The Imposter Syndrome Network Podcast

Join Chris Grundmann and Zoe Rose in the poignant and heartfelt final episode of the Imposter Syndrome Network podcast. As they wrap up an incredible journey with their 100th episode, Chris and Zoe take a nostalgic look back at the episodes that made an impact, the lessons learned, and the experiences shared. They delve into the recurring themes of community, overcoming self-doubt, and the realization that no one is truly alone in their struggles.In this episode, you'll hear about the tr...

Today, we have a special treat for you as we delve into the life and career of our own Chris Grundemann. Known for his insightful interviews and technical expertise, Chris takes the hot seat to share his remarkable journey.Chris takes us through the diverse career roles and paths he's navigated, and shares how his passion for technology led him to take on various positions, balancing employment with entrepreneurial ventures while raising his children. He discusses the challenges of deali...

Today, we have a very special episode featuring our own Zoë Rose. You've heard her interview multiple talents in the industry, and now it’s her turn to share her story.Zoë takes us through the diverse roles and paths she's navigated in her career. She shares how the ironies of life led her to pursue a field she thought would require minimal social interaction, only to realize the critical importance of communication in the IT world.She discusses the difficulties she faced as a woman in a male...

In this episode, Zoe is back with a one-on-one with Troy Hunt. He is the founder of the pivotal cybersecurity resource “Have I Been Pwned”, the Microsoft regional director, MVP, Pluralsight instructor, and an active member of the security community.Troy shares his unexpected journey from aspiring pilot to tech influencer, revealing how a simple blog post evolved into a career-defining move. He discusses the power of public contributions to Stack Overflow, user group attendance, and open-sourc...

In this episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Nathaniel Todd where we talk about his humble start in a farming community near Chicago, tearing apart old VHS to working at Colorado’s largest Internet exchange providers.Rather than pursuing a traditional college education, Nathaniel chose a different path: he joined the army. His decision led to a long and prosperous career, filled with valuable experiences. As a network engineer, he learned the importance of leadership, teamwork, and the ar...

In this episode we are accompanied by Simone Spinelli, a seasoned network and system engineer, as he delves into his inspiring career trajectory. From his academic roots at the University of Pisa to his role in the ISP sphere in the Netherlands, Simone’s journey is a testament to the power of growth and learning in the tech industry.He’ll explain to us what is the difference between users and customers, the importance of community in tech, his transition from network engineer to network archi...

In today’s extraordinary episode, we continue our series of tech-adjacent guests, and we are honored to talk with Marisol Sepulveda, a double board-certified physician in occupational and preventive medicine. Currently, she serves as a medical director for Optum United Healthcare.During our conversation, we delve into her experiences with workplace discrimination, the importance of resilience in speaking out against harassment, and her experience working in a male-dominated environment. Maris...

In this episode, we sit down with Mark Calkins, a visionary in the tech industry whose early love for technology led him to run a BBS at the tender age of 12.Mark has navigated the highs and lows of the tech world, starting his career amidst the internet bubble and quickly advancing to work on AS 1 by 18. His journey took a pivotal turn at Time Warner Telecom, shaping his future endeavors.He shares his transformative experience at ViaSat, where he played a key role in pioneering internet serv...

In this episode, we’re thrilled to feature Glenn Dekhayser, a tech virtuoso whose career spans over 28 years, marked by a relentless pursuit of simplicity in technical solutions for complex business needs.Glenn takes us back to his roots, where a computer gifted by his mother ignited a lifelong passion for technology, leading him to an early job at Radio Shack. His knack for sales, honed by his experiences as a musician, paved the way for his college years, where he learned the invaluable ski...

In this episode, we’re joined by Arjan Timmerman, a distinguished IT architect and analyst whose career has flourished over 25 years across the European tech landscape.Arjan recounts his early days, from his first summer job dealing with tulip bulbs to his “real” job involving AutoCAD drawings, which led him to pioneer a computer backup system for storing these designs. This marked the beginning of his technological journey, navigating through the eras of floppy disks and evolving storage cap...

