The MonkCast

In this conversation, Ram Iyengar, Chief Evangelist at the Cloud Foundry Foundation, discusses Paketo Buildpacks and their role in simplifying containerization in the cloud-native ecosystem, with Kelly Fitzpatrick, senior analyst at RedMonk. Ram explains the evolution of Buildpacks, their advantages over traditional Docker workflows, and their applications in various domains, including MLOps. The discussion also highlights the importance of security and compliance in software development, emphasizing how Buildpacks inherently support these aspects. Finally, Ram provides guidance on how to get started with Paketo Buildpacks and where to find more resources. This RedMonk conversation is sponsored by the Cloud Foundry Foundation.

In this RedMonk conversation, Thomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub, chats AI agents with Kate Holterhoff, Senior Analyst at RedMonk. They discuss the definition of AI agents, GitHub Copilot's role as peer programmer, and AI as an abstraction layer in software engineering. Thomas highlights how these agents can assist developers by automating tasks such as test generation and code reviews, ultimately enhancing productivity, while underlining the importance of human interaction in AI-assisted programming. The discussion also touches on the future of AI in development, including the need for continuous improvement and adaptation to meet the demands of modern coding practices. This was a RedMonk video, sponsored by GitHub.

Jennifer Marandola, Technical Writing Manager at Cribl, joins RedMonk's Kelly Fitzpatrick for a discussion on the evolving role of technical writing in an era of AI copilots and assistants. She shares insights on how her team collaborates with Cribl's AI team to enhance documentation, making it more accessible and effective for both human users and AI tools. The discussion also covers the changing nature of user queries, the importance of clear documentation, and advice for aspiring technical writers navigating this new landscape. Show notes: https://redmonk.com/blog/2025/03/10/rmc-making-docs-better-for-ai-and-humans-with-jennifer-marandola/

Dr. Cat Hicks, a psychologist studying software teams, joins RedMonk's Kelly Fitzpatrick to discuss the role of psychology in technological innovation. Dr. Hicks emphasizes the importance of understanding the human aspects of software development and shares insights from her recent research projects, including a study on code review anxiety and the impact of what she calls “AI Skill Threat” on developers. Dr. Hicks also addresses the challenges faced by scientists today, the significance of cumulative cultures in software, and her upcoming book on the psychology of software teams. Show notes: https://redmonk.com/blog/2025/03/03/psychology-technical-innovation-and-why-we-need-science-with-dr-cat-hicks/

In this RedMonk Conversation, Kedasha Kerr, Developer Advocate and Technical Content Creator at GitHub, and Andrea Griffiths, Senior Developer Advocate at GitHub, chat about the importance of educational content for developers, language accessibility, community engagement, the value of open source, and the role of AI in learning, with Rachel Stephens, Research Director at RedMonk. They discuss the need for foundational skills in programming and the importance of finding supportive communities for self-taught learners. This RedMonk conversation is sponsored by GitHub.

In this conversation, Jason Lengstorf shares his journey from aspiring rock star to tech media mogul with Kate Holterhoff, senior industry analyst at RedMonk. Jason digs into his experiences at IBM, Gatsby, and Netlify—and he doesn't hold back. Jason discusses the challenges of navigating corporate structures, the importance of community in open source projects, and the impact of venture capital on innovation. He also reflects on the current state of GraphQL and front-end frameworks including Next.js, Astro, and Gatsby. In this conversation, Jason outlines the importance of long-term planning in leadership, the challenges executives face in maintaining focus, and the value of doing the 'boring' work that improves products. Finally he shares thoughts about his latest project, CodeTV, including insights on innovative content creation in for developer audiences.

In this RedMonk conversation, Avni Khatri Fein, Senior Director of Education at GitHub, chats with Kelly Fitzpatrick, senior analyst at RedMonk, about GitHub Education's mission to make coding accessible to everyone. They discuss the importance of bridging the gap between coding education and tech careers, the evolving nature of computer science, and how AI can enhance learning experiences. Avni shares insights from her experiences at hackathons and emphasizes the need to lower barriers to entry in technology. This RedMonk conversation is sponsored by GitHub.

