Best Guang Podcasts (2024)

1
Grokking Synthetic Biology | Dmitriy Ryaboy (Twitter, Ginkgo Bioworks) 1:08:51

1h ago1:08:51

1:08:51

From building a data platform and Parquet at Twitter to using AI to make biology easier to engineer at Ginkgo Bioworks, Dmitriy joins the show to chat about the early days of big data, the conversation that made him jump into SynBio, LLMs for proteins and more. Segments: (00:03:18) Data engineering roots (00:05:40) Early influences at Lawrence Berk…

1
Researching for fiction with Jon McGregor 48:20

2d ago48:20

48:20

In this episode of The Writing Life podcast, NCW Chief Executive Peggy Hughes is joined by author Jon McGregor to discuss researching for fiction. Jon McGregor is an award-winning author and short story writer. He has been nominated for the Booker Prize for three of his novels, including his 2002 debut If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, which a…

1
Growing and selling an indie business | Michael Lynch (TinyPilot) 1:40:18

4d ago1:40:18

1:40:18

Having quit Google in 2018 to bootstrap indie software businesses, Michael is known for writing very transparently about the ups and downs of his journey. After recently selling his hardware business TinyPilot for $600K, Michael returns to the show to chat about the misconceptions about running an indie business, the hardest part of selling a compa…

1
Breaking distributed systems for fun and profit | Kyle Kingsbury (Jepsen) 1:23:17

11d ago1:23:17

1:23:17

Well-known for his insightful and meticulous write-ups on testing distributed systems, Kyle (aka Aphyr) joins the show to chat about the origins of Jepsen, how he built a business around testing distributed systems, his writing process, favorite databases, and more. Segments: (00:03:29) From Physics to Software Engineering (00:07:47) The origins of…

1
Writing soaps with James McDermott & Stephen Keyworth 48:37

13d ago48:37

48:37

In this episode of The Writing Life, scriptwriters Stephen Keyworth and James McDermott discuss the craft and industry of writing for long-running radio or television serials, commonly known as soaps. Stephen Keyworth is an award-winning director and writer who has worked extensively as a director in theatre and written over 60 hours of television,…

1
The 3 traps of open source funding models | Wes McKinney (pandas, Voltron Data, Posit) 1:08:51

18d ago1:08:51

1:08:51

From creating one of the Python’s most influential libraries to co-founding Voltron Data, Wes joins the show to chat about why the book cover of the pandas book doesn’t feature a panda, open source pitfalls to avoid, the pros and cons of hiring engineers at a non-profit, and more. Segments: (00:02:50) Guang’s complaint about the pandas book cover (…

1
Impact Driven Development | Matt Klein (Envoy, bitdrift) 1:19:18

25d ago1:19:18

1:19:18

From creating Envoy to co-founding bitdrift to reimagine mobile observability, Matt joins the show to chat about being told to simply “write some proxy in Python” in the early days of building Envoy, early influences from building “shrink wrap” software at Microsoft, the process of spinning bitdrift out of Lyft, and much more. Segments: (00:03:10) …

1
Writing narrative non-fiction with Dan Richards & Edward Parnell 58:02

27d ago58:02

58:02

In this episode of The Writing Life, we’re joined by writers and NCW Academy tutors Dan Richards and Edward Parnell to discuss the process of researching, writing, and publishing narrative non-fiction books. Dan Richards is a writer and journalist who specialises in travel, memoir, and culture. He has taught at Bristol University, and currently tut…

1
Build the scary stuff | Bryan Cantrill (Oxide) 2:19:41

1M ago2:19:41

2:19:41

From being a distinguished engineer at Sun Microsystems to co-founding Oxide Computer Company to build a new kind of server, Bryan joins the show to chat about being told that he’s on a suicide mission when starting Oxide, the moment he felt “I’m actually living HBO Silicon Valley”, and lessons from Sun. And much more. Chapters: (00:02:24) The Orig…

1
3510 Heroics On The Edge of Passchendaele: The New Zealand Division and the Capture of La Basseville, July 1917 19:08

1M ago19:08

19:08

In the early stages of the Battle, aimed at capturing the high ground east and south of Ypres, the men of the New Zealand Division were tasked with capturing the village of La Basseville, southwest of the Messines Ridge (where the division had fought in June). La Basseville was situated on the Lys River (the border with France) and on the extreme r…

