Episodes

Join Kyle, Chad, Peter, and Eric as they revisit their 2025 tech predictions, score their accuracy, and dive into the impact of AI on developer productivity, social media, and daily life. Hear firsthand experiences with AI tools, debates on self-driving cars, and insights into the evolving tech landscape—from streaming wars to the future of work.

Jason Lehmer joins Peter, Chad and Kyle as they recap their experiences at AWS Reinvent 2025. From navigating a packed conference and exploring the AI-driven Kiro IDE, to enjoying sumo wrestling and a Beck concert, the team dives into the latest trends in cloud technology, practical takeaways for developers, and the value of connecting with industry experts.

Join Kyle, Peter, Chad, and Ben as they break down the AI boom—hype, hope, and hard realities. From AGI dreams and $600B data center buildouts to energy demands, bubble-burst scenarios, and why 95% of corporate AI projects fail, the crew digs into what’s real and what’s noise.

Steve Bunda and Dean Duffing join Kyle and Peter to explore the challenges of stepping back, empowering others, and leading with humility. Hear real stories and practical strategies for handing off responsibility, supporting growth, and navigating leadership’s ups and downs.

Join Chad, Peter, Eric, and Kyle as they tackle tech myths—from smart devices eavesdropping to battery charging habits and the real risks of public Wi-Fi. This episode blends humor, practical advice, and a reality check on what’s fact and what’s fiction in today’s tech landscape.

Join Kyle, Peter, Allison and Nick for a Halloween chat that turns into a debate on whether AI is making us quicker—or just “fast zombies.” The crew swaps zombie stories and digs into how AI might erode skills, spread misinformation, and dull our reasoning.

Ever wanted a lightsaber, replicator, or flying car? Join Kyle, Eric, Peter, and Paul as they try to decide which futuristic inventions should be real and which are better left to the Jedi.

Power tools, and the fine line between DIY and disaster — in this episode, Kyle, Peter, Eric and Bennett share jaw-dropping injury stories, debate safety regulations, and dish out practical tips to keep your fingers intact. From saws with high-tech brakes to the hidden costs of renovation, we cover it all with a mix of humor and hard-earned wisdom.

Join Kyle, Dan, Eric, and guest Ben Messerly for a deep dive into the world of particle physics and big data. Ben shares stories from his time at CERN and Fermilab, revealing how massive detectors work and what it takes to make sense of billions of particle collisions. The team also explores the role of AI in research, the philosophy of modern science, and the quirks of building groundbreaking technology.

In this episode, the team unpacks the everyday challenges of workplace communication in a world of nonstop pings and overflowing inboxes. From missed messages to mental fatigue, they share relatable stories about the struggle to stay connected and focused. Along the way, they offer practical tips for setting expectations, choosing the right channels, and cutting through the noise—all with a dose of humor and honesty about modern work life.

In this episode, Kyle, Eric, Peter, and Chad explore the perks and pitfalls of modern convenience culture—from gig apps and food delivery to self-driving cars and digital payments. With humor and candid stories, they dig into trust, oversight, and the hidden costs of making life “easier.”

This episode explores how the right guardrails in tech systems can prevent problems before they start. From software development to user experience, Kyle, Peter, Allison and Tom share real-world examples of invisible governance, early planning, and balancing user needs with organizational goals.

This episode takes a behind-the-scenes look at the journey of the Open Source North (OSN) conference. Founder Jeff Urban and veteran participants share how OSN grew from a niche Java meetup into a premier Midwest tech event. They reflect on OSN’s community-first focus, lessons learned, and how inclusivity and innovation shape a space for IT professionals to learn and connect.

This episode unpacks the end-of-life for SharePoint 2016 and 2019, covering what it means for on-premises environments. Kyle, Ben, Corey, and Peter discuss migration strategies, cloud vs. Subscription Edition trade-offs, and practical tips for planning and executing a smooth transition. Packed with real-world insights on customization, compliance, and communication, it’s a must-listen for IT professionals preparing for change.

In this episode, the team dives into the challenges of organizational silos in IT, sharing real-world stories about cross-team dependencies, leadership-driven barriers, and the creative ways they’ve built bridges—ranging from structured meetings to after-work happy hours. They explore how silos form, why they persist, and what it really takes to foster collaboration and keep projects moving forward.

You messed up, now what? Kyle, Peter, Chad, and Bennett share their biggest IT blunders—from vanishing inboxes to misfired emails—and the lessons that came with them. Tune in for honesty, recovery tips, and a few laughs along the way.

Technology can certainly offer convenience, but it can also introduce new problems. Eric Schneider and Greg Stier join Kyle and Chad on the podcast to discuss the pitfalls of modern technology in everyday life and how sometimes the best solutions are the simplest ones

The explosion of AI-generated content online-aka “AI slop”-is having a ripple effect across the internet. Jared and Akila join the podcast to discuss the impact this phenomenon might have on creators and content platforms alike. They explore the risks of misinformation, the future of online communities, and how human creativity can still shine in a world saturated with artificial content.

Dan Schwie joins the podcast to dive into the real-world challenges of digital transformation, exploring why legacy systems often hold organizations back. This episode unpacks what it really takes to modernize, the pitfalls to avoid, and why success is about more than just technology.

Is SaaS going to die? Or be replaced by agentic AI? Inspired by Satya Nadella’s (Microsoft) speculation on the topic, Kyle and Peter are joined by Molly Doyle and Nick Bruecken to dive into this intriguing topic. Providing a recap from a panel discussion at MNTech in May, they explore the potential disruption agentic AI could cause in the SaaS market. Tune in to hear the panel’s consensus on the future of SaaS and the exciting possibilities of agentic AI.

Eric Schneider joins the podcasters as they dive into the importance of technology that just works. They cover the challenges of coding and debugging applications, the role of AI as an assistant in that process and the significance of the user experience in determining the success of tech products.

The SDG podcast team is joined by SDG Consultant and AI Community leader Sarah Rochford to talk about a recent Architectural Kata exercise and the importance of utilizing activities, like Katas, to promote innovation and sharing ideas and expertise.

As waves of tech professionals leave the industry, we risk passing down only the how—the tools, the processes—while losing sight of the why. But reconnecting with the “why” can align teams, spark better solutions, and bring deeper meaning to the work we do.

The SDG podcasters are joined by our Low-Code team lead, Ben Stori, as they discuss the evolution of Low-Code. How did it start, and where is it now?