Minds Behind Maps

Awais Ahmed is the co-founder & CEO of Pixxel, a company building a constellation of hyperspectral imaging satellites. Unlike “traditional” cameras, these satellites can see across hundreds of bands, opening up a lot more applications. We talk about the engineering -and funding- required to pull this off and how Awais manages a company between India (where Awais is from) and the US. But that’s just the 1st part of the interview. Then we talk about his vision for the company, which goes way, way beyond sending imaging satellites.Sponsor: OpenCageUse OpenCage for your geocoding needs with their APIGeomobAbout AwaisTwitterLinkedInShownotesAwais’s personnal websitePixxel’s 3 phase visionMaxar HD machine learning upscalingBook & Podcast RecommendationThe Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch (Affiliate Link)Profiles of the Future by Arthur C. Clarke (only found it in ebook here, Affiliate Link)Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Affiliate Link)Timestamps(00:00) - Introduction(01:09) - Sponsor: OpenCage(02:34) - Awais describes himself(03:46) - Pixxel(05:07) - What is hyperspectral?(10:36) - Spacial, Temporal & Spectral Resolution tradeoffs(18:01) - Hardest part of building satellites(22:58) - The resolution spotlight(28:38) - Image Quality Rabbit Hole(30:42) - The tricky part of raising money(38:52) - Awais has a big, big vision(50:42) - Likeliness of Awais's vision within 10 years(54:14) - Working between India & USA(59:04) - Personnal investing(01:01:20) - Importance of Reading(01:05:36) - Sci-Fi & History(01:08:33) - Book recommendation(01:10:43) - Awais in space?(01:11:54) - Pushing the boundaries of humanity(01:13:14) - Optimism in a cynical world(01:19:11) - Support the podcast on PatreonSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Sina Kashuk is the co-founder & CEO of Fused, who wants to make iterating & deploying in Python faster with serverless computing. We break down what that actually means, why it matters and what data science workflows could look like over the next few years.This also isn’t Sina’s first company, a few years ago he started Unfolded.ai, focused on making visualisations for data scientists faster. The company was acquired by Foursquare in 2021.Sponsor: Beemaps by HivemapperGet access to high quality, fresh map data at https://beemaps.com/mindsUse promo code MINDS to get 50% off your API credits through Dec. 31 2024About SinaTwitterLinkedInShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.My blogpost joining the teamUber’s H3 tiling gridFoursquare acquires UnfoldedAWS LambdaMy conversation with Ib GreenFused.ioBook & Podcast recommendationAwaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins Affiliate LinkI’m pretty sure you can find Minds Behind Maps by yourself if you’re hereTimestamps(00:00) - Intro (02:38) - Sponsor: Beemaps(03:55) - Hacking (06:07) - Fused.io(07:23) - Why run your algorithm in the cloud? (10:06) - Serverless computing (12:40) - Optimizing for iteration speed (18:52) - Breaking Fused into smaller parts (23:27) - "User Defined Functions: UDF" (31:08) - How do you make money? (31:56) - Why start companies? (42:41) - Convincing people to use your tools (49:44) - Speed isn't all: Train / Plane analogy (54:36) - Going beyond geospatial (57:33) - Building a team (59:54) - Podcast/book recommendation (01:01:11) - Building a Long Term Vision (01:06:59) - Support the podcast on PatreonSupport the podcast on PatreonMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Andrew Peterson is the Co-Founder & CEO of Array Labs, with a simple mission: Mapping the whole world in 3D, at 20cm in near real time.We peel the layers as to what it takes to get there: the engineering that’s required, how to build a constellation to do that, how you fund such a project.Sponsor: OpenCageUse OpenCage for your geocoding needs with their APIGeomobAbout AndrewLinkedInArray LabsShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.My 20min video explaining radar satellite imagesFind USGS 1m LiDAR data across the USY CombinatorMy episode with Ashlee VanceMy episode with Brian McClendonAlbedoBook & Podcast recommendationSpin Selling by Neil Rackham (Affiliate Link)AcquiredTimestamps(00:00) - Intro(01:08) - Sponsor: OpenCage(02:34) - "Being a Recovering Engineer"(03:15) - Mapping the world in 3D(09:59) - "Near Real Time"(15:46) - Applications will only use what's available, by definition(18:15) - Why use radar for 3D images?