In this episode, host Jonathan “J.” Tower sits down with Sam Basu, technologist, author, Microsoft MVP, and Lead Developer Advocate at Uno Platform, to unpack the realities of modern cross-platform app development with .NET.

Sam shares how Uno Platform enables developers to build native applications for iOS, Android, WebAssembly, Windows, macOS, and Linux, all from a single codebase, and how it compares with other cross-platform frameworks like .NET MAUI, React Native, and Flutter. He also explains the value of Uno’s multiple rendering paths, including native UI and Skia-based rendering, and what those mean for performance and design consistency across devices.

If you’re a .NET developer, this episode offers you a grounded, forward-looking take on how we build cross-platform apps in 2026 and beyond.

Guest Bio:

Sam Basu is a technologist, author, speaker, Microsoft MVP, and Lead Developer Advocate for Uno Platform. With a deep background in .NET development, Sam now focuses on helping teams ship modern, performant, and beautiful apps across platforms using open-source and AI-powered tools. When he’s not speaking at conferences or writing about technology, you’ll find him traveling, cooking, or enjoying fast cars and cricket.

You can connect with Sam online through his work with Uno Platform and across developer communities worldwide.

In this special 10th-anniversary episode, guest host Mark Adams turns the microphone toward the founders of Trailhead Technology Partners — Jonathan “J.” Tower, John Waters, and Josh Eastburn — for a candid conversation about a decade of building great software and a great company.

The four partners look back at how Trailhead began — with a shared vision for a consultancy built on purpose, craftsmanship, and long-term client partnerships — and how that vision has evolved through global growth and technological change. They discuss what’s changed and what hasn’t over that time, and how the Trailhead Process and Trailhead Framework help deliver consistent client results regardless. They also cover how trust, collaboration, and curiosity have been the company’s real differentiators.

The episode closes with a look ahead at AI, quantum computing, and the ever-human side of technology, as the founders toast to the next 10 years of innovation, partnership, and growth.

Guest Bio: Jonathan “J.” Tower, John Waters, and Josh Eastburn are the founding partners of Trailhead Technology Partners, a global software consultancy specializing in .NET and modern cloud solutions. Together, they’ve spent decades designing, building, and leading software projects across industries from healthcare to public transit, and have grown Trailhead into a distributed team spanning multiple continents.

Mark Adams, Partner at Trailhead and host for this episode, leads many of the firm’s strategic client engagements and product initiatives.

In this episode, host J. Tower sits down with John Waters, his fellow Partner at Trailhead Technology Partners, to explore how AI is reshaping life as a .NET developer. They talk about the fast-evolving development ecosystem, including GitHub Copilot’s new agent mode, Microsoft.Extensions.AI and its sister packages for vector data, and the growing role of Semantic Kernel.

John also breaks down the promise of the Model Context Protocol (MCP), explains the tradeoffs of local vs. cloud-based models, and shares practical stories of “pragmatic AI” in action—like fuzzy semantic search and warranty claim automation. The conversation wraps with a look at how AI is surfacing in .NET Aspire, where Copilot helps diagnose complex distributed systems in real time.

Guest Bio:

John Waters is a seasoned technology leader, accomplished architect, and founding partner at Trailhead Technology Partners. With decades of experience in software architecture and a career spanning the U.S. and Sweden, John has delivered innovative solutions for many different industries, including public transit, finance, and healthcare.

John was previously recognized as a Microsoft MVP three times, speaks at conferences worldwide, and is fluent in English and Swedish, and proficient in French. He is also a licensed pilot, bringing the same precision and focus to the skies as he does to software development.