E15: Developer Productivity and the Future of Software Development -- A Conversation with Graham Thompson and Debo Ray

In this episode, we debut a new format where engineer-founders discuss key tech topics. Joined by Graham Thompson of Privacy Dynamics and Debo Ray of DevZero, we dive into modern software development. Topics include the role of developer productivity, challenges of new productivity tools and the problems that arise around data access. We also discuss the evolving role of database administrators, the shift to cloud-hosted dev environments and the impact remote development environments have on tech hiring. The episode wraps up with insights on infrastructure as code, the concept of a minimum valuable product and future trends in software development.Highlights[0:03] - Meet Graham Thompson, founder of Privacy Dynamics and Debo Ray, founder of DevZero, each working to revolutionize software development by improving developer productivity and experiences. [3:22] - Unpacking the crucial role of developer productivity in tech companies and the challenges of introducing new productivity tools. [6:31] - Exploring the evolution of database administration roles to platform engineering and its impact on setting up test environments.[9:18] - The rise of cloud-hosted development environments: how they're slashing start times for engineers and boosting efficiency.[10:28] - Navigating the new normal: how remote development environments are reshaping the tech hiring landscape.[12:03] - Cloud vs. local: weighing the pros and cons of moving development to the cloud. [16:20] - Leveraging infrastructure as code for efficient cloud management: empowering platform engineers to make more informed adjustments.[17:37] - The power of minimum valuable product: speed and efficiency in today's market.[20:43] - Predicting the future of the software development lifecycle and development environments.-- Mark your calendars for May 12-14, 2026 and join us for Data Council AI, the technical conference built by engineers for engineers. It's the only event where you'll be able to connect with 2,000+ practitioners for 3 full days of technical deep dives, battle-tested architectures and production insights in San Francisco, the heart of the AI world. Visit us at https://www.datacouncil.ai/ for the latest updates or subscribe to the newsletter as we release more details about the 2026 event!

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