In this RedMonk conversation, Alex Zenla, founder & CTO at Edera, chats container security and virtualization with Rachel Stephens, research director at RedMonk. Alex shares her unique journey from Minecraft to the tech industry. She emphasizes the importance of security in computing, particularly in the context of IoT and legacy systems. The conversation also explores the differences between eBPF and secure design principles, as well as the potential of WebAssembly in the tech landscape and a proactive approach to security in technology.

As the industry increasingly talks about AI “agents” and “agentic” apps, that leaves some important questions to answer: what are they? What do those terms mean? In this RedMonk conversation, analyst Steve O'Grady is joined by Couchbase's Jeff Morris to discuss agentic apps, examples of them in practice, and the role of the database in building them. TThis RedMonk Conversation was originally published in video form on February 12, 2025.

In this RedMonk conversation, Derek Collison, founder and CEO of Synadia and creator of NATS.io, discusses the evolution and importance of messaging systems with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk. In this wide-ranging interview, Derek shares insights from his time at TIBCO building Rendezvous, Google co-founding AJAX APIs, VMware co-founding Cloud Foundry, and now Synadia maintaining NATS. Derek not only talks about the history of the tech industry and how it has evolved since the 90s, but also his current views on AI, streaming, open source foundations, edge computing, distributed systems, and the rise of enterprise application integration (EAI).

In this RedMonk conversation, Cassidy Williams, Senior Director of Developer Advocacy at GitHub, discusses GitHub Copilot's role as a coding companion with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk. Cassidy addresses Copilot's evolution and newest features, its business value, adoption trends, and the importance of context. In addition to tackling skepticism about AI coding assistants among developers and engineering leadership, Cassidy underscores GitHub's commitment to the open source community and the accessibility of Copilot for all developers. This RedMonk conversation is sponsored by GitHub.

In this RedMonk conversation, Zack Chapple, Co-Founder and CEO of Zephyr Cloud, discusses how micro frontends and module federation are empowering developers to work more efficiently. Zack shares insights from Zephyr Cloud's recent Acceleration Week, the importance of open source, the role of AI in development, and how Zephyr Cloud is positioning itself to meet the challenges of the evolving tech landscape. This RedMonk conversation is sponsored by Zephyr Cloud.

Emilio Salvador, VP of DevRel & Strategy at GitLab, joins RedMonk's Rachel Stephens to discuss current trends around agentic AI: how do agents differ from code assistants; how can AI come into play in the larger software development lifecycle (beyond writing code); where is the “human in the loop” in all of this. Emilo and Rachel also recap some important announcements from GitLab in 2024--including the GitLab Duo Enterprise and AWS Q announced at re:Invent 2024--and discuss what we might expect to see from GitLab in 2024. This RedMonk Conversation was originally published in video form on January 21, 2025.

In this RedMonk conversation, JJ Tang, CEO of Rootly, chats with senior analyst Kelly Fitzpatrick about the evolving landscape of incident management, the significance of consistency over speed, and the impact of AI on business operations. Tang shares his career journey, from landing a job at IBM (involving cold emailing the CEO) to building incident management tools at Instacart, to starting Rootly with cofounder Quentin Rousseau. He focuses on the importance of technical skills, networking, and understanding customer needs. Tang also reflects on the challenges of running a startup during economic shifts and offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

In this RedMonk conversation, Ryan Dahl, creator of Node.js and Co-Founder and CEO of Deno, chats with Kate Holterhoff about the recent petition filed by Deno to cancel Oracle's JavaScript trademark. They discuss the historical context of the trademark, Deno's case against Oracle, the legal implications of the cancellation process, and the potential future of JavaScript as a generic term for the entire JavaScript community. Oracle is a RedMonk client, Deno is not a RedMonk client, and this MonkCast interview is an unpaid and independent piece of content. https://deno.com/blog/deno-v-oracle

In this RedMonk conversation, Ivan Burazin, Co-Founder and CEO of Daytona, chats with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk, about the challenges developers face in managing their environments and how Daytona aims to solve these issues. They discuss the importance of developer experience, security in development environments, and the role of AI in transforming the developer landscape. Ivan shares insights into Daytona's roadmap, including their open-source and enterprise offerings, and emphasizes the need for a seamless developer experience. This was a RedMonk video, sponsored by Daytona.

