GOTO - The Brightest Minds in Tech

This interview was recorded for GOTO Unscripted.
https://gotopia.tech

Check out more here:
https://gotopia.tech/articles/429

Ajay Chankramath - Founder & CEO at Platformetrics & Co-Author of "Effective Platform Engineering"
Nic Cheneweth - Principal Consultant at Thoughtworks & Co-Author of "Effective Platform Engineering"

RESOURCES
Ajay
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chankramath
https://github.com/achankra
https://x.com/ajchantw
https://chankramath.com
https://platformetrics.com

Nic
https://www.linkedin.com/in/niccheneweth
https://github.com/ncheneweth
https://x.com/NicCheneweth
https://ncheneweth.com

Links
https://effectiveplatformengineering.com
https://epetech.io
https://dora.dev
https://dora.dev/research/2025/dora-report

DESCRIPTION
Ajay Chankramath (founder and CEO of Platformetrics) and Nic Cheneweth  Cheneweth (Principal Technologist at ThoughtWorks) explore the evolving world of platform engineering. They discuss why a product mindset is critical for internal platforms, how control planes and API-first design create scalable foundations, the real challenges organizations face when implementing Backstage, and where AI and agents are beginning to change the platform landscape. Throughout, both speakers emphasize that cutting corners on architectural foundations ultimately compounds problems at scale.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Chankramath, Cheneweth, Oliver & Alvarez • Effective Platform Engineering • https://amzn.to/3OnxN8i
Gregor Hohpe • Platform Strategy • https://amzn.to/4cxfYdb
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This interview was recorded for GOTO State of the Art in November 2025.
https://gotopia.tech

Read the full transcription of this interview here:
https://gotopia.tech/articles/425

Adrian Mouat - Developer Relations at Chainguard & Author of 'Using Docker'
Charles Humble - Freelance Techie, Podcaster, Editor, Author & Consultant

RESOURCES
Adrian
https://bsky.app/profile/adrianmouat.com
https://twitter.com/adrianmouat
https://github.com/amouat
https://linkedin.com/in/adrianmouat
http://www.adrianmouat.com

Charles
https://bsky.app/profile/charleshumble.bsky.social
https://linkedin.com/in/charleshumble
https://mastodon.social/@charleshumble
https://conissaunce.com

Links
https://images.chainguard.dev
https://www.cisa.gov/sbom
https://www.chainguard.dev/supply-chain-security-101/the-npm-registry-cant-protect-you-the-new-javascript-supply-chain-attacks
https://oxide-and-friends.transistor.fm/episodes/discovering-the-xz-backdoor-with-andres-freund
https://edu.chainguard.dev

DESCRIPTION
In this State of the Art episode, Charles Humble speaks with Adrian Mouat, Developer Relations at Chainguard and author of "Using Docker", about the evolution of container security and the persistent challenge of outdated packages.

Adrian explains how traditional Linux distributions weren't designed for the immutable, frequently-replaced nature of containers, leading to security vulnerabilities that scanners detect but teams struggle to address. He discusses how Chainguard tackles this problem by building everything from source using Wolfi, creating minimal "distroless" images with near-zero CVEs, and how concepts like SBOMs, attestations, and defense in depth are reshaping security practices.

The conversation also covers major security incidents including the XZ Utils backdoor and Shai-hulud attacks, emphasizing the importance of building from source, using short-lived credentials, and replacing rather than updating containers – practices pioneered by companies like Google that are gradually spreading across the industry.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Adrian Mouat • Using Docker • https://amzn.to/3PEYIJL
Liz Rice • Container Security • https://amzn.to/3oU4iJe
Liz Rice • Kubernetes Security • https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/kubernetes-security/9781492039075
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This interview was recorded for GOTO Unscripted.
https://gotopia.tech

Check out more here:
https://gotopia.tech/articles/427

Nick Selby - Managing Partner at EPSD
Sarah Wells - Independent Consultant & Author of "Enabling Microservice Success"

RESOURCES
Nick
https://infosec.exchange/@fuzztech
https://bsky.app/profile/nickselby.com
https://github.com/nickselby
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickselby
https://nickselby.com

Sarah
https://bsky.app/profile/sarahjwells.bsky.social
https://linkedin.com/in/sarahjwells1
https://www.sarahwells.dev

