When Shit Hits the Fan
Johan van Amersfoort and Jeffrey Kusters
Recent Episodes
In this episode of When Shit Hits the Fan, we sit down with long-time ITQ technologist Sander Harrewijnen to talk about building better software, making bad assumptions, and breaking things that needed fixing anyway.
We cover everything from Sander’s accidental roast of a client’s legacy app (in front of the people funding it 😬) to his thoughts on vibecoding (letting AI write your code), and his approach to solving tech and people problems in complex environments.
Along the way, we discover his unusual hidden talent (spoiler: he’s your guy for photo wallpaper), his Maker side with lightsabers and Mandalorian helmets, and how his developer career evolved from .NET to cloud-native advocacy
Links & Mentions:
Sander’s blog: https://harre.dev
Find Sander on LinkedIn
- Podcast: Cloud Native Chronicles
- Fisker Ocean vs. Reality: MKBHD video
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In this episode of 'When Shit Hits the Fan', Johan and Jeffrey welcome Frank Denneman, a distinguished engineer for AI at VMware/Broadcom.
The conversation covers Frank's experiences, interests, and career journey, including his insights on technology, movies, and the importance of effective communication in engineering.
The episode features rapid-fire questions, discussions about favorite films, and a deep dive into Frank's professional background. The conversation explores his journey from building Microsoft Exchange across multiple countries to his experiences with virtualization, working at VMware, and the challenges of startup life. It highlights his time at PernixData and the lessons learned from mistakes made throughout his career, including the importance of sharing knowledge and overcoming fears in public speaking.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
02:40 Frank's Background and Interests
06:41 Binaries and Quickfire Questions
11:01 Frank's Career Journey and Early Experiences
13:15 Building Microsoft Exchange Across Borders
16:45 The Virtualization Journey Begins
17:35 Transitioning to VMware and the Startup Experience
20:00 The Challenges of Startup Life
23:25 Innovations at Pernix Data
25:59 Lessons Learned from Mistakes
30:04 First Time on Stage: Overcoming Fear
31:27 The Thrill of Live Performance
34:17 Key Takeaways for First-Time Speakers
39:43 Lessons from Experience and Listening
41:54 The Importance of Preparation
42:53 Learning from Presentation Skills and Shark Tank
Links:
Frank Simrig account on instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/roadtoimmersion/