In this RedMonk conversation, Andrew Tunall, President and Chief Product Officer at Embrace, chats with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk, about the importance of mobile service level objectives (SLOs) in enhancing user experience and performance in mobile applications. They explore the challenges of measuring mobile data, the need for user-centered approaches, and the future of SLOs, particularly with the integration of AI and predictive analytics. The discussion emphasizes the shift from traditional observability metrics to a more user-focused perspective, highlighting the critical role of data in understanding and improving user interactions with mobile applications. This RedMonk conversation is sponsored by Embrace.

In this RedMonk conversation, Erin Schnabel, distinguished engineer at Red Hat and council chairperson at the Commonhaus Foundation, discusses with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk, challenges faced by open source projects, the need for new foundations, and how Commonhaus aims to support developers. Erin emphasizes the importance of supporting open source maintainers, while also addressing the legal and funding challenges involved in running a foundation. Red Hat is a RedMonk client, but this conversation is independent and unsponsored.

In this RedMonk Conversation (filmed at Fastly Xcelerate in NYC), Kelly Fitzpatrick of RedMonk interviews Pete Karytko, Director of Technical Operations at Yottaa, to explore how the company leverages its expertise–and Fastly technologies–to help Yottaa's customers deliver performant and secure experiences in the e-commerce space. With “Cyber Five” (the five days from U.S. Thanksgiving through the following “Cyber Monday”) fast approaching, Kelly and Pete discuss how Yottaa has expanded its partnership with Fastly, how Fastly has helped accelerate (pun intended) Yottaa's migration to Fastly's Compute and WAF products, and what they hope to see from Fastly in 2025. This was a RedMonk video, sponsored by Fastly, and was also published in video form on November 11, 2024.

In this RedMonk conversation, Claire Vo, Chief Product and Technology Officer at LaunchDarkly, discusses the significance of experimentation in feature management and software development with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk. They address how LaunchDarkly stands out in the experimentation space, the impact of AI on experimentation, and the evolving role of software engineers in this process. Claire emphasizes the importance of a culture of experimentation and risk mitigation in software releases, encouraging organizations to integrate these practices into their operations. This RedMonk conversation is sponsored by LaunchDarkly.

In this RedMonk conversation, Dan Rogers, CEO of LaunchDarkly, discusses the transformative impact of AI on software development, particularly in the context of feature management and DevOps, with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk. They explore the evolving role of developers, the challenges and opportunities presented by AI adoption, and the importance of leadership in navigating these changes. The discussion also highlights the need for quality control and risk management in AI-generated code, emphasizing the balance between innovation and safety in the development process. This RedMonk conversation is sponsored by LaunchDarkly.

In this RedMonk conversation, Manish Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer at LaunchDarkly, speaks with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk, about the complexities of software development and the challenges of releasing bug-free software. They discuss the recent launch of LaunchDarkly's Guardian Edition, which aims to help companies manage risk by implementing guarded releases. Manish emphasizes the need for a new approach to software releases that balances innovation with risk mitigation, allowing companies to move quickly without compromising user experience. The discussion also touches on the future challenges companies will face in adapting their risk posture in an increasingly complex software environment. This RedMonk conversation is sponsored by LaunchDarkly.

James Governor from RedMonk and Sanjay Sarathy from Cloudinary discuss the company's strategy for developer engagement, focusing on YouTube as a key channel. Cloudinary, founded by three developers, has grown to 2 million users and aims for 5 million. It targets specific ecosystems like JavaScript (Next, Nuxt, Vue, React,) sponsoring third party developers to create engaging, educational content. These efforts have driven registrations up beyond 45,000 monthly. We also discuss Cloudinary's business model and plans for global growth.