(22:23) - The coolest Space Shuttle mission, period(27:19) - Tradeoff between resolution & coverage(36:26) - Building cheap radar satellites(39:46) - Array Labs's image resolution(45:10) - A GPU Analogy(50:34) - A story of image processing & computers(56:07) - Array Labs today(57:57) - Let's talk $$$(01:06:38) - Low barrier to entry: Comparing XRay & MRI(01:12:09) - Why stop at 10 satellites?(01:15:50) - Focus(01:19:53) - Max & Andrew's 1st chat during covid(01:23:22) - Subscription model for satellite images?(01:32:50) - Convincing the rest of the world your idea is worth something(01:43:58) - Engineer to Founder(01:47:30) - Book & Podcast recommendation(01:51:06) - Array Labs's next 4 years?(01:53:45) - Support the podcast on PatreonSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Jamie McMichael-Phillips is the Director of the Seabed 2030 Project, which aims to map all of the world's oceans, by 2030. For context, in 2024, we’re at 26.1%. This is conversation is about why, how we get to 100% and why it’s important in the first place.Sponsor: SatCampSatCamp is a different kind of conference, from October 1st to October 3rd 2024, in Boulder ColoradoAboutBio on Seabed 2030 websiteLinkedInShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.Seabed 2030 Project (You can check out their interactive map here)GEBCO Grid2024 Seabed 2030 ProgressPoint NemoBook & Podcast Recommendations:The Deepest Map by Laura Trethewey (Amazon Affiliate)Seabed 2030 PodcastTimestamps(00:00) - Intro(01:04) - Sponsor: SatCamp(02:55) - Jamie Describes Himself(03:53) - State of Ocean mapping in 2024(06:19) - Difficulties with mapping the ocean(08:22) - Why map the seabed?(10:24) - What does mapping the seabed actually mean?(15:01) - Comparing Land & Sea mapping(18:55) - Seabed 2030 is a policy project(20:42) - Incentives to map the oceans(24:05) - If we've only mapped ~25%, what does the 75% other look like?(27:49) - What are the coarse measurements for the ocean right now?(29:31) - How we actually map the seabed(33:14) - Patches of unmapped areas of the ocean(35:38) - Getting there by 2030(38:21) - How much has already been mapped?(43:00) - Maps as Human Knowledge(45:27) - Jamie's most anticipated, yet unmapped, area(48:03) - Public Engagement(53:01) - Book/podcast Recommendations(55:04) - Support the podcast on PatreonSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Check out Jed’s Techs on Text podcastJed has also been on Minds Behind Maps before. We talked open data, AI, and the role of books for people building things

Jean-Martin Bauer has been working at the World Food Program for over 20years, and the author of the “The New Breadline”. Most recently he was the Country Director for Haiti, in charge of helping make sure the country doesn’t run out of food.Sponsor: SatCampSatCamp is a different kind of conference, from October 1st to October 3rd 2024, in Boulder ColoradoAbout Jean-MartinLinkedInJean-Martin’s book: The New Breadline (Affiliate Link)ShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.WFP working with Mbala Pinda producersMasters of the Dew by Jacques Roumain (Affiliate Link)Jordan Habinger episode about Haiti’s ongoing situationBook & Podcast recommendationThe one-straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka (Affiliate Link)Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Affiliate Link)FiveThirtyEight podcastsTimestamps(00:00) - Intro(01:15) - Sponsor: SatCamp(03:42) - Haiti's past 2 years(05:57) - Day to day in a humanitarian crisis(08:17) - Jean-Martin's ties to Haiti(18:27) - Stats versus Stories: The picture of a starving girl sparking uprise(21:30) - The Origins of Hunger(27:31) - Impact of Covid on Food Security in the US(35:05) - Europe's current food supplies after WWII(40:11) - Why write a book?(42:56) - Who is your book for?