Tech Lead Journal

• #227 - Infrastructure as Code: Delivering Dynamic Systems for the Cloud Age - Kief Morris

  How has Infrastructure as Code changed in the last five years? Explore the key shifts and how to align your infrastructure to real business value.In this episode, Kief Morris, a Distinguished Infrastructure Engineer at Thoughtworks, returns to discuss the third edition of his book “Infrastructure as Code.” He shares fresh insights on designing and delivering dynamic systems for today’s cloud-driven world. Kief explores the evolution of IaC, practical methods for modern teams, the next generation of tools, and lessons learned from the recent years. Learn how to align infrastructure with business needs and manage today’s growing infrastructure complexities.Key topics discussed:How “Infrastructure as Code” book has evolved across three editionsWhy infrastructure decisions must align with business valueHow IaC and the toolchain have evolved over the last few yearsHandling the growing complexity of modern infrastructureThe rise of platform engineering and internal developer platformsTerraform vs. OpenTofu: which one should you use?Balancing governance, speed, and innovation in the cloud eraThe current limitations and role of AI in managing infrastructureTimestamps:(00:00) Trailer & Intro(02:39) Updates in the Last Five Years(04:13) Infrastructure as Code Definition(05:58) The Practice of Infrastructure as Code(06:32) The Differences Between the Book Editions(10:21) Aligning Infrastructure to the Business Value(15:03) Handling the Growing Infrastructure Complexities(19:10) The Tools and New Inventions in IAC(24:11) Terraform vs OpenTofu(27:38) Orchestrating Infrastructure Changes Using IAC(30:35) Platform Engineering(33:06) Internal Developer Platform Key Success Factor(37:15) Key Considerations of Building Teams with Infrastructure Skills(41:56) Infrastructure Compliance and Governance(45:53) Using AI for Infrastructure as Code(50:31) Using AI for Troubleshooting and Root Cause Analysis(51:50) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom_____Kief Morris’s BioKief Morris is the author of the O’Reilly book Infrastructure as Code, and is a Distinguished Infrastructure Engineer at Thoughtworks, based in London. He works with clients and project teams around the world to explore, shape, and share better ways of working with cloud and infrastructure architecture.Kief started out as a developer and systems administrator in the dot-com boom days, then worked with a series of digital scaleups applying infrastructure automation before DevOps was a thing. He joined Thoughtworks in 2010 as the wider industry was discovering Infrastructure as Code, DevOps, and Cloud, which gave him the opportunity to bring what he had learned in the previous fifteen years to enterprise clients in many industries and many countries.He wrote the book Infrastructure as Code (now on the third edition) to share these ideas with a wider audience, which has given him a platform to meet and learn from an ever-growing variety of people and organizations.Follow Kief:LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/kiefmorrisTwitter – x.com/kiefBlueSky – bsky.app/profile/kief.comPersonal Website – kief.comInfra as Code Website – infrastructure-as-code.com Infrastructure as Code – https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/infrastructure-as-code/9781098150341/Like this episode?Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/227.Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

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• #226 - Ex-Google Duplex Eng Lead on Disrupting $2B Clinical Trials with AI - Patrick Leung

