Shows
Tech CouncilMonoliths or Microservices: Making the Right Call for Your Context | Episode 12Monoliths or microservices?It’s one of the most hotly debated decisions in software engineering, and in this episode of Tech Council, Duncan and Jason lay it all out.They challenge the hype around microservices and explain why monoliths should be the default starting point for most teams. With Conway’s Law as a backdrop, they show how internal team communication patterns shape your system’s architecture, whether you like it or not. You'll also hear when it's actually time to break things up, and why Service-Oriented Architecture deserves a second look. It’s a must...2025-07-2834 min
Tech CouncilAdmin Tax is Killing Your Engineering Team | Episode 11 Every engineering team pays a tax. The question is: how much?In this episode of Tech Council, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke spotlight the unspoken, underestimated cost of audit prep, compliance checklists, and spreadsheet-driven project tracking - the administrative tax. Administrative tax is the accumulation of compliance requirements, audit demands, spreadsheet sprawl, and redundant manual workflows that keep smart people from doing the work they were actually hired to do.If you’re a CTO or engineering leader aiming to operationalize strategy while scaling cleanly, this episode offers a data-driven roadmap.To...2025-07-2144 min
Tech Council10x Engineers Are Overrated | Episode 10“10x engineers? Probably jerks.”Jason and Duncan aren’t mincing words in this episode of Tech Council.They’re calling BS on the myth of the superhuman engineer and making a case for the everyday professionals who care deeply, collaborate well, and raise the bar for everyone else.This one’s for team leads, CTOs, and senior devs who want to build organizations where great work doesn’t depend on unicorns.Hit play and rediscover the power of normal engineers.Top Takeaways:The concept of the 10X engi...2025-07-1441 min
Tech CouncilHow to Think Like a Platform Engineer | Episode 09How do you go from launching apps to leading platforms?This week on Tech Council, Duncan sits down with Chris Boyd—a mobile dev veteran turned platform engineering leader—to talk about what changes when your team grows, your stack evolves, and your priorities shift.They talk React Native, metrics, AI, leadership, and what it takes to balance product demands with long-term engineering health.Chris is also on the verge of launching something new—so you’ll get a peek behind the curtain of what’s next in agent development.Hit play. This...2025-07-071h 04
Tech CouncilDitch Chaos; Build Team Charters | Episode 08When teams struggle with misalignment, vague responsibilities, or clashing priorities, it’s often not a talent issue—it’s a clarity issue. In this episode of Tech Council, Jason Ehmke and Duncan Mapes go deep into one powerful tool that solves these problems at the root: team charters.They begin by breaking down what a team charter actually is—beyond the corporate buzzword—and why it’s more than just a document. It’s a living agreement that shapes team culture, defines roles, and holds people accountable.From their own leadership experience, Jason and Duncan share the impa...2025-06-3050 min
Tech CouncilLeading Dev Teams the Correct Way | Episode 07Ownership and leadership are more than buzzwords—they're the backbone of successful software teams. In this episode, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke examine how to foster responsibility without micromanagement and lead with purpose in tech.Expect insights into managing trade-offs, building trust, and creating systems where autonomy thrives. The conversation covers leadership transitions, empowering teams, and ensuring standards don’t slip in the name of speed.If you're striving for balance between freedom and structure in your team, this is the conversation you need.Top Takeaways:Ownership is crucial in a...2025-06-2359 min
Tech CouncilWhy Software Projects Fail—And How to Fix Them | Episode 06Software development is rarely straightforward. Even with experienced teams and the best intentions, projects still miss deadlines, fail to meet expectations, or get abandoned altogether. In this episode of Tech Council, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke explore why that happens—and what teams can do differently. They dig into the importance of real-time feedback, managing scope, and maintaining healthy communication between engineering and business units.Learn how to align vision, reduce cognitive overload, and create urgency without panic. Whether you're leading software projects or embedded in the code, these insights will help you understand where thi...2025-06-1653 min
Tech CouncilHow AI Is Changing Software Engineering | Episode 05AI has moved from hype to habit, but at what cost? In this episode of Tech Council, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke break down the ethical, technical, and human implications of AI in software development. From workflow automation to code generation and performance tracking, AI is changing the landscape—but not always in the ways you’d expect.The conversation explores the hidden pressures AI introduces: the erosion of organic team communication, the complexity of evaluating performance fairly, and the risk of turning development into a surveillance-heavy space. Through it all, Duncan and Jason emphasize the n...2025-06-091h 12
Tech CouncilWartime vs. Peacetime: Understanding Organizational Cycles | Episode 04What kind of season is your organization in—wartime or peacetime?In this episode of Tech Council, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke dig into the organizational cycle and how it shapes everything from decision-making to developer priorities. Whether your team is scaling fast, navigating a downturn, or recalibrating after a sprint-heavy phase, understanding the moment your company is in is critical to doing the right work at the right time.This conversation moves beyond theory to give tactical insight into how engineers, managers, and technical leaders can adapt to different phases of organizational life. From ma...2025-06-021h 02
