Amazing USPs
01:32:32 - Customer value
01:37:54 - Come build with me
01:41:36 - Streaming in front of people
01:47:27 - Riding the waves
01:50:17 - Big thank you!

Main vs. Side Hustle, Work Ethic and Leveling Up with Vanessa Sanyauke Apr 05, 2023

Show notes

What started out as a passion project turned into a full-fledged global organization for Vanessa Sanyauke. She shares how to level up in your career, set realistic expectations and how she started

a side hustle which later became her main hustle.

What really stuck with me is how far hard work and dedication can bring you, but not without sacrifice.

Enjoy! 🎙

Connect with Vanessa Sanyauke:

https://www.vanessasanyauke.com

https://linkedin.com/in/vanessa-chiedza-sanyauke-9b41171a

https://twitter.com/vanessasanyauke

https://www.girlstalklondon.com

Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/NFALtI3_vcA

New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil! Big shoutout to Xebia for making this episode possible!

OUTLINE:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:32 - Remote working internationally
00:01:58 - Working from the office
00:02:28 - Raising investment
00:03:14 - Controlling your nerves while pitching
00:03:59 - Minorities and the chance of getting funded
00:04:31 - Day to day Business
00:05:48 - Running a global organisation
00:06:57 - Challenges of running a global organisation
00:09:12 - Remote working vs in-person working
00:10:10 - Building a community
00:13:01 - Ethics around picking your sponsorships
00:15:43 - Building a network
00:17:13 - Companies and networking
00:19:13 - Starting your career
00:22:23 - Talking with people
00:23:23 - Leveling up in your career
00:24:49 - Working for yourself
00:27:31 - Starting a side hustle
00:29:12 - Preventing a burnout
00:33:03 - How to say NO?
00:36:26 - Invest in yourself
00:39:38 - Work ethic
00:44:04 - Outro

ChatGPT, Research vs. Experience and Teamwork with Forrest Knight Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

Forrest Knight shares how his perspective towards ChatGPT has shifted as we discuss the benefits of having AI as a team member, its place in a team, and the tasks that AI can handle.

Next to that we cover the benefits of working in a team in comparison to working on personal projects, the value of creating, and the differences between learning from research and experience.

You’ll really like this one!

Enjoy 🎙

Connect with Forrest Knight:

https://youtube.com/c/@fknight

https://twitter.com/forrestpknight

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

Full episode on YouTube ▶️

New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!
Big shoutout to Xebia for making this episode possible!

OUTLINE:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:28 - ChatGPT
00:02:10 - Coding with ChatGPT
00:03:04 - What kind of tool is ChatGPT?
00:09:00 - ChatGPT as Team Member
00:10:08 - AI's Place in the Team
00:12:35 - Tasks for AI
00:17:07 - Research in Content Creation
00:21:04 - Coding outside of work
00:27:39 - Benefits of working in a team
00:31:19 - Asking for help inside a team
00:36:09 - Scheduling Research
00:41:22 - Working by yourself VS working in a Team
00:43:49 - Changing Workflows
00:48:22 - Research, experience and learning
00:49:27 - The Value of Creating
00:51:59 - Don't be afraid of AI
00:53:13 - Outro

Personal Development, Goals and Career with Milan Milanović Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

Milan Milanović shares his structured approach to personal development. A fundamental aspect of that is personal goals. He explains why setting the right goals is crucial for success, and how to sustainably achieve them over time. Next to that, we touch upon the significance of mentoring and coaching and how a regular cadence can accelerate your personal development and career growth. Enjoy 🎙 Connect with Milan Milanović: https://milan.milanovic.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/milanmilanovic https://twitter.com/milan_milanovic Full episode on YouTube ▶️ https://youtu.be/vW3w3CWyI7w New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil! Big shoutout to Xebia for making this episode possible! OUTLINE 00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:23 - Milan is an avid reader
00:02:27 - Putting theory into practise
00:04:43 - How Milan organizes knowledge
00:06:33 - Finding your life path
00:09:19 - Ikigai
00:12:19 - Companies should invest in your growth
00:13:57 - Measurable goals
00:16:39 - Patrick's experience with goals
00:18:42 - Where will you be in 5 years?
00:19:59 - How to find a mentor or coach
00:21:20 - Mentoring process
00:23:49 - The benefits of mentors and coaches
00:25:02 - Soft skills are necessary
00:27:50 - Milan's love for hands-on tech
00:31:59 - Milan's 5 year plan
00:33:08 - Inspiration vs. output
00:35:04 - Passion and opportunity
00:37:15 - Sustainable work
00:38:00 - Condensing content and sharing
00:41:12 - Patrick's horrible note taking system
00:44:05 - Systems are better than goals
00:46:02 - Consistency > motivation

Data Analytics, Building a Product and Big Data with Alex Freberg Mar 15, 2023

Show notes

Alex Freberg comes on and shares his experience of pursuing content creation and consultancy full-time, along with the thought process behind his decision.

Additionally, he gives us a little sneak peek into the product he's building with his startup.