1
Lessons from the early days building Kafka and Confluent | Jay Kreps 1:16:08

1M ago1:16:08

1:16:08

From writing the first lines of Kafka over a Christmas break as a LinkedIn engineer to running a public company as the CEO of Confluent, Jay joins the show to chat about how he and his co-founders convinced investors to take a chance on their vision, what many engineers get wrong about communication, and why engineers can make great CEOs - even whe…

1
How to be a craftivist with Sarah P Corbett 50:31

1M ago50:31

50:31

In this episode of The Writing Life podcast, NCW Chief Executive Peggy Hughes is joined by author and professional campaigner Sarah P Corbett to discuss craftivism, a form of activism and collective empowerment that is centered on practices of craft. Sarah P Corbett is an activist, author, speaker, and the founder of Craftivist Collective. She is k…

1
3509 The Roman Empire’s darkest day: disaster at the Battle of Adrianople, 9 August, AD 378 - Part2 18:52

2M ago18:52

18:52

In AD 376 an entire nation of Goths (the Theruingi) gathered on the northern banks of the Danube and asked permission to enter and settle within the Eastern Roman Empire. The Eastern Emperor, Valens (r. 364–78), agreed and this set off a series of events which would end in the greatest disaster for Rome since Cannae in 216 BC: the battle of Adriano…

1
Building 2 Iconic OSSs Back-to-Back | Maxime Beauchemin (Airflow, Preset) 58:55

2M ago58:55

58:55

If you’ve worked on data problems, you probably have heard of Airflow and Superset, two powerful tools that have cemented their place in the data ecosystem. Building successful open-source software is no easy feat, and even fewer engineers have done this back to back. In part 2 of the conversation, we talk about Max’s journey in open source. Segmen…

1
Writing for performance with HighTide 43:23

2M ago43:23

43:23

In this episode of The Writing Life, Holly is joined by Colchester-based playwright and HighTide/Peggy Ramsay Foundation writer in residence Nicola Werenowska and Norwich-based folk musician Georgia Shackleton to discuss writing for performance. Nicola and Georgia were central to the development of Suffolk-based theatre company HighTide’s touring s…

1
Become a LLM-ready Engineer | Maxime Beauchemin (Airflow, Preset) 41:05

2M ago41:05

41:05

If you’ve worked on data problems, you probably have heard of Airflow and Superset, two powerful tools that have cemented their place in the data ecosystem. Building successful open-source software is no easy feat, and even fewer engineers have done this back to back. In Part 1 of this conversation, we chat about how to adapt to the LLM-age as engi…

1
3508 The Roman Empire’s darkest day: disaster at the Battle of Adrianople, 9 August, AD 378 - Part1 21:27

2M ago21:27

21:27

In AD 376 an entire nation of Goths (the Theruingi) gathered on the northern banks of the Danube and asked permission to enter and settle within the Eastern Roman Empire. The Eastern Emperor, Valens (r. 364–78), agreed and this set off a series of events which would end in the greatest disaster for Rome since Cannae in 216 BC. Dur: 22mins File: .mp…

1
Writing poetry with Martin Figura 45:21

2M ago45:21

45:21

In this episode of The Writing Life, NCW Chief Executive Peggy Hughes is joined by award-winning poet Martin Figura to discuss the process of writing poetry, and how things make their way into his poetic imagination. Martin Figura was born in Liverpool and lives in Norwich. His collections include The Little Book of Harm (Firewater Press, 2000), Ah…

1
Life as a Distinguished Engineer | Joakim Recht (Uber) 1:15:43

2M ago1:15:43

1:15:43

Out of thousands of engineers at Uber, there’s only a handful of Distinguished Engineers and Joakim was one of them. In this conversation we chat about Why software engineering is a lot like a sausage factory. Considerations for leaving big tech for a startup. “How to beat the promo commitee”. How can one effectively shape engineering culture? “Men…

1
3507 Hanoi Hero: James Bond Stockdale 20:49

3M ago20:49

20:49

It is a rare thing that a man be awarded his country's highest award for bravery because of his actions as a Prisoner of War, but that is exactly why Air Wing Commander James Stockdale was singled out. He was the highest ranking US Prisoner of War during Vietnam from 9 September 1965 until 12 February 1973 and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his…

1
183 - The Speeding Consequence 6:41

3M ago6:41

6:41

A young entrepreneur, Kairo, prayed sincerely every day for blessings and wealth. Find out whether his wishes came true... 野狼150 CC年輕企業家Kairo，每日誠心祈禱王爺賜福，期盼得到庇佑與財富。且看看他的願望能否實現......

