In this episode of the TestGuild DevOps Toolchain Podcast, Joe Colantonio sits down with Matt DeBergalis, CEO of Apollo GraphQL, to explore how GraphQL is transforming the way teams build, ship, and scale applications. Matt shares his journey from open-source pioneer to leading one of the most widely adopted GraphQL platforms in the world—and why GraphQL is more relevant than ever in the age of AI, microservices, and agent-based applications. You’ll discover: How GraphQL eliminates over-fetching...
Aug 20, 2025•33 min
In this episode of the TestGuild DevOps Toolchain Podcast, host Joe Colantonio sits down with Jennifer Rahmani, Co-founder and COO of Thoras.ai, a company redefining how infrastructure scales with AI-driven predictive technology. Drawing from her years as a DevOps engineer in the defense tech sector, Jennifer shares how she and her twin sister turned real-world frustrations into a reliability-first platform that eliminates the guesswork from scaling. We discuss how Thoras.ai integrates with Kube...
Aug 13, 2025•35 min
Curious if AI will automate your contract testing—or wreck it? Add AI to Your DevOps Now: https://testguild.me/smartbear In this episode of the DevOps Toolchain Podcast, I sit down with Matt Fellows, co-founder of Pacflow and core maintainer of the PACT framework (now under SmartBear). We dive into the evolution of contract testing, how agentic AI tools like Copilot and Cursor are shaping testing workflows, and what the next 3–5 years might look like for API validation. We also get real about: W...
Aug 07, 2025•38 min
Today, we’re diving into a hot topic for many in the software industry: leaping testing to DevOps. Joining us is Maciek Konkolowicz, a senior DevOps manager at an AI-driven test automation platform, who brings more than a decade of experience ensuring software quality and accelerating delivery. Checkout SmartBear InsightHub Now: https://testguild.me/insighthub Maciek shares his journey from functional test automation to DevOps leadership, offering real-world insight into what motivated his caree...
Jul 31, 2025•30 min
How do you go from idea to impact—without wasting time or overbuilding too early? In this episode, Joe Colantonio is joined by Mac, CTO at Wednesday Solutions, to dive deep into what it really takes to scale software smartly and sustainably. They explore the mindset and systems needed to go from MVP to product-market fit, how to think about scaling for 3 years (not forever), and the biggest distribution mistakes startups make. You’ll also hear hard-earned lessons on using AI tools effectively, w...
Jul 24, 2025•34 min
On this episode host Joe Colantonio sits down with Jacek Marmuszewski of Let's Go DevOps, an expert with more than a decade of experience building and managing mission-critical cloud infrastructure for companies like Sabre and Oracle, as well as for numerous startups. Try out Insight Hub free for 14 days now: https://testguild.me/insighthub Jacek shares his journey from a Java and C programmer to a cloud-native advocate and DevOps platform engineer, offering invaluable insights into what it trul...
Jul 17, 2025•31 min
In this episode of the DevOps Toolchain podcast, we dive deep into the evolving intersection of AI, IoT, and embedded systems with special guest Hariharan Ragothaman who's a seasoned technologist and DevSecOps expert. Try out Insight Hub free for 14 days now: https://testguild.me/insighthub Hariharan shares how he went from programming in BASIC as a kid to leading cutting-edge AI server validation today. We explore the mindset shifts needed when moving from embedded systems to cloud-native archi...
Jul 09, 2025•28 min
In this episode of the DevOps Toolchain podcast, host Joe Colantonio sits down with Thomas Hurley, Product Lead at SmartBear for ReadyAPI and SoapUI, to unpack everything you need to know about modern API testing in secure, regulated, and high-stakes environments. Check out SmartBear’s ReadyAPI Now: https://testguild.me/readyapi We explore why some organizations still choose on-prem API testing despite the cloud boom, and the critical role of data security, compliance, and control. Thomas delves...
Jul 02, 2025•39 min
On this episode of the TestGuild DevOps Toolchain, host Joe Colantonio is joined by Maurice McCabe, a seasoned AI engineer from AIA Systems whose expertise spans over two decades and the rise of agentic AI. Together, they dive deep into the rapidly evolving world of DevOps, AI-driven development, and modern product testing. Maurice shares his experiences from the early days of machine learning to today's generative AI revolution, uncovering how tools like Replit and smart browsers are transformi...
Jun 26, 2025•39 min
In today's episode, we discuss cybersecurity with Grant McCracken, a seasoned expert with over 13 years of experience in ethical hacking and executive-level cybersecurity roles. As the founder of Dark Horse Security, Grant shares his journey into the field, practical advice for aspiring ethical hackers, and actionable tips for organizations navigating the challenges of security in the AI era. From hands-on learning resources like Hack the Box and bug bounty programs to the real risks and rewards...
