Betatalks the podcast

131. Fluent UI Blazor in the Microsoft Ecosystem: Open Source, Aspire and Beyond - with Vincent Baaij

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, Rick & Oscar talk with Vincent Baaij, solution architect at Rubicon and principal maintainer of Microsoft’s Fluent UI Blazor library. Vincent shares how a small open-source contribution grew into a leading role within the Fluent UI Blazor ecosystem, while discussing the challenges of open-source maintenance, accessibility, and AI-driven development. The conversation highlights how human expertise and collaboration remain essential as software development continues to evolve.

About this episode, and Vincent Baaij in particular: you can find Vincent on LinkedIn or visite his website. Here you can find the Fluid UI Blazor website and the GitHub repository.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

130. AI, Cybersecurity & Creativity in Modern Cloud Engineering - with Hannah King

Mon, 18 May 2026 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, Rick & Oscar talk with Hannah King, a Cloud Solution Architect and cybersecurity expert at Microsoft, about cloud architecture, security and the rise of AI. Hannah shares how organizations are balancing innovation with security while still struggling with cloud fundamentals. They also explore how AI is changing security operations and why creativity plays a big role in engineering. Alongside the technical topics, Hannah reflects on her unconventional journey from teaching and fine art into tech.

About this episode, and Hannah King in particular: you can find Hannah on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and B

129. Why Developers Still Matter in the Age of AI - with Tim Corey

Mon, 04 May 2026 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, Rick & Oscar talk with Tim Corey about his unconventional path into software development and how it shaped his focus on teaching fundamentals with clarity. What started as simple YouTube videos grew into a global platform helping developers understand the “why” behind their work. They explore the complexity of modern tools and the importance of strong foundations. The conversation also touches on AI, which Tim sees as a tool that supports developers rather than replaces them.

About this episode, and Tim Corey in particular: you can find Tim on LinkedIn. Check out his website for all his courses, or watch them on his YouTube channel. And listen to his Hope episode.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

128. Applying AI in Agricultural Robotics: From Kaggle to Production - with Julian de Wit

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, Rick & Oscar talk with Julian de Wit, an AI specialist and entrepreneur, about his journey from Kaggle competitions to applying deep learning in agricultural robotics. He explains how working on real-world problems shaped his skills and highlights both the progress and limitations of modern AI. The conversation also touches on AI hype in industry, where unclear use cases and poor data often limit impact. Julian shares how his work depends on many small, optimized models to meet strict performance and physical constraints.

About this episode, and Julian de Wit in particular: you can find Julian on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

127. Why PowerShell is Fun and Automation Matters - with Harm Veenstra

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, Rick & Oscar talk with Harm Veenstra consultant at InSpark and Microsoft MVP. He explains how his passion for PowerShell and automation led to his Microsoft MVP recognition, which he sees as an ongoing commitment to the community. They highlight the open culture in IT, where sharing knowledge helps everyone improve. They also touch on challenges like cloud migration and the need to combine automation with good governance. Harm stresses that tools alone are not enough without proper oversight.

About this episode, and Harm Veenstra in particular: you can find Harm on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

126. GenAI: Is Your Azure Architecture Ready? - with Toon Vanhoutte

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, Rick and Oscar talk with Toon Vanhoutte, Azure Solution Architect and Microsoft MVP, about the shift from BizTalk integrations to modern Azure architectures and how organizations can prepare for generative AI. Toon explains that cloud services like Container Apps, Storage Accounts, API Management, and Azure Data Explorer enable more scalable integration and data solutions. He emphasizes that generative AI only delivers real value when it can connect to business processes through well-designed APIs and reliable data.

About this episode, and Toon Vanhoutte in particular: you can find Toon on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

125. Rewriting the Operating System of Tech - with Emily van Putten

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, Rick and Oscar talk with Emily van Putten, a tech leader, Microsoft MVP, TEDx speaker, and founder of the mission-driven initiative Beleeve. She explains how her gender transition exposed bias embedded in the tech industry’s operating system, where unchanged expertise suddenly required extra validation. By contrasting legacy pyramid hierarchies with flatter, self-steering architectures and sharing initiatives like Beleeve and the Women in IT Gala, she advocates for a people-first tech ecosystem.

About this episode, and Emily van Putten in particular: you can find Emily on LinkedIn and via her website. If you're interested in the Women in IT Gala, you can buy your tickets here.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

124. The Reality of AI in Software Development - with Rick & Oscar

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0100

In this podcast episode, Rick and Oscar explore the reality of AI in software development in early 2026. Where does AI genuinely add value today, and where does it fall short? Should developers fear for their jobs? They highlight the gap between AI hype and real-world use, the risks of trusting AI output blindly, and the challenges of using AI in production under strict data residency and compliance requirements. They reflect on developer tooling and a clear preference for practical experience over speculation and hype.

About Betatalks: watch our podcast videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

123. From DevOps to Platform Engineering: Building Valuable Software - with Geert van der Cruijsen

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, Rick and Oscar talk with Geert van der Cruijsen, CEO of Zure Netherlands, about his career and how technology, culture, and value delivery connect. He reflects on his path through cloud, DevOps, AI and architecture. Geert explains why DevOps is often misunderstood rather than dead, and how platform engineering helps teams focus on business value. They also discuss how hypes change, but the goal stays the same: building valuable software with the right teams and culture.

About this episode, and Geert van der Cruijsen in particular: you can find Geert on LinkedIn and via his blog.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

122. How AI Is Transforming Human Resources - with Ana Inés Urrutia

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Betatalks the podcast, Rick and Oscar talk with Ana Ines Urritia, a Microsoft MVP and digital transformation architect working at the intersection of HR, AI, and enterprise technology. Ana explains how her background in psychology and HR led her into software and AI-driven solutions, where she now bridges business stakeholders and IT, and how AI is reshaping HR through automation, analytics, and responsible, human-led decision-making. She also shows how art, design, UX, and data visualization help make complex AI systems more human, accessible, and effective for non-technical users.

About this episode, and Ana Inés Urrutia in particular: you can find Ana on LinkedIn and via her website. Also, you can find her book The Microsoft AI Human Resources Handbook here (also on Amazon and Bol).

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

121. Building Smarter Apps with .NET MAUI and ML.NET - with Anjuli Jhakry

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Betatalks the Podcast, Rick and Oscar talk with Anjuli Jhakry, a .NET MAUI developer at 4Dotnet and Microsoft MVP who is building a startup app for people with food intolerances. She reflects on her move from Xamarin.Forms to .NET MAUI, noting how .NET 8 made the framework stable enough for production use. She explains how her app uses ML.NET to learn from user feedback and generate personalized dietary recommendations. They also highlight her rapid growth as a conference speaker and the importance of mentorship, the tech community, and keeping technical architectures simple.

About this episode, and Anjuli Jhakry in particular: you can find Anjuli on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

120. Beyond the AI Hype: A 2025 Christmas Reflection - with Rick & Oscar

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0100

In this Christmas Special 2025 episode of Betatalks, Rick and Oscar reflect on how AI has moved this year from hype to practical use. They discuss real-world examples, the maturing AI ecosystem, and the challenge of adopting AI at the right time.

We want to thank all our guests and listeners for an amazing year, and we hope to see you in 2026.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

About Betatalks: watch our podcast videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

119. Building People-focused Leadership in Tech - with Amber Vanderburg

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Betatalks the podcast, Rick and Oscar talk with Amber Vanderburg, a dynamic leader and founder of The Pathwayz Group, passionate about developing leadership in technical fields. She describes stepping into the world of tech, learning to translate technical jargon into language that resonates with real people, and finding joy in helping teams build not only technical know-how, but also empathy and practical communication. She shares how curiosity and humility shaped her path and continue to guide her approach to people-focused leadership. Amber also highlights the value of continuous growth and adaptive leadership in a fast-changing, often remote workplace.

About this episode, and Amber Vanderburg in particular: you can find Amber on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

118. Designing Smarter SaaS Workflows: Rethinking Legacy Constraints - with Yasen Dinkov

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 10:00:00 +0100

In this Betatalks episode, Rick and Oscar talk with Yasen Dinkov, an artist turned engineer and head of engineering at Blue10. Yasen shares how his love for visual arts led him to programming and how he sees both art and software as creative acts shaped by imagination and constraints. He explains how his team builds a SaaS platform that uses AI to process documents while blending seamlessly into users’ workflows, focusing on solving real problems rather than following every request. Yasen also reflects on how music and nature inspire his creativity, showing innovation as a journey driven by curiosity and collaboration.

About this episode, and Yasen Dinkov in particular: you can find Yasen on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

117. AI and the Future of Developer Documentation - with Alvin Ashcraft

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 10:00:00 +0100

Rick and Oscar talk with Alvin Ashcroft, Senior Content Developer at Microsoft, about how AI is transforming developer documentation. Alvin explains how tools like Copilot and MCP servers help improve Microsoft’s technical content. They discuss the rise of local AI models, Windows AI APIs, and the shift toward open-source collaboration. Alvin also shares his career journey and passion for community-driven projects.

About this episode, and Alvin Ashcraft in particular: you can find Alvin on LinkedIn and on his website. You can also buy his book here.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

116. The Evolution of Cybersecurity - with Paula Januszkiewicz

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0100

In this Betatalks episode, Rick and Oscar talk with Paula Januszkiewicz, founder and CEO of CQURE, a Cybersecurity Expert, Microsoft MVP, and passionate speaker. Paula shares how cybersecurity evolved from curiosity-driven exploration to a professional, high-stakes discipline shaped by major technological shifts. She highlights the move from one-time penetration tests to continuous security practices and the power of storytelling in making cybersecurity engaging. Paula also reflects on her role as a woman leader promoting openness, learning, and continuous improvement in the tech community.

About this episode, and Paula Januszkiewicz in particular: you can find Paula on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

115. How AI Transforms Software Development - with Jelle Fremery

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0200

In this Betatalks episode, Rick and Oscar talk with Jelle Fremery, who moved from psychology into software development and now works as a Principal Cloud and AI Architect at Betabit. They discuss how his background influences his approach to technology and the rise of generative AI. They reflect on the power and unpredictability of Large Language Models (LLMs). Jelle stresses the importance of human oversight, security, and ethics in AI. They end with an optimistic look at AI’s future in software development.

About this episode, and Jelle Fremery in particular: you can find Jelle on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

114. .NET 10, TUnit, GPT-5 and More: Discussing Software Maturity - with Rick, Oscar & Jelle

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0200

In this Betatalks episode, Rick and Oscar are joined by Jelle Fremery, Principal AI Architect at Betabit. They look back at the evolution of .NET and C#, discussing coding styles and records. They compare how newcomer TUnit stacks up against titans NUnit and xUnit. The hosts also discuss Azure’s growing tools, including Logic Apps and the Durable Task Scheduler, and share experiences adapting to new coding practices. They reflect on AI advances like GPT-5 and the importance of appreciating rapid technological progress.

About this episode, and Rick, Oscar & Jelle in particular: you can find them on LinkedIn: Rick, Oscar & Jelle.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

113. Vector Databases and RAG for Grounding AI in Reliable Data - with Christian Peeters

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0200

In this Betatalks episode, Rick and Oscar talk with Christian Peeters, a principal Cloud Architect at Betabit and a certified Microsoft trainer. They discuss the intersection of technology, teaching, and continuous learning in software development. They explore emerging tools like vector databases and Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), breaking down their complexity while stressing the importance of grounding AI models in real data to ensure trustworthiness.

About this episode, and Christian Peeters in particular: you can find Christian on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

112. Transforming Cloud Innovation with Microsoft Fabric - with Jos Eilers

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0200

In this Betatalks episode, Rick and Oscar talk with Jos Eilers, a cloud principal at Twyzer, about his path from engineering to cloud and data platforms, focusing on the rise of Microsoft Fabric. Jos highlights how Fabric unifies data engineering, science, and business intelligence, while simplifying access with features like OneLake. They also discuss challenges around compute resources, the importance of planning capacity, and the critical role of data quality.

About this episode, and Jos Eilers in particular: you can find Jos on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

111. The Test Pyramid Is Dead: A New Era of Software Testing - with Bram Albers

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0200

In this Betatalks episode, Rick and Oscar talk with Bram Albers, Principal Quality Assurance at Betabit, about how software testing has evolved from an afterthought to a core part of development. They discuss how automation and AI improve efficiency but risk reducing critical thinking, making tester instincts and skepticism essential, and Bram warns against confirmation bias while stressing the value of exploratory testing to uncover issues automation might miss. The conversation challenges traditional models like the test pyramid, supporting adaptable, project-specific approaches, with the core message that quality is a shared responsibility.

About this episode, and Bram Albers in particular: you can find Bram on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

110. Smart Cloud Migration with Azure Technologies - with Rick & Oscar

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0200

In this podcast episode, Rick and Oscar discuss Virtual Vaults' journey of evolving their cloud infrastructure. They reflect on the shift from early cloud deployments to modern containerized solutions, detailing their use of Azure technologies like web roles, app services, and Azure Functions. Emphasizing a pragmatic and incremental approach, they highlight the importance of continuous learning, experimentation, and adaptability.