(45:22) - Finding local Solutions(53:39) - Creating a resilient food supply(55:33) - Technology is not the silver bullet(01:01:23) - Advice for Young Engineers & Data Scientists(01:05:28) - What's next for Jean-Martin(01:12:04) - Social Media Outreach(01:19:08) - Optimism(01:23:49) - Defining Acute Hunger(01:25:37) - Book & podcast Recommendation(01:31:07) - Support the podcast on PatreonSupport the podcast on PatreonMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Ashlee Vance is a Tech Journalist, the author of Elon Musk's 1st biography in 2015, the host of "Hello World" on Youtube and the author of "When the Heavens Went on Sale" as well as the accompanying documentary "Wild Wild Space" following 4 New Space companies. We nerd out on rocket companies, 1 rogue NASA administrator, and the time I got to meet Vladimir Putin years ago.Sponsor: OpenCageUse OpenCage for your geocoding needs with their APIGeomobAbout Ashlee:TwitterBloomberg ProfileShownotes(Note: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.)Ashlee's books:When the Heavens Went on Sale (Affiliate Link)Elon Musk biography (Affiliate Link)Wild Wild Space documentaryHello World with Ashlee Vance on YoutubeNPIC book by Jack O'ConorBook & Podcast Recommendation:Sonic Wind (Affiliate Link)Cocaine & RhinestonesTimestamps(00:00) - Intro(01:33) - Sponsor: OpenCage(02:59) - Ashlee Describes Himself(06:12) - Chasing weirdos around the world for a living(11:22) - The man shaking NASA in the 90s(16:18) - Following Chris Kemp & the beginnings of Astra(24:30) - Planet co-founders: Will & Robbie(28:58) - Needing to convince investors(31:34) - Will satellite imagery ever get mainstream?(34:50) - A tangent on the US Spy satellite program(36:47) - Starlink(38:28) - Privatization(48:43) - Space Industry outside of the US(55:23) - Russia's aerospace pride: The time I met Putin(59:18) - What's on Ashlee's radar(01:01:42) - People or Companies?(01:04:01) - Documentary Reception(01:05:08) - The business of documentaries(01:08:27) - YouTube(01:12:45) - Book/podcast recommendation(01:16:08) - No iPhone?(01:19:38) - Support the podcast on PatreonSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Luke Fischer is the Co-Founder & CEO of SkyFi, a company that we'll describe in a few ways in this episode, but boils down to an Earth Observation marketplace. We talk about Luke's 20 year time in the military before getting into startups, why Luke is bullish on their approach and many moreSponsor: SatCampSatCamp is a different kind of conference, from October 1st to October 3rd 2024, in Boulder ColoradoAboutTwitterLinkedInSkyFiShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy Gabe -unit economics- DominocieloBill PerkinsDie with ZeroSilicon Valley No RevenueBook & Podcast recommendationsFreedom’s Forge (Affiliate Link)BigDeal by Codie SanchezTimestamps(00:00) - Intro(00:50) - Sponsor: SatCamp(02:41) - Luke describes himself(04:21) - Getting into the satellite image industry(07:13) - Risks starting a company(10:16) - Don't start a marketplace(18:22) - Racing to get customers(23:08) - What is the Product in all of this?(25:00) - What is the product that SkyFi needs to build today?(28:17) - Who is this for?(33:08) - Biggest pain points(37:44) - The market's view of Earth Observation businesses(45:00) - Pivoting from the military(51:28) - Hiring(59:12) - Raising big, early(01:02:08) - Predicting the industry in 2.5 years(01:09:05) - Consumer market?(01:14:24) - Health & family(01:26:05) - Community while all Remote(01:30:25) - Book & Podcast Recommendation(01:33:09) - Support the podcast on PatreonSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Ben Strong is the Science & Machine Learning Lead at Earth Genome, an NGO working on the intersection of data, science & digital design. Most recently they've been working on Earth Index, an application built on top of Earth embeddings from foundation models. This conversation is the "so what" of Earth foundational modelSponsor: OpenCageUse OpenCage for your geocoding needs with their APIGeomobAboutLinkedInShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.Ben’s blogpost on NDA sequencing for the EarthEarth GenomeEarth IndexBook & Podcast recommendationDemo Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Affiliate Link)Risky BusinessTimestamps(00:00) - Intro(00:46) - Sponsor: OpenCage(02:12) - Ben introduces himself(03:28) - "DNA sequencing" for Earth(13:37) - Not building another Foundation Model(18:06) - Earth embeddings: So what?(21:49) - What does locally finetuned mean?(25:48) - Invite only for now: Why?(29:31) - Journalistic applications(31:59) - Yet another tool for finding images?(35:09) - Deciding what to work on(38:35) - Designing for simplicity(44:14) - So, why hasn't Google made this?