1
182 - Seeking Nothing 7:45

3M ago7:45

7:45

A Chan Master, Chongxian, traveled to study with different teachers. Find out what happened to him... 一無所求宋朝的重顯禪師雲遊參學，途中遇到深具德望的鄉親，接下來會發生什麼事呢？

1
Reintroducing Harriet Martineau with Stuart Hobday & Gaby Weiner 51:43

3M ago51:43

51:43

In this episode of The Writing Life, NCW Chief Executive Peggy Hughes is joined by writers and members of The Martineau Society Stuart Hobday and Gaby Weiner to discuss their new book Reintroducing Harriet Martineau: Pioneering Sociologist and Activist, which explores the innovative, sociological approach adopted by Harriet Martineau in her efforts…

1
Learning in public | Kelsey Hightower 57:26

3M ago57:26

57:26

We’re super excited to have Kelsey back on the show! Our last conversation was around his incredible career journey - from working at McDonald’s after school to starting his own computer store, to hacking on python infrastructure with the core developers, to meeting Satya Nadella for an interview. In part two of this conversation, we dive deep into…

1
3506 One Against Seven: Eddie Rickenbacker Proves Himself (Again) 19:15

3M ago19:15

19:15

By the time of America's entry into WWI in April 1917, Eddie Rickenbacker was already famous. Always obsessed with engines, he had become a mechanic to Lee Frayer in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup at the age of only 15. In 1910 he became a race-car driver himself, racing in the Indianapolis 500 in 1911. Dur: 20mins File: .mp3…

1
Crafting identity in fiction with Michael Donkor 49:26

3M ago49:26

49:26

In this episode of The Writing Life, NCW Head of Programmes & Creative Engagement Holly speaks with novelist Michael Donkor about crafting identity in fiction. Michael Donkor was born in London to Ghanaian parents. He studied English at Wadham College, Oxford, followed by a Masters in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway. His first novel, Hold, was l…

1
Engineer's guide to startup advising | Kelsey Hightower 49:50

3M ago49:50

49:50

We’re super excited to have Kelsey back on the show! Our last conversation was around his incredible career journey - from working at McDonald’s after school to starting his own computer store, to hacking on python infrastructure with the core developers, to meeting Satya Nadella for an interview. In part one of this conversation, we dive deep into…

1
3505 A Ruse Gone Wrong: The Battle of the Milvian Bridge 33:15

4M ago33:15

33:15

In late October AD 312, the fate of the future of the Roman world was decided near the Pons Milvius, the Milvian Bridge (the modern Ponte Milvio, Italy), crossing the River Tiber some 5 kilometres north of Rome on the via Flaminia. The battle was the culmination of the war between rival Roman emperors, Maxentius and Constantine, to see who would do…

1
Writing subversive women with Naomi Wood 59:08

4M ago59:08

59:08

In this episode of The Writing Life, former NCW Communications Assistant Molly speaks with author Naomi Wood about writing subversive women. Naomi Wood is the award-winning author of three novels, including the bestselling Mrs. Hemingway. Her stories have been published in the Mid-American Review, Washington Square Review, Joyland and Stylist, and …

1
The hard power of management and the soft power of senior ICs | Josh Wills 1:18:33

4M ago1:18:33

1:18:33

As a self-described “gainfully unemployed data person”, Josh Wills is an angel investor and has worked on and led data teams at Slack, Cloudera, WeaveGrid and Google. We discuss: How to get started with angel investing without a ton of $$ Attributes that define great engineering managers What’s it like transitioning from management back to IC Chall…

1
3504 Multiple firsts at the First Battle of Ypres, 1914 17:06

4M ago17:06

17:06

The First Battle of Ypres came at the end of the strategic 'race to the sea' which occurred following the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914, when allied forces halted the initial Axis advance made since the outbreak of the war. Before winter set in, several offensives were launched by both sides to try and outflank the other’s northern fl…