About Betatalks: watch our podcast videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

109. Semantic Kernel to Raspberry Pi: Building Smart AI Solutions - with Jamie Maguire

Mon, 26 May 2025 10:00:00 +0200

In this Betatalks episode, Rick and Oscar talk with Jamie Maguire, a Microsoft MVP in AI and a certified Azure AI engineer associate. Jamie shares his journey from documenting his technical insights through blogging to becoming an active contributor to the tech community. They reflect on the evolution of AI from manual language processing to powerful tools like Semantic Kernel and discuss his hands-on approach to learning through projects such as a Raspberry Pi-based home security system. Jamie also emphasizes the value of experimenting, building small projects, and consistently sharing knowledge.

About this episode, and Jamie Maguire in particular: you can find Jamie on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and GitHub. Visit his website to read all his blogs and check out his YouTube channel for more content.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

108. How PowerToys and AI Are Changing Windows Development - with Niels Laute

Mon, 12 May 2025 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Niels Laute, a senior Software Engineer at Microsoft, about the evolving world of Windows development and emerging technologies. From the experimental playground of PowerToys to the growing impact of on-device AI and edge computing, Niels shares how innovations like the ONNX runtime are making advanced tools more accessible than ever. We also dive into the promises and pitfalls of AI, the value of open-source collaboration, and how community-driven development shapes smarter, more intuitive software.

About this episode, and Niels Laute in particular: you can find Niels on LinkedIn and GitHub, or visit his website, Niels Laute | UX Designer.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

107. Tech Without Limits: Innovating Through Open Source - with Nico Vermeir

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Nico Vermeir, a senior application architect and Microsoft MVP. He shares his journey from support technician to application architect, highlighting how passion and persistence helped him succeed without a formal degree. We discuss his involvement in Techorama, his contributions to the tech community and Open Source projects, and the balance between commercial goals and collaboration. Nico also touches on personal interests like brewing beer and listening to thrash metal, showing the human side of tech.

About this episode, and Nico Vermeir in particular: you can find Nico on LinkedIn, or visit his website, Nico's Digital Footprint. Via this Spotify link, you can find his list with focus music.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

106. Where AI and Software Engineering Meet: Breaking the Black Box - with Megan Bloemsma

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Megan Bloemsma, who is a Data and AI specialist. We discuss the evolving tech landscape, stressing the importance of collaboration between data scientists and software engineers. She critiques the indiscriminate use of AI and advocates for more thoughtful, selective technology deployment. Megan also highlights the need for diversity in tech, sharing her experience as a woman in a male-dominated field, and emphasizes the ethical concerns surrounding AI.

About this episode, and Megan Bloesma in particular: you can find Megan on LinkedIn, and GitHub. Or visit her website: MeganBloemsma.com

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

105. AI's Coding Breakthrough: Unstructured to Understood - with Andreas Wänqvist

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode of Betatalks, Andreas Wänqvist shares his journey from reluctant web developer to AI architect at Voyado, an Aurelia core team member, and Microsoft MVP. We discuss AI’s evolution in software development, from early skepticism about GitHub Copilot to embracing it as a game-changing assistant. Through personal stories and professional insights, we explore AI’s role in enhancing user experiences beyond simple chatbot implementations. Touching on Andreas' background with Aurelia and web frameworks, he highlights the rapid pace of technological change while remaining optimistic about AI’s potential to simplify tasks, automate processes, and unlock new possibilities.

About this episode, and Andreas Wänqvist in particular: you can find Andreas on LinkedIn, and Twitter.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

104. Decoding Software: Learning Through Experience - with Shawn Wildermuth

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Shawn, a consultant, architect, and Microsoft MVP, who thrives on learning and sharing knowledge about .NET, JavaScript, and more. His early experiences with computers fostered a mindset of curiosity, helping him navigate tech trends with a pragmatic approach. As an instructor, he prioritizes storytelling, hands-on examples, and learning from mistakes. In this episode, he shares insights on software evolution, abstractions, and the value of diverse perspectives.

About this episode, and Shawn Wildermuth in particular: you can find Shawn on LinkedIn, or Bluesky. Check out his awesome videos or visit his website.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

103. Integrating AI in C#: Trade-offs and Best Practices - with Panu Oksala

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Panu, a Microsoft MVP and CTO at Adafy Oy. He shares his passion for technology and his hands-on role balancing coding, Azure tasks, and team engagement. We discuss Microsoft's latest AI developments, comparing Semantic Kernel and AI Extensions, and the challenges of integrating AI models. Panu also reflects on the evolution of C#, warning against the "lava layer anti-pattern". Outside of tech, his hobby of gold digging provides a refreshing contrast with a strong belief in the transformative power of technology.

About this episode, and Panu Oksala in particular: you can find Panu on LinkedIn, or Bluesky. Or, visit his website Panu Oksala - C#, Fabric, Azure, Data, AI, Passion.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

102. Low-Code Development with the Evolving Power Platform and AI Tools - with Keith Atherton

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Keith, a Microsoft MVP, MCT, Power Platform solutions architect, international speaker, and much more. We discuss his professional work and community involvement. Keith shares how he collaborates with customers to design and build solutions using the evolving Power Platform. We explore the platform's maturity, including improvements in source control and the blending of citizen and professional developers. Keith also highlights the role of AI tools in bridging the gap between low-code and pro-code approaches. Additionally, we dive into his involvement in organizing the Festive Tech Calendar and Keith's ongoing passion for learning and development.

About this episode, and Keith Atherton in particular: you can find Keith on LinkedIn, or Bluesky. Or, visit his website keithatherton.com.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.

101. From Minicomputers to Cloud Computing: How Technology Shapes Our World - with Rocky Lhotka

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Rocky, VP of Strategy at Xebia. We discuss his journey from programming in the 1980s to shaping modern development. We explore his passion for distributed computing—sparked by early networked arcade games—and reflect on major technological shifts, from the rise of PCs to AI’s growing influence. We dive into AI’s potential to boost developer productivity while considering its economic impact on creative fields. Additionally, we discuss his work on CSLA.NET, which enhances business logic in software development. Finally, we wrap up with his insights on the future of cloud computing, Blazor, and Kubernetes.

About this episode, and Rocky Lhotka in particular: you can find Rocky on LinkedIn, GitHub or Bluesky. Or, visit his website Rockford Lhotka | lhotka.net.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

100. Blending Comedy and Code: From Young Programmer to Conference Entertainer - with Rendle

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 10:00:00 +0100

In the 100th episode of Betatalks the Podcast, Rick and Oscar celebrate the milestone with guest Rendle, a software development consultant at RendleLabs and member of the parody band The Line Breakers. Rendle shares the band’s journey from a comedy quiz round to performing tech-themed cover songs at conferences. He highlights his efforts to bring humor and lightheartedness to tech events, including his talk The Worst Programming Language Ever. They also discuss the importance of personal storytelling, overcoming imposter syndrome, and fostering a welcoming tech community. He reflects on his unique career path, blending programming, stand-up comedy, and tech advocacy.

About this episode, and Rendle in particular: you can find Rendle on LinkedIn or Bluesky. Or, visit his website rendle.dev. If you want to book The Line Breakers or learn more about them, visit their website.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

99. Azure DevOps vs. GitHub: The Evolving Cloud Development Ecosystem - with Wesley Noordam

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Wesley, a cloud architect and expert, about the evolution of cloud offerings moving from IaaS to PaaS to serverless and the ongoing debate between Azure DevOps and GitHub. While opinions vary, the consensus is that Azure DevOps remains the more enterprise-ready platform, at least for now. We also dive into cloud security and networking, acknowledging the improvements in Azure but also the complexity that comes with managing virtual networks and debugging connectivity issues.

About this episode, and Wesley Noordam in particular: you can find Wesley on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

98. Christmas Special: Looking back at 2024 - with Rick & Oscar

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we have a Christmas special. We talk with two very special guests, the hosts themselves. They discuss their experiences over the past year. They reflect on the diverse range of topics covered on the podcast, from Azure to web development. The conversation touches on the increasing presence of AI and the importance of inclusive language. They discuss how they enjoyed learning about topics outside their daily work and getting to know the people behind the technologies.

We want to thank all our guests and listeners for an amazing year, and we hope to see you in 2025.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

About Betatalks: watch our podcast videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

97. Data Visualization and Business Intelligence: Bridging the Gap - with Valerie Junk

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we chat with Valerie Junk, Microsoft Data Platform MVP and owner of PorcuBI. We discuss data visualization and business intelligence. Valerie highlights the importance of turning raw data into insights. We also talk about the challenges of bridging technical skills with business value, and her experiences in the male-dominated tech field. She also emphasizes the value of creativity, community, and balance in achieving success and inspiring others in the data space.

About this episode, and Valerie Junk in particular: you can find Valerie on X @porcubi, GitHub and LinkedIn. Or, visit her website to learn more about all the amazing things she does

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

96. The Evolving Craft of Frontend Engineering: Balancing Complexity and Simplicity - with Stefan Judis

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we chat with Stefan Judis, a frontend developer. Stefan shares his journey from mastering HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to his current roles in Developer Relations and as a Playwright ambassador. We discuss the challenges of frontend development today, highlighting the need to balance complexity and simplicity while staying focused on performance, accessibility, and maintainability. He also emphasizes the importance of mastering core web technologies despite the rise of modern frameworks and tools. Stefan also shares his passion for continuous learning, including his blog and newsletter, Web Weekly, and we explore how tools like Playwright enhance developer workflows and improve the user experience.

About this episode, and Stefan Judis in particular: you can find Stefan on X @stefanjudis, GitHub and LinkedIn. Read his blog and Web Weekly.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

95. From Dev Containers to OpenTelemetry: Mastering .NET Productivity - with Alex Thissen

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Alex Thissen, a cloud architect at Xebia. We discuss the evolving .NET ecosystem and productivity tools for developers. Alex shares insights on the collaborative .NET community. We highlight the advantages of Dev Containers, which simplify setting up and managing development environments, allowing for seamless onboarding and multi-project work without conflicts. We also compare Visual Studio Code with the full Visual Studio IDE, noting strengths of each, and explore the value of OpenTelemetry in standardizing observability, making debugging and monitoring more efficient across platforms.

About this episode, and Alex Thissen in particular: you can find Alex on X @alexthissen, GitHub and LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

94. An AI Architect's Quest for Quality: Data, Governance, and Real-World Challenges - with Roelant Dieben

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Roelant Dieben, a cloud and AI architect at Sopra Steria, about his work in the .NET community and the evolving role of AI. He shares his passion for knowledge sharing and discusses AI's rapid advancements, as well as challenges like data quality and identifying good use cases. They also touch on the cooling AI hype, making this a prime time for practical implementations. Roelant emphasizes the need for governance, especially around data leakage, and they discuss AI's impact on developers, regression testing, and balancing budget, performance, and use cases in cloud and AI services.

About this episode, and Roelant Dieben in particular: you can find Roelant on X @RoelantDieben and LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

93. The Rise of embodied AI in Real-World Applications - with Rene Schulte

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Rene Schulte, head of 3D CoPs and Quantum Communities of Practices at Reply. We dive into the cutting-edge world of generative AI and digital humans, exploring the potential of AI-powered virtual personas capable of engaging in emotional, human-like interactions. Rene shares how these technologies are used in real-world applications, from personalized customer service to immersive educational experiences. We also discuss the challenges of responsible AI development, including aligning these systems with human values and cultural sensitivities. Additionally, we explore the latest advancements in multi-modal AI models, along with important security and privacy considerations.

About this episode, and Rene Schulte in particular: you can find Rene on X @rschu, LinkedIn and GitHub.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

92. The Uno Platform: Unlocking Cross-Platform Potential - with Martin Zikmund

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Martin Zikmund, a Microsoft MVP and an open source contributor. We dive into the Uno Platform, a powerful cross-platform development framework. Martin shares his extensive experience with the Uno Platform and the evolution of Windows development. From working on Windows Phone apps to discovering the Uno Platform as a solution for efficient, cross-platform development. He explains how the Uno Platform compares to other frameworks, highlighting its ability to target a wide range of platforms, including mobile, desktop, and web, while leveraging familiar XAML and C# syntax. We also discuss the open-source nature of the Uno Platform, its relationship with Microsoft, and the competitive landscape it navigates.

About this episode, and Martin Zikmund in particular: you can find Martin on X @mzikmunddev, LinkedIn and GitHub. Also look at the Uno Platform website, X, and YouTube channel to stay updated with the latest news.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

91. Navigating the Complexities of Big Data Engineering - with Lisa Hoving

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Lisa Hoving, a big data engineer and Microsoft Data Platform MVP, about the diverse and dynamic world of big data engineering. Lisa shares insights into her day-to-day responsibilities, which span cloud architecture, DevOps, development, and more. We discuss the challenges of working across so many technical domains and the importance of being a 'jack of all trades' in this field. We also explore the evolution of Azure data services, the complexities of navigating the growing ecosystem of tools, and the importance of choosing the right solutions for specific use cases. Additionally, we delve into the different roles within data engineering, from data analysts to data scientists, and explain the value of the medallion architecture in managing data lifecycles. Lisa also opens up about her advocacy for neurodiversity, sharing her personal experiences and the positive impact of creating inclusive workplace cultures.

