Asynchronous & Unreliable - Conversations on The Edge of Software

Anne Currie

Welcome to Asynchronous and Unreliable, the new weekly podcast where we discuss the latest and most fascinating ideas in: software engineering, AI, management, leadership and communications, efficiency, operations, clouds, hyperscaling, resilience and sustainability. Our host is Anne Currie, tech veteran, co-author of O'Reilly's Building Green Software (on building cheaper and more flexible systems ready for the energy transition), The Cloud Native Attitude (on industry embrace of fast flow), and the science fiction Panopticon series (on killer robots in space, amongst other topics). Expect animated, friendly, and lighthearted discussions with some of the most renowned & interesting thinkers and practitioners in technology.  To find out about just a few of our amazing guests in 2026, visit our website.

Episodes

  1. 5d ago

    Ep 10: What Is Platform Engineering and how will it work in an AI world? With Paula Kennedy

    ShownotesWhat Is Platform Engineering and how will it work in an AI world? An In-Depth Conversation with Paula Kennedy In this episode, Anne Currie chats with old friend and colleague Paula Kennedy, COO of platform engineering startup Syntasso about the fundamentals of platform engineering, its evolution, and its impact on organizations of all sizes. They explore how platform engineering helps manage the growing cognitive load in modern software development and operational practices. This episode is a great companion to episode 3 - Niki Manoledaki's on platform engineering at Grafana Labs Key Topics Covered: The origins and definition of platform engineering, tracing back to the earliest days of software developmentHow platform engineering bridges the gap between code creation and deployment infrastructureThe role of platform teams as enablers and marketplace providers within organizationsOwnership, responsibility, and the importance of platform as a product mindsetThe impact of AI on platform engineering, automation, and operational efficiencyAvoiding bottlenecks: scaling platform capabilities to meet rising code generation and operational demandsPractical insights into managing complexity, security, and costs across organization-wide platformsTimestamps: (0:00) – Introduction to platform engineering and tools for easy editing of recordings(3:00) – Defining platform engineering as the space between code and infrastructure(6:00) – The evolution from traditional IT to DevOps and modern platform teams(9:00) – How cognitive load and responsibility are distributed across teams(12:00) – Historical perspective: from separate dev and ops teams to integrated platforms(15:00) – The role of ownership and product mindset in platform success(20:00) – The marketplace model for platform services, enabling internal contribution(23:00) – The importance of clear boundaries and ownership akin to cloud provider models(28:00) – The influence of AI and agents on future platform strategies(36:00) – Recognizing system bottlenecks and scaling horizontally as a key challenge(37:00) – The timeless nature of operational principles and organizational constraints For transcript

    35 min

  2. May 17

    Ep 9: Should Tech Learn More Lessons From History? With Jamie Dobson

    Jamie Dobson and Anne Currie Join us in this enlightening episode as Anne Currie chats with Jamie Dobson, co-founder of Container Solutions and author of Rebels, Visionaries, and Machines. They dive into the history of technology, the evolution of the tech industry, and the challenges and opportunities in communicating complex ideas in tech today. This conversation offers valuable insights for tech enthusiasts, educators, and communicators alike. Key Topics Covered: The history of cloud computing and its cultural impact since 1799How tech conferences like Software Circus aimed to reshape industry conversationsThe ethical and social implications of AI and automation in the workforceThe importance of understanding problem context before choosing toolsStrategies for explaining complex technical ideas without oversimplificationLessons from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein applied to tech ethics and responsibilityThe challenge of capturing audience attention in storytelling and educationHow to communicate the essence of microservices, patterns, and cloud-native concepts effectivelyReflecting on the role of stories and analogies in making tech more accessible #tech #AI #techconferences #cloudnative #techcommunications

    30 min

  3. May 14

    Ep 8: When Will AI Write All The (Mission Critical) Software? With Jon Berger

    Most companies are underestimating how quickly AI will transform software development. When AI can seemingly write mission-critical code, what does that mean for the future of engineering, quality, and human expertise? Anne Currie and Jon Berger discuss Martin Davidson’s groundbreaking insights in episode 7 on creating mission critical software using AI Will AI-driven software eliminate the need for traditional coding teams alogether? Is all the system software going to get re-written in Rust? What about maintenance and operations? Shownotes & transcript #tech #podcast #softwareengineering #AI #sustainability #green #software #distributedsystems #rustlang