Tech CouncilServerless vs Kubernetes: Pros, Cons, and Hard Truths | Episode 02Enterprise tech loves a good debate—and this one’s been simmering for years: Should you go serverless or double down on Kubernetes?In this episode of Tech Council, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke break down what it actually looks like to make that decision in a real-world engineering org. No hype, no buzzwords—just decades of experience navigating cloud complexity at scale.They dig into where serverless shines, why Kubernetes is still around (and still useful), and how to stop making decisions based on ego and start making them based on outcomes. Expect strong opinio...2025-05-2659 min
Tech CouncilRethinking Value Creation in Tech | Episode 03What does value creation really look like in software development teams?In this episode of Tech Council, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke cut through the buzzwords to explore what it means to actually create value—beyond features, deliverables, and code. Drawing from deep experience in both startups and large-scale enterprises, they unpack how developer autonomy, organizational clarity, and curiosity in conversation all shape the outcomes we build.From navigating enterprise bureaucracy to leveraging metrics with intention, Duncan and Jason discuss the hidden costs of unclear direction, the difference between shipping fast and shipping smart, and wh...2025-05-261h 02
Tech CouncilLeading Change in Enterprise Tech: What They Don’t Teach You | Episode 01Enterprise environments are complex — full of people, processes, politics, and change. In this first episode of Tech Council, Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke dig into the hard-earned lessons of leading change inside large tech organizations.From stakeholder dynamics and reputation capital to the tension between moving fast and asking permission, this episode gets real about what it actually takes to drive meaningful progress in enterprise tech. Expect unscripted insights, battle-tested stories, and candid conversations drawn from years of experience navigating big orgs.Whether you're building software, leading a team, or shaping strategy at scale, this ep...2025-05-2647 min
Tech CouncilTech Council Trailer: Real Talk on Enterprise Tech, Leadership, and System DesignWelcome to Tech Council — the podcast where enterprise tech isn’t just buzzwords and boardroom talk. Hosts Duncan Mapes and Jason Ehmke cut through the noise with real, unscripted conversations about tech strategy, system architecture, and the everyday decisions that tech leaders face inside massive organizations.If you’ve ever found yourself navigating the chaos of scaling software, debating design trade-offs, or rethinking how your org actually works, this podcast is for you.Expect:Unfiltered stories from the trenchesTough takes on broken systems and outdated assumptionsSmart discussions to challenge and sharpen how you le...2025-05-1300 min
Merrimack Valley NewsmakersMore to Building Haverhill-Based Mason & Hamlin Pianos Than Meets the EarThe next time you have a chance to hear someone play the piano, just remember that instrument had its beginnings years earlier in a factory that could put it all together, piece by piece. It comes as a surprise to many people that such a place exists in Haverhill—the Mason & Hamlin Piano Co.The company’s creative director, Nathan Mabanglo-Burgett, whose family owns the on Duncan Street business, was a recent guest on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program“Yeah, we are kind of a hidden gem in Haverhill—not many people know that there is a pia...2024-05-2816 min
Pete's Percussion Podcast - Pete ZambitoPete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 360 - Danielle CollinsHuntington Beach High School Academy for the Performing Arts (CA) Director of Pop Music Studies and Music Media Entertainment Technology Chair Danielle Collins stops by to talk about her job there (02:05), her work with WGI group Pulse Percussion (26:30), growing up in Rancho Cucamonga, CA (44:00), studying percussion at Cal State-Fullerton and Cal State-Long Beach for undergrad, teaching high school band and orchestra, and transitioning to her new career (51:05), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including sections on navigating the band world as a woman, terrible movies, Atomic Habits, Formula One Racing, and the Street Art Museum in Amsterdam (01:08:40).2023-08-3100 min
Take 1 with Bill CameronTake 1 with Bill Cameron (08-13-2023) - Arne DuncanBill Cameron talked to the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, former US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. He now runs Chicago CRED which helps to reduce gun violence in the city. Duncan talked about what is working and not working about Chicago trying to reduce gun violence. He discussed his relationship with the new Chicago Mayor even as Duncan endorsed Paul Vallas. Duncan also gave his thoughts on the Northwestern hazing scandal and why Donald Trump can't be allowed back in office. This week's round-table with Ray Long, Greg Hinz and Dave Stewart discussed the Illinois S...2023-08-1146 min
Ballots & BrewsS2 E10 - Interview with Spencer Duncan and Kerrice MapesHoliday events by seveneightfive magazine and interview with Spencer Duncan, city councilman district 8FOLLOW BALLOTS + BREWS ON SOCIAL MEDIATWITTERFACEBOOK2021-12-031h 01
Straight Talk by Duncan AviationAircraft Readiness - AvionicsIn this podcast, Satellite Avionics/Install Manager, Brian Redondo, and Avionics Install/Line Manager, Pat Mapes, discuss what can happen to your avionics if you leave the aircraft grounded for an extended period of time, and how to ensure your aircraft is ready when your flying activity resumes.2020-08-2411 min
Hunting for Candle-EndsEpisode 3: Duncan Sheik and More1) An interview with Duncan Sheik 2) Holy Motors, The Alps and Narrowcasting by Marty Mapes 3) Vague Recommendations 4) China Makes the Man by Candle-Ends2013-03-1000 min