About this episode, and Lisa Hoving in particular: you can find Lisa on X @lizaard08 and LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

90. From ASM to ARM: The evolution of Azure and the rise of Infrastructure as Code - with Rick and Oscar

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 13:00:00 +0200

In this episode, Rick and Oscar discuss Azure's evolution from Azure Service Manager to Azure Resource Manager, focusing on the 2024 retirement of classic services and the challenges of migrating to the new ARM model. They highlight the benefits of using tools like Bicep for managing Azure resources, the importance of modernizing applications over simple "lift and shift" migrations, and the guidance provided by the Cloud Adoption Framework. The episode also covers Azure SQL Hyperscale, emphasizing its impact on performance and scalability, showcasing the need for organizations to stay current with modern cloud practices.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

89. Azure Compute Unleashed: From Foundations to Future - A Journey with Rick and Oscar

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, Rick and Oscar explore the evolution of Azure compute services, from its early days to the powerful platform it is today. We discuss key milestones like the shift to Azure Resource Manager, which enabled infrastructure as code, and the introduction of Azure Functions, which streamlined compute tasks by focusing on core functionality. The conversation also covers Azure's integration of containers, advancements in Azure App Service, and the challenges of navigating an ever-growing ecosystem. We offer valuable insights into Azure's growth and its impact on developers and organizations.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

88. Hacking the future: Securing AI systems in the enterprise – with Gabrielle Davelaar

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Gabrielle Davelaar, a senior AI specialist in the Global Black Belt organization for EMEA at Microsoft. We delve into the rapid evolution of AI adoption in large enterprises, highlighting the challenges around scalability, sustainability, and security. Gabrielle emphasizes the importance of optimizing AI models and infrastructure, rather than simply chasing the latest and greatest hardware, drawing a parallel to the "iPhone effect" that has gripped the AI community. We explore the potential of small language models (SLMs) as a more targeted and accessible alternative to large language models like GPT-3 and GPT-4. We also discuss the need for better security practices around AI, including the idea of "hacking" AI models to identify vulnerabilities.

About this episode, and Gabrielle Davelaar in particular: you can find Gabrielle on X @gabrielledavel1 and LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

87. Unlocking the secrets to Azure success - with Rick van den Bosch

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Rick van den Bosch. Yes, our very own host Rick van den Bosch. He zooms in on his role as Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft, helping Azure customers succeed through monthly check-ins, issue resolution, and technical guidance. He explains how customer feedback is key in validating and improving Azure services like Bicep. He also shares how the Fast Track program helps customers quickly implement new services like Azure External Identities. Rick highlights innovative ways customers are using AI and Azure to transform productivity. And, he showcases The Ocean Cleanup's important work using Azure services.

About this episode, and Rick van den Bosch in particular: you can find Rick on X @rickvdbosch, LinkedIn, GitHub, or visit his website.

About Betatalks: watch our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

86. Power Platform, Blazor and beyond: Maintaining internal apps - with Sophie van den Akker

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Sophie van den Akker, an IT engineering specialist at van Lanschot Kempen Bank. She shares her experience initially using the Power Platform but hitting limitations that prompted a rebuild in .NET. This sparks a discussion about when low-code or full-code is more suitable. Sophie details her work maintaining various apps across technologies and balancing stakeholder needs. We explore processes for decision-making, such as attending conferences to validate assumptions and learn best practices. Sophie emphasizes starting with data and considering factors like security when choosing tools. We dive into perspectives on challenges in rebuilding applications and strategies for technology selection and professional growth.

About this episode, and Sophie van den Akker in particular: you can find Sophie on LinkedIn or visit her website to read all her interesting blogs and learn more about her.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

85. From PHP to Azure: Navigating shifting tech landscapes - with Sander Molenkamp

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Sander Molenkamp, a principal cloud architect with over 20 years of experience. We discuss how Microsoft technologies like .NET have shaped his career journey. Sander shares details about his current role managing consultants and hosting community events. We dive into the challenges of predicting event attendance and mitigating high no-show rates. The conversation also touches on Sander's past adventure game projects. He explains how he rebuilt the engine in Blazor and has made the source code available online. We explore opportunities to reuse old code when exploring new technologies like AI. Additional topics include his experiences with different programming languages and tools over the years, and we debate preferences for Mac, Windows, or Linux environments.

About this episode, and Sander Molenkamp in particular: you can find Sander on X @amolenk and GitHub. Watch his videos on his YouTube channel dotnetFlix. Check out bitbash and get your tickets, and a big shout out to Dutch Garrison.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

84. Comparing Terraform, Pulumi and Bicep: Infrastructure as code - with Sam Cogan

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Sam Cogan, a Solution Architect from Willis Towers Watson. We discuss infrastructure as code and cloud automation. Sam shares his perspective on tools like Terraform, Pulumi, and Bicep - explaining why he prefers Pulumi's ability to use programming languages. We also dive into topics like simplifying container management with Azure Container Apps, the evolving state of cloud deployments and DevOps, and best practices for securely automating infrastructure. Beyond the technical discussions, we learn about Sam's work enabling large-scale risk analysis projects in the cloud.

About this episode, and Sam Cogan in particular: you can find Sam on X @samcogan and GitHub. You can also take a look at his website to read more about him and watch his interesting videos.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

83. Technology, process and people: Succeeding through digital evolution – with Karel Zikmund

Mon, 27 May 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Karel Zikmund, a principal software engineer at Microsoft. We discuss the technical and soft skills needed to succeed at different career stages. Karel provides insights on hiring practices, performance optimization, code reviews, and adapting to change in the fast-paced tech industry. Regarding performance, he advocates measuring where bottlenecks exist before optimizing. Karel warns against premature optimization or choosing technologies solely based on benchmarks. He also recommends code reviews and demos during interviews to evaluate a candidate’s deep understanding. We emphasize qualities like passion, humility, and continuous learning that help developers adapt to a changing field. Tune in to hear first-hand advice on thriving in this dynamic and evolving industry.

About this episode, and Karel Zikmund in particular: you can find Karel on X @ziki_cz and GitHub. You can also look at his website page to read more about him and his upcoming events.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

82. The constant evolution of IoT: How services and strategies are changing - with Pete Gallagher

Mon, 13 May 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Pete Gallagher, a full stack manager at Avanade and an Azure and IoT MVP. We discuss the evolution of IoT technology and Microsoft's approach. As IoT has matured, the focus has shifted from standalone hype to integrating these capabilities into broader data platforms. We explore how services like Azure, IoT, Grid, and Azure Arc are now preferred over past favorites like IoT Hub, while ensuring existing investments remain supported. We also highlight the underutilized Event Grid platform and share experiences building scalable solutions leveraging Azure's full suite of services. Additionally, we dive into creative hands-on projects that combine hardware, code, and cloud skills, encouraging listeners to pursue diverse interests in fun IoT endeavors, including areas like robotics and automation.

About this episode, and Pete Gallagher in particular: you can find Pete on X @pete_codes and GitHub. You can also look at his website to read all his interesting blogs, courses, and more.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

81. From APIs to natural language: The democratization of AI - with Henk Boelman

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Henk Boelman, a senior cloud advocate at Microsoft. We discuss recent advances in artificial intelligence. Henk explains how models like GPT have made AI more accessible through natural language interfaces. We delve into the rapid progression of the field and predict capabilities in multi-modal input and conversation. We discuss whether dedicated services will evolve independently or be replaced by generalized models. Testing and monitoring deployed AI is crucial, and we explore the need for more professionals in this area. Finally, we raise ethical issues surrounding the understanding of AI decisions.

About this episode, and Henk Boelman in particular: you can find Henk on X @hboelman and GitHub. You can also take a look at his website. And don't forget to check out the 'AI community day' on the 14th of May 2024 in DeFabrique in Utrecht. Get your tickets now!

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

80. Navigating microservices development: challenges and solutions - with Mark Heath

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Mark Heath. He is a software architect at NICE Systems, a Pluralsight author, and a Microsoft MVP. In this podcast, we discuss some of the key challenges involved with microservices development and newer technologies that aim to address those challenges, such as Aspire and Dapr. We also touch upon concepts like sidecar patterns and how starting with a monolithic architecture first before extracting services can be beneficial. The use of serverless technologies through Azure Functions was examined in depth. Specifically how durable functions can help solve issues around workflow orchestration that often arise in microservices architectures. Additionally, we explore topics such as optimizing performance at scale in multi-tenant environments and audio programming using .NET. Lastly, we discuss the evolution of the Azure Functions programming model and stress the importance of understanding infrastructure implications when developing cloud-based applications.

About this episode, and Mark Heath in particular: you can find Mark on X @Mark_heath and GitHub. You can also take a look at his website.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

79. Bits to Qubits: Exploring the promise and challenges of quantum computing - with Hanna Engel

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Hanna Engel. She is an Azure Cloud Solutions Specialist at Azelis. We dive into how quantum computers operate differently than classical computers using qubits and probabilities. This makes them well-suited for problems in AI, simulation, and optimization. Some companies are already pairing quantum with AI for applications like optimizing battery production. While challenges remain, experts predict continued exponential progress could enable a million qubit computer within five years. Once more widely available, entirely new uses may emerge across industries like healthcare. We cover the current capabilities and the long-term potential of quantum computing to transform fields. We also discuss issues like privacy, security, and responsible development.

About this episode, and Hanna Engel in particular: you can find Hanna on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

78. Demystifying AI: A real-world look at Copilot's capabilities and limitations in Power Platform - with Yannick Reekmans

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Yannick Reekmans. He is a managing partner and Microsoft cloud solution architect at Qubix. We talk about Microsoft Power Platform and AI. We discuss various topics, including the challenges of using Copilot due to data security and privacy concerns, limitations of security tools in Power Platform, embracing constructive criticism in software development, and differences in introversion and social energy levels. We also discuss the potential impact of generative AI on low-code development and the importance of control and quality when using AI-powered Copilots.

About this episode, and Yannick Reekmans in particular: you can find Yannick on X @yannickreekmans or LinkedIn. You can also read all his interesting blog posts on his website.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

77. Securing the Cloud: A conversation on digital transformation and security best practices - with Jessey Johnson

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we speak with Jessey Johnson, a Cloud Solution Architect and an Advanced Cloud Expert (ACE) at Microsoft, who serves as a bridge between business, IT, and technology. We delve into topics such as digital transformation, the evolving landscape of Azure, and address barriers to inclusion in the tech industry. Jessey shares her journey in assisting Dutch organizations to securely adopt cloud services and what ignited her passion for information security compliance. We explore Microsoft's emphasis on developing user-friendly security tools and discuss how cultural biases can hinder underrepresented groups.

About this episode, and Jessey Johnson in particular: you can find Jessey on LinkedIn.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

76. Protecting deals in the cloud: building security into every layer - with Oscar van Tol

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 10:00:00 +0100

In this special episode, Rick interviews Oscar. We talk about Oscar’s work at Virtual Vaults. For the people who don’t know, Oscar is the CTO of Virtual Vaults, a platform for M&A transactions. Mergers & Acquisitions, that is. We discuss the development of their SaaS platform, emphasizing security and compliance. Oscar highlights their focus on constant improvement through new features, evolving technologies, and an agile culture. He outlines their plans for the coming year, which include improving reliability, security, and developer experience through initiatives like moving to Azure Container Apps. We also cover topics like cloud adoption, software architectures, database choices, and lessons learned over the company's evolution.

About this episode, and Oscar van Tol in particular: you can find Oscar on @oscarvantol on X and GitHub.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

75. Cracking the code: A deep dive into data layer optimization - with Shay Rojansky

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Shay Rojansky. He is a Microsoft principal software engineer working on .NET data access and a performance member of the Entity Framework team. And he's a lead developer of Npgsql, the open source .NET data provider for PostgreSQL. We discuss various topics related to data and performance in .NET, such as the evolution of Entity Framework, debates on abstraction usage, database performance optimization, and breakthrough changes in software development. We share stories about improving performance for specific customer scenarios and benchmarking. Overall, we focus on gaining a full-stack understanding of software, using instrumentation to identify optimization opportunities, and emphasizing simple and accessible features over complexity.

About this episode, and Shay Rojansky in particular: you can find Shay on @shayrojansky on X and GitHub. Also, check out his website where you can read all his very interesting blogs.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

74. AI's impact, potential, and pitfalls: Insights from a cloud visionary - with Sakari Nahi

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Sakari Nahi. He is responsible for the vision, brand, and quality of his company Zure. He is a Microsoft Regional Director and an Azure MVP. He has over twenty years of experience creating custom software and ten years of experience with Azure. He is the founder of the Finland Azure user group and a co-host at the Finnish podcast Ikkunastudio. They talk about the early days of Azure and public clouds, the evolution of services like Cosmos DB, and AI capabilities on Azure. Sakari shares some of his favorite features in Azure over the years. They also talk about the potential of AI and how it can help with productivity but may not replace developers' jobs.