(51:18) - Funding(59:54) - Book & podcast RecommendationsSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Ib Green led the development of 3D visualisation tools like for example Uber’s deck.gl and is now working at Foursquare, after having started Unfolded, which Foursquare acquired. During this conversation we touch on how browser based visualisations are changingThis episode is supported by all the people on PatreonAccess Behind the Scenes and support the podcast by joining too!AboutLinkedInShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.Kepler.glDeck.glFoursquareKyle BarronPeak MathTimestamps(00:00) - Intro (00:41) - Support the podcast on Patreon (01:43) - Ib describes himself (02:33) - How lb got to where he is today (07:47) - Uber's need for visualization tools (15:11) - Why do companies build open source tools? (17:46) - Open source to open governance (23:41) - Starting a company (26:31) - How Unfolded generates revenue (28:28) - Nerding out on browser based visualization tech (35:11) - Client side rendering challenges (39:27) - Competing against the smartphone (41:38) - Looking ahead (47:43) - Book & Podcast recommendations (50:24) - Support the podcast on PatreonSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Bruno Sanchez is the Executive Director of the Clay Foundation, which just released their v1 of a “Foundational Model of Earth”. We talk about what that means, building open source & non profits and can’t help but draw parallels to the not-so-open anymore OpenAI. Previously Bruno was the Program Director of the Microsoft Planetary ComputerSponsor: OpenCageUse OpenCage for your geocoding needs with their APIGeomobShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.ClayGithub repoWebsiteMy previous interview with BrunoBook & Podcast recommendationA Thousand Brains by Jeff Hawkins (Affiliate Link)Bad Therapy by Abigael Shrier (Affiliate Link)Timestamps(00:00) - Intro(01:59) - Sponsor: OpenCage(03:39) - What is a Foundational Model?(08:45) - Foundational Task(11:00) - Embeddings, and why they matter(13:49) - Comparing to compression algorithms(16:57) - What do embeddings enable?(19:50) - Finding the Relationship between data(24:16) - Implementation of monitoring all the data - I believe this is where you're going with the question(25:44) - Implementation details(27:52) - Validating a foundational model(33:49) - Earth is a "limited problem"(42:47) - Funding as a non-profit(47:53) - Raising enough philanthropic funding(53:02) - A Litmus test for open projects(56:26) - Future predictions(58:01) - Transparency/privacy(01:00:53) - Commercial data(01:03:36) - Openstreetmap(01:05:49) - Updating foundational models(01:12:17) - Clay model v2?(01:13:43) - Dataset to embedding size comparison(01:14:41) - Model v2 - continued(01:16:45) - Difference working at a non-profit vs a corp(01:20:27) - Book & Podcast recommendation(01:24:01) - Support the podcast on Patreon!Support the podcast on PatreonMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Dr Fred Calef III has the unofficial title of "Keeper of Maps" at NASA JPL, he's the Lead Mapping Specialist for most of JPL's Mars Rover missions, most recently that being Perseverance & Curiosity. But to land -and navigate- a rover, one needs maps, and Fred makes them.Sponsor: Nimbo by KermapTry out Kermap's monthly mosaic viewer Nimbo for yourselfSupport the podcast on PatreonAbout FredTwitterMastodonShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.VICAR Github repo (Video Image Communication & Retrieval)Mars 2020 Rover: Terrain Relative NavigationAiry-o crater7 Minutes to MarsMMGIS (Multi Planet Geospatial Information System)Github RepoMars Rover Location MapBook recommendationsThree Body Problem by Cixin Liu (Affiliate Link)The Martian by Andy Weird (Affiliate Link)Timestamps(00:00) - Introduction(00:48) - Sponsor: Nimbo by Kermap(02:23) - How would you describe yourself?(03:18) - Keeper of the Maps(05:04) - What it takes to map Mars(10:21) - Deciding where to put (0,0)(12:33) - Current accuracy of Mars mapping(14:01) - 150m / pixel: How do you find anything?(18:14) - Rover cameras on the ground(22:39) - Creating detailed maps for the Rover's automation(26:07) - How would we be navigating on Mars if we send people there?