Podcast
Software Sundays
Hosted by Kevin Dowdy · EN
Software Sundays is a weekly podcast where technology, culture, and real-world impact intersect.
Hosted by Kevin Dowdy, the show explores the latest trends in software engineering, AI, and digital innovation—while breaking down what they actually mean for engineers, builders, and communities. From industry shifts to practical insights, each episode is designed to help you think critically, build intentionally, and lead with purpose.
Whether you're a developer, founder, or someone looking to transition into tech, this is your space to stay informed and grow.
9episodes
Episodes
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AI Fears, Cybersecurity Showdowns & Why Ambition Still Matters | Software Sundays #30
4d ago00:54:53Tap to summarizeThis week on Software Sundays, KD breaks down the growing anxiety around artificial intelligence and what it means for workers, engineers, students, and creators trying to navigate the future of work.We start with the viral commencement speech where graduates booed discussions about AI, and unpack why so many young people feel uncertain about job opportunities in an AI-driven economy. KD explains why AI should be viewed as a tool instead of an enemy, while also acknowledging the very real pressure being placed on junior and entry-level workers.Then we dive into a cybersecurity showdown where AI agents and human security teams battled each other in a live competition. KD explains how red teams and blue teams operate, why AI hallucinations remain dangerous in security environments, and why experienced professionals are still critical even in highly automated systems.We also cover California’s new executive order aimed at preparing workers for AI disruption, including discussions around job retraining, universal basic capital, and how governments may attempt to soften the impact of automation over the next several years.In this week’s Q&A, KD answers questions about:Staying engaged on difficult projectsManaging expectations before accepting new workUnderstanding ambitionMastering process over toolsKnowing when it’s appropriate to disagree with leadership.We close with a reminder that communication is one of the most powerful skills builders can develop because the ability to transfer ideas effectively is what allows people to scale their impact.CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction to Software Sundays00:49 AI Anxiety and Opportunities05:10 Cybersecurity Showdown: AI vs Humans11:17 Political Responses to AI Impact17:17 Long-term Perspectives on AI19:53 Q&A: Engagement in Difficult Projects27:53 Managing Expectations with New Requests34:02 The Importance of Ambition38:14 Mastering Processes Over Tools42:42 Disagreeing with Your Manager48:28 The Power of Communication#SoftwareSundays #AI #CyberSecurity #SoftwareEngineering #CareerGrowth #ArtificialIntelligence #Leadership #Technology #Engineering #Automation #BlueTeam #RedTeam #TechCareers #BuildLearnImpact #CommunicationSkillsDISCLAIMER: This is not professional advice. The views expressed are my own or those quoted. Consult your own legal, business, or tax advisors before making decisions based on this episode.Build Learn Impact is on a mission to help you create wealth and opportunity through technology.
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Microsoft & OpenAI Power Struggle, Data Centers Reshaping Energy Demand and AI's Impact on the Workforce | Software Sundays
2w ago00:59:08Tap to summarizeThis week on Software Sundays, KD breaks down the growing power dynamics shaping the future of artificial intelligence, infrastructure, and the technology workforce. We start with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s testimony about Microsoft’s relationship with OpenAI and what it reveals about cloud infrastructure, AI dependence, governance, and the massive ecosystem required to train frontier AI models.Then we get into the explosion of data center energy demand and why the AI boom is accelerating investment into cleaner energy systems like geothermal power. KD explains the tradeoffs between economic growth, energy consumption, environmental concerns, and why developers will continue to play a central role in the future of digital infrastructure. We also unpack why companies are shifting hiring strategies toward experienced engineers instead of relying heavily on junior talent paired with AI tools. KD explains why repetition, real-world problem solving, and operational experience still matter in an era dominated by automation and AI acceleration. In this episode’s Q&A, we cover: The difference between human error and incompetence How to explain technical jobs to non-technical people When businesses should automate processes The difference between building systems and operating them How deeply engineers should learn specific technologies We close with a mindset conversation about priorities, discipline, and why people with the same amount of time can still produce radically different outcomes.CHAPTERS: 02:00 - Microsoft, OpenAI, and AI power dynamics08:00 - Data centers, energy demand, and geothermal power14:00 - Why companies are prioritizing experienced workers19:00 - Human error vs incompetence26:00 - Explaining technical jobs to non-technical people 31:00 - When should you automate a process?37:00 - Building systems vs operating systems 44:00 - How deeply should engineers learn technologies?50:00 - Priorities, discipline, and performance#SoftwareSundays #OpenAI #Microsoft #AI #DataCenters #CleanEnergy #SoftwareEngineering #CyberSecurity #CloudComputing #Geothermal #Technology #Leadership #BuildLearnImpact #TechCareers #EngineeringDISCLAIMER: This is not professional advice. The views expressed are my own or those quoted. Consult your own legal, business, or tax advisors before making decisions based on this episode.Build Learn Impact is on a mission to help you create wealth and opportunity through technology.
Transcribe →AWS MCP Servers Released, Government AI Oversight & Anthropic’s Supercomputer Expansion
3w ago01:00:17Tap to summarizeThis week on Software Sundays, KD breaks down the next phase of the AI race — and why the conversation is shifting from just software to infrastructure, governance, and system-level engineering.We start with AWS making its MCP server generally available and what that means for coding agents like Cursor, Codex, and Claude Code. KD explains how MCP servers help AI tools access real-time API documentation, reduce outdated dependencies, and unlock more autonomous development workflows across cloud environments.Then we get into the White House reconsidering its approach to AI regulation. As AI systems become deeply integrated into healthcare, education, cybersecurity, and consumer products, the conversation is shifting from “move fast” innovation toward governance, safety, compliance, and operational risk. KD explains why engineers who understand AI governance, security, and system reliability will become increasingly valuable.We also cover the massive compute partnership between Anthropic and SpaceX AI’s Colossus supercomputer facility. Anthropic gaining access to over 300 megawatts of compute power highlights a major shift happening in tech: software is no longer the primary bottleneck. Power, chips, cooling, infrastructure, and operational scale are becoming the limiting factors in AI growth.In this episode’s Q&A, KD explains: What NIST is and why its standards matter How software engineers should scope projects What it really means to be collaborative on a technical team How to manage engineering tasks effectively Three practical tips for acing technical coding interviews We close with a mindset discussion around “Be → Do → Have” and why the outcomes in your life are often the result of the actions, habits, and investments you consistently make over time. Timestamps:00:00 - Welcome and disclaimer05:00 - AWS MCP servers and AI development workflows10:00 - Why MCP servers matter for autonomous systems15:00 - The White House reconsidering AI regulation20:00 - AI safety, governance, and industry implications25:00 - Anthropic’s compute partnership with SpaceX AI30:00 - Why AI companies are becoming infrastructure companies32:00 - Why engineers still need fundamentals in the AI era35:00 - What is NIST and why does it matter?40:00 - How to scope software projects effectively42:00 - What it means to be collaborative as an engineer47:00 - How software engineers should manage tasks50:00 - Three tips for acing coding interviews54:00 - “Be, Do, Have” mindset discussion58:00 - Mother’s Day reflections and closing thoughtsDISCLAIMER: This is not professional advice. The views expressed are my own or those quoted. Consult your own legal, business, or tax advisors before making decisions based on this episode.Build Learn Impact is on a mission to help you create wealth and opportunity through technology.
Transcribe →$4.8M NJ School Cyber Attack, OpenAI Power Struggle & GitHub Reliability Issues | Software Sundays
4w ago00:56:27Tap to summarizeThis week on Software Sundays, KD breaks down how a simple email compromise in a New Jersey school district led to millions in stolen taxpayer funds, a budget crisis, and new debt obligations for the community.We also get into Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, what it reveals about the fight for control of AI, and why developers need to understand who owns the models they depend on.Then KD covers GitHub’s recent availability issues, including pull request and search problems, and what they teach us about third-party dependencies, platform risk, and engineering accountability.In this episode’s Q&A, we cover how software engineers can market their services, how regression testing works, what to watch during organizational change, the difference between syntax and runtime errors, and why reading technical books can accelerate your growth.We close with a mindset reminder: stop overthinking, start trying, and build a bias toward action.Timestamps:00:00 - Welcome and disclaimer02:12 - New Jersey school district cyber attack13:45 - OpenAI, Elon Musk, and AI governance25:30 - GitHub outages and platform reliability39:10 - Why developers need to understand real-world systems43:02 - How to market your services as a software engineer52:20 - How regression testing is performed1:01:45 - What to watch during organizational change1:12:30 - Runtime errors vs syntax errors1:21:30 - Three benefits of reading technical books1:37:40 - Build a bias toward action1:47:10 - Birthday shoutouts and outro#SoftwareSundays #CyberSecurity #AI #OpenAI #GitHub #SoftwareEngineering #TechEducation #RegressionTesting #OrganizationalChange #RuntimeErrors #SyntaxErrors #TechnicalBooks #BuildLearnImpactDISCLAIMER: This is not professional advice. The views expressed are my own or those quoted. Consult your own legal, business, or tax advisors before making decisions based on this episode.Build Learn Impact is on a mission to help you create wealth and opportunity through technology.
