Ep. #4, Building Affinity: From College Dropout to SaaS Leader with Ray Zhou

In episode 13 of Open Source Ready, Thorsten Ball of Sourcegraph joins Brian and John to unpack the real-world engineering decisions behind language choices, like Microsoft using Go for the recent TypeScript compiler rewrite. Explore the importance of continuous learning in tech, the benefits of knowing multiple programming languages, and how AI agents are poised to reshape developer workflows.

In episode 35 of Generationship, Rachel is joined by Brooke Hopkins to explore what it takes to make voice AI agents reliable, robust, and ready for real-world deployment. Drawing from her experience at Waymo and her current work at Coval, Brooke reveals how testing and evaluation are the key to staying ahead in a fast-moving AI landscape.

In episode 80 of o11ycast, Ken Rimple and Jessica Kerr chat with Kent Beck about the emerging world of AI-assisted coding. Beck shares his experiences with "augmented coding," discussing the benefits, challenges, and the evolving relationship between developers and AI agents. They explore how these tools are changing software development practices and what it means for the future of coding.

In episode 5 of Platform Builders, Christine Spang and Isaac Nassimi chat with Scott Mitchell, former CTO of Salesloft, about the challenges and triumphs of scaling a high-growth B2B SaaS company. Scott shares his experiences navigating hyper-growth, from tackling critical infrastructure bottlenecks to fostering a culture of adaptability. They also explore the evolution of sales technology and the impact of AI on the future of sales engagement.

In episode 12 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John welcome Ron Efroni and Ross Turk from Flox to explore the world of Nix, a powerful package manager and more. They discuss how Flox simplifies Nix for developers and enterprises, the challenges of adopting new packaging paradigms, and the evolving landscape of containers and AI in software development.

In episode 4 of Platform Builders, Christine Spang and Isaac Nassimi interview Ray Zhou, co-founder of Affinity, about his journey building the company, the evolution of the SaaS market, and the transformative potential of AI. Ray shares insights on scaling a business, the importance of focusing on the customer's problem, and how SaaS companies can adapt to thrive in an AI-driven future.

In episode 34 of Generationship, Nathen Harvey brings data, humor, and heart to a conversation about AI, DevOps, open source, and developer experience. He and Rachel dive into how AI is influencing software engineering, the role of platform engineering, metrics for assessing performance, and broader reflections on engineering culture and career growth.

In this episode of Platform Builders, Christine Spang and Isaac Nassimi chat with Ben Rubin about the evolution of software development, from the early days of the internet to the current age of AI. They discuss the impact of AI on B2B SaaS, the challenges of building platforms in a rapidly changing landscape, and the future of user experience. Ben shares his experiences and insights on how developers and businesses can adapt to thrive in this new era.

In episode 11 of Open Source Ready, Brian Douglas and John McBride sit down with AI expert Steve Manuel to explore the Model Context Protocol (MCP)—a framework that enhances how models interact with their environments. They break down why context-awareness is crucial for machine learning and how MCP is transforming open source AI.

In episode 2 of Platform Builders, Jamie Davidson, CEO of Vitally, joins Christine Spang and Isaac Nassimi to discuss the evolution of customer success platforms. They explore Vitally's journey from a customer data tool to a comprehensive platform, the strategic decisions behind product development and fundraising, and the impact of AI on the future of customer success. Davidson also shares insights on innovating customer engagement and building a platform that empowers both customer success teams and the wider business.