Prefrontal by Cortex

In this episode, we dive into the intersection of neuroscience and developer experience with Dr. Shannon Burns, an Assistant Professor at Pomona College in social neuroscience with a focus on how social interactions shape neural processes. With a Ph.D. from UCLA and expertise in empathy, influence, and neural dynamics, Dr. Burns brings a unique perspective to understanding how developers can optimize their performance through flow states, collaboration, and cognitive balance. We explore how social and emotional factors influence productivity in technical environments, and how principles of social psychology can be applied to improve developer dynamics. Whether you’re a developer, team leader, or cognitive science enthusiast, this episode offers practical insights for boosting productivity and well-being through neuroscience. Referenced Links: Hyperscanning shows friends explore and strangers converge in conversation - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-51990-7

In this episode, we sit down with Max Kanat-Alexander, Principal Staff Software Engineer at LinkedIn, to discuss his pioneering work in platform engineering aimed at improving developer experiences. Max, an esteemed author and leader in software engineering, has significantly influenced LinkedIn's approach to developer productivity. Perfect for platform engineers, software developers, and technology leaders, this episode will provide an inside look at cutting-edge strategies for building systems that not only support but enhance the day-to-day experiences of developers. Join us to gain insights from one of the leading minds in platform engineering and discover actionable tips for implementing these practices in your own organization. Links and Related Materials: ** Max’s Books! Code Simplicity https://www.codesimplicity.com/ Understanding Software: https://www.packtpub.com/en-us/product/understanding-software-9781788628815?type=print&gad_source=1 Other Resources: Peopleware Book: (not Peoplesoft, sorry!) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peopleware:_Productive_Projects_and_Teams Google Engineering Practices: https://google.github.io/eng-practices/ LinkedIn Developer Productivity and Happiness Framework: https://linkedin.github.io/dph-framework/ DORA Capabilities: https://dora.dev/capabilities/

Today we’re having an engaging conversation with John Willis, an influential author, entrepreneur, and thought leader in the realm of Generative AI and its integration with DevOps practices. Known for his profound understanding of Dr. Edwards Deming’s transformative principles and his pioneering work in the field of DevOps, John will share how these principles have revolutionized software development and operational efficiency. This episode is perfect for DevOps and Platform Engineering professionals, software engineers, and anyone interested in how Generative AI can enhance traditional software practices. We'll explore John's contributions and career, his insights into blending innovative technologies with established DevOps/Platform principles, and the impact of these advancements on the software industry. Links and Related Materials: Deming's Journey to Profound Knowledge, author John Willis: https://itrevolution.com/product/demings-journey-to-profound-knowledge/ The High Velocity Edge, Dr. Steve Spear: https://www.thehighvelocityedge.com/ Dr. Jabe Bloom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jabebloom/ Mentioned as most downloaded paper from the Harvard Business Review, 'Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production Ecosystem: https://hbr.org/1999/09/decoding-the-dna-of-the-toyota-production-system 'The Attention Is All You Need': https://proceedings.neurips.cc/paper_files/paper/2017/file/3f5ee243547dee91fbd053c1c4a845aa-Paper.pdf Brian Scott, Lessons from Adobe on Gen AI Governance: https://itrevolution.com/articles/generative-ai-governance-at-scale-lessons-from-adobe/

In this episode, we delve deep into the world of Internal Developer Portals (IDPs) and their transformative impact on enterprise development ecosystems. Our guest, Luke Shannon, shares invaluable insights from their extensive experience, from founding a groundbreaking portal company to its strategic acquisition by RedHat. Luke’s currently at the helm of developing a new kind of IDP, poised to redefine developer experiences yet again. And you all probably know that with the recent Spotify Portal announcement there’s a lot of appetite to figure out the right path forward here.

In this episode, we sit down with Luca Galante, a visionary in the platform engineering space and a leading figure at Humanitec, where he helps orchestrate the development of internal developer platforms that redefine how enterprises deploy and manage cloud-native applications. Luca's work focuses on empowering developers through automation, standardization, and reduced cognitive load, facilitating a shift towards greater developer autonomy and efficiency. He’ll share his perspective on the role of platform orchestration and portals as the backbone of successful developer platforms. Platform Engineering Fundamentals Training: https://platformengineering.org/fundamentals Humanitec State of Platform Engineering Vol. 2: https://humanitec.com/whitepapers/state-of-platform-engineering-report-volume-2

This episode features Abi Noda, a prominent figure in the software engineering world, known for his in-depth research and solutions geared towards elevating the importance of developer experience. As the CEO of DX, a developer insights platform, and the host of the Engineering Enablement newsletter and podcast, Abi is at the forefront of understanding and influencing how developers work and thrive. We'll dive into his journey from CEO and successful co-founder of Pull Panda to his current role where he continues to shape the future of developer tools. Studies and materials referenced throughout the conversation: When to establish a Developer Productivity Team: https://newsletter.getdx.com/p/when-to-establish-developer-productivity-team DevEx in Action study: https://getdx.com/research/devex-in-action/

In this episode, we’re meeting with John Burns, Sr Staff Software Engineer at Grubhub and Co-organizer of the Chicago Kotlin User Group. With extensive experience in building scaled enterprise and eCommerce platforms, John specializes in microservice platform engineering and is a passionate advocate for superior developer experiences. In this episode, we'll explore John's journey from constructing robust platforms to developing an essential tool for developers: the internal developer portal. This session is a deep dive into the creation of platforms as a service that are both scalable and generic, followed by the strategic development of an internal developer portal, conceptualized as a "single pane of glass" to simplify and enhance the developer experience. We will discuss the importance of these tools and practices within large enterprises, focusing on how they facilitate better service management, developer autonomy, and streamlined operations.

Our pilot episode of Prefrontal by Cortex! Lauren Craigie (Head of PMM at Cortex) is joined by Justin Reock, Head of Developer Relations at Cortex for a conversation about meausuring developer productivity. You'll hear: -How DORA and SPACE relate to one another -Why the SPACE framework has faced headwinds despite increasing support -What the developer tooling ecosystem has been missing to make metrics actionable Studies and materials referenced throughout the conversation: Peopleware Book - https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/... SPACE Framework - https://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=3... April 2022 study showing deep misalignment between ICs and GCs and not enough concern for (S)atisfaction (p.4 Table 4) - https://arxiv.org/pdf/2111.04302.pdf Blog on disconnect between outcomes and output - https://www.cortex.io/post/the-only-w... Cortex Eng Intelligence announcement - https://www.cortex.io/post/introducin...