1
Virtual residencies with Nur-El-Hudaa Jaffar, Sim Wai-chew and Tse Hao Guang 59:40

4M ago59:40

59:40

In this episode of The Writing Life, writer and translator Daniel Hahn speaks with three former virtual residents Nur-El-Hudaa Jaffar, Sim Wai-chew and Tse Hao Guang about the quirks of virtual residencies, and how their expectations compared to reality. We were delighted to host them from June to December 2023, in a virtual residency generously su…

1
From High School Suspension to US Chief Data Scientist | DJ Patil 1:05:08

4M ago1:05:08

1:05:08

Known for coining the term “Data Scientist”, DJ is a renowned technologist with a diverse background spanning academia, industry, and government. Having led product teams at companies like RelateIQ and LinkedIn, DJ was appointed by President Obama to be the first U.S. Chief Data Scientist where his efforts led to the establishment of nearly 40 Chie…

1
3503 The Luck of Li Guang: A Cavalryman’s Charge Through the Han-Xiongnu War 28:39

5M ago28:39

28:39

This episode was written by Scott Forbes Crawford. An author based in Asia, he writes about ancient and medieval history in novels and nonfiction alike. A newly published history book, The Han-Xiongnu War, 133 BC – 89 AD, explores a decisive conflict between China and a nomadic steppe empire through the lives of fifteen historical figures, includin…

1
Building Diverse Engineering Teams | Erica Lockheimer 1:20:22

5M ago1:20:22

1:20:22

Erica is a former VP of Engineering at LinkedIn. Having almost dropped out of college, Erica’s journey in tech is a testament to her perseverance and dedication. In addition to leading engineering teams at LinkedIn, Erica founded WIT (Women In Tech) to empower women within the company as well as the broader tech community. We discuss: How to create…

1
Writing the grotesque body with Heather Parry 49:57

5M ago49:57

49:57

In this episode of The Writing Life podcast, NCW Senior Communications and Marketing Manager Steph speaks with author Heather Parry about writing the grotesque body. Heather Parry was born in Rotherham and lives in Glasgow. She has won the Bridge Award for an Emerging Writer, Cove Park's Emerging Writer Residency and the Laxfield Literary Launch Pr…

1
Writing and chronic illness with Polly Atkin 40:32

6M ago40:32

40:32

In this episode of The Writing Life, NCW Emerging Translator Mentorships Programme Manager Annie speaks with author Polly Atkin about writing with a chronic illness. Polly Atkin is a multi-award-winning writer, essayist and poet. She is the author of the poetry collections Basic Nest Architecture, which won a Northern Writers' Award, and Much With …

1
3502 William Johnstone - Part 2 18:29

6M ago18:29

18:29

During the Baltic campaign of the Crimean War, in August 1854, Lieutenant John Bythesea together with Stoker William Johnstone of Her Majesty's ship HMS Arrogant performed an audacious act of bravery. This would lead to both men being awarded the Victoria Cross, among the first gazetted and earliest actions so awarded. Despite this, tragedy would s…

1
Stories behind building HashiCorp | Mitchell Hashimoto 1:17:01

6M ago1:17:01

1:17:01

Mitchell co-founded HashiCorp in 2012 and created many important infrastructure tools, such as Terraform, Vagrant, Packer, and Consul. In addition to being a prolific engineer, Mitchell grew HashiCorp into a multi-billion-dollar public company. We discuss: How to structure large projects to avoid demotivation or burnout The "A.P.P.L.E" framework fo…

1
Writing for younger audiences with Chip Colquhoun 51:30

6M ago51:30

51:30

In this episode of The Writing Life, NCW Programme Officer Ellie speaks with author and NCW mentor Chip Colquhoun about oral storytelling and writing for younger audiences. An NCW Associate Artist, Chip is a storyteller and children’s author. He’s trained teachers through the Department for Education’s English Hub, young creatives through Rathbone …

1
3501 William Johnstone - Part 1 21:30

6M ago21:30

21:30

During the Baltic campaign of the Crimean War, in August 1854, Lieutenant John Bythesea together with Stoker William Johnstone of Her Majesty's ship HMS Arrogant performed an audacious act of bravery. This would lead to both men being awarded the Victoria Cross, among the first gazetted and earliest actions so awarded. Despite this, tragedy would s…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Guang Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide