SolarWinds TechPod

Terms like marketing* are often associated with a long list of negative connotations and an image of a cartoon thief sneaking around a corner with a huge bag of cash over his shoulder. Why does the word marketing make people want to delete their banking apps and bury their wallets? How has the perception of this simple concept changed over time? In this episode, SolarWinds Chief Marketing Officer,...

Get a peek behind the scenes of THWACKcamp, the free virtual learning event for SolarWinds customers. Hosts Chrystal Taylor and Sean Sebring talk to THWACKcamp Executive Producer Matt Murray about the extensive preparation, creativity, and deep knowledge that goes into this year’s “love letter” to the THWACK community.    © 2024 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved 

In this conversation, hosts Sean Sebring and Chrystal Taylor talk with Derek Daly, Principal AIOps Product Manager at SolarWinds. He discusses his career journey and the role of AI and machine learning in the company's products. He shares insights into the process of introducing AI and machine learning into product features, the impact of AI on jobs, and the considerations for on-premises vs cloud...

They say the grass is always greener in another office. Right? In an era of job hopping and layoffs, working for a startup versus an established global company is an evergreen debate. Chrystal Taylor and Sean Sebring talk pros and cons of both. Tune in to help yourself find your ideal patch of grass.    © 2024 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved 

I wonder what’s next? Sean Sebring and Chrystal Taylor discuss the tech trends and predictions published by Gartner, Forrester, and VMblog, with Global Tech Evangelist for Observability Sascha Giese. Can they predict the future? © 2024 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved 

The SolarWinds podcast crossover event you’ve all been waiting for: Chrystal Taylor and Sean Sebring talk with Movies & Mainframes host Andy Garibay about the best, weirdest, and most confusing tech gifts you can give your loved ones (or, let’s be honest, yourself) this year.  © 2023 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved 

If you think attending a tech industry event is chaotic just imagine trying to organize one. SolarWinds’ Senior Manager of Events Valerie Rivir chats about the ins and outs of trade shows. From the history to the horror stories, she’s seen it all.   © 2023 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved 

Join host Sean Sebring as he talks to SolarWinds CISO Tim Brown about the 2023 threat landscape after an unprecedented number of cyberattacks. You’re going to want to buckle up, type in the code, scan your retinas, say Beetlejuice three times, and download this episode.  © 2023 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved 

Going it alone is ok sometimes, but having a partner with skills and experience will make any rodeo better and more efficient. Aldo Masoni, Observability Practice Lead with longtime SolarWinds Partner SHI, joins hosts Sean Sebring and Ashley Adams to explain the “value” in value-added resellers.   © 2023 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved 

Do you ever get the feeling that your computer has gained self-awareness and is trying to take over the world? AIOps expert Aswin Kumar joins hosts Ashley and Sean to talk about AI's impact today, tomorrow, and beyond, as well as some of the ethical questions we will need to answer before it’s too late.  © 2023 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved 

THWACK, the SolarWinds community, is 20-years-old and thriving. Two former THWACK MVPs and current SolarWinds employees, Kevin Sparenberg and Michael Kent, join hosts Ashley Adams and Sean Sebring to talk about what makes this community so successful.   © 2023 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved

As data infrastructure gets more complex, clarity is more important than ever. Our guest Blythe Morrow talks with hosts Sean Sebring and Ashley Adams about the importance of communication for Data pros, and how to speak so that people will listen.    © 2023 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved 

Is your database a junk drawer? Is it more like a black hole? If you’re afraid to look in there, join TechPod hosts Ashley Adams and Sean Sebring as they demystify Database with the help of Head Geek and resident Database expert Thomas LaRock. This episode will discuss the challenges database administrators face, and the tools they can use to address them.  © 2023 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. A...

Observability: Industry buzzword, or the next evolution of IT? Our hosts, Chris Bowie and Sean Sebring discuss with SolarWinds Staff Product Marketing Manager Ashley Adams what it means and what it can do for you.    © 2023 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved 

A new year means a new wave of tech trends and predictions, and though some may use a crystal ball or a good guess to make their predictions, our hosts have something better: Head Geeks™ Chrystal Taylor and Sascha Giese. Listen in as the group discusses the latest technology trends and makes projections on everything from tool sprawl to the rise of artificial intelligence. Who will be right? Only...

TechPod gets into the holiday spirIT as hosts Sean Sebring and Chris Bowie are joined by THWACK® Community Manager Kristen Piña-Flores to discuss what's on their IT wishlists for the upcoming year. Listen in as Sean and Chris reflect on their past year in IT, what they’re thankful for, and what their IT Resolutions are for 2023.    © 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserv...

In today's ever-expanding job market, many people find themselves on a career path they never originally planned for - IT. So how do those "non-technical" people become "technical"? Join TechPod hosts Sean and Chris as they dissect their own experiences working in tech, learning how to grapple with unknowns, Observability, and the importance of diversity and unique thought in the tech world. ...

The IT Trends report is released by SolarWinds every year with predictions on what will be the most popular trends in IT during the upcoming months. As we enter the second half of 2022, hosts Sean Sebring and Chris Bowie unpack the SolarWinds 2022 IT Trends report with Professor Dr. Sally Eaves. The three discuss findings from the report, getting hybrid IT right, managing complexity, Observab...

TechPod™ hosts Chris Bowie, Sean Sebring, and special guest Head Geek™ Chrystal Taylor talk about IT Pro Day, the evolution of the IT pro, and how roles have changed in an increasingly distributed and complex IT landscape. Tune in as they share their thoughts on “what makes an IT pro” and why IT pros deserve their day in the sun! © 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m too busy putting out fires”? What if the only way to get ahead of those fires was to make way for change—to improve the foundations and infrastructure to reduce the fires you had to put out? This episode will discuss the fantastical balancing act of maintaining operational excellence while creating space for growth and improvement.  © 2022 SolarWinds...

When you started as a systems administrator, you might have connected servers, swapped out hard drives, run down spare components, and dragged around a crash cart. Those days might not be completely over, but the chances you physically interact with your systems grow smaller and smaller each day. In an era of virtualization, cloud-first, and software as a service, where does this leave the lowly s...

When we think of alerts, we don’t necessarily think of them as things of beauty—until now. Join THWACK® Community Manager Ben Keen and Technical Content Manager Kevin M. Sparenberg in an energetic discussion on taking your data to the next level. Ben and Kevin discuss the importance of making your data appealing to improve the user experience, help make sense of your data, and benefit your end use...

The SolarWinds community, THWACK.com, has a new community manager. Ben Keen has been an active voice in the community for years as a THWACK MVP and has now decided to join SolarWinds’ efforts to continue to have the greatest community out there. Ben will be joining as a regular voice here on TechPod as well bringing his many years of IT experience and passion for community to our conversations. In...

SolarWinds own Senior Director of IT, Brad Cline, and Director of IT, Dr. Humberto Amador, join Head Geek Chrystal Taylor to discuss expanding the business’ view of IT as a cost center. Communication, collaboration, and documentation are all key skills used to be more effective and efficient in aligning with business leaders. Colored with stories and tactics from within the SolarWinds IT organizat...

In this episode of SolarWinds TechPod, Head Geek Chrystal Taylor is joined by Hannah Kohr and Katie Schraeder to discuss the benefits of communication and advocating for yourself to help tackle challenging conversations and grow your career. With differing backgrounds and experiences in tech, Chrystal, Hannah, and Katie aim to bring new perspectives and guidance for navigating the industry as a wo...