Links
https://ainowinstitute.org/contributor/heidy
https://www.heidyk.com

DESCRIPTION
In this conversation, Sarah Wells and Nick Selby explore why the current rush to adopt AI tools introduces significant business risks. They discuss how AI vendors deliberately blur security terminology to confuse buyers, how AI tools' insatiable appetite for data creates enormous blast radii when breaches occur, and what organizations can do to adopt AI responsibly - from threat modeling and cross-disciplinary governance to minimum-permission principles and incident readiness.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Sarah Wells • Enabling Microservice Success • https://amzn.to/4aa8xrv
Katharine Jarmul • Practical Data Privacy • https://amzn.to/3OafC3m
Katharine Jarmul & Jacqueline Kazil • Data Wrangling with Python • https://amzn.to/3Ue5BV5
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This interview was recorded for the GOTO Book Club.
http://gotopia.tech/bookclub

Check out more here:
https://gotopia.tech/episodes/426

Frances Buontempo - Consultant, Developer & Author of "Learn C++ by Example"
Matt Godbolt - Low-level Latency Geek & Creator of Compiler Explorer

RESOURCES
Frances
https://bsky.app/profile/fbuontempo.bsky.social
https://mastodon.social/@fbuontempo
https://x.com/fbuontempo
https://github.com/doctorlove
https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesbuontempo
https://about.me/frances_buontempo
https://buontempoconsulting.blogspot.com

Matt
https://bsky.app/profile/matt.godbolt.org
https://xania.org
https://github.com/mattgodbolt
https://www.linkedin.com/in/godbolt
https://twitter.com/mattgodbolt
https://godbolt.org

Links
https://cppinsights.io

DESCRIPTION
Matt Godbolt interviews Frances Buontempo about her book "Learn C++ by Example", a practical guide aimed at helping programmers relearn modern C++ features introduced since C++11. Frances shares her unique teaching philosophy, which emphasizes self-contained, playable examples like simple games that make complex concepts accessible and memorable.

Drawing on her background in mathematics and her father's work in teacher education, she explains how her approach—exemplified by her famous "X Out of a Y Paper Bag" series of talks—uses humor and practical scenarios to help learners understand challenging topics like coroutines, the spaceship operator, and the "almost always auto" style. The discussion touches on the evolution of C++, the upcoming reflection features in C++26, and Fran's current project: writing an introductory C++ book for complete beginners, despite finding concepts like "constant variable" challenging to explain even as an experienced author.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Frances Buontempo • Learn C++ by Example • https://amzn.to/4rgxSZX
Frances Buontempo • Introducing C++ • https://amzn.to/40aHQQC
Frances Buontempo • Genetic Algorithms and Machine Learning for Programmers • https://amzn.to/3OLjXMV
Daniel Kusswurm • Modern Parallel Programming with C++ and Assembly Language • https://amzn.to/4o5J3SF
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This interview was recorded for GOTO State of the Art in January 2026.
https://gotopia.tech

Read the full transcription of this interview here:
https://gotopia.tech/articles/423

Dr. Ewelina Kurtys - Strategic Advisor on Frontier Technologies at FinalSpark
Charles Humble - Freelance Techie, Podcaster, Editor, Author & Consultant

RESOURCES
Ewelina
https://x.com/ewelina_kurtys
https://github.com/ewelinaewela
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ewelinakurtys
https://www.ewelinakurtys.com

Charles
https://bsky.app/profile/charleshumble.bsky.social
https://linkedin.com/in/charleshumble
https://mastodon.social/@charleshumble
https://conissaunce.com

Links
https://finalspark.com
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/biologically-inspired-computing-dr-ewelina-kurtys-udnhe
https://finalspark.com/finalspark-6-month-research-technology-update
https://finalspark.com/first-publication-from-a-neuroplatform-user

DESCRIPTION
Dr. Ewelina Kurtys, Strategy Advisor at FinalSpark, discusses the revolutionary potential of biological computing with host Charles Humble.

The conversation explores FinalSpark's ambitious goal to build computers using living neurons that are 1 million times more energy efficient than current digital systems. Ewelina explains the technical challenges of working with brain organoids, the ethical considerations of using human stem cells, and why biological neurons could dramatically reduce AI costs while offering unique advantages for complex tasks like generative AI.
The interview covers everything from neural encoding and plasticity to consciousness and the deterministic nature of the brain.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Robert M. Sapolsk • Determined • https://amzn.to/4akv2gi
Jin Xu • Biological Computing • https://amzn.to/4a4Wwp9
Bluesky
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LinkedIn
Facebook

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