(31:20) - Comparing to the early days of car navigation(34:15) - Using a compass on Mars(36:13) - Mapping tools(48:54) - Has every image of Mars been seen by at least 1 person?(53:37) - Mars doesn't change that much(56:45) - More strange difference between Mars & Earth(01:00:53) - Mapping other celestial bodies(01:05:04) - Missions or mapping projects that Fred is looking forward to(01:06:10) - Book/podcast recommendation(01:10:06) - One last question: Mars time(01:13:19) - Support the podcast on PatreonSupport the podcast on PatreonMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Sponsor: OpenCageUse OpenCage for your geocoding needs with their APIGeomobShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.GeoLayersgeolayers.appJohnny HarrisMarkus’s cameo in a recent videoSearch PartyFeltProcreate dreamsJason Boone’s episodePodcast recommendation: Syntax.fmTimestamps(00:00) - Intro(02:26) - Sponsor: OpenCage(03:52) - Markus Describes himself(04:29) - GEOlayers in simple terms(05:50) - From Motion Designer, to Map Animation Developer(07:51) - The team behind GEOlayers(08:20) - How does a Motion Designer turn into software engineer?(10:45) - Tricky nature of Map Animation(13:10) - OpenStreetMap(14:57) - Markus before and after diving into GIS(17:01) - Map projections(20:01) - Business Model & Funding(24:08) - Self Funding(26:38) - Being your own user(27:37) - GEOLayers used on Youtube(30:23) - Working with creator, example of Johnny Harris(32:20) - Paid Support(33:33) - Focusing ones time on what you enjoy doing(35:11) - Making a web app(42:35) - Subscription models(46:34) - Expectations in modern software business models(49:22) - High tech barrier to entry(55:01) - Inspiration from 2 other projects(01:05:32) - The future of GEOLayers(01:07:21) - Local vs Web based software(01:16:13) - Marketing & Social Media(01:20:50) - Book/podcast recommendation(01:23:18) - Support the podcast on PatreonSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Volodymyr Agafonkin is the creator of Leaflet, an open-source JS mapping library started in 2008 that is used pretty much everywhere on the Internet today. We end up nerding out on what makes building simple open source software & rendering maps online tricky but also so endlessly interesting. Volodymyr lives in Ukraine, a country shaken by a war for the past few years, which we also talk about.Sponsor: Nimbo by KermapTry out Kermap's monthly mosaic viewer Nimbo for yourselfSupport the podcast on PatreonAbout VolodymyrTwitterLinkedInWebsiteShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.LeafletMapbox blogpost on adaptive map projectionsCloudMadeHow Simplicity Will Save GISBooks & PodcastsThe Storyteller by Dave Grohl (Affiliate Link)My Effin’ Life by Geddy Lee (Affiliate Link)Reply All podcastSearch Engine podcastHeavyweight podcastTimestamps(00:00) - Intro(01:50) - Sponsor: Nimbo(03:26) - Volodymyr Describes Himself(04:22) - The story behind Leaflet(13:31) - Cloudmade Backstory(16:42) - From closed software to open source(23:43) - Maintaining high quality code(27:56) - Cloudmade today(31:21) - Leaflet, funding, sustainable(35:09) - Raster vs Vector maps(41:34) - Map projections(46:36) - Current main challenges to mapping(50:52) - Future of Leaflet(51:54) - Leaflet and Ukraine(01:05:39) - Book & Podcast recommendation(01:09:35) - Support the podcast on PatreonSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Qiusheng Wu is an Associate Professor in Geography, an active open source contributor behind projects like geemap, leafmap or segment-geospatial also sharing tutorials on his popular Youtube channel. Qiusheng has a desire to teach, share and lower the barrier to entry to geospatial, all things I'm always curious to talk more aboutSponsor: OpenCageUse OpenCage for your geocoding needs with their APIGeomobAbout QiushengTwitterLinkedInShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.KaggleGoogle Earth EngineQiusheng’s Youtube channelQiusheng’s GithubBook & Podcast recommendationGeospatial Data Analytics on AWS (Affiliate Link)MapscapingTimestamps(00:00) - Introduction (00:35) - Sponsor: OpenCage (02:01) - How would you describe yourself (03:47) - Developing Open Source Software (06:46) - Lowering the barrier to entry (10:39) - Quisheng's story (18:39) - Getting Involved in open source (22:16) - Google Earth Engine (25:48) - Skepticism around closed platforms (32:31) - Teaching