Tech Council

Duncan Mapes, Jason Ehmke
  • 5,0 (9)
  • TECHNOLOGIES
  • CHAQUE SEMAINE

Are you a tech leader, architect, or engineer navigating the intricacies of building within the enterprise? Tech Council delivers the strategies and insights you need to succeed. Hosted by Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke, experienced leaders from the startup and banking tech arenas, this podcast dives deep into technology strategy and enterprise dynamics. Learn how to drive innovation, understand the bigger picture, and build impactful solutions from the ground up. Subscribe to Tech Council and gain the knowledge to shape the future of your enterprise, no matter your role.

  1. The ONLY Way App Managers Can Balance Velocity and Stability | Episode 22

    -4 J

    The ONLY Way App Managers Can Balance Velocity and Stability | Episode 22

    Let’s be real: app managers are stuck in the middle. On one side, business leaders want features yesterday. On the other, teams struggle under mounting tech debt. Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke break down the complex challenges app managers face in balancing velocity and technical debt. They explore how technical advocacy, stakeholder trust, and long-term business alignment converge to shape outcomes. They highlight how trust, advocacy, and smart decision-making can turn impossible situations into opportunities for innovation. Top Takeaways: Balancing velocity and tech debt is crucial for app managers.There is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing tech debt.Building strong partnerships with business leaders is essential.Tech debt should be intertwined with business strategy.Continuous improvement requires measuring success and outcomes.App managers must advocate for necessary tech changes.Justifying technical decisions is key to gaining support.Encouraging innovation can lead to valuable insights.Effective communication is vital in stakeholder conversations.Understanding the business impact of tech decisions is critical. Connect with us: Duncan Mapes Jason Ehmke DevGrid.io DevGrid on LinkedIn DevGrid on X

    34 min
  2. Talent Acquisition in Tech: What Companies Get Wrong | Episode 21

    29 SEPT.

    Talent Acquisition in Tech: What Companies Get Wrong | Episode 21

    Every great product starts with people. But finding the right people, and keeping them, has become one of the hardest challenges in tech. In this episode, Jason Ehmke and Duncan Mapes unpack the hidden struggles of talent acquisition. From navigating contract-to-hire strategies to cultivating trust through transparency, they share real-world lessons from building engineering teams that last.  Beyond résumés and interviews, the conversation dives into how leadership directly shapes retention, why recruiters are more than gatekeepers, and how slow, clunky processes quietly repel top talent.  This episode is about balancing short-term hiring pressure with the long game of building resilient, high-performing teams. Top Takeaways: Hiring the right people is crucial for success.Talent acquisition should be a thoughtful process.Contract-to-hire can mitigate hiring risks.Leadership quality directly impacts team performance.Creating opportunities for lateral mobility retains talent.Transparency fosters trust within teams.Building relationships with recruiters enhances candidate quality.Streamlining recruitment processes saves time and resources.A positive team environment encourages retention.Balancing short-term needs with long-term goals is essential. Connect with us: Duncan Mapes Jason Ehmke DevGrid.io DevGrid on LinkedIn DevGrid on X

    47 min
  3. Six Pillars of a Mature API Practice | Episode 20

    22 SEPT.

    Six Pillars of a Mature API Practice | Episode 20

    APIs are everywhere, but maturity in API practices is rare. Buying a gateway doesn’t mean you have an API strategy. What matters is governance, security, and making life easier for developers who build and consume those APIs.  In this episode, Duncan and Jason unpack the real challenges behind building a sustainable API practice: how to avoid sprawl, how to strike the balance between control and flexibility, and how to embed security into every layer.  They also share lessons on centralizing API governance without killing innovation, and why the best APIs put developer experience at the core. Top Takeaways: API gateways have become essential in modern architecture.The interpretation of API gateways varies among teams.A mature API practice requires standards and governance.Security is a primary benefit of using API gateways.Developer experience is crucial for API adoption.Centralized governance helps manage API inventory effectively.API Gateway solutions vary in capabilities and deployment models.Automation can streamline API deployment processes.Collaboration between teams is necessary for API success.Documentation and onboarding processes impact developer engagement. Connect with us: Duncan Mapes Jason Ehmke DevGrid.io DevGrid on LinkedIn DevGrid on X

    31 min
  4. What Is SRE? Site Reliability Engineering Explained | Episode 19

    15 SEPT.

    What Is SRE? Site Reliability Engineering Explained | Episode 19

    Most companies are doing SRE wrong. Hiring SREs doesn’t make you reliable. Metrics dashboards don’t guarantee accountability. And cultural change doesn’t happen because you wrote it on a slide deck. In this episode, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke push back against the misconceptions. They argue that SRE isn’t a bolt-on team but a systemic shift in how engineering works. Without shared accountability, meaningful metrics, and cultural buy-in, SRE will fail.  And no, copying Google’s model isn’t the answer. If you think SRE is just a headcount play, this episode will challenge everything you believe. Got a different perspective? Drop us a review, share your comments, and send your toughest SRE questions our way. Top Takeaways: SRE is a complex practice that varies across organizations.Defining SRE upfront can prevent chaos later.SRE is not just about taking over responsibilities; it's about collaboration.The role of SREs is to guide and support application teams.Key metrics for SRE success include mean time to detect and restore.Cultural transformation is essential for successful SRE implementation.Finding early wins can help demonstrate the value of SRE.Effective communication is crucial for SREs to succeed.SRE teams should focus on toil reduction and automation.Building a strong relationship between SREs and app teams is vital. Mentioned in this Episode: Site Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production Systems - https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/site-reliability-engineering/9781491929117/ Connect with us: Duncan Mapes Jason Ehmke DevGrid.io DevGrid on LinkedIn DevGrid on X

    44 min
  5. Workplace Politics in 2025: How Engineers Can Win Without Playing Games | Episode 18

    8 SEPT.

    Workplace Politics in 2025: How Engineers Can Win Without Playing Games | Episode 18

    Engineering teams in 2025 look different. Hybrid work, distributed leadership, and constant change. But one thing hasn’t changed: navigating workplace politics is tricky. In this episode, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke get real about how engineers can build influence without playing power games. From handling peer dynamics to understanding leadership intent, they share frameworks that help you stay effective and aligned. This conversation started with a listener’s question, and it sparked insights every individual contributor and engineering leader should hear. Whether you’re trying to give feedback, manage relationships, or earn trust on your team, this episode will change how you think about workplace dynamics. Top Insights: There are appropriate times to push back against leadership decisions.Understanding the reasoning behind leadership decisions is crucial.Taking ownership in projects can lead to greater influence and responsibility.Building relationships with peers and managers is essential for effective communication.Constructive feedback should focus on helping others succeed, not criticizing them.Examine your intent before providing feedback to ensure it's constructive.Curiosity and humility are key when challenging leadership decisions.Alignment within teams is necessary for fast and effective decision-making.Navigating peer relationships requires transparency and communication.Encouraging audience engagement can lead to valuable discussions. Connect with us: Duncan Mapes Jason Ehmke DevGrid.io DevGrid on LinkedIn DevGrid on X

    41 min
  6. Blameless Postmortems: The Secret to Better Engineering Teams | Episode 17

    3 SEPT.

    Blameless Postmortems: The Secret to Better Engineering Teams | Episode 17

    A critical incident hits. Systems go down. Deadlines slip. Fingers point. Sound familiar? In this episode, Duncan and Jason break down how high-performing engineering teams recover differently. Instead of assigning blame, they focus on learning, adapting, and improving. Through stories and insights, they explore how leadership sets the tone for accountability, why feedback loops are essential for growth, and how creating psychological safety helps engineers move faster without fear. If you’ve ever been in the middle of a postmortem wondering how to make your team stronger, this conversation will change the way you think about engineering culture. Top Takeaways: Building a resilient engineering culture requires overcoming fear and blame.Incident responses reveal the underlying culture of an organization.Blameless postmortems focus on accountability, not punishment.Leaders must model accountability to foster a healthy culture.Creating a culture of trust involves open communication and vulnerability.Accountability should be balanced with support and understanding.Influencing culture starts with individual actions and leadership.Navigating niceness in leadership requires setting clear expectations.High standards lead to better team dynamics and accountability.Low accountability results in wasted resources and ineffective teams. Connect with us: Duncan Mapes Jason Ehmke DevGrid.io DevGrid on LinkedIn DevGrid on X

    32 min
  7. Freedom vs. Centralization: Engineering’s Biggest Dilemma | Episode 16

    28 AOÛT

    Freedom vs. Centralization: Engineering’s Biggest Dilemma | Episode 16

    Every engineering leader has been there. Your team wants the freedom to try new tools, adopt new frameworks, and build in ways that make sense to them. But leadership needs consistency, security, and cost control. So… who’s right? In this episode of Tech Council, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke unpack how to balance developer autonomy with organizational alignment. It’s not about locking everything down, nor is it about letting every team go rogue. It’s about knowing where freedom fuels innovation and where centralization prevents chaos. Whether you’re managing three engineers or three hundred, this episode delivers actionable insights for engineering leaders looking to optimize for both speed and stability. Top Takeaways:  Freedom in engineering can lead to significant efficiency gains.Centralization can improve decision-making and reduce costs.A standardized stack allows for quicker onboarding of developers.Decentralization can lead to increased operational risk and inefficiencies.The balance between freedom and centralization is context-dependent.Quick decision-making is crucial for organizational efficiency.Too much freedom can result in stagnation and missed deadlines.Centralized decision-making can help maintain security and compliance.Empowering developers with context can lead to better decision-making.Finding a middle ground is essential for effective engineering management. Connect with us: Duncan Mapes Jason Ehmke DevGrid.io DevGrid on LinkedIn DevGrid on X

    46 min
  8. Surviving Your First Leadership Transition in Technology | Episode 15

    18 AOÛT

    Surviving Your First Leadership Transition in Technology | Episode 15

    Most advice about leadership transitions is sugarcoated: “Trust the process, be patient, focus on people.”  While that’s not wrong, it’s not the whole story. In this candid episode, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke break through the noise to talk about what actually matters when you step into a new role: defining success metrics, proving yourself with early wins, and building credibility fast.  Leadership transitions are less about theory and more about execution, and the way you handle those first 90 days can set the tone for years to come. Top Takeaways: Transitioning from a large enterprise to a smaller organization can be intimidating.In smaller companies, accountability is more direct and personal.The first few months in a new role should focus on learning and absorbing information.Assessing team dynamics and architecture is crucial for effective leadership.Early wins are important for building credibility and trust.Defining success criteria is essential for aligning team goals with organizational objectives.Fresh eyes can provide valuable insights into existing processes and team dynamics.Avoid making snap judgments about team members; assess their skills fairly.Planning should be done in phases, focusing on short-term and long-term goals.Continuous self-improvement is vital for effective leadership. Mentioned in the Episode: Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif BabinThe Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen CoveyHigh Output Management by Andy Grove Connect with us: Duncan Mapes Jason Ehmke DevGrid.io DevGrid on LinkedIn DevGrid on X

    35 min
Tout afficher (23)

5
sur 5
9 notes

À propos

Are you a tech leader, architect, or engineer navigating the intricacies of building within the enterprise? Tech Council delivers the strategies and insights you need to succeed. Hosted by Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke, experienced leaders from the startup and banking tech arenas, this podcast dives deep into technology strategy and enterprise dynamics. Learn how to drive innovation, understand the bigger picture, and build impactful solutions from the ground up. Subscribe to Tech Council and gain the knowledge to shape the future of your enterprise, no matter your role.

Informations

  • Création
    Duncan Mapes, Jason Ehmke
  • Années d’activité
    2 k
  • Épisodes
    23
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © 2025 DevGrid, Inc.
  • Site web de l’émission
    Tech Council