About this episode, and Sakari Nahi in particular: you can find Sakari on @sakarinahi on X and LinkedIn. Also, check out his podcast Ikkunastudio, and the website of his company Zure.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

73. Inside the mind of a hacker: Learning to think like your adversaries - with Gerben van de Wiel

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Gerben van de Wiel. He is a Principal Cloud Security Architect at Betabit, specializing in bolstering security through meticulous pen testing and detailed software assessments at YieldDD. Gerben's proficiency is not just limited to assessments; he is also adept at creating and conducting security-focused training programs to elevate the readiness to counteract cyber threats. They discuss Gerben's work in security assessments and training programs. They talk about how the cybersecurity landscape has changed over time, with more professional attackers and widespread ransomware attacks. Gerben describes the different types of security testing they perform such as white box testing using source code. They discuss challenges such as keeping up with new vulnerabilities and tools as the field changes rapidly.

About this episode, and Gerben van de Wiel in particular: you can find Gerben on GitHub and LinkedIn. Also, check out his many Betatalks videos in which he discusses even more security and development.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

72. Christmas special: Looking back at all the amazing episodes, guests and tech developments of 2023 - with Rick & Oscar

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we have a Christmas special. We talk with two very special guests, the hosts themselves. They look back at some of their favorite episodes from the past year, such as interviews with Jimmy Bogart about open source, Sarah Young about security, and Edward Keilholz about Azure Container Apps. They discuss how they enjoyed learning about topics outside their daily work and getting to know the people behind the technologies.

We want to thank all our guests for an amazing year, and we hope to see you in 2024.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

71. Training AI models, the Microsoft Learn platform and entrepreneurship - with Sherry List

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Sherry List. She has worked with a variety of web technologies in the past and currently works as Senior Program Manager at Microsoft. Apart from her everyday job, she is chairperson of the board at Hack Your Future. She is also a co-founder of Synthetic AI Data and of the ngVikings and ngSpain conference, as well as some Meetups groups, such as ngCopenhagen, Women Techmakers Denmark and ForDevs. We talk about her work at Microsoft managing the Learn platform. They discuss how Learn brings together documentation, tutorials, Q&A, and the Architecture Center. Sherry also talks about her side projects - she is a co-founder of a startup called Synthetic AI Data that generates synthetic images to train AI models, and she is chairperson of HYF (Hack Your Future), an organization in Denmark that helps people from disadvantaged groups become web developers. We also dive into Sherry's motivations for helping others and the impact of her work.

About this episode, and Sherry List in particular: you can find @sherrrylst on X and LinkedIn. Also, check out HYF and her company website Synthetic AI Data.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

70. The future of global Azure: Sharing knowledge and growing the community - with Rik Hepworth

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Rik Hepworth. He is a Chief Consulting Officer at Black Marble. That means his days are spent herding cats as he manages developers and consultants. He is proud to have been awarded Microsoft MVP in Azure since 2014 and he's been a Microsoft Regional Director since 2020. Passionate about community, Rik helps organise two community dev conferences in the UK and is a member of the central organising team for global Azure. We discuss the history and evolution of global Azure from an event focused on introducing people to Azure to one focused more on sharing knowledge and best practices. We talk about the challenges of running in-person events post-pandemic, like higher no-show rates and difficulties finding venues. We discuss the various ways people can get involved with global Azure, including organizing local events, speaking, attending, or sponsoring. The goal is to bring the Azure community together from around the world over three days to learn and share ideas.

About this episode, and Rik Hepworth in particular: you can find @rikhepworth on X and GitHub. Check out his website and read his blogs.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

69. An introduction into the world of Endpoint Security and Intune - with Rudy Ooms

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Rudy Ooms. He is a Microsoft MVP and he has been working for Deltacom for 22 years as a Cloud Architect. He is also the owner of Call4Cloud. He does a lot of blogging and he might be the Intune engineering team’s worst enemy. We discuss endpoint security and device management with Intune. Rudy shares insights from his experience debugging Intune and finding bugs to report to Microsoft. We cover topics like Windows LAPS, Endpoint Privilege Management, declarative device management using desired state configuration, and services like MMPC that are improving how devices can be managed without requiring Azure AD join. We also dive into the future direction of Intune and related tools for securely managing devices in hybrid and cloud environments.

About this episode, and Rudy Ooms in particular: you can find Rudy on X @Mister_MDM & Reddit. Read all his interesting blogs and more on his website Call4Cloud.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

68. Cloud Evolution: Insights on Azure's Past, Present and Future - with Magnus Mårtensson

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Magnus Mårtensson. He is an entrepreneur, an MVP for Azure since the start of the cloud, and a Microsoft Regional Director. He is a consultant, architect, and product development lead, and he runs his own company Lofty Soft. As an international speaker, his passions include connecting with audiences and organizing conferences. We discuss Magnus' background working with Azure for many years and running community events like Global Azure. We talk about the early days of Azure and how it has evolved significantly over 15 years. We also dive into challenges large companies face in optimizing their cloud usage and developing a culture of automation. We touch on Magnus' consulting company Lofty Soft and how he helps customers optimize their cloud usage. We also cover the importance of physical wellness for those in sedentary jobs, and how Magnus uses a fitness tracker and activities like gardening and cooking to stay active.

About this episode, and Magnus Mårtensson in particular: you can find Magnus on Twitter @noopman & GitHub. Read all his interesting blogs on his website. And, don't forget to check out his company website Lofty Soft.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

67. Beyond "If Statements": A Developer's Perspective on AI - with Willem Meints

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Willem Meints. He is a software architect who has been working with AI for 10 years. He is the author of the book "Deep learning with Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit Quick Start Guide". With his background in electronics and software engineering, he brings a unique view on how companies can use machine learning with a keen eye for DevOps and continuous delivery that's often overlooked in this field. We discuss where AI currently stands in its development, with Willem saying it is becoming a teenager. We talk about how companies can get started with AI by doing small proof of concepts instead of large projects. Ensuring AI use cases are linked to business goals is important. And we cover the challenges of machine learning operations and explainable AI. Overall, the discussion focuses on practical applications of AI and how developers can start using it as another tool in their toolbox.

About this episode, and Willem Meints in particular: you can find Willem on Twitter @willem_meints & GitHub. Read all his interesting blogs on 'Willem's Fizzy Logic' and find his book here.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

66. Developing critical thinking skills and choosing different technologies - with Laïla Bougriâ

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Laïla Bougriâ. She is a software engineer and solution architect with over 15 years of experience in the .NET space. She's a Microsoft Azure MVP and a frequent speaker at conferences around the world. Laïla is busy building NServiceBus at Particular Software and solving distributed riddles. When she's not immersed in code, Laïla enjoys indulging in her favorite pastime - knitting! We discuss critical thinking skills and how they can be developed and applied in software development projects. We talk about the importance of collaboration and getting different perspectives from team members with varied backgrounds and experiences. We also discuss the challenges of choosing appropriate technologies for projects and keeping teams up to date with new tools and languages. Laïla shares her experiences with public speaking and how mentors helped her get started.

About this episode, and Laïla Bougriâ in particular: you can find Laïla on Twitter @noctovis & GitHub and on Mastadon.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

65. Mastering Azure Operations: The importance of Infrastructure as Code - with Wesley Haakman

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Wesley Haakman. He is a Microsoft Azure MVP and Lead Azure Architect at Intercept, transitioned from managing Linux environments to mastering the Microsoft platform since Windows 2003. His passion for Microsoft Azure led to a journey of sharing insights with peers, customers, and partners, designing cloud solutions, participating in preview programs, and delivering workshops and technical sessions. We discuss Wesley's career journey working with Microsoft Azure over many years. We talk about how Azure has evolved tremendously from the early days. Wesley emphasizes the importance of infrastructure as code and having the operational mindset to properly manage cloud environments. We also explore his passion for public speaking and how he overcame nerves to enjoy sharing his knowledge. Additionally, Wesley predicts that artificial intelligence capabilities on Azure, especially through services like Open AI, will drive major changes in the coming years for how organizations adopt and leverage AI. Overall, the podcast provides insights into Azure developments and operations best practices from Wesley's perspective as a longtime expert in the cloud space.

About this episode, and Wesley Haakman in particular: you can find Wesley on LinkedIn & Github. Check out his website for all his interesting blogs and more.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

64. Tech Talk Times: Discussing technology, techniques and career - with Daniel Marbach

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Daniel Marbach. He is a Software Engineer at Particular Software, makers of NServiceBus, and a Microsoft MVP for Integration. He can bend minds and spoons with asynchronous programming and has contributed to many open-source projects. We talk about Daniel's background and career path, with a focus on his extensive open-source contributions. He emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and understanding technologies at multiple levels. He also stresses finding the right balance between hands-on work and higher-level responsibilities. Daniel shares his process for thoroughly researching codebases to solve problems. We also discuss Daniel's self-imposed router hack. And we explore the value of knowledge sharing and learning from unsuccessful career moves. Emphasizing skills like self-reflection, getting outside perspectives, and prioritizing mental well-being.

About this episode, and Daniel Marbach in particular: you can find Daniel on Twitter @danielmarbach & Github. Check out his website - planetgeek.ch – Your source of geek knowledge - for all his interesting blogs and more.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

63. The Future of Security Controls, CSPM tools and securing AI - with Sarah Young

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Sarah Young. She is a Senior Cloud Security Advocate at Microsoft, holds numerous industry qualifications, and has co-authored a few Microsoft Press technical books. She won the Security Champion award at the Australian Women in Security Awards and is a co-host of the Microsoft Azure Security Podcast. We discuss the changing face of security and how it has evolved from being an afterthought to being integrated throughout the development lifecycle. Traditional perimeter-based security approaches are no longer effective in today's cloud and distributed environments. Instead, identity-based security and zero-trust models are becoming more prevalent. We also talk about how security needs to be easy and frictionless for developers in order to be effective. Simply telling developers to implement security controls is not enough - the secure option must also be the easy option. We talk about the trends in cloud security posture management tools and securing AI that can help automate routine security tasks. Overall, the key takeaway is that while security principles remain the same, the approach needs to shift to be integrated, automated, and frictionless in order to be adopted by developers.

About this episode, and Sarah Young in particular: you can find Sarah on Twitter @_sarahyo & LinkedIn. Check out her podcast 'The Azure Security Podcast' and if you want to know more about Sarah and her books go to her website.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

62. Empowering productivity: a Flowmance with Power Automate - with Azure McFarlane

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Azure McFarlane, a BizApps MVP, and a senior consultant at Hitachi Solutions in Washington DC. Her specialty is Microsoft Power Platform and she has an established Flowmance with Power Automate. She serves as Head of Global Partnerships and Growth at TechStylers and she co-hosts a community podcast 'Cloud Conversations'. We talk about her background and how she ended up at Microsoft, where she found her passion in the world of automation and leveraging Power Automate to revolutionize workflows and boost productivity and efficiency. Power Automate is a workflow engine, part of Microsoft's more low-code development platform Power Platform. It provides an easy-to-use solution for automating tasks and business processes among more than 1,000 different apps and services, saving valuable time. We talk about desktop flows, explore real-world examples and gain insight into the transformative potential of Power Automate, not just for technical people. Furthermore, we talk about mentorship and which cult movies are or aren't a must-watch.

About this episode, and Azure McFarlane in particular: you can find Azure on Twitter @amac_ncheese, LinkedIn and the podcast Cloud Converstations.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

61. Beyond the code: Exploring the world of software due diligence - with Ferenc Németh

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Ferenc Németh, a senior consulting architect at YieldDD Software Due Diligence. With his decades of experience, he helps companies make the right strategic choices by performing software due diligence, software assessments, and security assessments. We talk about how to correctly assess software quality and provide consulting services. Ferenc tells all about how YieldDD goes beyond automated tools and provides insight and interpretation, allowing clients to fully understand all aspects of the software and eliminate unnecessary risks. Their services are sought after in mergers, acquisitions, and cloud transitions. He emphasizes the importance of considering the broader context when evaluating software. We also dive into the importance of conducting security assessments and testing data quality, as well as security and AI considerations in software development. We discuss the benefits of Open Source software. Ferenc encourages companies to consider making non-critical parts of their software Open Source to improve quality. Balancing technical and business demands to achieve better code and software is discussed. And, we touch upon the role of AI tools in coding.

About this episode, and Ferenc Németh in particular: you can find Ferenc on LinkedIn and visit the website of YieldDD and find out even more about Software Due Diligence.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

60. How security is everywhere & the balance between legislation and innovation - with Scott Helme

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Scott Helme, a Security Researcher, Entrepreneur, and International Speaker. He's the creator of Report URI and Security Headers and delivers world-renowned training on hacking and encryption. We talk about how his Nissan Leaf was an eye-opener in how systems could be hacked by someone on the other side of the world. In the automotive industry, they are connecting things, via the internet, that have never been connected before. We discuss what would be the next big wave of access and privacy issues. We discuss what role legislation should have regarding security. Technology improves and evolves faster than governments can legislate. There is a risk that legislation might accidentally stifle innovation. This is a tricky balance. We also talk about his work on Security Headers and Report URI. And, we talk a bit about his love for cars. He is a huge car geek.