In this RedMonk conversation, Wesley Faulkner, developer relations professional, discusses the newly formed Developer Relations Foundation with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk. Wesley emphasizes the need to elevate the professional practice of developer relations that the Developer Relations Foundation, part of the nonprofit Linux Foundation, aims to meet. The conversation touches on the challenges of defining Developer Relations, the importance of global perspectives, and the challenges inherent in any attempts to formalize this profession.

In this RedMonk Conversation, Dr. Scott Stephenson, co-founder and CEO at Deepgram, discusses AI and audio with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk. They chat about the history of speech recognition as well as current advancements and their potential impact on culture and industry. Kate and Scott speak about voice's emotional resonance, the future of AI voice agents, and the role synthetic data and active learning will play in training models to understand a range of speech differences and languages.

In this RedMonk conversation, Andy Stanford-Clark, Distinguished Engineer and Innovation Leader in IBM Research, and Clemens Vasters, Principal Architect at Microsoft, chat with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk, about the history and evolution of messaging technology. They trace messaging to its roots from early telco technologies to modern events and streaming systems. The conversation highlights the significance of message queues, the role of IBM and Microsoft in advancing message-oriented middleware, and the evolution of open protocols like MQTT, AMQP, and CloudEvents.

In this RedMonk conversation, Kelly Fitzpatrick, senior analyst at RedMonk, talks with Tom Johnson, co-founder & CTO of Multiplayer about the evolution of observability into what some folks have termed “Observability 2.0”. They explore how Observability 2.0 is better positioned to address the specific needs of developers, particularly in debugging and system transparency. The discussion highlights the importance of open standards like OpenTelemetry, the need for better developer tools, and the impact of improved observability on developer experience and productivity. Tom shares insights on how these advancements can lead to more efficient workflows and ultimately foster innovation within development teams. This RedMonk conversation is sponsored by Multiplayer.

In this RedMonk conversation, Tom Johnson, co-founder & CTO of Multiplayer, discusses the evolving landscape of system design with Kelly Fitzpatrick, senior analyst at RedMonk. Tom emphasizes the collaborative nature of system design, and the necessity for all team members to understand the architecture of software systems. They explore the importance of documentation, the role of system design in job readiness, and the artistry involved in backend development. The discussion also highlights resources for learning system design and the significance of cost-conscious and secure software design. This RedMonk conversation is sponsored by Multiplayer.

In this RedMonk conversation, Kelly Fitzpatrick, senior analyst at RedMonk, and Tom Johnson, co-founder & CTO of Multiplayer, discuss the evolution of software development and the importance of collaboration and documentation in enhancing developer experience. Tom shares insights on the challenges developers face today, the need for dynamic tools that auto-update documentation, and the distinction between system diagramming and system design. The conversation emphasizes the necessity of adopting new tools to improve productivity and developer happiness. This RedMonk conversation is sponsored by Multiplayer.

Kelly Shortridge (Senior Director, Security Product Line at Fastly) joins RedMonk's Kelly Fitzpatrick to talk security. The Kellys cover isolation and modularity (with a few nature metaphors from Kelly S.), bridging the gap between security and development teams, and secure by design thinking (this time with an ice cream cone metaphor). Kelly S. also covers how her security philosophy translates to Fastly through her work with both the Security product line and the Security Research Team. This RedMonk Conversation was originally published in video form on October 17, 2024.

In this RedMonk conversation, Dan Moore, principal product engineer at FusionAuth, join James Governor, principal analyst and co-founder of RedMonk, and Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk, to discuss the resurgence of newsletters as a tool for authentic expression and community engagement. They explore the importance of optimizing existing content, the power of voice, and best practices for creating effective newsletters. The discussion highlights the evolving landscape of digital communication and the role newsletters play in fostering relationships and sharing knowledge.

In this conversation about the evolving landscape of front-end development, Natalia Venditto, principal owner of JavaScript developer experience for Azure and Code extensions at Microsoft, and Igor Minar, senior director of engineering at Cloudflare, chat with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk. In addition to discussing the future of JavaScript, the significance of server-side rendering, and the potential of WebAssembly, they speak about the challenges of migrating from client-side to server-side architectures, the role of micro frontends in managing organizational complexity, and the importance of open source foundations like the OpenJS Foundation in ensuring sustainable development practices. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast belong to the speakers, and do not necessarily reflect those of their employers. Microsoft and Cloudflare are RedMonk clients, but this is an independent and unsponsored conversation.

