Exploring the evolution of open source software and its impact on the Tech landscape.

Open Source Ready

In this inaugural episode of Open Source Ready, Brian Douglas and John McBride embark on a technical and philosophical exploration of the current state of open-source AI. John shares his hands-on experience with building large-scale data pipelines and integrating AI to create meaningful insights for developers. The discussion revolves around the balance between innovation, data privacy, and the growing power of large tech companies in the AI space. They also touch on the open-source community's challenges, including licensing issues and the role of foundations in supporting AI projects.

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Open Source Ready - Ep. #1, Introducing Open Source Ready

In episode 2 of Open Source Ready, Brian Douglas and John McBride speak with Avi Press, Founder & CEO of Scarf. Together they explore the evolving definition of "open source" in the context of AI and the future of technology. They also examine broader issues surrounding licensing, business models in open source, and the challenges associated with both.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #2, Defining Open Source with Avi Press of Scarf

In episode 3 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John sit down with Chad Whitacre from Sentry to discuss the Open Source Pledge, a new initiative aimed at addressing the sustainability crisis in open source software. Chad shares insights on how companies can better support the maintainers behind the projects they rely on and explores the cultural challenges of funding open source development.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #3, The Open Source Pledge with Chad Whitacre of Sentry

In episode 4 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John chat with open source expert Tobie Langel about the critical issues of sustainability and security in open source software. Tobie shares insights on the vulnerabilities of widely used open source projects, the need for professional maintainers, and the evolving legislative landscape that could reshape the future of open source.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #4, A Billion-Dollar Idea with Tobie Langel

In episode 5 of Open Source Ready, John and Brian speak with Elliott Minns, the creator of Dreams of Code and Dreams of Autonomy. They explore Elliott’s mission to empower developers through software autonomy, the challenges of open source sustainability, and the fascinating potential of Linux and NixOS. Discover how self-hosting and open source tools are transforming the way we interact with technology.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #5, Software Autonomy: Owning Your Tech with Elliott Minns

In episode 6 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John are joined by Adam Jacob, co-creator of Chef and CEO of System Initiative, to discuss the philosophical and business intersections of open source. Adam shares insights on the evolution of free software, the challenges of monetizing open source projects, and the future of collaborative development in an increasingly commercialized tech ecosystem.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #6, The Infinite Nature of Software with Adam Jacob

In episode 7 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John are joined by Kent C. Dodds to discuss the evolution of React, the rise of Remix, and the future of front-end development. From early struggles with Angular to React Router v7’s role in modern apps, Kent shares valuable insights for developers navigating the ever-changing JavaScript landscape.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #7, The Evolution of React with Kent C. Dodds

In episode 8 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John sit down with Daniel Mangum, CTO of Golioth, to discuss his journey from distributed systems and Kubernetes to open source hardware. They explore the rise of RISC-V, the potential of decentralized social media, and how AI is shaping the future of computing. Plus, Daniel shares insights into FPGAs, the AT Protocol, and why open source innovation matters more than ever.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #8, Bridging Software & Hardware with Daniel Mangum of Golioth

In episode 9 of Open Source Ready, Matt Trifiro joins Brian and John to discuss the evolving landscape of commercial open source, the challenges startups face in monetization, and how intellectual property law impacts the ecosystem. Tune in for insights on balancing community-driven development with sustainable business models.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #9, The Future of Commercial Open Source with Matt Trifiro

In episode 10 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John chat with Taylor Dolezal, former CNCF Head of Ecosystem and current Chief of Staff at Merly AI, to discuss the latest trends in open source, AI, and Kubernetes. From the challenges of AI adoption to the evolving role of cloud-native technologies, Taylor shares insights on where the industry is headed and how developers and companies can navigate these rapid changes.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #10, The Whirlwind Pace of AI with Taylor Dolezal