Transcribe →DeepSeek vs Frontier AI, Anthropic Power Moves & Why Developers Still Win
Apr 2700:57:21Tap to summarizeThis week on Software Sundays, KD breaks down the shifting AI landscape and what it actually means for builders, engineers, and the future of opportunity.We start with DeepSeek’s latest model and why it’s not competing with frontier models like OpenAI, Claude, or Gemini — but still winning in a completely different way. KD explains how open-source, low-cost models are changing distribution, accessibility, and how developers can experiment without burning through tokens.Then we get into Anthropic’s Mythos model and the tension between innovation and national security. The U.S. Treasury wants access to one of the most powerful vulnerability-detection systems, while parts of the government still treat it as a supply chain risk. KD unpacks why limiting access to the best tools could actually increase risk.We also cover the massive investments flowing into Anthropic from Google and Amazon, what “circular investment” really means, and how hyperscalers are positioning themselves to dominate the next phase of AI through infrastructure, not just applications.In this episode’s Q&A, we cover how to take care of your health as a software engineer, the real difference between threads and processes, how to run effective meetings, how many environments your application should have, and what it truly means to be competitive in today’s tech market.We close with a mindset reset on self-talk, mental health awareness, and the importance of building yourself while you build your career.Timestamps:00:00 - Welcome and disclaimer02:10 - DeepSeek vs frontier models and why cost matters10:45 - Distillation and why open-source models lag (and still win)18:20 - Anthropic Mythos, cybersecurity, and government access27:40 - AI risk: attackers vs defenders imbalance34:15 - Google & Amazon invest billions into Anthropic42:05 - Circular investments and AI infrastructure strategy49:30 - Why developers benefit from cheaper tokens25:10 - Q&A: Engineer health and avoiding burnout28:15 - Threads vs processes explained simply33:40 - How to run effective meetings39:20 - How many environments you actually need44:30 - What it means to be competitive in tech50:10 - Mindset reset: self-talk and mental health55:00 - Announcements and community updates#SoftwareSundays #AI #DeepSeek #Anthropic #CyberSecurity #SoftwareEngineering #TechCareers #Leadership #AIInfrastructure #BuildLearnImpact #Developers #StartupsDISCLAIMER: This is not professional advice. The views expressed are my own or those quoted. Consult your own legal, business, or tax advisors before making decisions based on this episode.Build Learn Impact is on a mission to help you create wealth and opportunity through technology.
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AI Capital Squeeze, Crypto Mortgages & The Future of Coding
Apr 2001:05:04Tap to summarizeThis week on Software Sundays, KD breaks down major shifts shaping the future of technology, finance, and software engineering.From the rise of new AI infrastructure players like Cerebras and what that means for NVIDIA, to Cursor’s $50B valuation and the real economics behind “vibe coding,” we explore where the market is actually headed—not just the hype.We also dive into how crypto is entering the mortgage system, what that means for access to capital, and why increased financialization creates both opportunity and risk.Finally, we answer key questions every builder should be thinking about:- What secure coding actually means in practice - The real challenges of working in large organizations - How to evaluate job offers strategically - Observability best practices - How to decide between building vs buying CHAPTERS: 00:00 – Intro + Mission01:00 – Cerebras IPO & The AI Infrastructure War08:30 – Cursor’s $50B Valuation & Vibe Coding16:30 – Crypto Mortgages & Financialization Risk25:00 – What Are Secure Coding Practices?30:30 – Challenges in Large Organizations36:00 – How to Evaluate a Job Offer41:30 – Observability Best Practices47:00 – Build vs Buy DecisionsDISCLAIMER: This is not professional advice. The views expressed are my own or those quoted. Consult your own legal, business, or tax advisors before making decisions based on this episode.Build Learn Impact is on a mission to help you create wealth and opportunity through technology.
