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. How to Build Resilient Systems in Complex Enterprises | Episode 26

    -10 H

    How to Build Resilient Systems in Complex Enterprises | Episode 26

    When systems fail, it’s rarely because no one saw it coming. It’s because no one planned for it.  In this episode, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke share real-world lessons from years of building and scaling technology across enterprise environments where downtime costs dollars. They explore the art of designing resilient systems that can withstand inevitable failure points, recover quickly, and continue operating under pressure. From team culture to proactive design checklists, this conversation dives into how engineering leaders can turn system reliability into a competitive advantage. Top Takeaways: Designing for failure is crucial in system architecture.Understanding failure points is essential for system resiliency.Resiliency can mean different things depending on the context.Asking the right questions during project kickoff is vital.Complex enterprise environments have unique challenges.Responsibility for failures should not be shifted to others.Handling app stability is a core responsibility of developers.Everything in a system can fail at some point.Evaluating business impact is crucial for prioritizing resiliency efforts.Creating a resiliency checklist can guide design and implementation. Connect with us: Duncan Mapes Jason Ehmke DevGrid.io DevGrid on LinkedIn DevGrid on X

    35 min
  2. Stop Wasting Money on Conferences — Do This Instead | Episode 25

    3 NOV.

    Stop Wasting Money on Conferences — Do This Instead | Episode 25

    Every year, companies spend thousands sending their engineers to conferences.  Flights. Hotels. Per diems. All in the hope of “learning” and “networking.” But when they return? The notebooks gather dust, and the insights never leave their laptops. In this episode of Tech Council, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke pull back the curtain on what actually makes conferences worth attending. From understanding why you’re going, to choosing who should go, to how that knowledge is shared afterward, they uncover the strategies that separate teams who grow from teams who just take selfies at the expo hall. They also explore local meetups to internal learning sessions that often yield more value for less cost. If you’ve ever wondered whether conferences are worth the budget line item, this episode gives you the framework to find out. Top Takeaways: Conferences can provide valuable learning opportunities for engineers.Networking at conferences often yields more insights than formal sessions.Local meetups can be just as beneficial as large conferences.Budgeting for conferences requires careful consideration of ROI.Selecting attendees for conferences can be a challenging process.Knowledge transfer after conferences is crucial for team growth.Encouraging participation in local events fosters community engagement.Engineers should aspire to share knowledge through talks at meetups.The tech industry is constantly evolving, making continuous learning essential.Feedback from the community can enhance future discussions on conference attendance. Connect with us: Duncan Mapes Jason Ehmke DevGrid.io DevGrid on LinkedIn DevGrid on X

    25 min
  3. Top Book Recommendations for Tech Professionals and Engineering Managers | Episode 24

    20 OCT.

    Top Book Recommendations for Tech Professionals and Engineering Managers | Episode 24

    Every great leader has a few books that quietly shaped how they lead. For Duncan and Jason, those books go far beyond tech manuals. They’re the ones that teach you how to think, how to communicate, and how to take responsibility when things get hard. In this week’s Tech Council, they open their personal libraries and share the titles that stuck. Expect reflections on ownership, transparency, and the hidden leadership lessons inside biographies, history books, and even fiction. This isn’t your ordinary book recommendations episode. It’s about why some ideas endure, why others fail in practice, and why the best tech lessons sometimes come from outside of tech entirely. Books Mentioned in this Episode: The Scaling Era: An Oral History of AIExtreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and WinThe Dichotomy of LeadershipRadical CandorTurn the Ship AroundPHP/MySQL Programming for the Absolute BeginnerThe Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital RevolutionJohn Adams by David McCullough1776 by David McCulloughThe Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of LivingGood to Great: A Study of Management Strategies of Companies with Lasting GrowthHigh Output Management by Andy Grove12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to ChaosThe Hard Thing About Hard ThingsWhat You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business CultureRework by Jason Fried and DHHHigh Growth HandbookThree-Body ProblemThe AlchemistConnect with us: Duncan Mapes Jason Ehmke DevGrid.io DevGrid on LinkedIn DevGrid on X

    35 min
  4. Habits That Make or Break Hybrid Teams | Episode 23

    13 OCT.

    Habits That Make or Break Hybrid Teams | Episode 23

    The hybrid workplace has become the defining experiment of modern engineering, and most leaders are still figuring it out. In this Tech Council episode, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke analyze the habits that drive high-performing hybrid teams. They discuss proximity bias, performance evaluation, and how communication systems shape fairness and culture. They dissect the bad habits that derail trust (like reactive communication and lack of structure) and the good ones that strengthen it (like clear metrics, empathy, and visibility). Whether you’re leading across time zones or transitioning from in-office to hybrid, this episode offers actionable insights drawn from years of managing distributed engineering teams. Top Takeaways: Hybrid work can create feelings of exclusion among remote employees.Intentional communication is crucial in remote settings.Establishing clear norms helps teams function effectively.Performance management in hybrid environments requires careful consideration.Promoting remote employees can be challenging due to visibility issues.Building relationships is essential for team cohesion.Junior employees need guidance to develop professional skills remotely.Regular check-ins can help maintain team engagement.Documentation of achievements is vital for remote employees.Creating opportunities for in-person interactions can enhance team dynamics. Connect with us: Duncan Mapes Jason Ehmke DevGrid.io DevGrid on LinkedIn DevGrid on X

    47 min
  5. The ONLY Way App Managers Can Balance Velocity and Stability | Episode 22

    6 OCT.

    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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
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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
    27
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © 2025 DevGrid, Inc.
  • Site web de l’émission
    Tech Council