The Forward Slash Podcast

Is your enterprise AI actively shipping, or just sitting pretty in a deck? James sits down with John Capobianco, head of AI and Developer Relations at Itential and former senior network architect for Canada's House of Commons, for an engineering leader's tour of what's actually shipping in 2026: spec-driven development with Ralph loops, MCP as the next generational protocol, agents built like org charts instead of Swiss Army knives, and the open-source agent security stack. 21 minutes for engineering leaders ready to ship.

The hardest question in enterprise AI isn't "can we build agents?" — it's "how do we let them act on our behalf without losing the company?" In Part 2 of our conversation with John Willis, co-author of The DevOps Handbook, James gets concrete about what agent guardrails actually look like in regulated environments: delegated authority, read/write/execute permissions, kill switches, and the Andon Cord for AI. Twenty-one minutes for engineering leaders who've been told to "go faster on AI" without a plan for what happens when an agent misbehaves.

The AI agent horror stories your vendors aren't telling you — and what to do before they happen to you.John Willis, co-author of the DevOps Handbook and one of the original pioneers of the DevOps movement, joins James for part one of a two-part conversation on what autonomous AI agents are actually doing inside enterprise infrastructure right now. From vault secrets dumped to open source to entire repos deleted by a hallucinated command, John shares the real-world incidents every engineering leader needs to hear before they become the cautionary tale. Part two drops next week.

Is your enterprise ready to run AI agents in production — or just in demos? Logan Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Waxell AI, joins us to explore why deploying autonomous AI agents at enterprise scale is a fundamentally different challenge than building them. From runaway costs and unpredictable agent behavior to PII exposure and AI governance, we break down what actually breaks when agentic systems go live — and why engineering leaders are building guardrails and AI control planes around their agents instead of into them to move from pilot to production without losing control of what their agents do next.

Is your biggest cost reduction opportunity hiding in your energy bill? Josh Dorfman, CEO of Supercool and climate entrepreneur, joins us to explore why the smartest companies have stopped treating clean energy as a sustainability initiative — and started treating it as a CFO conversation. They break down how AI is compressing diligence cycles, optimizing fleets, and unlocking business models that make clean energy the financially obvious choice.

What does it take to survive a 20x traffic spike?  Part two concludes our chat with Matthew McDole. This week, he shares how Yum! Brands scales systems for Super Bowl Sunday—plus lessons on performance, resilience, and AI in engineering.

How do you grow your engineering career without chasing titles?  This week, we have a two-parter! Matthew McDole joins James Carman to break down platform engineering, build vs. buy decisions, and why working on the right problems matters more than promotions.

How do you keep your workforce competitive when the skills they built two years ago are already expiring?  Ben Tasker leads an AI academy upskilling 36,000 employees in the public utility sector. This week, he joins us to unpack why 95% of organizations are getting AI adoption wrong — and why the problem is almost never the technology. They explore what skills-based workforce design actually looks like in practice, how to prepare teams to work alongside AI agents, and why change management is the foundation most companies skip.

As enterprise AI adoption accelerates, how do you move fast without introducing new security and compliance risk?  Cordell Robinson, CEO of Brownstone Consulting Firm, joins James to explore why AI governance and cybersecurity can’t be an afterthought. They break down the risks behind shadow AI, data leakage, and weak vendor oversight — and why organizations that build governance early will be better positioned than those trying to retrofit it later.

What happens when AI becomes better than the average designer?  This week, Hikari Senju, founder and CEO of Omneky, joins James to explore how generative AI is transforming advertising from an art form into a measurable, automated system.They unpack how AI is redesigning enterprise workflows, why advertising may replace large portions of traditional sales, and what it means when attention itself becomes an auction-based capital market. From automated creative testing to products validated by ads before they’re built, this conversation examines how AI is changing not just marketing — but how companies allocate capital and scale growth.

As AI accelerates software development, how do you keep complexity from accelerating with it?  This week, Mike Spiegel of SpotOn joins us to examine how platform engineering must evolve in an AI-driven development era. As code velocity increases, testing discipline, reliability, and governance become even more critical.They explore how internal developer platforms create organizational clarity, why today’s golden paths can become tomorrow’s constraints, and how SRE principles are being absorbed into modern platform teams. From navigating CNCF tool sprawl to aligning developer experience with business outcomes, this conversation unpacks what it takes to scale innovation without losing control.

Why do so many well-funded products still struggle with adoption? Mark Brehaut, Head of Design at Clair, joins us to unpack how design directly impacts activation, retention, and business performance — especially in high-stakes industries like FinTech.From onboarding friction and time-to-value to validating assumptions before they hit production, Mark explains how human-centered design moves beyond aesthetics and becomes a measurable growth lever. We also dig into AI-assisted tooling, compliance constraints, and why great design is often invisible but still measurable.