In this episode, we chat with Steve Dodd, a seasoned network engineer with a career spanning over two decades.Steve shares his accidental stumble into networking, his growth through working on increasingly larger networks, and his current role at Slack, where he navigates the complexities of cloud-based networking.We explore the parallels between his passion for skiing and his approach to networking, emphasizing the importance of consistency, practice, and being open to coaching and feedback....

Today we chat with Professor Gihan Dias, who is widely regarded as the father of the Internet in Sri Lanka. He brought the Internet to his country, starting from his post-graduate studies in California, where he first encountered the technology.We dive into his career journey from setting up the first e-mail system, the Lanka Education and Research Network (LEARN), and the LK domain registry, to his current work on cyber safety, e-learning, and language. He reveals his problem-solving and inn...

In this episode, we chat with Josh Snowhorn, the founder and CEO of Quantum Loophole, a data center company that is building the biggest data center campus in the world, with the most amount of power and fiber. Josh shares his career journey, from how skipping work to go surfing accidentally got into telecom and data center sales, to becoming a leader and innovator in the interconnection industry, working for companies like Terremark, Verizon, Cincinnati Bell, and CyrusOne. He also talks abou...

Today we chat with Phil McKinney, a successful business person and innovator who has been the CTO of HP and the CEO of Cable Labs.We explore Phil’s career journey from starting as a software engineer and working on projects such as the original Mac, biometric security, and computer graphics, to leading the innovation program at HP and creating products that earned HP a spot on Fast Company’s list of the most innovative companies.He shares some of the lessons and insights he learned along the ...

Our guest today is Doug Madory, the director of Internet analysis at Kentik.He shares his journey from being a curious kid who transcribed games from magazines to becoming a world-renowned expert in Internet measurement and data analysis.Doug explains what Internet analysis is and how he uses data to uncover the secrets and mysteries of the Internet infrastructure. He also talks about his work at various startups and companies, such as Renesys, Dyn, Oracle, and Kentik, and some of the patents...

Our guest today is Stan Barber, a veteran IT professional with 40 years of experience in networking and internet technologies.He shares his journey from being a computer systems administrator at a medical college to working for various internet service providers to joining Google Fiber and beyond.From a rather non-technical background of studying biochemistry and psychology in college, he explains how he uses what he learned and applies the scientific method to his way of looking at problems....

Today we chat with Slim Hamouda, a freelance network automation engineer from France who works with various clients to help them automate their network operations and workflows.We explore Slim’s career path from studying telecommunications engineering, to earning Cisco certifications, to becoming a network automation expert. He reveals some of the difficulties and rewards of working as a freelance consultant, and how he builds trust and rapport with his clients.Slim also shares his passion fo...

Today we chat with Leslie Daigle, CTO at Global Cyber Alliance, where she works on addressing cyber security challenges that require collective action and coordination among different stakeholders in the internet ecosystem.We peek into Leslie’s career journey from being a computer science student to a programmer, a manager, a leader, and a collaborator in various internet-related organizations and projects, such as Bunyip, IETF, World IPv6 Day, and MANRS.In this talk, we will hear some of Les...

Today we chat with Doug Kay, a self-branded security-minded network engineer with past roles at multiple networking companies.We tackle Doug's career journey from starting as a Novell and Windows administrator, to working at Juniper, Cisco, Gigamon, Nokia, and Arista, in various roles such as pre-sales, post-sales, and government contractor. He shares some of the challenges and opportunities he faced along the way, as well as some of the skills and technologies he learned.Doug talks about how...

Today we chat with Maxie Reynolds, a former underwater robotics pilot, cybersecurity expert, and founder of Subsea Cloud.We cover Maxie’s diverse and adventurous career path, from working offshore in oil and gas to studying computer science and cybersecurity, to starting her own company that combines her passions for the ocean and technology.Maxie explains the concept and benefits of Subsea Cloud and addresses some of the challenges and misconceptions about putting data centers underwater, su...