Blue Blazes Trailhead Technology Partners

In this podcast episode, host Jonathan "J." Tower speaks with Olivia Liddell from AWS about the intricacies of serverless computing.



Olivia, a seasoned solutions architect, demystifies serverless technology, emphasizing its practicality and the mindset shift required for effective use.



Key insights shared in the conversation include:


Serverless doesn’t mean the absence of servers but represents a shift in managing underlying infrastructure


The benefits and trade-offs of serverless such as the potential cost savings serverless offers, balanced against the learning curve and the need for a different approach compared to traditional monolithic applications.


Operational best practices, including the importance of monitoring, debugging, and security in serverless environments

In this podcast episode, Cecilia discusses the nuances of low-code and no-code solutions with Blue Blazes host, J. Tower. She explains that low-code is just another abstraction layer that allows developers to build applications visually within a development environment.

Cecelia distinguishes low-code from no-code solutions, highlighting the flexibility and scalability that low-code platforms offer. She also addresses common misconceptions about low-code, emphasizing its applicability even to experienced developers who appreciate its ability to abstract complexity. Finally, she touches on the role of AI in enhancing low-code solutions, envisioning a future where AI accelerates software development processes even more.



Throughout the conversation, the guest and host both provide insights into the benefits, challenges, and future prospects of low-code development.



About Today’s Blue Blazes Guest:

Cecelia Martinez is a Lead Developer Advocate at OutSystems, a leading low-code development platform.

She is passionate about open-source developer tools and helping developers improve some of the most frustrating parts of their work – like testing, debugging, mobile deployments, and fighting with YAML. She is known for her work at companies like Ionic, Replay, and Cypress, as well as her efforts to build inclusive developer communities. She is a volunteer and organizer with many groups in the Atlanta area and a former GitHub Star.

Giving the right users appropriate access to technology resources is Data Security 101. For security purposes, you may want to utilize a framework of policies and technologies known as identity and access management (IAM). Join us on today’s journey and see how using a third-party provider for IAM can help make your software projects more predictably successful.

In this episode, we’re covering:

· The first steps for implementing IAM

· Stability of third-party IAM implementations

· Zero trust architecture (ZTA)

· Innovations that are making MFA easier for users

Corey Weathers graciously stops by Blue Blazes and shares insights about IAM, Okta, and more. During his chat with host J. Tower, Corey gives thoughts on when not to use an IAM solution, different UI platforms that can allow developers to take advantage of SSO services, and what you may need to give up when using a third-party IAM in exchange for its benefits.



About Today’s Blue Blazes Guest

Corey Weathers is passionate about sharing the magic of software, and he does a lot of that sharing in his role as the Americas Developer Relations Lead at Auth0 (now a division of Okta). Whether speaking at tech conferences or meetups, building apps live on Twitch, or appearing on a podcast, Corey is always thinking about how to inspire and equip other developers.

Corey has also worked in software development roles for Microsoft, Twilio, the U.S. government, and other organizations. He earned a B.S. in Systems & Computer science from Howard University and holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. While he might be a native New Yorker at heart, Corey is proud to call Pennsylvania home with his kids.

Do you want efficient, predictably successful software projects? Would you like to enhance your team’s skills? Online courses and training allow you to accomplish both. But with so many options out there, how do you know: 


Which courses and programs are worth utilizing? 


How to get the most out of online learning experiences? 


What are common roadblocks in online learning (and how can you overcome them)? 


How to tailor these learning experiences for specific company, team, and project needs? 



Educator extraordinaire Tim Corey helps us kick off Season 2 of Blue Blazes by walking you through the intricacies of effective online learning. The 6-time Microsoft MVP, renowned YouTuber, and published author generously shares his knowledge and wisdom to help you and your team get the absolute most out of your online learning experiences. Check it out now! 

 



About Today’s Blue Blazes Guest 

Tim Corey is a highly respected developer, educator, and YouTuber with more than 25 years of software development experience. Frustrated with the many difficulties he encountered on his journey, Tim now teaches an easier path to becoming a real-world developer. 

As an educator, Tim has trained millions of students through his YouTube channel, which now boasts over 500 training videos, earning him the respect and recognition of the software development community. And with six Microsoft MVP awards, he is an authority in the field. 

Tim is motivated by the success of each student who learns to code, fills gaps in their training, or gets the job or promotion they were chasing. You can learn more about him on his website (iamtimcorey.com) and check out his YouTube channel here. If you want to pick up a copy of his book, Getting Started With C#: A Practical Guide, here on Amazon. 

Are you struggling with selecting the right language or framework for your software projects? Unsure if C# and .NET are the right fit? Learn how these technologies can help solve common coding challenges around maintainability, cross-platform support, productivity, and more. Join us on today’s journey and you will:


Discover specific advantages of C# over other popular languages such as JavaScript
Get best-practice recommendations for ensuring security and optimal performance
Understand how modern .NET enables scalable, cross-platform development

10-time Microsoft MVP and veteran coder Matthew Groves accompanies us on this episode of Blue Blazes to provide insider guidance for leveraging C# and .NET capabilities in software development. Check it out to equip yourself with actionable insights that can help make your project a success.



About Today’s Blue Blazes Guest

To say that Matthew Groves has come a long way since writing QuickBASIC for the point-of-sale app at his parent’s pizza shop back in the 90s would certainly be an understatement. On top of being a Senior Product Marketing Manager for Couchbase (a popular NoSQL database company), he is a 10-time Microsoft MVP, author of AOP in .NET, Pro Microservices in .NET, a Pluralsight author, and the organizer of C# Advent.

As an experienced and passionate coder in any programming language—whether it's C#, JavaScript, or PHP—Matthew has a ton of valuable insights that he’s happy to share with us. In his spare time, he enjoys spending quality time with his family, watching the Cincinnati Reds, and actively participating in the developer community.

It can be tricky to know when to use third-party component libraries and which ones to use. While these libraries can be crucial in making modern software projects more successful, it’s important to know:

· When to use third-party components versus building custom ones

· How third-party components help you be performant, consistent, and cross-platform

· What advantages paid libraries offer over free component libraries

Your host, J. Tower, and today’s guest, Sam Basu, answer these questions and guide you through a range of topics related to third-party component libraries. Join them on this journey and learn how to get the most out of these valuable libraries.



About Today’s Blue Blazes Guest Sam Basu is a Microsoft MVP and Developer Advocate for all Telerik products at Progress Software. Along with his day job, Sam is an author, speaker, technologist, and gadget lover. Using his deep background in development, he spends much of his time advocating for modern web, mobile, and cloud developers working in JavaScript and the Microsoft stack. In his spare time, Sam loves travel, fast cars, cricket, and culinary adventures with his family.