If AI is already embedded in your teams’ workflows, are you leading it — or reacting to it?  This week, Holly Laiveling, CTO at FEG Investment Advisors, shares what enterprise AI adoption really looks like inside complex, regulated environments. As generative AI moves from experiment to everyday tool, we break down how technology leaders can shift from gatekeeper to enabler through practical AI governance, tiered access models, and production-ready guardrails.James and Holly also explore how to buy back time through automation, close the judgment gap, and evolve IT from control center to strategic partner.

If AI is the future of infrastructure, why does production still feel experimental? Joel Vasallo, Senior Director of Platform Engineering at TAG (The Aspen Group), joins us to explore what AI adoption actually looks like inside real production environments. From agent gateways and MCP servers to AI-assisted monitoring, we discuss the operational tradeoffs, why many pilots never scale, and what it really takes to move from cloud-native to AI-native.

What happens when AI adoption becomes a leadership challenge, instead of a technology change? This week, James sits down with Nikki Barua, CEO and co-founder of Flipwork, to explore why AI progress often stalls even after real investment. They unpack the growing gap between executive expectations and team readiness, why traditional change management no longer works, and how leaders can rethink identity, value, and work itself in an AI-first era.

When everything feels urgent, how do you make progress instead of just reacting?In this episode, we talk with Erkang Zheng, founder of JupiterOne and Ariso, about why so many leaders get stuck in reactive mode and what it takes to build systems that hold up under pressure. They explore proactive leadership, lessons from scaling companies, and how AI and better structure can help teams move from constant firefighting to real momentum.

If AI is so powerful, why hasn’t it changed your organization the way you expected?In this episode, James sits down with strategy advisor Justin Trombold to unpack why GenAI progress feels slower than promised and why the biggest barriers usually aren’t technical. They explore what organizational readiness really means, how small workflow wins create momentum, when agentic automation is worth the risk, and how to avoid scaling the wrong things too early. A grounded conversation for tech leaders turning experimentation into real impact.

Why do AI analytics tools look impressive… but still don’t get used?James Carman talks with Pete Hunt, CEO of Dagster Labs and one of the original engineers behind React, about what it really takes for AI-powered analytics to stick. They unpack why adoption is often the biggest challenge (not accuracy), how bringing analytics into Slack changes decision-making, and what “fast, directionally correct” can unlock when teams trust the path to an answer.

If AI can build a prototype in a day, why does shipping still take months?In this episode, James Carman is joined by David Arenas, a senior technology leader across industrial automation, fintech, and global data platforms. Together, they unpack why AI is accelerating development, but also making the gap between demo and production more expensive. They break down what it takes to ship AI-built work at enterprise scale.

What did we actually learn about AI this year?To close out 2025, James interviews an unexpected guest: ChatGPT. They talk honestly about what teams got wrong, what actually improved, and why AI’s biggest wins came from small workflow shifts — not sweeping transformation. They also dig into software engineering, documentation, onboarding, junior engineers, and what tech leaders will need to operationalize in 2026 as AI becomes a system, not a tool.

What if the systems we rely on every day fail because they were never designed for how work actually happens? This week, we sit down with product design leader and founder Sharmeen Aqeel to explore how human-centered design and AI are reshaping how products get built, decisions get made, and businesses move forward. Sharmeen shares how deep user research exposes where traditional processes break down, how simplifying workflows creates speed without sacrificing trust, and why AI is becoming a true partner in modern product design and entrepreneurship. 

What happens when shipping software is no longer limited by human hours? This week, Max Heckel — CTO of Ariso and creator of the open-source AI orchestrator “Ivan” — breaks down how his team literally codes while they sleep. Max shares how AI coding agents can tackle tasks overnight, open PRs by morning, double development velocity, and redefine what engineering teams focus on. This conversation is a roadmap to what’s coming next.

What if the real key to transformation isn’t more technology, but more humanity?This week, Nora Osman joins James to explore why simplicity, trust, and human experience are the real engines of organizational change. From zero-to-hero moments to the “red carpet in, red carpet out” philosophy, Nora shows how better leadership—not bigger tech stacks—drives lasting results.

Can your AI agents survive production AND your budget? In this episode, Yaron Schneider, CTO and co-founder of Diagrid and creator of the foundational open-source tools Dapr and KEDA, joins James to unpack what it takes to build AI agents that are durable, cost-aware and enterprise-ready.