Jun 19, 2025•33 min
Welcome back to the DevOps Toolchain podcast! In this episode, host Joe Colantonio is joined by Temil Sanchez, a Product Manager at SmartBear, for a deep dive into how quality truly becomes a team effort—especially when aligning development, QA, and product teams within agile API environments. Together, they explore the evolution and surge in API adoption, the unique challenges of collaborating on APIs in agile settings, and the importance of closing feedback loops to deliver reliable software f...
Jun 11, 2025•25 min
Today, we’re talking all about mobile testing in DevOps with special guest Todd McNeal, co-founder of Reflect—a cutting-edge AI-powered test automation tool now part of the SmartBear family. Todd breaks down the dynamic shifts happening in mobile testing, from the challenges of manual processes to the game-changing adoption of low-code, no-code, and pure AI-driven automation. We explore how Reflect’s AI approach is making mobile app testing more resilient, maintainable, and accessible across bot...
Jun 04, 2025•33 min
In this episode, hosts Joe Colantonio and Mark Koelsch explore AI-driven business intelligence and its impact on today’s industries. Try out Insight Hub free for 14 days now: https://testguild.me/insighthub. No credit card required. Tune in as they unpack how AI, once a niche discipline, has exploded into mainstream business conversations since the emergence of tools like ChatGPT. They cut through the buzz and fear around AI, discussing real-world applications, compliance challenges, and common ...
May 28, 2025•30 min
In this episode of the DevOps Toolchain podcast, Joe Colantonio sits down with Jacob Leverich, cofounder and Chief Product Officer at Observe, to explore how AI and cutting-edge data strategies are transforming the world of observability. With a career spanning heavyweight roles from Splunk to Google and Kuro Labs, Jacob shares his journey from banging out Perl scripts as a Linux sysadmin to building scalable, data-driven solutions that address the complex realities of today’s digital infrastruc...
May 14, 2025•37 min
In this episode, host Joe Colantonio dives deep into the future of AI in DevOps with Bridges Smith, the VP of Product Management for AI at SmartBear. With over 25 years of experience leading innovations in product development, machine learning, and AI, Bridges brings a wealth of firsthand insights on how AI is rapidly evolving and shaping how developers and testers work. Together, Joe and Bridges explore the shift from basic generative AI to the rise of agentic AI. These AI systems can make deci...
May 07, 2025•31 min
Today, special guest Fitz Nowlan, VP of AI and Architecture at SmartBear, dives deep into the ever-evolving world of AI in software testing. Get resource: What is OpenTelemetry Guide: https://testguild.me/TelemetryGuide This episode is packed with insights from Fitz, who shares his front-row perspective on what’s genuinely innovative versus what’s just hype in today’s AI-powered DevOps landscape. Fitz also tackles hot topics like MCP servers, agentic AI, and the game-changing impact of AI-driven...
Apr 30, 2025•36 min
In this awesome installment, host Joe Colantonio sits down with Mark Meier and Tom Miseur from Grafana Labs to dive deep into the world of performance testing and how their brand new open source Grafana k6 Studio is making these powerful practices accessible for everyone on your team—from developers to QA and SREs. Try out Insight Hub free for 14 days now: https://testguild.me/insighthub . No credit card required. Listen in as they discuss the evolution of k6 from a developer-first tool to one b...
Apr 23, 2025•30 min
In this episode, we delve into scalable machine-learning infrastructure with our special guest, Elliott Clark. Elliott is a seasoned DevOps expert and the founder of Batteries Included. Having played a pivotal role in building one of the largest online transaction processing systems and leading the ad infrastructure team at Meta, Elliott is perfectly poised to share his immense knowledge on scaling infrastructure and the intricacies of machine learning systems. Join us as we discuss the critical...
Apr 16, 2025•32 min
Welcome to another exciting episode of the DevOps Toolchain podcast, where we delve into the dynamic world of DevOps, automation, and cloud infrastructure. Today, we're thrilled to have Kedar Kulkarni, a DevOps and cloud infrastructure expert, join us. Kedar has a wealth of experience in CICD, Kubernetes, and what he calls 'automation first' DevOps. He co-authored a popular IT automation ebook and created the AT-CasC framework, an integral part of Red Hat's automation stack. In this episode, we ...
Apr 10, 2025•30 min
In this episode of the DevOps Toolchain podcast, host Joe Colantonio chats with Derek Ferguson, the Chief Software Officer at Fitch, about the dynamic world of DevOps transformation. They explore the intersection of technology and strategy, emphasizing how to navigate regulatory landscapes while fostering innovation. Derek shares insights from his diverse career, from his early days in the tech industry to leading the creation of the ESG-focused Sustainable Fitch platform. Tune in to discover De...
