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Software People Stories

Software People Stories

PM Power Consulting

Stories of what worked and sometimes what did not, in the course of discovering, designing, developing and delivering software based solutions – as shared by practitioners who went through these situations.

296 - Essentials of outsourcing with Andy Hillard
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  • 296 - Essentials of outsourcing with Andy Hillard

    In this episode, Shiv is in conversation with Andy Hillard, the CEO of Accelerance. He leads and advocates for the globalization and collaboration of great software teams across the world. 

    The conversation between Shiv and Andy covers Andy's extensive career journey, including his time with the Peace Corps, his experience in finance and marketing, and his transition into software development. 

    Andy discusses the evolution of the outsourcing industry, emphasizing the need for service providers to build trust and credibility with their clients. 

    He shares insights on fostering empathy and collaboration within distributed teams, particularly in the context of outsourcing relationships. 

    Andy highlights the importance of aligning cultural values, communication practices, and leadership styles between clients and service providers to ensure successful collaboration. 

    The conversation also touches on challenges and controversies in outsourcing, prompting a discussion on the risks and benefits of outsourcing arrangements involving multiple service providers. 

    Overall, the conversation explores strategies for building effective and trustworthy partnerships in the software development industry.

    As CEO, Andy leads and advocates for the globalization and collaboration of great software teams with companies in search of talent, innovation and a globally-distributed extension of their engineering function and culture.

    Andy founded the ground-breaking nearshore software development services company, Isthmus Costa Rica. He began his global software services career as a Division Manager at Cognizant during their early formative years.




    Thu, 30 May 2024
  • 295 - Being an architect with Mike Bowers

    Shiv continues his conversation with Mike Bowers, Chief architect at FairCom.

    In this conversation, Mike discusses how to identify someone with an aptitude for being a software architect.

    Here are the key points:

    Aptitude for a software architect, abstract thinking and PracticalityHis Experience in extensive coding and understanding of  different programming languages, Data structures and algorithms knowledgeHe also talks about the Qualities of a good software architect:How to identify if you have the aptitude:

    In short, a software architect should be a well-rounded programmer with a strong understanding of design and practicality. They should be able to see the big picture and translate that vision into a functional system.

    He also shares some career tips for aspiring architects.

    Mike Bowers is the Chief Architect at FairCom with over 35 years of experience in software development and architecture. As the driving force behind FairCom's architecture and product roadmaps, Mike specializes in high-performance NoSQL and SQL databases, IIoT platforms, and legacy system modernization solutions. His wealth of knowledge extends to topics like database revolution, manufacturing 4.0, IIoT, edge computing, and data integration. With a deep understanding of the tech landscape, he actively contributes to the development of industry standards through his membership in the INCITS technical committee, focusing on SQL and GQL. Mike's insights resonate particularly well with audiences comprising CEOs, IT managers, software architects, software engineers, and controls engineers.

    Sun, 05 May 2024
  • 294 - Architecting database engines with Mike Bowers

    My guest today is Mike Bowers, Chief architect at FairCom. We had a very interesting conversation that we decided to publish in two parts. In the first part of the conversation , MIke shares his career path and his perspective on how to approach software development. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the customer's needs and designing systems that are flexible and scalable. He also discusses the importance of data in software development and his experience working with different data models.

    Here are the key points from the conversation:

    Mike started programming at a young age and has been passionate about it ever since.He has a PhD in music theory and sees connections between music and software development, particularly in terms of patterns.As an architect, he focuses on designing systems that are flexible, scalable, and meet the needs of the customer.He believes that data is a crucial part of software development and that understanding data is essential for building good systems.He has experience working with different data models, including relational databases and JSON.

    Mike Bowers is the Chief Architect at FairCom with over 35 years of experience in software development and architecture. As the driving force behind FairCom's architecture and product roadmaps, Mike specializes in high-performance NoSQL and SQL databases, IIoT platforms, and legacy system modernization solutions. His wealth of knowledge extends to topics like database revolution, manufacturing 4.0, IIoT, edge computing, and data integration. With a deep understanding of the tech landscape, he actively contributes to the development of industry standards through his membership in the INCITS technical committee, focusing on SQL and GQL. Mike's insights resonate particularly well with audiences comprising CEOs, IT managers, software architects, software engineers, and controls engineers.

    Fri, 26 Apr 2024
  • 293 - Architecting solutions for the social sector with Vijayashree Urs

    In this conversation with Ms. VijayashreeCTO - Shikshalokam | Director- Onlineengineer Inc.she talks about her career trajectory and how she approaches technical challenges. Here are the key points:

    Vijayashree accidentally ended up in computer science after wanting to study electronics engineering.She has a passion for system software design and coding.She transitioned from a services role to a product role to focus more on the technical aspects.She believes in balancing the technical aspects with user needs and understanding the business domain.She uses a collaborative approach to design, involving the team and getting their buy-in on ideas.She acknowledges the need for analysis and design but also emphasizes the importance of getting things into production quickly using Agile methodologies.When making decisions about new technologies, she weighs the risks and benefits, using proven patterns for critical areas but also taking calculated risks to experiment with new ideas.She communicates the importance of non-functional requirements to her team and integrates them into the design process to ensure scalability, reliability, and maintainability.

    Vijayashree talks about the challenges and the transition from working in the commercial sector to the social sector.

    Key takeaways for designing for the social sector:

    Users might not have the technical expertise and may have limited internet connectivity.The solutions should be designed for a wider range of devices including low-end smartphones.Multiple languages and possibly voice interfaces should be considered.There might be a need to focus on offline functionality as well.

    Metrics for success in the social sector:

    Adoption rate of the software by other organizations.User feedback and the resulting improvements made to the software.The impact of the software on the beneficiaries.

    There are also a few interesting career advices by her


    https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijayashree-urs/

    Thu, 18 Apr 2024
  • 292 - Late career options with Shekhar Chandra

    Today, my guest is Shekhar Chandra - the Global Practice Head at Irs Software Inc.

    Here are the key themes from the conversation: 

    Shekhar initially disliked sales because he is more of an introvert.However, he was eased into the role by his company and his technical background helped him gain the confidence to sell because he understood the product.Building a brand: Shekhar highlights the importance of building a brand for oneself, especially when venturing into entrepreneurship.Shekhar talks about the concept of building practices within a company to focus on specific areas of expertise.Shekhar emphasizes the importance of trying new things and learning from failures.Shekhar highlights the need for salespeople to have a good understanding of the technical aspects of the product or service they are selling.Shekhar then talks about the challenges faced by Indian companies trying to take their products global.Marketing is crucial: Building a good product is not enough.Companies need to focus on marketing and building alliances with other companies to be successful in the global market.Shekhar describes three different methods for partnering with other companies:Highlights some challenges faced by Indian companies when they try to take their products global.Shekhar also offers his advice for people in two different career stages:Mid-life career crisis:Late career:Shekhar Chandra - aka SC Shekar is the global practice head at Iris Software Inc.

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/shekhar-chandra-740953/



    Mon, 15 Apr 2024
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