In this conversation, James Governor of RedMonk talks to Adrian Phillips and Angela Kelly of Dynatrace about the growing importance of Observability, earlier and earlier in the software development lifecycle. Observability isn't something you need to think after production deployment, but rather it need to be a consideration from the earliest phases of development, right through to production and onto the next iteration. This video discusses the factors shaping this change, as companies strive to ship software faster, safely, with ever tighter feedback loops. James Governor highlights the complexity of modern deployments and thus the need for observability from the start. Adrian Phillips emphasizes that enterprise organizations today integrate observability into Day Zero so they can be proactive and offer a better developer experience. Angela Kelly notes that observability helps address tool sprawl, DevOps maturity, and scalability challenges. Customer examples included Dell improving developer productivity by focusing on developer experience. The conversation underscored the importance of standardization and platform engineering to enhance efficiency and productivity. This RedMonk Conversation was originally published in video form on September 24, 2024.

Steve Bussey, co-founder and CTO of Supered, talks all-things CRMs with RedMonk senior analyst Kate Holterhoff. They discuss the complexities of onboarding and user-friendliness in CRMs, the role of professional help in setting up and maintaining CRMs, the potential of AI in automating certain CRM processes, and the importance of privacy in CRM data. Steve also shares his journey from software engineer to co-founder and offers advice on finding mentors and fostering relationships.

Hear RedMonk's Kelly Fitzpatrick chat with Andrew Boyagi, head of DevOps evangelism at Atlassian, about the critical topic of developer experience. They discuss findings from Atlassian's 2024 State of Developer Experience Report, highlighting the importance of understanding developer satisfaction, productivity, and the misalignment between developers and their leaders. Andrew emphasizes the need for open communication and the role of AI in enhancing developer productivity. The conversation also touches on the concept of 'Developer Joy' as a key objective for organizations to improve developer satisfaction and overall productivity. This episode of the MonkCast is sponsored by Atlassian

In this RedMonk Conversation, Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk, speaks with Luis Villa, co-founder and general counsel at Tidelift, about new challenges in security and privacy in the AI era. The conversation focuses on the legal and compliance implications of AI which Luis highlighted in a spicy LinkedIn post that inspired this episode. Villa discusses the tension between in-house counsel's responsibility to protect the company and the desire of workers to embrace new technologies. He highlights the disconnect between Silicon Valley's enthusiasm for AI and the concerns of the general public. The conversation also touches on the ethical considerations of AI, such as the need for transparency in data usage and the responsibility of companies to protect customer information.

Jay Miller, staff developer advocate at Aiven and founder of Black Python Devs, joins Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk, for this RedMonk Conversation. Jay discusses what his military service taught him about the importance of real-world problem-solving. He shares his thoughts on the connection between Python and AI, highlighting the importance of responsible AI usage and critical thinking. Jay talks about the state of developer relations and developer advocacy as a profession. He also speaks about Black Python Devs, an organization extending the ecosystem of Python communities to black and colo(u)red communities around the world through initiatives such as supporting conference travel, providing mentorship, and promoting open source contributions.

In this conversation, James Governor of RedMonk and Simon Wistow, co-founder of Fastly, discuss the challenges and future of open source in the tech industry. James highlights a crisis in open source due to a trend of companies switching to source-available licenses, which he refers to as a "rug pull." This shift, often driven by investor pressure, threatens the sustainability of open source projects. Simon, who has a long history with open source, explains how Fastly supports various open source projects, emphasizing the importance of sustainability and non-reliance on short-term funding. He notes that Fastly's business model benefits from open source, which aligns with their commitment to contribute back to the community. This RedMonk Conversation was originally published in video form on August 29, 2024.