Skepticism (34:16) - Is open source free lunch? (36:51) - Why create tutorials? (41:35) - Video over any other format (45:42) - Pushing students to market their projects (48:52) - Teaching in multiple languages (53:18) - YouTube analytics (55:35) - Book/Podcast RecommendationSupport the podcast on PatreonMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Ryan Abernathey is a Climate Scientist, open-source software developer and the CEO & co-founder of Earthmover, a company trying to simplify how scientific computing is done. Ryan also co-founded the Pangeo project in 2016, one of the major efforts to build better tools for scientific computing today.Sponsor: Nimbo by KermapTry out Kermap's monthly mosaic viewer Nimbo for yourselfAbout RyanTwitterLinkedInGithubShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.PangeoXarrayZarrEarthmoverERA5Books & Podcast recommendationCrossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore (Affiliate Link)The Data Stack ShowTimestamps(00:00) - Introduction(00:45) - Sponsor: Nimbo by Kermap(02:20) - Ryan describes himself(03:11) - From Oceanography to data infrastructure(06:11) - Building an Company around Open Source(13:33) - Product(16:28) - The current Earth Observation data stack(20:39) - Issues with today's approaches(30:30) - Zarr(33:30) - Friction with new technology(38:23) - Climate science vs geospatial(44:48) - Different sciences make different assumptions(47:17) - Modeling Level of Details(59:50) - Book & Podcast recommendations(01:05:37) - Support the podcast on Patreon!Support the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Gilberto Camara was the director of INPE, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research from 2005 to 2012, working there 35y in total and leading the use of satellite imagery to fight deforestation in Brazil, leading to what Nature declared “One of the biggest environmental wins of the 2000s”Sponsor: OpenCage Use OpenCage for your geocoding needs with their API GeomobAbout GilbertoTwitterBlogShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.Landsat 1MODISLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s current presidentMy interview with USGS’s former Director Barbara Ryan1992 Rio declaration (particularly Article 10)BBC ‘Yes Minister’Nature article on Brazil deforestation initiativesBooks & Podcast recommendationsThe Great Transformation by Karl Polanyi (Affiliate Link)The Rise of the Network Society: The Information Age by Manuel Castells (Affiliate Link)Robin Cole’s satellite-image-deep-learningCode & Other Laws of Cyberspace by Lawrence Lessig (Affiliate Link)Techno-Feudalism by Yanis Varoufakis (Affiliate Link)Timestamps(00:00) - Introduction(01:14) - Sponsor: OpenCage(02:40) - Gilberto describes himself(04:14) - Deforestation wasn't always a priority: Brazil in the 80s(07:50) - INPE (Brazil's National Institute for Space Research)(11:13) - Landsat(23:15) - Forest Land doesn't have monetary value(24:14) - Mapping Deforestation Doesn't Magically Solve Everything(28:35) - Incentives(38:06) - Open Data was the only way(38:51) - Not everyone likes open data(42:11) - The first real-time deforestation alert system(46:43) - From data to actual enforcement(55:15) - Avoiding False Positive Deforestation Alerts(01:00:48) - Misunderstood Accuracy in Remote Sensing(01:07:52) - The roles of current geospatial tools(01:15:43) - Brazil made Landsat images openly available before the US(01:20:31) - Getting Things Done(01:33:51) - Private remote sensing companies(01:49:50) - The right tool & the right data(01:53:32) - Monetary motivations behind commercial GIS(02:02:29) - The source(s) of innovation(02:07:28) - Book/podcast recommendation(02:12:56) - Opening just a tiny little last topic(02:17:41) - Support my work on PatreonSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Thomas Ager worked for 30y at the National Geospatial Agency on Radar satellite images and recently released ‘The Essentials of SAR’ a book breaking down Synthetic Aperture Radar for, as he puts it, “non electrical engineers”Sponsor: PlanetFind more about accessing Planet's high resolution & high frequency imagesAbout TomLinkedInHis book: The Essentials of SAR (Affiliate Link)Also available in MandarinShownotesNote: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.My Interview with Iain Woodhouse: Understanding Radar Satellite ImagesTom’s interview on Project GeospatialMapping London’s deformation70cm mapping of the MoonBook (and poem!) recommendationWho Is Fourier? (Affiliate Link)Project Geospatial: https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectgeospatialFern Hill by Dylan ThomasTimestamps(00:00) - Introduction(01:13) - Sponsor: Planet(02:28) - Tom describes himself(04:13) - National Geospatial Agency(05:46) - Why should anyone care about radar images?