    27 min

  4. May 10

    Ep 7: Can AI Ever Create Mission Critical Software? With Martin Davidson

    Join host Anne Currie in this episode of "Asynchronous and Unreliable," where she talks with veteran technologist Martin Davidson about his journey from telecommunications to AI-driven software development. Discover how AI looks set to reshape the software industry, including by building high-quality, production-ready code and redefining testing, design, and organizational structures. - Martin Davidson’s career evolution from high-resilience telco software to AI and machine learning  - The concept of oracle-driven development for AI-generated code quality  - Practical experimentation with rewriting libraries and building emulators in Rust using AI - The extension of traditional unit testing to fuzz testing, differential testing, and other AI-powered validation  - The importance of defining success criteria ("what good looks like") upfront in AI projects  - Parallelization strategies in AI and software architectures: from agents to cores and teams  - Organizational implications of AI-driven productivity increases and automation  - Future outlook for legacy software companies amid AI disruptions  - The cultural and economic impacts of AI on software engineering careers and industry stability #tech #podcast #softwareengineering #AI #sustainability #green #software #distributedsystems shownotes and transcript: https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/asynchronous-and-unreliable-e7

    1h 8m
  5. Ep 6: What Does The Energy Transition Mean for Software? With Sara Bergman

    May 7

    Ep 6: What Does The Energy Transition Mean for Software? With Sara Bergman

    ShownotesDiscover how the rapid shift from fossil fuels to renewables, especially solar and wind, is shaping the tech industry and global economy. Hosted by Anne Currie and Sara Bergman, this episode explores the exponential growth of renewable energy, the role of software in optimizing energy use, and the geopolitical and environmental implications of this transition. Main insights: The exponential rise of solar energy generation and its implicationsThe importance of grid management and energy storage solutions in a renewable-powered worldHow different countries are adopting strategies like East-West data centers in China and time-of-use tariffs in India to optimize renewable energy consumptionThe role of software in enabling carbon-aware computing and energy efficiencyChallenges and opportunities of integrating variable renewable sources into the energy mixThe historical context of fossil fuels as first gear in industrial development and the move towards more complex, resilient energy systemsInnovations like balcony solar panels and plug-in solar devices, and their potential for widespread adoptionThe geopolitical considerations, including nuclear debates in Sweden and France's energy independenceHow increasing renewable infrastructure can accelerate economic development, especially in Africa Shownotes and transcript #tech #podcast #softwareengineering #AI #sustainability #green #software #distributedsystems

    28 min

  6. Apr 30

    Ep 5: What does it take to deliver 6 nines resilience and how does AI fit in? With Jon Berger

    Anne & networking expert Jon Berger discuss the difficulties of understanding exponentials and how that leads to challenges  when it comes to setting targets for both resilience and efficiency. If you wonder why people have no real clue about the nines resilience scale, this is why.

    39 min

  7. Apr 26

    Ep 4: How Should We Communicate Complex Subjects? With Charles Humble

    Guest: Charles Humble In the fourth episode of Asynchronous and Unreliable, amongst many other subjects, Anne & writer, author, and editor Charles Humble discuss the past and future of tech communication. Discover how communication methods in tech have evolved over decades, from early magazines and conferences to the challenges and opportunities presented by AI and large language models. This episode explores the importance of clear, honest, and varied communication for tech progress and societal impact. In this episode: The historical shifts from magazine learning, to books, to conferences and open source, and finally even podcasts for tech educationThe role of conferences in motivating further reading and understanding complex topicsHow the reliability of spoken vs. written communication impacts knowledge sharingThe significance of context, audience, and repetition in effective communicationChallenges of AI-generated content: surface-level writing, fact-checking, and nuanceThe societal implications of transparency and responsible tech communicationStrategies for engaging non-technical audiences in tech debatesPersonal stories and lessons from industry veterans about editing, clarity, humility and not giving up (all early drafts are rubbish) #tech #AI #communcations #conferences #literacy #chatbots

    1 hr

  8. Apr 24

    Ep 3: What Does Extreme Operational Efficiency (Currently) Look Like? WIth Niki Manoledaki

    In the third episode of Asynchronous and Unreliable, Anne Currie and Niki Manoledaki of Grafana Labs discuss the highest end of operational efficiency, GreenOps, and Finops using purely open source solutions including Kubernetes, Kepler and the Vertical Pod Autoscaler. What can you do with them and what is the vital technology you need in place before you attempt it? Real life stories! Shownotes and transcript #cloud #kubernetes #karpenter #kepler #VPA #CNCF #opensource #earthday #sustainability

    59 min

  9. Apr 19

    Ep 2: What Does AI Mean For The Future of Extreme Code Efficiency? With Jon Berger

    The High Stakes of Code Efficiency in Networking and Beyond In this episode of Asynchronous and Unreliable, host Anne Currie is joined by long-time tech veteran Jon Berger to explore the critical importance of code efficiency, especially in the networking software that underpins the internet’s performance and resilience. They delve into practical comparisons between operational and code efficiency, the impact of AI on high-performance software, and how scale influences software optimization strategies. Key Topics: The necessity of ultra-efficient code in networking software managing billions of packets per secondDifferences between operational efficiency, systems design, and code efficiencyThe exponential scale of code efficiency impacts versus the linear scale of operational efficiencyHow high-frequency trading and networking code both push the limits of performance, often in assembler and machine languageThe influence of AI and automation on future high-performance software developmentTrade-offs between hardware reliance for speed versus software optimizationThe impact of scale: Large companies like Google vs small startups in operational and code efficiencyChallenges of maintaining operational efficiency at scale in different sized businessesThe role of human expertise versus AI in optimizing software for resilience, energy, and securityThe importance of aligning software performance strategies with business goals like growth or cost reduction Shownotes and transcript

    32 min

  10. Apr 13

    Ep 1: What is Green Software? With Building Green Software Author Sara Bergman

    The Future of Software Efficiency, Distributed Systems, and Connections in Tech. In this first episode of the new Asynchronous and Unreliable podcast, Author Anne Currie is joined by Sara Bergman, Microsoft software engineer and co-author of O'Reilly's Building Green Software. They explore the nuances of code versus operational efficiency, the evolving landscape of hardware and software, and the importance of face-to-face interactions. Key Topics: The balance between code efficiency and operational efficiency in sustainable software developmentHow AI is increasingly capable of optimizing code performance, including rewriting for efficiencyThe shift from hardware solutions to smarter software and operational practices for sustainabilityThe strategic use of multi-tenancy and hardware flexibility to enhance efficiency and sustainabilityThe significance of face-to-face conferences, hallway track networking, and speaking opportunities for professional growthThe impact of transitioning from traditional hardware dependence to chip-agnostic, multi-platform codeThe industry's response to energy constraints, energy transition, and the potential environmental benefits of energy-aware designThe power of community, feedback, and continuous learning through conferences and meetupsThe evolving role and perception of tech investments in a changing economy This episode emphasizes that success in tech sustainability involves not only technical innovation but also community engagement, face-to-face interactions, and continual learning. With tools advancing and energy concerns growing, the right operational practices and hardware flexibility are more vital than ever . Shownotes and transcript Anne on LinkedIn

    44 min

  11. Season 1 Trailer

    Coming Soon - Asynchronous & Unreliable Podcast

    Asynchronous & Unreliable is a new podcast on the key concepts behind modern software engineering and AI and features cheerful and friendly conversations with some of the most interesting folks in computing. It's hosted by Anne Currie, co-author of O'Reilly's Building Green Software, The Cloud Native Attitude, and the science fiction Panopticon series. Expect regular guests and lighthearted discussion of some of the most fascinating & sometimes challenging ideas in tech.

    1 min

Trailer

About

Welcome to Asynchronous and Unreliable, the new weekly podcast where we discuss the latest and most fascinating ideas in: software engineering, AI, management, leadership and communications, efficiency, operations, clouds, hyperscaling, resilience and sustainability. Our host is Anne Currie, tech veteran, co-author of O'Reilly's Building Green Software (on building cheaper and more flexible systems ready for the energy transition), The Cloud Native Attitude (on industry embrace of fast flow), and the science fiction Panopticon series (on killer robots in space, amongst other topics). Expect animated, friendly, and lighthearted discussions with some of the most renowned & interesting thinkers and practitioners in technology.  To find out about just a few of our amazing guests in 2026, visit our website.

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