Mar 26, 2025•37 min
Today, we're diving deep into the fascinating world of API security with our special guest, Jeremy Snyder. Checkout SmartBear Insight Hub: https://testguild.me/insighthub Jeremy is the founder and CEO of Firetail.io and an expert in cloud security, API security, and much more. With his extensive experience working for a primary cloud provider and his passion for cybersecurity, Jeremy shares his insights into the challenges and risks associated with APIs. In this episode, Jeremy discusses the "AP...
Mar 20, 2025•39 min
Today, listen in and discover how Google transformed its developer experience to deliver features at lightning speed. Hugo Santos, the founder and CEO of Namespace Labs, previously helped build Google's microservices platform that powers essential tools like search, photos, and Google Assistant. He shares insights from his extensive experience at Google, offering a glimpse into innovative strategies and technologies that continue to shape developer workflows. From discussing the intricacies of G...
Mar 12, 2025•40 min
In this episode of the DevOps Toolchain podcast, host Joe Colantonio welcomes Keri Olson, Vice President of Product Management, AI for Code at IBM. Try SmartBear Insight Hub: https://testguild.me/insighthub Keri, an expert in AI-powered software development solutions, shares insights on the transformative impact of generative AI in various business functions, particularly in software development and IT processes. Discover how IBM's Watson X platform, designed to build and deploy generative AI ac...
Mar 05, 2025•32 min
In this episode, our expert guest, Tim Beattie, will help us discover the intricacies of effective DevOps culture and practices. As the CEO and co-founder of Stellafai, Tim draws on over twenty years of industry experience and his comprehensive understanding of blending agile, lean, and intent-based leadership. He shares insightful stories from his journey, from his serendipitous introduction to DevOps practices in a smaller consulting firm to his impactful tenure as the global head of products ...
Feb 26, 2025•32 min
In this episode of the DevOps Toolchain Podcast, host Joe Colantonio sits down with Richmond Alake, a developer advocate at MongoDB and an AI/ML practitioner with a strong background in computer vision, robotics, and machine learning. With years of experience in software development, Richmond has authored over 200 technical articles and taught numerous AI/ML courses. Together, they dive into the evolving landscape of AI, machine learning, and multimodal AI, discussing how MongoDB shapes the futu...
Feb 21, 2025•34 min
In this episode of the DevOps Toolchain podcast, host Joe Colantonio interviews Will Blackburn, co-founder of DevClarity, about AI in software development. Will shares his journey from being a CTO at a financial technology startup to founding DevClarity, an AI-powered tool aimed at making engineering managers more effective. Together, they discuss the transformative potential of AI tools like Copilot and Cursor, the impact of AI on junior versus senior developers, and how organizations can embra...
Feb 07, 2025•33 min
Today, we're diving deep into how you can leverage GenAI to accelerate cloud migrations with our special guest, Alex Kearns from Ubertas Consulting. As an AWS ambassador and cloud expert, Alex shares his insights on leveraging generative AI to help with cloud migrations, enhance security, and extend customer relationships. We explore AI's role in modernizing deprecated software, automating system analysis, and the ethical considerations surrounding this powerful technology. We'll also touch on p...
Dec 18, 2024•33 min
Today, we're exploring a topic that's becoming more important because it poses new security challenges: the rapid adoption of AI and the cybersecurity threats it brings. Our special guest is Mateo Rojas Carulla, an AI expert, chief scientist, and founder of Lakera. With an impressive background that spans Meta and Google and a journey from finance to AI, Mateo is a leading voice in the AI-first product revolution. We delve into how industries, even those heavily regulated like healthcare and fin...
Dec 11, 2024•38 min
Today's episode delves into the journey of transitioning from an individual contributor to an engineering leader. Our guest, Evan Niedojadlo, shares invaluable insights from his rich experience, beginning at a consulting firm and eventually breaking into the tech industry. Register for AutomationGuild 25 to see Evan's session: https://testguild.com/ag-2025/ As someone who has navigated various roles, Evan offers practical advice for those considering leadership positions, emphasizing the importa...
Dec 04, 2024•35 min
Today's guest, Andrew Duncan, founder of Vertice Labs, joins us to discuss how to build high-performing engineering teams and the importance of early team involvement in product discussions. We dive deep into aligning the strategic visions of the C-suite with the immediate tasks of technical teams, effective communication, the role of customer feedback, and motivating software engineers. Andrew shares the significance of transparent communication and shares actionable strategies for balancing pe...
Nov 27, 2024•31 min