About this episode, and Scott Helme in particular: you can find Scott on Twitter at @Scott_Helme & GitHub. Visit his website and read all his interesting blogs, trainings, and where he is speaking.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

59. Enterprise Cloud Adoption and the AI Hype Cycle - with Eric Berg

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Eric Berg. He works as Vice President Consulting Expert and Global Alliance Manager for Microsoft at CGI, and he is a member of the Microsoft Community. He regularly writes blogs and produces the GeekSprech podcast and GeekSchau webcast. Eric also runs the Azure Thüringen Meetup and is a well-known speaker at conferences. Besides that, he is also a LinkedIn Learning trainer. His motto is: "The community lives from the community, and only those who join in keep it alive!" We will dive into his motto and why he thinks it is so important to be an active member of the community. We talk about how he started blogging and when he realized that he could really make an impact. We also discuss his role as a Vice President Consulting Expert. We also touch on the new buzzword AI. The most common question today, according to Eric, is whether OpenAI on Azure or any other AI service will be available in your region. Everybody is talking about AI, and that's the thing with the AI Hype Cycle. How good is it actually going to be, and in what ways will it develop? We also delve into ChatGPT and how AI works with that and other tools. We also compare the AI Hype Cycle to Cloud Adoption.

About this episode, and Eric Berg in particular: you can find Eric on Twitter at @ericberg_de & GitHub. Visit his website and read all his interesting blogs and more. And here you can find a direct link to his podcast GeekSprech on Spotify and his GeekSchau on Youtube.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

58. Accidental successful open source while being a consultant and managing different technologies - Jimmy Bogard

Mon, 29 May 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Jimmy Bogard. Jimmy is the creator and maintainer of the popular OSS libraries AutoMapper and MediatR. He has received the MVP award every year since 2009. We talk about AutoMapper and why he created it. It has hundreds of millions of downloads and it is almost scary how many people depend on it. He never imagined that it would grow so big. In his day job as an independent software consultant, he builds custom software for his clients. We talk about how migrating towards a new technology isn’t necessarily an easy path. We discuss how modernization projects can be influenced by governance and forces outside a team. We also dive into Azure PaaS and compare this to scaling on prem. Next to that how the cloud opens the door to infrastructure that you wouldn't have the ability to maintain yourself. Last but not least, some "it depends" and beer!

About this episode, and Jimmy Bogard in particular: you can find Jimmy on Twitter at @jbogard & GitHub. Visit his website and read all his interesting blogs and also one about MediatR 12.0 released. Here you can also find the library of AutoMapper.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

57. Decoupling clients & APIs with HATEOAS - with Sander ten Brinke

Mon, 15 May 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Sander ten Brinke. He is a Lead Software Engineer at Arcady and Microsoft MVP for the Developer Technologies Category. He loves working with .NET, Azure, and DevOps and is passionate about HATEOAS. HATEOAS is an acronym for Hypermedia As The Engine Of Application State and Sander will explain what it does and how it works. We also discuss how he started with HATEOAS and how it helps evolve server functionalities. Sander works on a lot of different development platforms like web and cloud, but also mobile and game development. We also look back on him becoming an MVP in December 2022. He loves to share knowledge via speaking, meetups, and blogging.

About this episode, and Sander ten Brinke in particular: you can find Sander on Twitter at @sandertenbrinke & GitHub. Visit his website and read all his interesting blogs. Here you can also find the links to the library of Risk First.HATEOAS, the Arcady IT GitHub repository.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

56. Building Drabble.social using Azure PaaS - with Bram de Buyser

Mon, 01 May 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Bram de Buyser, he is a freelance technical architect and developer, primarily in data engineering and scalable platforms. Bram talks about his adventures building Drabble.social, how do you start a Twitter alternative? We talk about the key features of Drabble and concepts like how to design a timeline for the user. Bram explains how Azure PaaS services are helping him to build a seriously scalable architecture on a starter budget and how not having to invest upfront keeps options open to redesign when needed. We also talk about the influence of AI and Large Language Models and where Bram expects this to be most useful for a social network.

About this episode, and Bram de Buyser in particular: you can find Bram on Twitter at @chton & GitHub. Visit his website and also take a look at his drabble.social which is now in public preview.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

55. Azure Landing Zones, Cloud adoption framework and Infrastructure as Code - with Erwin Staal

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Erwin Staal. As an Azure Architect and DevOps consultant he loves helping companies deliver their software to customers using DevOps practices and cloud-native architectures. He believes in the power of both the monolith and microservices and prefers to run his workload on the Azure cloud and/or Kubernetes. We talk about Azure Landing Zones; what they are, why you want them, and the cloud adaption framework. An Azure Landing Zone is the output of a multi-subscription Azure environment that accounts for scale, security governance, networking, and identity. It enables application migration, modernization, and innovation at enterprise scale in Azure. Erwin has been involved in building and reviewing various Azure Landing Zones over the last couple of years. And he sees them as one of the pillars underneath a proper cloud adoption. Microsoft makes a distinction between two types of Landing Zones, which we will dive into. It’s a whole architecture, a structure of subscriptions, that allows you to host your workloads in a scalable, manageable way. We discuss the pros and cons of Azure Landing zones and how to get the proper permissions. We also dive into Infrastructure as code, which he wrote a book about. The book focuses on how to deliver your resources on Azure using infrastructure as code and then specifically Bicep. Erwin is in the process of writing an article and creating a new session on ‘Infrastructure as Code on Azure: Bicep vs. Pulumi vs. Terraform’. He found that a lot of people were asking which tool he prefers and when to use which, so he thought ‘why not’ write that down? Next to all this, we talk about which book changed his life and his participation in the Marathon of Rotterdam.

About this episode, and Erwin Staal in particular: you can find Erwin on Twitter at @erwin_staal & GitHub. And, visit his website and read all his interesting blogs. You can also find his book here.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

54. Cloud native and the Container landscape on Azure - with Daniel Paulus

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Daniel Paulus. He is a serial conference organizer and meetup runner, a principal consultant at Bryte Blue, a Microsoft Azure focused consultancy company, and a Microsoft Azure MVP. He is helping companies succeed with Cloud Native technologies and DevOps practices. We talk about Bryte Blue, what it is, and what he does there. We dive into his love for Containers and where his interest in containers came from. He once started as an engineer at a firm using mainly Apple. After that, he worked at a consultancy where he worked with Red Hat and Open Source Linux. Here he came in contact with virtualization and sandboxed applications, in the pre-container time. After that, Docker came around and he saw the landscape shift. He also saw Microsoft investing in Open Source and moving to embracing Linux and containers. From the beginning, he was on top of the Container technology. We talk about his thoughts on the adoption of AKS by consumers and Windows Containers. He also tells his story about his burnout and what he did to overcome it. The advice he got was to go out into nature and be active. That is what helped him. And, he still makes sure that he is walking outside every morning and evening. Being surrounded by technology is good, but always take good care of yourself and go out.

About this episode, and Daniel Paulus in particular: you can find Daniel on Twitter at @PaulusTM & GitHub. And, visit his website and read all his interesting blogs. Or, visit his meetups Go Azure and AKS Meetup

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

53. The simplification of deep technical knowledge & the benefits and drawbacks of ChatGPT - with Joe Carlyle

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Joe Carlyle, a Microsoft MVP and head of Azure at eir evo in Dublin. He has a passion for creating Azure content, from blogs and new feature commentaries to deployment guides and troubleshooting help. We discuss the key role of communication for developers, especially in roles that need to bring customers and tech together. The simplification of deep technical knowledge, explaining a complex solution in a way that will get business case buy-in, is essential. Your ability to communicate nearly outweighs your technical capabilities, because it doesn't matter how good you are in terms of implementation or design, if you can't explain yourself, it doesn’t help anyone. And we dive into the fact that sharing your knowledge, at conferences or online, helps you simplify deep technical knowledge. Because you show extra diligence about putting all the right details there to help someone, and yourself. Furthermore, we talk about GitHub Copilot and especially ChatGPT, how it’s being used (and tricked), its use cases, its limits, and how it's able to take multiple queries, put them together, and give you an answer that can be quite comprehensive and beneficial. Is it inspiring and an advancement, or does it threaten your ability to retain information because you lose the experience of writing code? We conclude with a discussion about Azure PaaS, networking, VMS and serverless. He really likes Azure networking, because everyone is involved in one way or another. And how it is impossible to be an expert in all areas; jack of all trades, master of none.

About this episode, and Joe Carlyle in particular: you can find Joe @wedoAzure and read his blogs here on wedoazure.ie.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

52. Home automation and security done right (and wrong) - with Stephan van Rooij

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk to Stephan van Rooij, an MVP in security, who writes stuff on Azure AD application security, mainly focused on multi-tenant applications. He founded Roostersync, the most popular product for synchronizing millions of items from different school timetable applications with Microsoft 365 calendars on a weekly basis. He likes to tinker with home automation devices and created several open source projects on this topic. We discuss sonos2mqtt, his most successful project with over 235,000 pulls from Docker Hub, and how you can use this in your home automation. We dive into the security side of home automation and the precautions he takes, such as splitting up his home network and monitoring DNS traffic to block tracking. This led to his discovery that his “smart” oven was sending requests to three domains every five minutes, namely; google.com, yandex.ru, and baidu.cn. Apparently, the manufacturer uses global infrastructure to test internet connectivity. Strange, to say the least. We continue with Stephan’s reasons for always using local control for his home automation devices. And his enthusiasm for Home Assistant, an open source home automation and privacy-oriented platform, which he runs on his Raspberry Pi. Furthermore, we discuss using Microsoft Teams’ local API too, for example, show your availability status via a light at your home office door, or even turn off your camera when someone opens your door. We conclude with a discussion about security, using Key Vault in a multi-tenant application, Azure Active Directory, SSO (Single Sign-On), and going passwordless.

About this episode, and Stephan van Rooij in particular: you can find Stephan on Twitter @svrooij & GitHub. You can read all his blogs on his website you can also find his blog there about, protection against certificate extraction. And, visit the website of FIRST the Tech Challenge.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

51. Minimal web API’s and API Management & learning by teaching - with Jonah Andersson

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk to Jonah Andersson. She is a Filipina, Swedish full stack .NET software engineer, a Microsoft Azure MVP and certified trainer, the founder of Azure User Group Sweden, and an advocate for gender equality in the tech industry. We dive into minimal web API’s in .NET, what they actually do, the benefits of using them and some use cases. For example, when combining them with Azure API Management. And the difference from a full blown MVC project. We discuss how she became a public speaker, got involved with the Extend Women in Tech Podcast and even became the co-host. And what it is like to be a mentor, a role model, and how she became one. We talk about the fast-paced (digital) world, being present in the moment, and taking time for yourself. Jonah loves taking time to write and even wrote the book "Learning Microsoft Azure". She explains why she wrote it, who should read it, and how the writing process went. How she learned to write neutrally, which is not as easy as you might think, and how this also applies to public speaking.

About this episode, and Jonah Andersson in particular: you can find Jonah on Twitter at @cjkodare & GitHub. You can read all her interesting blogs on her website. Find out more about the book Learning Microsoft Azure. And, listen to her in the Extend Women in Tech podcast.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

50. Behind the scenes of Umbraco; modernization, infrastructure as code and the Azure ecosystem - with Morten Christensen

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk to Morten Christensen. He works at Umbraco HQ where he helps build Umbraco Cloud and the Headless cloud offering. Morten is also an Azure MVP, Azure Lover, and community addict. First, of course, we dive into Umbraco, an open source content management system based in .NET. We talk about the headless offering and the benefits for both Umbraco and its users. And we discuss a big project at Umbraco in recent years: Morten and his team needed to modernize their cloud platform. From running on virtual machines to a platform as a service. They had to rebuild everything from scratch on Azure App Service in gradually transition customers to the new platform. And in part, the goal was also to modernize their own service infrastructure, updating all their own services to the latest .NET Core and Linux-based containers. And Morten talks about the considerations and choices they made regarding infrastructure as code, for example, choosing between ARM or Terraform. Another thing we talk about is the fact that Morten does a lot for the tech community, organizing user group meetups and conferences. Furthermore, we dive a bit deeper into his love for Azure. We discuss the Azure ecosystem, the service he is most impressed with, Azure Service Bus, and the fact that Azure has become so big that it is (almost) impossible to know everything about Azure. And finally, how does Umbraco monitor their platform and respond to scaling issues or outages? Morten explains how his team uses Application Insights and what they do with the insights. And how they use the practices from Team Topologies, his favorite book, to structure their development teams.

About this episode, and Morten Christensen in particular: you can find Morten on Twitter at @sitereactor & GitHub. You can read all his interesting blogs on his website. Find out more about the book Team Topologies here. And, watch his talk from Cloudburst about the challenges they have been through via YouTube.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

49. Using Azure Container Apps, KEDA, Infrastructure as Code and ARM - with Eduard Keilholz

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk to Eduard Keilholz. He is a Cloud Solution Architect and a Microsoft Azure MVP, who focuses mainly on C# and Azure, and has a strong affinity for Angular. We talk about how to become a Microsoft MVP and the importance of intrinsic motivation to share knowledge. We discuss how people are afraid to fail, but you should never fear failure; whatever knowledge you share there is always someone for whom it is valuable. Next, we talk about a demo and polling app he uses in his talks, and how he created it using microservices and Azure Container Apps. Container Apps is a new service that sits in the middle between Container Instances on one hand and Azure Kubernetes Service on the other. Eduard explains why he believes that this service is really amazing. And we dive more into KEDA, Kubernetes, and Event-Driven Autoscaling. Furthermore, we discuss Infrastructure as Code. A topic Eduard has even written a book on. He believes that if you say you are doing DevOps but not Infrastructure as Code, you are not truly doing DevOps. We talk about the many options you have to do Infrastructure as Code. In his book, he focuses on everything concerning ARM, Azure Resource Manager, and its features, usage, and benefits. And we conclude with some advice about Bicep.