In this episode of The Forward Slash, James talks with Michael Pompey, AI Evangelist at Arrow Electronics, about the messy middle between innovation and impact. They discuss lessons from mission-driven organizations, the danger of chasing hype, and why the next evolution of transformation will be adaptive, not architectural. From AI to governance to leadership trust, this conversation is a candid look at what actually drives change in organizations.

What if your transformation plan is the thing holding you back?This week, James welcomes Carol Houle, CEO of Inspire Digital Consulting, to dive into the mindset shift from rigid planning to adaptive execution. They explore how to connect OKRs to customer value, replace feature wish lists with measurable outcomes, and finally move from building more to building what matters.

Has AI finally met its moment of truth?This week, James sits down with Jim Spignardo, Director of Cloud Strategy & AI Enablement at ProArch, to explore how enterprises are moving from curiosity to competence with AI. They talk data, security, productivity, and the shift from “let’s try AI” to “let’s solve real problems with it.”

What if AI could hear what doctors can’t?This week James welcomes, Dr. Morris Nguyen, founder and CEO of Predicate, to explore how AI is transforming healthcare by combining patient voice and vital signs to detect critical illness early. Morris shares his journey from critical care physician to tech founder, what it takes to bridge medicine and machine learning, and why empathy may be AI’s most powerful feature. Together, they unpack what it means to build predictive, equitable healthcare technology, and the surprising challenges of scaling real-world innovation.

Is platform engineering the missing link in real AI adoption?This week, we welcome Matan Grady, lead AI PM at Port, to unpack why platform engineering is the control plane for AI adoption. We cover the move from chat UIs to agentic workflows, what it takes to trust AI in production (secrets, permissions, guardrails, human-in-the-loop), and how MCP servers connect agents to calendars, docs, and code. Matan explains why AI evals should measure outcomes—not outputs—and shares a real win: turning a manual changelog into an AI agent PMs simply review. Its a pragmatic look at developer portals, coding agents, and the evolving role of engineers as orchestrators who architect, observe, and ship faster.

Is AI making product design smarter—or just noisier? This week, James talks with Erica Price, product experience leader, about how AI is reshaping UX, product design, and job dynamics. From ADHD hyper-focus as a superpower to the limits of chat interfaces, Erica shares practical insights on using AI as a tool—not a replacement—in the future of design.

What does it really take to run AI at scale? In this episode, cloud architect James McShane joins James to explore how Kubernetes became the backbone of modern tech, why the cloud isn’t always the cheapest answer, and what most people miss about keeping AI systems healthy after launch. From GPU scarcity to “vibe coding” gone wrong, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the choices shaping the future of software.

Is AI making developers more productive... or just making us feel that way? Adam Barrett joins James this week to cut through the vibe coding hype. They dig into why requirements and context still matter, how React became the LLM default, and what zero-dependency coding could mean for security. From junior talent to quantum risks, this episode challenges how we think about building software in the AI era.

Can AI really replace junior software engineers? Jason Pedone, CTO at Aspida and former SVP at Truist, joins James Carman to tackle one of the most debated questions in tech today. They explore why cutting early-career talent puts your entire pipeline at risk, how AI can boost productivity without killing creativity, and what happens when companies chase short-term savings over long-term engineering strength.

What does it take to modernize a 165-year-old bank?This week, James talks with Jude Schramm, EVP & CIO at Fifth Third Bank, about leading digital transformation in a highly regulated industry. From scaling agile across 200+ teams to rethinking core systems and adopting AI, Jude shares how he’s helping one of America’s largest banks move faster while keeping customer trust at the center.

What happens when anyone can build software...but no one checks the code? Bruno Borges, Principal PM Manager at Microsoft, joins The Forward Slash to unpack how AI is reshaping software development—from prototyping to architecture—and the hidden risks of skipping the fundamentals.We also dive into Microsoft’s surprising evolution into a Java powerhouse, the rise of prompt-driven development, and why real engineering expertise still matters more than ever.

What happens when crypto collides with real-world regulation? In this episode, we unpack how stablecoins work, why they matter, and how they’re poised to disrupt everything from cross-border payments to brand loyalty programs. We also explore what developers and businesses should be thinking about as the lines between traditional finance and DeFi continue to blur.

Everyone’s talking about AI, but are you overlooking the real driver of developer productivity? On this episode of The Forward Slash, Dillon Courts, Callibrity’s Director of Platform Engineering, shares what he’s learned about building high-performing platforms, the real limits of the “everyone does everything” DevOps model, and why self-service tools are changing the game for software teams. He also explains why leaders who focus on eliminating inefficiency are pulling ahead of those who just follow tech trends.