In episode 11 of Open Source Ready, Brian Douglas and John McBride sit down with AI expert Steve Manuel to explore the Model Context Protocol (MCP)—a framework that enhances how models interact with their environments. They break down why context-awareness is crucial for machine learning and how MCP is transforming open source AI.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #11, Unpacking MCP with Steve Manuel

In episode 12 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John welcome Ron Efroni and Ross Turk from Flox to explore the world of Nix, a powerful package manager and more. They discuss how Flox simplifies Nix for developers and enterprises, the challenges of adopting new packaging paradigms, and the evolving landscape of containers and AI in software development.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #12, Exploring Flox and Nix with Ron Efroni & Ross Turk

In episode 13 of Open Source Ready, Thorsten Ball of Sourcegraph joins Brian and John to unpack the real-world engineering decisions behind language choices, like Microsoft using Go for the recent TypeScript compiler rewrite. Explore the importance of continuous learning in tech, the benefits of knowing multiple programming languages, and how AI agents are poised to reshape developer workflows.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #13, Why Microsoft Chose Go: A Deep Dive with Thorsten Ball

In episode 14 of Open Source Ready, special guests Mike McQuaid and John Britton join Brian and John to share the story of Workbrew. They unpack their journey in the developer tools space, the evolution of Homebrew, the inspiration behind Workbrew, and their perspectives on the future of developer environments.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #14, The Workbrew Story with Mike McQuaid and John Britton

In episode 15 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John chat with Adewale "Ace" Abati from Block about Codename Goose, an open-source AI agent, and the underlying Model Context Protocol (MCP). They explore how AI agents are revolutionizing developer workflows, the concept of "vibe coding" for rapid prototyping, and the future of AI in productivity and accessibility.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #15, Codename Goose and the Future of AI Agents with Adewale Abati

In episode 16 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John sit down with Mitchell Hashimoto, founder of HashiCorp, to discuss his journey after leaving the company and his latest passion project, the open source terminal emulator Ghostty. Mitchell shares the accidental origins of Ghostty, his pragmatic approach to technology, and his thoughts on the current state of open source business models. Lastly, they explore the complexities of AI development and the trade-offs of foundation governance.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #16, Building Tools That Spark Joy with Mitchell Hashimoto

In episode 17 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John speak with Docker founder Solomon Hykes about his latest project, Dagger, and its mission to fix the pain points of modern CI/CD. Solomon explains why DevOps is due for a systems-level rethink and how AI agents are changing the way software gets built and shipped.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #17, AI Native Software Factories with Solomon Hykes

In episode 18 of Open Source Ready, Brian Douglas and John McBride are joined by Christopher Burns to unpack the complexities of consent management and cookie banners. Discover how Christopher’s open source project, c15t, aims to simplify privacy compliance for developers, bridging the gap between legal requirements and practical implementation. This episode offers a fresh perspective on why consent is not just a legal burden, but a critical component of modern web development.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #18, Consent Management with Christopher Burns

In episode 19 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John speak with Josh Rosso, Principal Engineer at Reddit and author of Production Kubernetes. From his early days at CoreOS and Heptio to running Reddit’s massive compute platform, Josh shares insights into managing Kubernetes at internet scale, the business realities of open source, and the risks smaller OSS projects face. Lastly, they dive into AI’s growing role in engineering and the challenges of keeping the internet human.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #19, Kubernetes at Scale with Josh Rosso of Reddit

In episode 20 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John sit down with data engineering and cognitive science expert Vasilije Markovic to explore AI memory and how we can build more intelligent systems. From the challenges of "context rot" to the practical applications of AI memory in construction, education, and finance, this conversation covers how to give your AI the context it truly needs.

Open Source Ready - Ep. #20, Exploring AI Memory with Vasilije Markovic of Cognee

Heavybit is the leading early-stage investor in enterprise infrastructure. Since 2013, we've helped launch and scale visionary technical startups—from DevSecOps and feature flagging to AI code generation and beyond. We go hands-on from day 0, backing founders as they turn code into companies and build the future of software from the bottom up to the top down.