About this episode, and Eduard Keilholz in particular: you can find @ed_dotnet on Twitter & GitHub. Check out his blogs on his website. And, you can find his book: Infrastructure as code here on GitHub or order the book here.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

48. Modern Workplace solutions; Microsoft Viva, Loop and Teams Premium & the Dutch Women in Tech initiative - with Femke Cornelissen

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk to Femke Cornelissen, a Technical Evangelist at Wortell and co-founder and Community Manager of Dutch Women in Tech. Femke is the host of Microsoft talks on Twitter Spaces, where they discuss Microsoft solutions, and a Microsoft 365 blogger with only Dutch content. We talk about her role as Technical Evangelist, where she spreads the word about Microsoft Modern Workplace; its solutions, what’s new and everything about it. For example, Microsoft Viva, which is a productivity tool for a better employer and employee experience. We dive into the features and benefits of Viva. We talk about the Dutch Women in Tech initiative, which aims to get more women involved and interested in IT, and how they try to do that. She also explains that she hosts talks on Twitter Spaces to share knowledge, talk to different people with different perspectives, and enable discussions on specific topics. Last but not least, we talk about Microsoft Ignite and the announcements there about Microsoft 365. In particular, about Microsoft Loop and Teams Premium.

About this episode, and Femke Cornelissen in particular: you can find @Femkedebruin on Twitter & GitHub. Check out her website and read the blogs. Here you can find her community 'Dutch women in tech'. And, listen en join 'Cloud Conversations' on Twitter.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

47. End of the year special: Favorite podcast moments, tech developments & amazing guests - with Rick & Oscar

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with two very special guests, Rick & Oscar themselves. We look back on a very exciting podcast year for us. And we dive into our favorite podcast moments. Rick & Oscar also share what they think were the most memorable tech developments this year. Furthermore, Rick makes a new year announcement you would not want to miss, they take a look into the future and discuss what they think is coming next year in tech. In short, this is an episode you do not want to miss!

We want to thank all our guests for an amazing year, and we hope to see you in 2023.

We wish you a happy new year!

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

46. Building robotics & Azure IoT - with Maria-Anastasia Moustaka

Mon, 26 Dec 2022 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk to Maria-Anastasia Moustaka, a software engineer and robotics trainer and mentor. She is a Gold Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador, Microsoft IoT MVP and has won many international robotics competitions with her robotics club ULP. We dive into what her first steps were with IoT and robotics, which started when she saw that her university had a robotics team. She bought her own robotics kit, practiced building robotics for a year, and gained knowledge about Arduino before joining the team. And we talk about robotics competitions, their requirements, and challenges. She explains that the languages she used in these competitions were mostly C++ and Java, but now she prefers .NET. Furthermore, we talk about her being a Gold Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador, a community for students who want to learn all about Microsoft technologies. She gives presentations and she does Twitch live streams in which she tries to inspire and motivate students to learn more about tech, development, and robotics. As a robotics teacher, she loves to help kids and also women and girls to do more in this tech (robotics) field.

About this episode, and Maria-Anastasia in particular: you can find @mariamou_7 on Twitter & GitHub. Check out her 'All about Azure IoT' presentation she gave as a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador. And, visit her website where you can read her blogs about IoT.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

45. End-to-End Testing with Playwright and the use of codegen - with Debbie O'Brien

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk to Debbie O'Brien, a senior program manager at Microsoft. Where she is in charge of advocating Playwright End-to-End Testing. Debbie has over 10 years of experience in front-end development. We dive straight into why Playwright is becoming increasingly popular. A lot of developers don’t like to write tests; they think it’s boring, takes too much time, or is hard to learn. Debbie explains that one of Playwright’s features is codegen, which generates the tests for you and helps you write better code. What problems do Playwright and codegen solve? And what’s coming in the near future? Moreover, we elaborate on what Playwright exactly is; its best features and benefits, what it does differently, and how easily it integrates. For example, it works in VS Code, you literally only have to press the green triangle to run it. Ultimately, the goal is to make testing a lot easier for people so that we have more people testing. We discuss how the testing world is shifting and how Debbie thinks that we’re moving more towards an end-to-end world rather than unit testing. Because your code changes. You're constantly modifying it. And what this means for the testing community and a company’s testing culture. Furthermore, we talk about the work Debbie’s team has done, and is doing to further advance Playwright. So, if you haven’t tried Playwright yet, give it a try, you won't regret it.

About this episode, and Debbie O'Brien in particular: you can find @debs_obrien on Twitter & GitHub. And, don't forget to check out her website where you can find all her blogs and videos with all her courses.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

44. App modernization, cloud readiness and an agile model of cloud migration - with Rik Hepworth

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk to Rik Hepworth. As Microsoft Azure MVP, member of the Microsoft Regional Director program, and Chief Consulting Officer at Black Marble, he helps organizations make better use of the cloud. We talk about his role at Black Marble and how it is a development shop at heart; helping customers reach a higher level of maturity in terms of Application Lifecycle Management or DevOps, and helping them with app modernization, cloud adoption and migration. And we dive into the entire process of getting an on-premises solution ready for migration to the cloud in small baby steps. Talking about the reasons their customers need to move to the cloud, the difficulties and challenges they face with migration projects, and how to deal with them; he has broken this down into five stages of app migration. Subsequent, he explains that organizations need to be aware of two great things: business value and risk. And business value has got to be the principal driver for pushing you to the cloud, but in doing so, you need to minimize risk. That might mean foregoing a full cloud migration, opting for a hybrid solution and experimenting with an agile model of migration. Because a big plus of cloud computing is experimentation, trying out cloud services and solutions, just to switch it off if it doesn’t work. Which is more difficult with hardware. And as Rik explains, most businesses don’t realize how big of a deal this is; they need to start their migration project years before they decommission their database (licenses) and hardware. You need to look forward, because businesses and IT are evolving rapidly, especially in the last 10 years. Thus, are you ready for cloud migration?

About this episode, and Rik Hepworth in particular: you can find @rikhepworth on Twitter and GitHub. Check out his website and read his blogs.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

43. Serverless and Azure Functions, SaaS product Ably & creating Pixel art and retro games - with Marc Duiker

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk to Marc Duiker, he is a senior developer advocate at Ably and has a strong focus on event-driven architectures in the Azure cloud and serverless technologies. He started Azure Functions University on GitHub, a free and open-source learning curriculum. He likes to create pixel art, code visuals & music, and design retro games. We talk about his job at Ably, everything you need to know about Ably and their SaaS product; real-time communication, native WebSockets, its security, and how it compares to Azure Web PubSub are discussed. And he shares what it's like to move from a consulting role in a services company to a technology company making a technical product. We dive into his hobbies of creating pixel artwork and small retro games, for example, his Azure Function logo game. How his pixel art avatars went, sort of, viral. How he even added pixel art animals to the VS Code Pets extension. And learning new techniques or languages in the process, such as TypeScript. Furthermore, Marc is probably one of the biggest advocates of Serverless and Azure Functions in the Netherlands. So, we touch upon why he thinks Serverless is so powerful, his Azure Functions University on GitHub, and creating custom bindings.

About this episode, and Marc Duiker in particular: you can find @marcduiker on Twitter, GitHub and his Azure Functions University GitHub. And, don't forget to read his blogs and his recent blog on Cloud PubSub services compared: Azure Web PubSub vs Ably. You can also find all of his links and his retro games via his Linktree.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

42. Programming languages; from .NET and C# to JavaScript, from Python to Rust, and even Rockstar - with Dylan Beattie

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk to Dylan Beattie, who is a Microsoft MVP and international keynote speaker. He is the director of Ursatile, the creator of the Rockstar programming language, and has performed his software-themed parodies of classic rock songs all over the world as Dylan Beattie and the Linebreakers. We talk about his programming language – Rockstar - in which he writes programs that resemble bad song lyrics. It started as a joke, but it actually worked and went viral. And how it made him use technologies like Rust, Scala and Python, or techniques like building interpreters in JavaScript, parsing expression grammar, recursive descent parsing, continuation passing, flow control, and more. We dive deeper into the fact that people do better work when they are enjoying themselves. Real software development is a craft, where we solve problems that have never been solved before. It can be a difficult and frustrating process; you get stuck and we underestimate how much time it can take. Sometimes you have to step back and do something else to get that creative process going again – tip: take a notebook with you so you don’t forget your good ideas. We also discuss the basics every developer should know, what skills a developer should have, and how there are three kinds of software that you might write. And, last but not least, we talk about how Windows as a development platform has gotten a lot better in the last 25 years, about different programming languages, especially C# and .NET, about (programming) language proficiency versus fluency, about translating programming expertise from one language to another, and his love for JavaScript.

About this episode, and Dylan Beattie in particular: you can find @dylanbeattie on Twitter and GitHub. Check out his website dylanbeattie.net and The Rockstar programming language at codewithrockstar.com. And, listen to 'Dylan Beattie and the Linebreakers' music on his YouTube channel.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

41. From closed-source to source-open to open-source & the essence of edutainment - with Scott Hanselman

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk to Scott Hanselman, who works in Open Source on .NET and the Azure Cloud for Microsoft and is a well-known – perhaps famous - face in the .NET community. He has been a developer for 30 years, has been blogging at hanselman.com for 20 years, has been podcasting for hanselminutes.com and Azure Friday for more than 15 years, and has written a number of technical books. We talk about how he creates his ‘edutainment’; providing entertainment and education, keeping it fun and yet making people think about all the possibilities. For example, by bringing old technology into the modern world, as he recently did by connecting a Commodore 64 to the internet. So it’s half fun, half getting people's brains working. We discuss why he likes to visit thrift shops and the importance of the right to repair; he does not want to be a part of the throwaway society – waste not, want not - and prefers to give away his obsolete (tech) items to someone who can use them. We also dive a little deeper into his Microsoft journey, as he received his 15-year congratulatory email this month. He recalls his collaboration with Scott Guthrie to work on Ruby on Rails and his participation in the first open-source .NET project. Especially zooming in on the change from closed-source to source-open – Rotor as Microsoft called it – to finally truly open-source. And what it entailed to get here.

About this episode, and Scott Hanselman in particular: you can find @shanselman on Twitter and GitHub. Check out his blogs on hanselman.com or watch his video's on his YouTube channel. Also, don't forget to check out his TikTok and listen to his podcasts 'hanselminutes'.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

40. The future of Azure services & the benefits of being bilingual in Tech - with Frank Boucher

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk to Frank Boucher, a Microsoft Azure professional whose expertise and bilingual service are called upon in many markets. Frank created the ‘Cloud 5 minute’ show on YouTube and writes about his experiences with Microsoft Azure on his blogs. We talk about the benefits of being bilingual in the development community, speaking French and English, and how this helps him share his technical knowledge with others. Also, we wonder what Azure services impressed him the most in recent months. What will the future bring? And what is his take on the fact that more and more new Azure products seem to be a combination of existing services with some extra sauce on top? Touching upon Container Apps, Static Web Apps, Azure Functions, and Logic Apps. And at last, we will talk a bit more about his goals with and his love for creating tech video content on YouTube, Twitch and TikTok, in both his languages, and his URL Shortener project.

About this episode, and Frank Boucher in particular: you can find @fboucheros on Twitter, and on his GitHub. Check out his blogs on 'Frankysnotes' or watch his 'Cloud 5 minute' show on YouTube. Don't forget to also check out his accounts on Twitch and TikTok.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

39. Building modern tech solutions for everybody & the future of accessibility with Blazor- with Dennie Declercq

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk to Dennie Declercq, a Microsoft MVP Developer Technologies. He is president and developer at DDSoft, a non-profit that connects IT with people who are less tech-savvy. Thanks to his autism, he is the right man to contribute as a volunteer in function of people with disabilities. We talk about the modern way of building websites with Azure Functions, Azure Static Web Apps and Blazor. And, how to build really affordable tech solutions that you can add into products for people with disabilities. Dennie also shares his own experiences with (non)inclusive and (un)accessible software. Moreover, we discuss how Blazor can help developers with autism because it reduces context switching. And about the future of accessibility with Blazor and Azure Cognitive Services. Furthermore, we also dive deeper into what the biggest misconceptions are about working in tech with a disability or being on the autism spectrum.

About this episode, and Dennie Declercq in particular: you can find @DennieDeclercq on Twitter, and on his GitHub. Check out his website or listen to his conference presentation about 'Intro to Blazing Web Accessibility - Empowered with AI'.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

38. Open source framework MVVM Light, Azure Static Web Apps & timekeeper.cloud - with Laurent Bugnion

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we speak with Laurent Bugnion, a Principal Cloud Developer Advocate for Microsoft. He is one of the foremost experts for XAML and C# based development. And, he is also the author of the well-known open source framework MVVM Light for Windows, WPF and Xamarin. We talk about the success story of his open source framework MVVM Light, its adoption by Microsoft, and his thoughts on and use of Xamarin, Blazor and Azure. We also dive into his open source project; timekeeper.cloud. This is all built on Blazor, runs on Azure Static Web Apps, and is powered by Azure Functions and by SignalR. In particular, we zoom in on the benefits of Azure Static Web Apps. Furthermore, we talk about his role and the importance of developer advocacy and creating content. Especially, his focus on his show called ‘Learn Live’. And we finish with a great story about his tattoos and heritage.

About this episode, and Laurent Bugnion in particular: you can find @LBugnion on Twitter, and GitHub. Check out his Timekeeper.cloud and his show and producing Learn Live. Also, you can read his blog here.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

37. Programming with F#, the SAFE Stack initiative & Azure Container Apps - with Isaac Abraham

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we speak with Isaac Abraham. He is the founder of Compositional IT and author of the books 'Get Programming with F#' and 'F# in Action'. We talk about programming with F# and how it compares to C#. What are their differences and similarities? We discuss why F# is not yet a widely used language. What made Isaac push through all the difficulties when getting to know F#? What advantages did he enjoy? What made it productive and rewarding? And how does it work with Unit Testing? We also share experiences about working with and switching between different languages, for example from F# to C#, or C# to Typescript. And he elaborates on the SAFE Stack initiative - Saturn Azure Fable Elmish - and the benefits of working with it. Furthermore, we talk about the value of functional programming and Azure Container Apps - the service Isaac is most excited about.

About this episode, and Isaac Abraham in particular: you can find @isaac_abraham on Twitter, check out his website and find his very interesting book here: F# in action.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

36. The .NET ecosystem, learning journey & Tech Twitter and its do's and don'ts - with Lou Creemers

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we speak with Louëlla (Lou) Creemers. She is a web developer with a love for .NET. We talk about the tech content she creates and how she tries to bring value to the tech community through social media and by being a speaker. As a relative newcomer to Tech Twitter, how welcoming is the tech community, especially for women? Further, we discuss what the .NET ecosystem currently has to offer, if anything is missing, and if there is something she would like to change. And, we dive a little deeper into her learning journey to become the next generation web developer and how this could help other students inspire and achieve their goals.

About this episode, and Lou Creemers in particular: you can find @lovelacecoding on Twitter or check out her website and definitely read her blogpost Do's and don'ts with Twitter DM's.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

35. Understanding and controlling AI, using NLP & the buzz around GPT-3 - with Eve Pardi

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we speak with Eve Pardi. She is a skilled Data Scientist and AI Engineer, the owner of AI42, and a board member of Global AI Community. Eve explains why she started AI42, what their mission is, and how AI is still something new and magical to most engineers. How there's still a disconnect between AI engineers and "normal" developers. We talk about the importance of understanding and controlling AI systems. So we wonder, how can we understand AI in general? What should we keep in mind when using NLP? How can we create fair, unbiased, and non-discriminatory intelligent models? And how you need to ask yourself: am I really able to tell what my model is doing? Furthermore, there has been a lot of buzz around GPT-3, so we ask Eve why it's a big deal and what we can expect in the future.

About this episode, and Eve Pardi in particular: you can find @EvePardi on Twitter or check out her website codewitheve.azurewebsites.net.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

34. Developer productivity and Azure native IaC things like Bicep, ARM and Deployment Stacks - with Henry Been

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode we speak with Henry Been, in a busy period where it seems that all the in-person events are planned right before the summer. We share our experiences and opinions about developer productivity and the fact that "doing nothing" is necessary sometimes. Because Henry literally wrote the book 'Azure Infrastructure as Code', we dive into everything Azure native around infrastructure as code such as Bicep, ARM and even Deployment Stacks which is still in preview.

About this episode, and Henry in particular: you can find Henry on Twitter at @henry_been or at henrybeen.nl. For information about the book 'Azure Infrastructure as Code' written by Henry Been, Eduard Keilholz, and Erwin Staal visit this link.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

33. Creating and using Twilio's products and integrations as a .NET developer - with Niels Swimberghe

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we speak with Niels Swimberghe, a Belgian-American software engineer and content creator at Twilio. Of course, we want to know what Twilio is all about, known for, and why people should use it. How do they help developers build stuff with Twilio? Always striving to create the best experience for customers, getting feedback, and sharing as much technical content as possible. We talk about the developer products, the features, and the integrations Twilio provides, its connection to Azure, and its distinction from Azure Communication Services. In particular, we dive into Twilio Voice combined with Twilio Phone Numbers; what can you do with the APIs? And we look back at the tremendous developments in telephony and its technical achievements. Furthermore, we share our experience and love for Visual Studio Code and JetBrains Rider.

About this episode, and Niels in particular: you can find @RealSwimburger on Twitter or check out some of his blogs and videos on swimburger.net

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

32. Working with Service Bus, Event Hubs, Event Grid, CloudEvents and Relay Service - with Clemens Vasters

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk to Clemens Vasters. He works at Microsoft on the Azure product engineering team. Specifically, he is a Principal Architect for Service Bus, Event Hubs, Event Grid and Relay. We dive into these services, what they can do and how they differ. Clemens explains why and when to use events or messages, and what types of scenarios they fit into; from discrete events and event series to jobs, commands and processing. And we discuss working with CloudEvents in Event Grid. Furthermore, we talk about the origins of the term Red Dog, how Azure emerged, easter eggs, and the Relay Service, which even predates Azure, and the evolution of the service.

About this episode, and Clemens in particular: you can find @clemensv on Twitter or check out some of his blogs.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

31. Improving your CI/CD pipeline & how everything boils down to software - with Sarah Lean

Mon, 30 May 2022 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk to Sarah Lean. She recently left Microsoft to go work for Octopus Deploy, in some ways a competitor to Microsoft in the area of software deployment. We discuss how you can improve your DevOps and CI/CD pipeline by using integrations from both companies. We also talk about how almost everything boils down to software, from using Azure FarmBeats for your gardening to making whisky, as Sarah herself has experienced. There even was an AI developed whisky. Furthermore, we talk about her role in the community as the founder of the Glasgow Azure User Group (how it started, its goals, challenges and benefits), as STEM (Science Tech Engineering Math) ambassador, and as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP). Helping others and even your future self.

About this episode, and Sarah in particular: you can find @TechieLass on Twitter, check out her blog Techielass or her videos Talking tech with Techielass.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

30. Oh My Posh, Windows Phone & building an open culture - with Jan de Dobbeleer

Mon, 16 May 2022 10:00:00 +0200

Our friend in this episode is Jan de Dobbeleer, a Microsoft MVP, GitKraken Ambassador and creator of Oh My Posh. We talk about how Oh My Posh - the prompt theming engine for PowerShell and beyond - started and became so popular. What are some of the daily challenges he faces? And how did he end up here after being a watchmaker, Android phone hacker and Windows Phone developer? Furthermore, we stress the importance of building an open culture; pushing open source, contributing and having a holistic mindset. And we end up venting about the Windows Phone, reminiscing over its great features and how it was ahead of its time.

About this episode, and Jan in particular: you can find @jandedobbeleer on Twitter or check out his prompt theme engine for any shell: Oh My Posh.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

29. PowerShell, implementing Infrastructure as Code & succeed with Azure DevOps - with April Edwards

Mon, 02 May 2022 10:00:00 +0200

We talk with April Edwards, Senior Cloud Developer Advocate and DevOps practice lead at Microsoft, about her role and passion, and how great mentors help open doors for you or others. Together we reflect on some misconceptions about Microsoft, especially with regard to open source and the use of cross platform tooling, such as PowerShell. And has she seen a shift in the types of cloud services people use in recent years, when helping customers move from legacy to the cloud? We talk about the importance of implementing Infrastructure as Code and making it scalable. Furthermore, she highlights some elements that should not be overlooked if a company wants to successfully implement Azure DevOps.

About this episode, and April in particular: you can find @TheAprilEdwards on Twitter or check out her blogs, video's or podcast contributions on azapril.dev.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

28. Scaling, Azure Api Management & open source - with Tom Kerkhove

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 10:00:00 +0200

We primarily know Tom, a former Microsoft MVP and GitHub star, for his open source work maintaining KEDA, Promitor, Kubernetes Event Grid Bridge and Azure Deprecation. In this episode, we talk about his current job at Microsoft, where he works on Azure Api Management. Next to that, we discuss all his other activities, most of which have to do with scaling applications. We also discuss how a successful 'spare time' project of one person can become a critical dependency for an entire business.

About this episode, and Tom in particular: you can find @TomKerkhove on Twitter or check out what he's working on:

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

27. Managed languages, 'the bang bang operator' & System.CommandLine - with Kathleen Dollard

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 10:00:00 +0200

As a member of the .NET Core CLI and Languages team at Microsoft, we interview her about everything that has to do with Managed Languages. What are the roots and strengths of Visual Basic, C#, and F#? And what do they keep in mind when making adjustments within these languages? We talk about what’s coming in C# 11 and the thorough planning processes before implementing new features. Zooming in on the discussion surrounding the double exclamation mark, also known as 'the bang bang operator’. Furthermore, we dive into System.CommandLine and CLI's; what's coming, happening and discussed? And if she could learn one skill instantly, what would it be?

About this episode, and Kathleen in particular: you can find @KathleenDollard on Twitter and you can find the C# feature status page here.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

26. Innovation in technology and Azure services, and its effect on novel businesses - with John Lunn

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we chat with John Lunn. We talk about his passion for his work and how he's able to be so actively involved and do so much for this community. But which service would he like to spend more time on? We zoom in on the ever-expanding set of Azure services and the extent to which you need to thoroughly understand most of them. There's always a 'next big thing'. We talk about what this means for innovative businesses. And how John tries to help these companies by leveraging the right new features and components of the cloud. Furthermore, we touch upon his insane working-from-home setup and his wishlist full of gadgets. And what is an unpopular opinion he holds?

About this episode, and John in particular: you can find @jonnychipz on Twitter or read his blog.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

25. An in-depth exploration of .NET MAUI - with Maddy Montaquila

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we go into an in-depth exploration of .NET MAUI with none other than Maddy Montaquila. As the release is getting closer, she shares more about .NET MAUI and how the evolution from Xamarin Forms has been. She ignites us with excitement about all the new features her team has been working on and shares how the whole process has been so far. How was it to disconnect from the release cycle at some point? And how did the Live Preview feature come about? We touch upon Blazor Hybrid and how it's like working with the Blazor team. Is there a general idea for the future that everything is targeted towards running on .NET MAUI? Furthermore, she shares with us what the migration towards using .NET MAUI will look like.

About this episode, and Maddy in particular: you can find @maddymontaquila on Twitter, @maddymontaquila on GitHub, or take a look at the .NET Community Standup.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

24. Collecting Azure feedback, advocate of all new things & get certified - with Thomas Maurer

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Thomas Maurer about what keeps him busy on a day-to-day basis. He tells us the two most important aspects of his job as a Senior Cloud Advocate: creating & delivering content and bringing back feedback into the engineering world. He shares with us the way they gather feedback from customers and how they hunt for those gaps. Furthermore, we discuss the importance of staying on top of new things and why you should keep learning. Should there be an ‘Advocate of all new things’? We talk about Azure certifications, how he helps other people get certified, and the enrichment it gives when owning certain Azure certificates. And if he had the possibility, what would he disinvent?

About this episode, and Thomas in particular: you can find @ThomasMaurer on Twitter or read his blog.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

23. Behind the scenes with a Microsoft Principal Program Manager and "the biggest party in the cloud" - with Brady Gaster

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Brady Gaster. He tells us more about his role at Microsoft as a Principal Program Manager, what does it entail? On what does he and his team spend their time? How are the PM roles divided? And how do they facilitate the interaction with users or clients? We hear more about what it takes to implement something new and its timelines. He shares with us where "the biggest party in the cloud" is being held, his favorite services and his favorite discovery over the last months. We touch upon Azure App Service, Azure Container Apps, Azure Kubernetes Service, Azure Bicep and Static Web Apps, among others.

About this episode, and Brady in particular: you can find @bradygaster on Twitter or read his blog.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

22. Spotify Backstage, new tech features & making technology accessible - with Suzanne Daniels

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Suzanne Daniels about Backstage, an open-source platform that originated at Spotify. She tells us more about the origin of Backstage, why it took off, and the reasons why it's open for the community. She shares the new technologies that have impressed her the most lately, her all-time favorite song, and we chat more about the importance of communities.

About this episode, and Suzanne in particular: you can find @suushier on Twitter or read here more about her.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

21. Front Matter, VS Code extensions & Pimp Your Own Device - with Elio Struyf

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 10:00:00 +0100

Our friend of the day is Elio Struyf. He tells us more about Front Matter, a CMS that runs within Visual Studio Code. How was Front Matter born? And what are the future plans? We talk about his extensive experience in development and about being recognized as a Microsoft MVP and SharePoint/Microsoft 365 Top 25 Influencer. Furthermore, how did his online sticker shop Pimp Your Own Device come to be? And how did this hobby become a business? We close with a short discussion and some viewpoints about low code versus no code. Does no code have a future?

About this episode, and Elio in particular: you can find @eliostruyf on Twitter, visit frontmatter.codes, read his blog or purchase some Pimp Your Own Device stickers.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

20. Azure Digital Twins, security in IoT & ethical hacking - with Ramon de Rooij

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Ramon de Rooij. Ramon might be one of the few people that can say that he's worked his entire career in cloud-based IoT. How did he start, what has he done, and what is he doing currently? We dive into Azure Digital Twins. What is this platform all about and what are the possibilities with it? We focus on creating smart homes and especially on security in IoT. A great deal of data is collected, but how is it stored and secured? Is it the responsibility of the company or the supplier? Furthermore, we talk about his experience in ethical hacking. What should every developer know or take into account?