Most people think of budgeting as restrictive, tedious, or something they’ll “get around to.” But what if it didn’t have to be that way? In this episode, we explore how technology, AI, and a little human coaching are reshaping not only how we manage money—but how modern platforms are blending automation with personal connection to drive real, lasting change. From building better financial habits to scaling a startup, it all comes down to aligning your tools—and your spending—with what matters most.

How did coding go from something niche and isolating to one of the most valuable skills in the modern workforce?In this episode of Forward Slash, we look at how the role of the developer has evolved—from outsider status to essential strategist. Drawing on decades of experience, Mark Stahl shares how the culture around coding has changed, and why understanding systems, context, and collaboration now matters more than syntax. We also explore the often-overlooked power of clear requirements—how they bridge the gap between business needs and code, and why they’ll matter even more in an AI-driven future.

How do you build user-centered digital products in a world obsessed with trends and AI hype?In this episode, UX researcher and digital psychologist Dr. Nick Fine joins James to share expert insights on human-centered design, behavioral science, and the real meaning of user experience. Learn how to apply UX research methods that drive product success, avoid common pitfalls in agile teams, and use AI tools without sacrificing product integrity.

Wrangling APIs? Dreaming about AI agents that actually get your specs? This episode delivers. We chat with Dave Shanley (aka quobix)—a musician-turned-engineer with a sci-fi streak—about cutting through the noise of OpenAPI standards, building tools developers actually want to use, and how to stay grounded while navigating the fast-moving world of agentic AI.

Curious how AI can turn messy, unstructured data into something actually useful? This episode, we dive into a real-world project that explores just that. Senior developer Azriel Alvarado shares how building a song recommendation tool based on lyrics led to deeper insights into embeddings, vector search, and working with natural language data. Whether you're in search, content tagging, knowledge management, or building smarter user interfaces—this episode is packed with takeaways for applying AI in meaningful. ways.

What separates teams that build features from those that solve problems? Ryan Donnelly, product leader and proud Callibrity alum, shares how his engineering roots shaped his approach to driving impact at scale. He unpacks the mindset behind modernizing in-house payments, building with empathy, and leading through storytelling. If you're navigating tech, product, or leadership—this one's for you.

Can you build a working AI chatbot without any prior AI knowledge? Rachel did—and here’s how. In this episode, senior software developer, Rachel Clifton joins James to share how she tackled her very first AI project—building a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) chatbot from scratch. Rachel breaks down the beginner-friendly tools that made it possible, including Spring AI, Apache Tika, and PGVector, and opens up about the challenges of chunking, hallucinations, and missing metadata. If you’ve been curious about AI but don’t know where to start, this episode is a practical, encouraging place to begin.

What do toddlers learning to walk and robots learning to cook soup have in common? In this episode, data scientist Steven Nord joins James to explore the fundamentals of reinforcement learning (RL)—a key concept in machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI)—and its real-world applications in predictive maintenance, automation, robotics, and AI-powered systems. They explain the differences between supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning, and how models like ChatGPT use Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) to improve performance and accuracy.

Can your software handle failure—or write its own test code? In this episode, we dive into temporal workflows, agentic AI, and no-code automation tools like N8N to explore how developers can build resilient, scalable applications faster. Learn how to navigate unreliable APIs, implement AI-powered code generation, and prototype with no-code platforms to supercharge your software development process.

Is QA slowing you down? We unpack why traditional, siloed QA creates friction—and how a player-coach approach to test automation can embed quality across your team. Learn how shifting the mindset from “quality as a function” to “quality as a culture” leads to faster feedback, stronger collaboration, and better software.Perfect for CTOs, tech leads, and teams ready to level up their delivery.

In this episode of The Forward Slash, James sits down with Guy Royse, Developer Advocate at Redis, Guy shares insights into what it means to be a developer advocate—helping engineers solve problems, teaching new technologies, and building communities. He and James dive into the world of conferences, discussing the value of in-person events, networking, and staying ahead of industry trends.

Are soft skills the secret weapon of high-performing technologists? In this episode, we sit down with Aaron Tyler, Senior Staff Consultant at Callibrity and a Full-Stack & iOS Polyglot Programmer, to explore how mastering soft skills can sharpen technical execution, improve collaboration, and elevate engineering teams to new levels of efficiency.

In this episode of The Forward Slash Podcast, James and Aaron sit down with special guest Tracy Beeson, Director of Transformation at Health Alliance Plan. They explore shifting Agile methodologies, new frameworks, and evolving industry demands, and ask the big question: Is Agile dead, or has it simply transformed?