We also discuss the various analyst roles you might come across and what the differences are between them.

Finally, we touch on big data challenges and the best practices for companies to collect and store data effectively.

Enjoy 🎙

Connect with Alex Freberg:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-freberg
https://www.youtube.com/@alextheanalyst
https://twitter.com/Alex_TheAnalyst

Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/y6EDBUNS_UI

New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!
Big shoutout to Xebia for making this episode possible!

OUTLINE:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:32 - Alex is a dad and husband first
00:01:11 - Quitting a stable job
00:03:10 - Hyperbolic concerns
00:04:15 - Alex had a YT channel reviewing watches
00:05:09 - Where did Alex the analyst come from?
00:06:43 - Data analyst vs. Business analyst
00:08:39 - Every company is different
00:09:40 - Generalist vs. Specialist
00:12:34 - Alex's passion for education
00:13:59 - 1-1 sessions vs. YouTube
00:15:08 - Re-evaluating priorities
00:18:05 - Saying no
00:18:49 - Alex's startup
00:21:00 - The best client to work with
00:23:27 - Things don't go perfectly
00:24:39 - Feeling part of the team
00:25:27 - Learning collaboratively
00:26:17 - What happens post go-live?
00:27:37 - An authentic feeling
00:29:57 - Saying NO to sponsorships
00:31:06 - Sponsorships gone bad
00:33:27 - Great sponsorships and collaborations
00:34:44 - Patrick's take on Udemy
00:35:48 - What data to collect and store
00:37:54 - Issues with storing data you don't use
00:39:55 - No company has perfect data
00:41:13 - YOU CAN DO IT!

Changing Careers, Listening and Podcasting with Bart Farrell Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

Probably the most fun conversation I’ve had while having the most connectivity issues 😂
Hopefully nothing noticeable :)

Bart Farrell comes on and shares his non-linear journey to the tech industry. I love how he leverages his previous experience in what he does now and isn’t afraid to jump into the unknown.

Next to that, we discuss our learnings from having had many conversations with different. Listening is one of the key takeaways there.

Enjoy 🎙

Connect with Bart Farrell:
https://twitter.com/birthmarkbart
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-farrell

Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/qAvZ1gBg3eU

New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!
Big shoutout to Xebia for making this episode possible!

OUTLINE:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:28 - Bart's non-linear path to the tech industry
00:02:15 - Bart's YouTube channel
00:04:06 - Teaching and organising events
00:06:25 - Changing careers in Bart's environment
00:09:09 - Leveraging previous experience
00:11:00 - Baby steps
00:11:55 - Breaking things down into small pieces
00:15:16 - Patrick's podcasting journey
00:17:02 - Starting vs. Finishing
00:19:38 - Grinding it out
00:20:37 - Self reflection
00:22:48 - What Patrick has learned through talking to people
00:24:24 - Creating great environments
00:26:31 - Training for listening
00:29:02 - Listening as conference topic
00:30:38 - The feeling of being heard
00:32:25 - Powerful silences
00:34:50 - Podcasts we've listened to
00:37:04 - Why are people listening?
00:38:30 - Bart loves Ear Hustle
00:40:02 - Making notes while listening
00:41:38 - Facing imposter syndrome
00:44:28 - Suffering from not knowing
00:46:16 - Mentoring & Feedback
00:48:46 - Bouncing perceptions
00:51:10 - Bart has his calendly link open
00:53:44 - Truly helping people

Platform Engineering & Platform as a Product with Luca Galante Mar 01, 2023

Show notes

What is Platform Engineering, why does it exist and why should you care? Those are the main questions we discuss in this episode and who better to do that with than Luca Galante 🙌
He shares his journey with platform engineering, the different flavours he's seen in organisations and how the DevOps is dead controversy developed.
Enjoy! 🎙

Connect with Luca Galante:
https://twitter.com/luca_cloud
https://linkedin.com/in/luca-galante

More on Platform Engineering:
https://platformengineering.org

Full episode on YouTube ▶️
https://youtu.be/x8kDNO1Pjc0

New episodes every Wednesday with our host 🎙Patrick Akil!
Big shoutout to Xebia for making this episode possible!

OUTLINE:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:26 - How Luca got into Platform Engineering
00:04:01 - Shared identity
00:07:00 - What is platform engineering?
00:08:35 - Platform as a product
00:11:34 - Platform team structures
00:14:42 - The right level of abstraction
00:17:02 - Frustration in complex landscapes
00:18:46 - Ideal starting point for platform teams
00:21:23 - Platform teams competing
00:24:32 - Falling in love with your platform
00:26:09 - Managed solutions
00:28:31 - Blueprints and reference architectures
00:31:22 - Being sustainable
00:33:19 - Zero to one and one+ people
00:35:45 - No platform team yet?
00:38:14 - Tragedy of the commons
00:40:05 - Why platform initiatives fail
00:42:13 - Technical product owners
00:45:05 - Feedback & solving real problems
00:47:02 - The DevOps is dead controversy
00:50:32 - DevOps is dead booth on KubeCon
00:53:26 - Having a healthy conversation

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