  Ever wondered how AI is being applied in the world of clinical trials where human lives are at stake?In this episode, Patrick Leung, CTO of Faro Health and former Google Duplex Engineering Lead, reveals how AI is transforming the clinical trial process — a process that can cost up to $2 billion per drug and take over 10 years to complete. Patrick reveals how Faro Health’s AI systems generate complex clinical documentation in minutes instead of months in which hallucinations aren’t acceptable, while navigating the strict regulatory requirements of the healthcare industry.Patrick also reflects on the evolution of AI technologies, the realities of large language models, and offers practical advice on how to thrive in the rapidly changing AI-driven era.Key topics discussed:The evolution of AI from image recognition and Google Duplex to LLMsHow Faro Health uses AI to transform clinical trial processThe challenges of applying AI in highly regulated industriesAI’s potential to save time and millions in clinical trialsHow to tackle AI hallucinations and ensure high-quality outputsPatrick’s thoughts on AGI and the future of AI beyond current capabilitiesThe viability and limitations of vibe codingStrategies and advice for individuals to thrive in the AI eraTimestamps:(00:00) Trailer & Intro(02:09) Career Turning Points(02:46) The Advancements of AI in the Past 10 Years(04:13) Non-LLM Types of AI(05:42) The Google Duplex(07:28) The Use of AI in Faro Health(09:44) Tackling AI Hallucination for Clinical Documents(12:25) Building the Evaluation Process on AI Results(14:28) AI as a Research Assistant(16:40) The Need of Building Custom AI Model(18:50) The Huge Impact of AI in Clinical Trials(21:15) The Regulations on Applying AI Technology(23:28) AI Success Stories in the Life Science Industry(25:16) The Possibility of AGI(28:36) The Path to AGI Using LLM(30:43) Actions People Should Take in the AI Era(35:48) AI Engineers and AI-Enabled Engineers(38:37) The Viability of Vibe Coding(41:03) Hiring AI Engineers(42:26) Important Engineer Attributes in the AI Era(44:23) Important Leader Attributes in the AI Era(46:59) The Room for Juniors in the AI Era(49:04) Inspirational Story of a Successful Junior(51:33) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom_____Patrick Leung’s BioPatrick Leung is a Chief Technology Officer at Faro Health, a company at the forefront of optimizing clinical trial development through the use of artificial intelligence.In his role, he is instrumental in applying large language models and other AI technologies to enhance protocol design and outcomes for clinical trials. A native of New Zealand, Mr. Leung holds degrees in Computer Science and Finance.His career includes being a foundational member of an early e-commerce software company, where he played a key role in guiding the company from its initial stages to a successful initial public offering.Follow Patrick:LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/puiwahTwitter – x.com/puiwahWebsite – farohealth.comLike this episode?Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/226.Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

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• #225 - Driving Engineering Excellence with Platform Engineering and IDP - Ganesh Datta

  Is your engineering team running like the wild, wild west? What does engineering excellence look like in practice?In this episode, Ganesh Datta, co-founder and CTO of Cortex, explores what it takes to achieve engineering excellence. Ganesh shares lessons from his own journey, from early bug-fixing to building a company focused on engineering excellence.We discuss how platform engineering and internal developer platforms (IDPs) can help teams scale, improve reliability, and align with business outcomes. Ganesh also explains why culture, leadership, and clear metrics matter more than any single tool.If you’re looking to make your engineering team a true business driver, this conversation is for you.Key topics discussed:How to define engineering excellence and why it’s tied to business outcomes.The critical role of leadership in connecting engineering initiatives to business values.When to invest in platform engineering and internal developer platforms as your team grows.Common misconceptions about platform engineering.The importance of clear metrics, shared language, and transparency for continuous improvement.Building a culture that supports operational excellence through rituals and repeated messaging.Real-world examples of using generative AI to accelerate platform adoption and incident analysis.Timestamps:(00:00) Trailer & Intro(01:56) Career Turning Points(07:50) The Practice of Finding the Patterns in Issues(11:39) The Definition of Engineering Excellence(17:10) The Leader’s Role in Engineering Excellence(22:31) Aligning Engineering Excellence with the Business Outcomes(26:30) The Importance of Metrics in Engineering Excellence(33:35) The Culture that Drives Engineering Excellence(39:05) Platform Engineering and Internal Developer Platform(45:02) The Biggest Misconception of Platform Engineering or IDP(50:36) Cortex as an Engineering Excellence Platform(52:39) Generative AI Use Case in Platform Engineering(55:26) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom_____Ganesh Datta’s BioGanesh Datta is a Co-Founder & CTO of Cortex. Before co-founding Cortex, he was a Principal Software Engineer at Mission Lane where he was responsible for driving the development of real-time underwriting infrastructure. At LendUp, Ganesh was a Senior Software Engineer leading the development and optimization of the company’s decisioning infrastructure and financial account management system. Ganesh holds a bachelor of science in computer science from the University of California San Diego.Follow Ganesh:LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/gsdattaTwitter – x.com/gsdattaWebsite – www.cortex.ioEmail – [email protected] Ganesh & Cortex at IDPCon in NYC – ipdcon.comLike this episode?Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/225.Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

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• #224 - Move Fast, Break Silos: Leadership for Interdisciplinary Teams - Klaus Breyer