About this episode: you can read more about Azure Digital Twins and EDGE Next here & here.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

19. Festive Tech Calendar, CosmosDB & working as an Azure architect - with Gregor Suttie

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Gregor Suttie about how his willingness to help people has culminated in the Festive Tech Calendar. A fun event through December where people from all communities take part in fun and engaging sessions. We dive into what his main focus is as an Azure architect, and how it's like working for a Dutch company while living in Glasgow. Which service has impressed him the most? And what are his thoughts on AKS?

About this episode, and Gregor in particular: you can find @gregor_suttie on Twitter or join Festive Tech Calendar 2021.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

18. Load testing in the cloud with K6, the DevRel trend & enhancing accessibility - with Floor Drees

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with Floor Drees about what it’s like working for K6, an open-source load testing tool and cloud service. How did her role come about? And have they seen an incline in usage and community interaction since Microsoft disabled load testing in Azure DevOps? We dive into her experience as DevRel consultant, helping companies organize, produce and host livestreams and events. Helping them to define and set-up the DevRel role. We talk about broadening and adopting new ways to teach and share knowledge. But also how to enhance accessibility, and how it's important to pay attention to tooling, subtitles, themes, and aesthetics. And what about dinosaurs?

About this episode, and Floor in particular: you can find @FloorDrees on Twitter and FloorD on Github.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

17. UI/UX mistakes, misconceptions and best practices. And what about voice UI? - with Jessica Engström

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 10:00:00 +0100

Our friend of the day is Jessica Engström. We dive into User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX), the area of expertise she is passionate about, and where she really shines. We talk about bad UI/UX, common mistakes and examples, and the effect it has on users. Causing annoyance – often even rage-quitting – when encountering basic elements that should’ve worked in the first place. We zoom in on the mindset of the responsible developers and what they should strive for. And how does she herself define UI and UX? She shares quick fixes, practical tips, and best practices for optimizing UI/UX. We dive into voice UI, bots like Siri and Alexa, and their language and translation issues. Furthermore, we hear more about the origin and motivation behind the Coding After Work podcast and Twitch channel.

About this episode, and Jessica in particular: you can find @engstromjess on Twitter and her podcast Coding after work.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

16. Creating Visual Studio extensions, implementing new features & Schema Store - with Mads Kristensen

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 10:00:00 +0100

In this episode, we talk with one of, or maybe even the most active Visual Studio extension developers in the community, Mads Kristensen. Where and how did this start? What does he love about it? We talk about Microsoft using and being present on Github, contributing to open-source projects, and its amazing side effects. About what it's like responding to and prioritizing feature requests, implementing new features, and the contrast and compatibility of Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code. And of course, we dive into how Schema Store, which collects schemas for JSON files, came to be and what it tries to achieve.

About this episode: you can find @mkristensen on Twitter or visit his blog.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

15. The perfect hybrid solution, helping ISVs & introverts and Geeks in IT' – with Mike Martin

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Mike about hybrid solutions regarding work, events, and coding. Why a hybrid way of thinking is essential, why it's important to use coding, infrastructure, and operation expertise, and why he’s called ‘the perfect hybrid solution’. We talk about collaborating with Microsoft partners, helping ISVs bring value to their customers, and about ‘FINO’, a concept he came up with: Failure Is Not an Option. Furthermore, we touch upon the status of introverts and geeks in IT, how they’re viewed by peers and outsiders, and of course, about his pinned tweet ‘Hit me baby one more time’!

About this episode: you can find @TechMike2kX on Twitter.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

14. From panic attacks to public speaking, Static Webapps & building Lego - with Stacy Cashmore

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 10:00:00 +0200

Our friend of the day is Stacy Cashmore. In this episode, we get to learn about her journey from attending conferences and having panic attacks to gaining confidence and experiencing a conference from the other side as a speaker. They talk about technologies that have impressed them lately, in particular Static Web Apps with its great scalability and price-quality ratio. And we hear more about her hobbies like creating Lego Modular Buildings & classic cars.

About this episode: you can find @stacy_cash on Twitter and visit her blog Stacy Clouds

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

13. A journey into Microsoft Identity, Managed Identities and Azure Active Directory – with Christos Matskas

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 10:00:00 +0200

We talk with Christos Matskas about working with Microsoft Identity. We discuss the challenges surrounding Microsoft Identity, for instance, how do you get into Identity and Access Management running your application in the cloud? And how they’re doing their best to improve the onboarding experience and implementation, which can be rough. While also trying to reach out and inform the developer community and next generations. Furthermore, we dive into Managed Identities, its biggest benefits and how you can even use it to authenticate API’s. And we talk about Azure Active Directory, the misconceptions surrounding it, and aspects like automating Azure AD provisioning.

About this episode: you can find @christosmatskas on Twitter and learn all about Microsoft Identity via The 425 Show and its videos, blogs, Twitch streams and Discord.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

12. Harnessing the power of webdevelopment with Blazor & Coding After Work - with Jimmy Engström

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Jimmy Engström about the time he got wind of Blazor, immediately realized the potential, and adopted it in the beta phase. We dive into the world of Blazor, BLAZM, and writing his book 'Web development with Blazor: A hands-on guide for .NET developers to build interactive UIs with C#'. And we hear about Coding after work, a code-intensive user group & podcast.

About this episode, and Jimmy in particular: you can find @engstromjimmy on Twitter and his podcast Coding after work.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel

11. Windows Azure, migrating secured systems & mixology - with Karl Ots

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 10:00:00 +0200

We talk with Karl Ots, a cloud and cybersecurity expert with a broad range of deep Azure expertise. We look back into his journey in tech before Windows Azure, as it was formerly known, came along. We dive into Microservices, what it takes to migrate secured systems, and security trends in Azure, like managed identity, automated logging alerts, and confidential computing. We even talk about mixology: the art of mixing cocktails!

About this episode, and Karl in particular: you can find @karlgots on Twitter.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel.

10. Teaching developers & the importance of sharing knowledge, REST API and GraphQL - with Irina Scurtu

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Irina Scurtu, Microsoft MVP for Developer Technologies, Software Architect, CTT+ technical trainer, and Microsoft Certified Trainer. We dive into her passion for teaching and the importance of sharing knowledge. We talk about her sessions about REST API and why she’s so passionate about it. Furthermore, we discuss GRPC and GraphQL, the possibilities with it, and the advantages!

About this episode, and Irina in particular: you can find @irina_scurtu on Twitter or visit her blog irina.codes

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel.

9. Fluent Assertions, test styles and writing clean code – with Dennis Doomen

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 10:00:00 +0200

We talk with Dennis Doomen about the benefits, goals, and drivers behind Fluent Assertions, the very popular .NET assertion library. How did it start and what does it set out to achieve? We talk about C# coding guidelines and writing clean code; the do and don’ts, the pitfalls and challenges, the mindset and attitude. And about test styles, var keywords, Typescript, Event Sourcing, the Gartner Hype Cycle, silver bullets, and the importance of context. Tools, processes, architecture, people, technology, all are ingredients of a final solution to build better systems.

About this episode, and Dennis in particular: you can find @ddoomen on Twitter, read all about Fluent Assertions on fluentassertions.com, or visit his blog continuousimprover.com.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel.

8. GitHub, InnerSource and the benefits of an asynchronous and knowledge-sharing culture – with Martin Woodward

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0200

We talk with none other than Martin Woodward, Senior Director of DevRel at GitHub. So of course we dive into GitHub, its relationship and overlap with Microsoft, and its great and open culture perfectly suited for remote working. We look back at the overall change in attitude regarding sharing and collaborating with others, both within and outside of companies. With a special interest in InnerSource, its use, and its positive side effects. And we talk about the past and future of Azure DevOps and GitHub.

About this episode, and Martin in particular: you can find @martinwoodward on Twitter.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel.

7. Empowering developers as DevRel, boosting live coding and accessibility - with Salma Alam-Naylor

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Salma about empowering developers and the relevance and fun of the DevRel role. Encouraging code streaming, building fun stuff, sharing, and teaching. We talk about her experience on Twitch, which entails some awkwardness, a lot of fun, and great content. And she highlights the downsides of social media and tech communities; the lack of compassion, inclusivity, and accessibility.

About this episode, and Salma in particular: you can find @whitep4nth3r on Twitter, watch her code live on Twitch, or visit her website whitep4nth3r.com.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel.

6. Imposter Syndrome and using Cognitive Services to better understand the world - with Luce Carter

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Luce about Xamarin Forms and Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services, what’s great about it, and the ease of use. Luce uses both in her app Emotipal, formerly known as BodyLanguageAssistent. An example of how tech can be used to connect people or help us understand the world. Furthermore, we talk about Imposter Syndrome, being open about it, and helping others. And about writing Cypress tests for automated UI testing, keeping up with new technologies, and Twitch streaming.

About this episode, and Luce in particular: you can find @LuceCarter1 on Twitter or watch her code live on Twitch.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel.

5. From Pilates to back-end development and helping the open-source ecosystem - with Layla Porter

Tue, 25 May 2021 10:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Layla Porter about the .NET Foundation and sharing knowledge. And especially how everybody can, or should, get involved in managing the open-source software community. Help and contribute, do not take it for granted. Furthermore, we talk about her path from Pilates to back-end development, about teaching and sharing, being there for beginners and noobs, and about creating a safe space on Twitch or Discord to share and ask anything.

About this episode, and Layla in particular: you can find @LaylaCodesIt on Twitter or watch her code live on Twitch.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel.

4. The promise of Blazor and the benefits of sharing source code - with Jeff Fritz

Fri, 07 May 2021 16:00:00 +0200

We talk with Jeff Fritz who is focused on educating the Microsoft tech community. We dive into the promising features of Blazor and a hybrid approach. How Blazor as a progressive web application is a really powerful idea, building faster and more efficient applications that work everywhere. We talk about the positive change in openness and transparency at Microsoft. Sharing source code and previews, creating more and more content. And how this led to a lot of positive outcomes – pull requests, bug reports, and feedback from the community – but how do you handle negativity and trolls? Furthermore, we talk about .NET Conf, virtual events, appreciating viewers, doing better for the next generation and where did the rainbow beard come from?

About this episode, and Jeff in particular: you can find @csharpfritz on Twitter, watch him code live on Twitch, or visit his website jeffreyfritz.com. There you will find more content about his KlipTok project, an enterprise scale Blazor application.

More info on Blazor: check out Build client web apps with C# and Blazor Tutorial- Build your first Blazor app.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel.

3. How to contribute to and help the tech community as a speaker, organizer and MVP - with Isidora Katanic

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 11:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk with Isidora about her video series, her experience as a speaker, and advocate for more women as speakers at tech events. How it all start, what it led to and what she learned on the way. A road to speaking at Microsoft Ignite and Build, and to being a Microsoft MVP. Some lessons about having fun, sharing knowledge, and communities. How a community can open doors and why we should reach out to include more people.

About this episode, and Isidora in particular: you can find @isidorakatanic on Twitter, visit her blog or watch her video series.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel.

2. Low code development and Fusion dev teams - with Luise Freese

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 14:00:00 +0200

In this episode, we talk about the power of low code development and how Fusion Development Teams could be the answer to some drawbacks of software created by makers. We talk about her experience as a woman in tech and on social media. And we hear about her other passions such as sketchnoting, stickers, and Pacman!

About this episode, and Luise in particular: you can find @LuiseFreese on Twitter, visit m365princess for her blog, watch her videos, or buy some amazing stickers at pimp your own device.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel.

1. Xamarin Forms, .NET MAUI and the Community Toolkit - with Gerald Versluis

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0200

We talk about how Gerald Versluis ended up working on GitHub Codespaces as a remote employee of Microsoft. He also shares his passion for Xamarin (Forms) and the Xamarin Community Toolkit, followed by a look into the near future with .NET 6 and MAUI. And we hear his take on Progressive Web Apps versus native apps.

About this episode: some links we talked about: What will happen to the Community Toolkit?, GitHub Codespaces, and .NET MAUI. More content from Gerald on jfversluis.dev/, be sure to watch his videos.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel.

0. The different Blockchain layers, some use cases and its programming languages - with Gerben van de Wiel

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 09:00:00 +0200

Rick and Oscar talk with Gerben van de Wiel about his experience working at a blockchain start-up over the last couple of years. We get introduced to some of the different blockchain layers and options. We learn about Substrate, an open source framework, and how it can help us. And we chat about different programming languages behind blockchain initiatives.

About this episode: you can find @GerbenW on Twitter and learn more about Substrate at substrate.dev.

About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel.

Trailer - Introducing Betatalks the podcast

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 08:00:00 +0200

Welcome to Betatalks the podcast, in which we talk with friends from the development community. We chat not only about technology but what drives them, inspires them, and makes them unique. Rick and Oscar, Principal Cloud Architects at Betabit, invite developers, makers, Open Source maintainers, and other amazing people from the development community.

Looking for more content? Have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel.