In this episode of the Ardan Labs Podcast, Bill Kennedy talks with Miles Spencer, founder of Reflekta, about using AI to preserve the stories and legacies of loved ones. Miles explains how Reflekta enables meaningful, ongoing conversations with elders through AI while prioritizing privacy, ethics, and emotional responsibility.

They explore the technical foundations of the platform, the challenges of building trust around deeply personal data, and the business model behind Reflekta. Miles also shares his journey from high school to entrepreneurship and reflects on how technology can foster genuine human connection rather than replace it.

00:00 Introduction 
02:35 How Reflekta Uses AI
05:10 Media Processing and Conversations
08:26 Privacy, Security, and Ethics
13:25 Miles’ Background and Journey
27:57 Early Entrepreneurship and Family Challenges
36:49 Finance, Venture Capital, and Media
44:57 New Ventures and Career Shifts
56:54 COVID-19 and Business Impact
01:00:04 The Birth of Reflekta
01:09:03 Ethical Challenges and the Road Ahead

Connect with Miles: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milesspencer/

Mentioned in this Episode:

Reflekta: https://reflekta.ai/

Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Online Courses : https://ardanlabs.com/education/ 

Live Events : https://www.ardanlabs.com/live-training-events/ 

Blog : https://www.ardanlabs.com/blog 

Github : https://github.com/ardanlabs

In this episode of the Ardan Labs Podcast, Bill Kennedy talks with Peter Swimm, founder of Toilville, about the future of AI and workplace automation. Peter shares insights from his long career in technology—from Microsoft to building large-scale conversational AI systems—and discusses the growing need for strong governance around AI usage. They explore privacy and IP concerns, the pitfalls of “vibe coding,” and why documentation and trust logs are essential for safe and effective AI adoption. The conversation also dives into generational shifts in education, the impact of COVID-19 on the job market, and how AI can enhance productivity without replacing authenticity.

00:00 Introduction
03:09 AI and Workplace Automation
05:51 Privacy, IP, and Safety Concerns
08:50 Vibe Coding and Development Challenges
12:04 Governance and Compliance
14:49 Evolution of AI Tools
20:53 Early Tech Experiences
31:28 Cultural Perspectives on AI
36:31 AI and the Future of Education
42:44 Career Paths and Experience
50:54 Early Conversational AI
56:15 COVID-19 and Contact Centers
59:00 AI’s Future in Business
01:02:42 From Microsoft to Entrepreneurship
01:13:44 Navigating the AI Landscape
01:28:02 Empowering Businesses with AI Solutions

Connect with Peter: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterswimm/

Mentioned in this Episode:
Toilville: https://www.toilville.com/

Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!
Online Courses : https://ardanlabs.com/education/ 
Live Events : https://www.ardanlabs.com/live-training-events/ 
Blog : https://www.ardanlabs.com/blog 
Github : https://github.com/ardanlabs

In this episode of the Ardan Labs Podcast, Bill Kennedy talks with Caleb Mattingly, Founder and CEO of Secure Cloud Innovations, about his journey through cybersecurity, compliance, and entrepreneurship. Caleb shares insights into navigating complex compliance frameworks, the importance of vulnerability management, and building trust in the cybersecurity space. Beyond tech, he discusses his passion for linguistics, communication, and music—and how personal interests shape professional growth. The conversation also explores Caleb’s entrepreneurial story, from a chance encounter at a swing dance club to building a thriving business during COVID-19, highlighting lessons in resilience, niche marketing, and the value of relationships in business.

00:00 Introduction

01:50 Cybersecurity and Compliance

05:56 Vulnerability Management

19:39 Education and Career Exploration

26:35 Linguistics and Language Learning

36:42 College Life and Personal Growth

40:15 Music, Hobbies, and Self-Expression

55:51 Balancing Work and Love

01:12:08 Entering Cybersecurity

01:23:05 Career Changes and New Beginnings

01:26:49 Founding Secure Cloud Innovations

01:39:56 Building Trust and Customer Relationships

Connect with Caleb: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-h-mattingly/

Mentioned in this Episode:

Secure Cloud Innovations: https://trysci.co/

Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Online Courses : https://ardanlabs.com/education/ 

Live Events : https://www.ardanlabs.com/live-training-events/ 

Blog : https://www.ardanlabs.com/blog 

Github : https://github.com/ardanlabs

In this episode of the Ardan Labs Podcast, Bill Kennedy talks with Catherine Johnson, VP of Global Solutions Engineering at Hydrolix, about her career journey through data management, scalability, and innovation. With a background spanning leadership roles at Hydrolix, Grafana Labs, and Oracle, Catherine shares insights into balancing engineering, entrepreneurship, and mentorship. She discusses the evolution of real-time data systems, the economics of storage, and the importance of data-driven decision-making. Catherine also opens up about taking a break from tech to teach dance, and how her passion for innovation and continuous learning fuels her leadership today.

00:00 Introduction

03:03 Data Management and Scalability

05:58 Explosion of Data and Storage Needs

09:01 Real-Time Data in Business

14:49 Economics of Data Storage

20:41 Education and Early Career

31:09 Career Transitions and Growth

46:10 Teaching Dance and Finding Balance

53:16 Returning to Tech at Oracle

01:08:10 Joining Elastic and Facing Burnout

01:15:45 Leadership and Innovation at Hydrolix

01:27:07 AI in Tech and Its Limitations

Connect with Catherine: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catjopdx/

Mentioned in this Episode:

Hydrolix: https://hydrolix.io/

Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Online Courses : https://ardanlabs.com/education/ 

Live Events : https://www.ardanlabs.com/live-training-events/ 

Blog : https://www.ardanlabs.com/blog 

Github : https://github.com/ardanlabs

In this episode of the Ardan Labs Podcast, Bill Kennedy talks with Salah Mahmud, a medical researcher specializing in epidemiology and medical statistics. Salah shares his journey from growing up in Libya under Gaddafi’s regime to conducting cutting-edge research in Canada on the connection between influenza and heart attacks. He discusses the challenges of running large-scale observational studies, the bureaucratic barriers to accessing medical data, and the importance of diversity in health research. Salah also reflects on his early entrepreneurial ventures, his discovery of programming during medical school, and how resilience and adaptability shaped his personal and professional journey.

00:00 Introduction

02:03 Research on Influenza and Heart Attacks

05:53 Challenges in Data Access

16:51 Life in Libya Under Gaddafi

21:32 From Medicine to Programming

41:18 WHO Collaboration and Education Abroad

57:13 Disappearance and New Beginnings

01:09:33 Immigration and Adaptation in Canada

01:15:45 Balancing Medicine and Technology

01:21:22 Family, Culture, and Reflection

01:25:37 Current Research and Future Goals

Connect with Salah: 

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salah-mahmud-4177285a/

Mentioned in this Episode:

Golang: https://go.dev/

Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Online Courses : https://ardanlabs.com/education/ 

Live Events : https://www.ardanlabs.com/live-training-events/ 

Blog : https://www.ardanlabs.com/blog 

Github : https://github.com/ardanlabs

In this episode of the Ardan Labs Podcast, Bill Kennedy talks with Zack Holland, CEO & Founder of Averi AI, about his journey from early life in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest to building an AI-powered marketing platform. Zack shares lessons from early business ventures, the challenges of running startups, and the evolution of his entrepreneurial mindset. They explore how Averi AI helps marketers become more creative and efficient, the importance of data security and trust in AI, and what it takes to innovate in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

00:00 Introduction

02:54 Marketing and AI Evolution

05:58 Changing Digital Landscape

09:04 Early Life and Influences

12:02 From Ecuador to Utah

18:00 First Business in High School

29:53 LLMs and Entrepreneurship

39:44 Lessons from Failure

43:46 Starting a Marketing Agency

56:19 Founding Avery AI

01:08:10 Trust and Data Security

01:13:14 Marketing and AI Adoption

01:17:58 AI Challenges and Opportunities

01:26:00 Contact Info 

Connect with Zack: 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackholland

X: https://x.com/zack_holland

Mentioned in this Episode:

Averi AI: https://www.averi.ai/

Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Online Courses : https://ardanlabs.com/education/ 

Live Events : https://www.ardanlabs.com/live-training-events/ 

Blog : https://www.ardanlabs.com/blog 

Github : https://github.com/ardanlabs

In this episode of the Ardan Labs Podcast, Bill Kennedy talks with Mike Elgan, technology editorialist, about his journey to becoming a professional writer. Mike reflects on the evolution of journalism, the digital publishing revolution of the 90s, and the role of communication in shaping society. He also shares insights from his nomadic lifestyle, the realities of freelance writing, the impact of AI on creativity, and the importance of adaptability and passion in navigating a rapidly changing technological landscape.

00:00 Introduction 

05:54 Growing Up in the 70s and 80s

11:32 Education, Passion & Early Work

31:32 Politics, Journalism & First Writing Roles

45:16 Transition to Technology Journalism

54:30 Digital Media Revolution

01:03:01 Becoming a Freelance Writer

01:05:52 Nomadic Lifestyle & Financial Realities

01:24:36 AI’s Impact on Work, Writing & Education

01:42:56 The Future of Writing & Communication

01:50:52 Cyberpunk Reality & Technology’s Next Era

01:55:11 Finding Passion & Success in Life

Connect with Mike: 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeelgan

X: https://x.com/MikeElgan

Mentioned in this Episode:

Mike Elgan’s Newsletter: https://machinesociety.ai/

Gastronomad: https://gastronomad.net

Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Online Courses : https://ardanlabs.com/education/ 

Live Events : https://www.ardanlabs.com/live-training-events/ 

Blog : https://www.ardanlabs.com/blog 

Github : https://github.com/ardanlabs

In this episode of the Ardan Labs Podcast, Bill Kennedy talks with Jasson Casey, CEO and co-founder of Beyond Identity, about modern cybersecurity. Jasson shares his journey from early interests in technology and networking to leading startups and building products that address today’s security challenges. They explore the evolution of authentication, the need for hardware-backed identity systems, the realities of insider threats, and how cultural and customer insights shape better security solutions.

00:00 Introduction

00:30 What is Jasson Doing Today?

7:00 Fundamentals of Security

15:30 First Memory of a Computer

22:00 Interest in Physics 

36:00 Working in College

43:00 Joining a Startup

50:00 Becoming a Product Manager at 21

58:30 Culture Shock 

1:03:20 Moving to Executive Roles

1:10:00 Starting Beyond Identity

1:19:00 Monitoring Threats

1:34:00 Contact Info

Connect with Jasson: 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jassoncasey/

X: https://x.com/jassoncasey

Mentioned in this Episode:

Beyond Identity: https://www.beyondidentity.com/

Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Online Courses : https://ardanlabs.com/education/ 

Live Events : https://www.ardanlabs.com/live-training-events/ 

Blog : https://www.ardanlabs.com/blog 

Github : https://github.com/ardanlabs

In this episode of the Ardan Labs Podcast, Bill Kennedy interviews Jonathan Amsterdam from the Go team at Google about his journey from academia and finance to software engineering, his work on Go and API design, and the importance of adaptability, community, and building impactful software.

00:00 Introduction

00:30 What is Jonathan Doing Today?

02:00 First Memories of a Computer

09:30 Entering University

14:00 Early Coding / Academics 

20:50 Interest in AI / ML

27:00 Career Beginnings 

33:00 Transitioning to Java and Teaching

41:00 Distributed Software

45:00 Ambitions / Finding Stability 

55:00 Experiences at Google 

1:07:20 Joining the Go Team

1:17:00 Go and MCP

1:24:00 API Design and Philosophy

1:30:20 Contact Info

Connect with Jonathan: 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-amsterdam-b901b21/

Mentioned in this Episode:

Go-sdk: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk

Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Online Courses : https://ardanlabs.com/education/ 

Live Events : https://www.ardanlabs.com/live-training-events/ 

Blog : https://www.ardanlabs.com/blog 

Github : https://github.com/ardanlabs

In this conversation, career coach Kacie Bail discusses her work helping others navigate the job market. She emphasizes the growing importance of soft skills in job applications, the challenges of job rejections, and the need for empathy from interviewers. Kacie shares her journey from bioengineering to consulting, highlighting the significance of internships and the continuous nature of career development. The discussion also touches on the impact of automation on job opportunities and the importance of finding clarity in career goals. 

00:00 Introduction

00:30 What is Kacie Doing Today? 

01:30 Job Search Process

09:00 Interviewing and Soft Skills

15:00 Having Attention

20:00 Highschool Interests

33:00 University in Maryland

39:00 Entering Consulting

55:00 Looking for Change

01:03:00 Moving to Chile

1:18:00 Getting the Interview

1:22:00 Sourcing Clients

1:27:10 AI Automation for Resumés

1:31:30 Contact Info

Connect with Kacie: 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaciebail/

Kacie’s Newsletter: https://kaciebail.substack.com

Instagram: @kaciebail

Mentioned in this Episode:

Kacie’s Site: https://www.kaciebail.com/

Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Online Courses : https://ardanlabs.com/education/ 

Live Events : https://www.ardanlabs.com/events/ 

Blog : https://www.ardanlabs.com/blog 

Github : https://github.com/ardanlabs

In this episode of the Ardan Labs Podcast, host Bill Kennedy sits down with Facundo Giuliani, Solutions Engineering Team Manager at Storyblok, to trace his path from his early experiences with computers to leading a remote solutions engineering team. They explore headless CMS, the shift into developer relations, the balance of technical and soft skills, and the economic and community-building realities shaping today’s tech careers.

00:00 Introduction

02:30 What is Facundo Doing Today? 

07:00 First Memory of a Computer

12:00 Highschool Interests

16:00 University Studies

28:00 Importance of a Degree

38:00 Moving Jobs

45:00 Working Remotely / Cost of Living

56:00 Engaging With Others 

1:00:00 Developer Relations Engineers

1:09:20 Solutions Engineering

1:15:30 Understanding Customer Problems

1:20:00 Next Steps 

1:27:00 Contact Info

Connect with Facundo: 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/facundogiuliani/

Facundo’s Site: https://fgiuliani.com/

Mentioned in this Episode:

Storyblok: https://www.storyblok.com/

React Miami: https://www.reactmiami.com/

Want more from Ardan Labs? You can learn Go, Kubernetes, Docker & more through our video training, live events, or through our blog!

Online Courses : https://ardanlabs.com/education/ 

Live Events : https://www.ardanlabs.com/live-training-events/ 

Blog : https://www.ardanlabs.com/blog 

Github : https://github.com/ardanlabs