In this RedMonk Conversation, James Governor of RedMonk interviews David Annez, VP of Product at loveholidays, to explore the company's approach to adopting absolute cutting-edge technology while managing risk. The company relies heavily on Fastly's edge network services to build its scalable, high-performance platform, supporting its rapid expansion and growing customer base, processing a booking every 40 seconds across the UK, Ireland and Germany. This RedMonk Conversation was originally published in video form on August 27, 2024.

Adam Rackis, senior web engineer at Spotify, joins RedMonk's Kate Holterhoff to discuss upskilling, frontend development, and conference travel. They chat about Adam's service in the United States Air Force, his work experience in the software industry, and his thoughts about developer certifications. They also speak about the state of JavaScript frameworks, and the finer points of red-eye flights.

In this RedMonk Conversation Adam Seligman, VP of developer experience at AWS, chats with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk, about the continuing importance of developer relations, the impact of developer certification programs, and the changing landscape of software engineering with the advent of generative AI. Adam shares AWS's strategy around AI and highlights the importance of community engagement and education to this new era.

Tina-Marie Gulley, Interim CEO at Ada Developers Academy, discusses her background and the intersection of technology, DEI, and education with Kate Holterhoff, senior analyst at RedMonk. Tina highlights the importance of AI in the bootcamp industry today as well as the need for partnerships and community building to create a sustainable and inclusive future for tech bootcamps.

Rachel Stephens (Sr. Analyst, RedMonk) and Nevi Shah (Product Manager, Cloudflare) discuss the Jamstack application development model and how to build with Jamstack on Cloudflare Pages. This RedMonk Conversation was originally published in video form on March 31, 2022.

RedMonk principal analyst and co-founder Stephen O'Grady talks virtual machines (VMs) in this quickish take, outlining what they are, high-points in VM history, major players in the space, how containerization and Kubernetes shook up the infrastructure landscape, and why VMs continue to matter in 2024.

RedMonk analyst Kate Holterhoff and J Chris Anderson, cofounder of Couchbase and CEO of Fireproof, discuss trends in the data space including the history and importance of Apache CouchDB, the evolution of client-side technologies, and the local-first movement. Chris highlights the use of cryptography for data integrity and identity verification, as well as the future of data management in the AI era. He also shares Fireproof's go-to-market strategy, open source philosophy, and approach to community engagement.

As AI continues to reshape our industry, it's important to understand how it intersects with open source. AI is dependent on and composed of open source software, for one, and it's also triggering new questions on how to define open source in the context of AI. To explore these and other questions, Julia Ferraioli of AWS joined Stephen O'Grady of RedMonk for a lively discussion of all things AI and open source. This RedMonk Conversation was originally published in video form on July 9, 2024.

Join RedMonk analyst Kate Holterhoff and Sean McQuaid, Lead Software Engineer at Chick-fil-A, as they chat about the Atlanta conference scene, software engineering at Chick-fil-A, and some hot takes on the state of Frontend frameworks, micro-frontends, TypeScript, and leveraging AI code assistants.

As AI continues to reshape the technology industry, it's important to understand its foundations. In this RedMonk Conversation, Stephen O'Grady and Poolside CEO Jason Warner get together to discuss training data. Covering questions that range from ownership and licensing to accessibility and inspection, anyone interested in better understanding the roots of AI and the vital importance of training data will find this conversation of interest. This RedMonk Conversation was originally published in video form on June 26, 2024.

"Security at the expense of usability comes at the expense of security." Security consultant and OWASP board member Avi Douglen joins RedMonk's Rachel Stephens to explore how to build meaningful security practices into our applications. Is the OWASP Top 10 a useful standard? (Hint: nope!) What's the best tool for threat modeling? (Hint: a whiteboard!) Come listen as Avi explains practical approaches to security.

Rachel Stephens (RedMonk) and Diya Wynn (Senior Practice Manager, AWS) continue their conversation about responsible AI (more context about how Diya approaches responsible AI as a technologist can be found in our first conversation.) This conversation dives more into data bias and the holistic approach needed to drive responsible AI practices throughout an engineering team. This RedMonk Conversation was originally published in video form on May 9, 2022.