  Is your software development process stuck on a conveyor belt? Discover how to break free from outdated manufacturing mindsets and build truly high-performing, agile teams that “Move Fast and Break Silos.”In this episode, experienced CPTO, Klaus Breyer, introduces a revolutionary approach to software development. He explains why treating software engineering like a factory assembly line leads to inefficiency, micromanagement, and disempowered teams. Learn how to slice work effectively—from objectives down to delivery—and align small, empowered teams to solve real customer problems and ship value faster.Key topics discussed:Why software development is a design process instead of a manufacturing processHow Agile and Scrum has become micromanagement toolsWhy ticketing systems can create communication silosHow to slice work into objectives, problems, solutions, and deliveryGiving teams problems to solve, not just solutions to buildThe concept of empowered teams that own their outcomesWhy small, dynamic groups of 2-3 people work bestAligning your teams’ work with company goals and business objectives Timestamps:(00:00) Trailer & Intro(02:10) Career Turning Points(05:26) Critical Key Skills as CPTO(07:40) Juggling Between Being Optimistic vs Pessimistic(09:15) Move Fast and Break Silos(13:08) The Difference Between Manufacturing and Software Development(16:51) The Problems with the Status Quo of Software Development Practices(23:50) Key Practice 1: Slicing Work(25:51) Slicing Objectives(28:30) Slicing Problems(33:25) Slicing Solutions(38:03) Slicing Delivery(41:09) Key Practice 2: Aligning Teams(43:21) The Effective Teams Alignment Practices(48:10) Working in Small Teams at a Time(51:07) Alignment with the Value Streams(53:15) Mapping the Sliced Work to the Organization(56:41) The Importance of Reporting Structure in the Large Organization(58:52) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom_____Klaus Breyer’s BioKlaus Breyer is an experienced B2B SaaS CPTO who specializes in bridging the gap between technical delivery and agile product strategy, driven by a passion for breaking down silos. His career includes founding and leading the startups Buddybrand (a digital agency) and BuzzBird (a B2B marketplace), as well as building corporate startups and business units for major companies like Voith and edding in the IoT and B2B SaaS sectors.Based in Berlin, he has extensive experience working with diverse and primarily remote teams. In addition to his leadership roles, he sometimes invests in and advises leadership teams on building effective interdisciplinary teams themselves. He is also a speaker, blogger, and book author who champions the philosophy of “Move Fast And Break Silos!”Follow Klaus:LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/klaus-breyerTwitter – twitter.com/klausbreyerWebsite – v01.ioEmail – [email protected] this episode?Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/224.Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

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• #223 - The Software Engineer Identity Crisis in the AI-Driven Future - Annie Vella

  Is AI taking over the craft of coding? Many engineers now face an identity crisis.In the episode, Distinguished Engineer Annie Vella discusses her research on AI’s impact on software development. She explores the “software engineering identity crisis” as the craft of coding becomes automated. Annie warns that the seductive speed of AI tools can lead to lower quality and delivery instability, a trend supported by reports from DORA and GitClear. She also cautions that over-reliance on AI prevents engineers from gaining the hands-on experience needed for deep skill acquisition.Key topics discussed:How AI is reshaping the software development lifecycleThe software engineer’s professional identity crisisThe real danger of over-relying on AI toolsHow to balance the seduction of speed with long-term qualityCrucial advice for junior engineers entering the industryWhy leaders must shift focus from speed to qualityThe idea of treating AI as a team member instead of just a tool  Timestamps:(00:00:00) Trailer & Intro(00:02:32) AI Impact on Career and Software Engineering(00:07:00) The Future of AI-Driven Software Engineering(00:14:29) The Shift in the Role of Software Engineer(00:22:13) When Writing Code is Not the Bottleneck Anymore(00:32:04) The Danger of Over-Reliance on AI(00:38:51) The Software Engineering Identity Crisis(00:48:09) Advice for Junior Engineers in This Challenging Time(00:53:34) The Shift in the Role of Engineering Management(00:59:46) You Are Not Alone(01:00:50) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom_____Annie Vella’s BioAnnie Vella is a Distinguished Engineer at Westpac NZ with two decades of experience in software engineering and technical leadership across various industries and countries.Vella has returned to an engineering role after a period in management and is also a part-time Master’s student at the University of Auckland, researching the impact of AI on software engineering. She believes that technologies like Generative AI, LLMs, and Agentic AI will revolutionize the field and problem-solving in general.Follow Annie:LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/annievellaX – x.com/codefrenzyWebsite – annievella.com/Like this episode?Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/223.Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

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