Episodes

  • Tack On, or Rebuild?

    Tack On, or Rebuild?
    Aug 26 2026
    Tom rebuilt Saiku - an open-source analytics platform he first shipped years ago - and got 97 new installs. He also found roughly 180 people still running the old one. He can't email them. He can't see them. Two-thirds of them are on a version that nee...
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    47 mins
  • From Napkins to Agents: How AI Rewired Product Design

    From Napkins to Agents: How AI Rewired Product Design
    Jul 8 2026
    In this episode of Engineering Evolved, Tom sits down with Amelia Prasad, Director of Product at Concept to Cloud, to trace how AI has reshaped the day-to-day of UX and product design. Amelia — who came to product from astrophysics and climate science ...
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    36 mins
  • The $13K Company Backlog: Private Equity's Capital Return Crisis in 2025

    The $13K Company Backlog: Private Equity's Capital Return Crisis in 2025
    Jun 24 2026
    Private equity firms are facing an unprecedented challenge with a backlog of 13,000 companies. The biggest issue for 2025 isn't raising capital or sourcing deals—it's successfully returning capital to investors after buying at market peaks. Show Notes ...
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    1 min
  • Your Users Don't Care If It's AI - They Just Want Results

    Your Users Don't Care If It's AI - They Just Want Results
    Jun 16 2026
    Tom Barber challenges the AI hype cycle, arguing that users care about outcomes, not architecture. Learn why slapping an 'AI-powered' label on everything is the wrong approach, and discover how to thoughtfully integrate LLMs into products without falli...
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    21 mins
  • The Trio Model: Breaking Down Business-IT Walls for Better Engineering Collaboration

    The Trio Model: Breaking Down Business-IT Walls for Better Engineering Collaboration
    Dec 15 2025
    Engineering leaders learn how the Trio model can eliminate the blame game between business and IT teams. Discover practical strategies for cross-functional collaboration that actually work. The Trio Model: Breaking Down Business-IT Walls Key Topics Cov...
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    35 mins
  • Why Your Team Rituals Are Optimized for the Wrong Thing

    Why Your Team Rituals Are Optimized for the Wrong Thing
    Dec 10 2025
    How many meetings moved your team forward last week? Tom explores why most team rituals fail at building trust and alignment, sharing lessons from NASA JPL and startups on creating ceremonies that actually work. Why Your Team Rituals Are Optimized for ...
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    33 mins
  • Why Kubernetes Is Probably Wrong for Your Mid-Sized Company

    Why Kubernetes Is Probably Wrong for Your Mid-Sized Company
    Nov 30 2025
    Engineering leader Tom Barber challenges the default adoption of Kubernetes, sharing why simpler alternatives often serve mid-sized companies better and how to make pragmatic infrastructure decisions. Episode 12: Why Kubernetes Is Probably Wrong for Yo...
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    21 mins
  • You Don't Need Kubernetes: Right-Sizing Platform Engineering for Mid-Size Companies

    You Don't Need Kubernetes: Right-Sizing Platform Engineering for Mid-Size Companies
    Nov 16 2025
    In this episode of Engineering Evolved, Tom Barber discusses the pitfalls of over-engineering platform infrastructure, particularly for mid-sized companies. He shares insights from his experience at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, emphasizing the imp...
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    37 mins