(09:52) - Why not just fly plane?(10:54) - SAR in the 80s(23:14) - Finding early use in SAR(27:09) - Skepticism in new tech(30:09) - Phase(35:32) - Bringing poetry to physics(42:01) - The most astonishing element of SAR(48:41) - Future of SAR(51:51) - The next step(56:49) - The language issue(59:45) - Tom's book(01:02:46) - Tom's book dedication(01:04:49) - Teaching(01:07:40) - Getting NGA's approval on the book(01:09:09) - Doing what people tell you not to do(01:11:34) - Machine Learning in SAR(01:15:55) - Book & Podcast recommendationSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Brian McClendon was one of the earliest investors & later VP of Engineering at Keyhole, which got acquired by Google in 2004. Brian become VP of Engineering and led Google Geo, overlooking the development of Google Earth & Google Maps. He also worked at Uber & is now at Niantic, which you might know for thri most popular app: Pokemon GoSponsor: OpenCage Use OpenCage for your geocoding needs with their API GeomobAbout BrianLinkedInNianticShownotesNever Lost Again by Bill Kilday (Affiliate Link)Brian’s University of Kansas course: “Startups Rasing Money”@Home Network (Wikipedia Page)Keyhole Inc (History of Google Earth Wikipedia)Google EarthI think you can find a link to Google Maps on your own :)Nicaragua border storyBooks & Podcast3 Body Problem by Cixin Liu (Affiliate Link)Marketplace podcastTimestamps(00:00) - Introduction(01:16) - Sponsor: OpenCage(02:42) - Brian describes himself(03:33) - Getting into computer graphics(05:15) - From engineer to building companies(08:06) - The Beginnings of Keyhole(12:42) - EarthViewer demo(14:33) - Going through rough times(21:00) - What made Keyhole so unique(25:56) - How much of Keyhole's work is still in Google Earth?(32:08) - Borders are hard(37:20) - Changing borders(43:15) - Google's rationale for spending so much on mapping(45:37) - Use for Google Maps vs Earth(47:22) - Google Earth Engine(51:16) - Earliest Google Earth Image(52:20) - Working at Uber(57:03) - Self-driving(58:30) - Project Ground Truth(01:04:01) - Where is self-driving today?(01:10:29) - Trains vs Cars(01:14:15) - Niantic(01:17:07) - Future predictions(01:19:28) - Glasses over phones(01:21:05) - The next iPhone moment(01:23:33) - Using Tech to get people outside(01:25:57) - Teaching(01:28:11) - The need for tech companies outside the Bay Area(01:30:21) - Remote work(01:34:59) - Recommendations to students(01:36:10) - Book/Podcast RecommendationsSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work

Ariel Seidman is one of the co-founders of Hivemapper, a company building a map through selling dashcams & paying contributing drivers with the aim of competing with Google Maps. Ariel has a long history of mapping, working on Map & Search at Yahoo in the mid 2000s.Sponsor: PlanetFind more about accessing Planet's high resolution & high frequency imagesAbout ArielTwitterLinkedInHivemapperShownotesElon Musk by Walter Isaacson (Affiliate Link)Econ 102 with Noah Smith: https://www.youtube.com/@ECON102PodcastTimestamps(00:00) - Introduction(02:29) - Sponsor: Planet(03:43) - Ariel describes himself(05:59) - Steve Jobs influence(07:30) - Leaving Yahoo(11:32) - Importance of owning the collected data(14:15) - Hivemapper(25:53) - Incentivizing contributions(30:42) - So, Why crypto?(33:23) - Public distrust of crypto(39:16) - Building trust with contributors(46:40) - Regulations & Privacy(51:14) - Turning images into maps(01:06:04) - Customer base(01:16:26) - Bike support?(01:19:11) - Most interesting users(01:22:31) - Future predictions(01:26:10) - Collaborating with car manufacturers(01:27:47) - Book & podcast(01:31:51) - Changes in JournalismSupport the podcast on PatreonMy video on an introduction to satellite imagesWebsiteMy TwitterPodcast TwitterRead Previous Issues of the NewsletterEdited by Peter XiongFind more of his work