Transcribe →AI in Housing, Anthropic Hype, 401(k) Changes | Software Sundays #24
Apr 1301:04:26Tap to summarizeThis week on Software Sundays, KD breaks down a major shift happening at the intersection of technology, policy, and opportunity.We start with how AI is being used in housing for loans, leases, and pricing, and why the rollback of discrimination safeguards could make biased systems harder to challenge. Then we get into Anthropic’s latest model claims, the suspicious timing of recent leaks, and what all of it says about hype, trust, and the current state of the AI market.KD also unpacks the proposed 401(k) rule changes that could open retirement portfolios to private equity, private credit, real estate, and crypto — along with what that could mean for everyday investors, founders, and access to capital.In this episode’s Q&A, we cover why root and admin access should be used carefully, what it really means when people say data is the new oil, how strong engineers debug problems faster, what a variable actually is, and when it makes sense to raise a security policy exception.We close with a reminder to lean into your unfair advantages and use what you have to move with confidence.Timestamps:00:00 - Welcome and disclaimer02:13 - AI in housing, bias, and disparate impact10:52 - Anthropic leaks, model hype, and trust concerns19:24 - 401(k) rule changes, private markets, and retirement risk28:24 - Why continuous admin or root access is dangerous32:21 - What it means for data to be the new oil39:55 - How great engineers debug problems faster48:03 - What a variable is51:55 - When to raise a security policy exception57:34 - Q&A wrap-up58:55 - Lean into your unfair advantages1:02:21 - Birthday shoutouts and May paintball announcement1:03:47 - Outro #SoftwareSundays #AI #Housing #401k #CyberSecurity #SoftwareEngineering #TechEducation #Leadership #Data #Anthropic #RootAccess #Debugging #BuildLearnImpact #PrivateEquityDISCLAIMER: This is not professional advice. The views expressed are my own or those quoted. Consult your own legal, business, or tax advisors before making decisions based on this episode.Build Learn Impact is on a mission to help you create wealth and opportunity through technology.
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MAJOR SHIFTS HAPPENING - Everything You NEED To Know To Survive In the Tech Industry
Apr 601:23:47Tap to summarizeThis week on Software Sundays, KD breaks down the real power shifts happening in tech right now — from AI companies navigating government pressure, to leaked source code exposing how fast innovation is moving, to OpenAI stepping into media.We’re not just talking about technology… we’re talking about control, influence, and what it means for builders.We are entering a phase where technology, government, and media are converging — and builders need to understand not just how to build… but what they are building into.If you're an engineer, founder, or someone trying to understand where tech is headed — this episode gives you the context you need to move strategically.CHAPTERS: 00:00 – Welcome Back + What Software Sundays Is About03:30 – Announcements07:20 – Anthropic vs Pentagon: What Happened12:15 – Why Engineers Lost Leverage14:30 – Layoffs, AI, and Labor Pressure16:50 – AI as National Infrastructure18:40 – Ethics vs Reality in Tech Today20:25 – Anthropic Code Leak Breakdown22:50 – Why You Can’t “Take Code Back”26:15 – New Features Revealed (AI Memory Systems)30:25 – OpenAI Buys TBPN (Media Play)32:00 – Narrative Control in Tech35:50 – Media + Power + AI Convergence38:20 – What Builders Should Pay Attention To40:35 – Q&A: How Engineers Move Faster48:20 – What Is an Algorithm? (Simple Explanation)52:00 – Real-World Algorithms (Social, Economic)01:00:10 – CTO vs CIO Explained01:06:40 – Should You Get CISSP?01:16:30 – Breaking Production: What To Do01:24:10 – Real Story: Breaking Production01:28:00 – Mindset Reset: Don’t Give Away Your Power01:33:10 – Closing Thoughts + Outro #BuildLearnImpact #SoftwareEngineering #AI #TechLeadership #Cybersecurity #BuildInPublic #Leadership #STEM #TechCareers #EntrepreneurshipDISCLAIMER: This is not professional advice. The views expressed are my own or those quoted. Consult your own legal, business, or tax advisors before making decisions based on this episode.Build Learn Impact is on a mission to help you create wealth and opportunity through technology.
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Meta Falls Behind, Kraken Links with the Fed & Why Builders Need Breaks
Mar 2900:58:27Tap to summarizeThis week on Software Sundays, KD breaks down a surprising moment in the AI race as Meta reportedly delays its latest model after internal results failed to stand up against the competition.He also unpacks Kraken becoming the first crypto exchange to gain access to the Federal Reserve’s core payment system, and why that shift matters for crypto, privacy, regulation, and the future of digital dollars.Then KD answers community questions on why you need to love what you do, when to walk away from an opportunity, how programming changes the way you solve everyday problems, whether to accept projects with unfamiliar tools, and what the Center for Internet Security actually is.KD closes with a reminder that rest is not a luxury. It is part of building well, thinking clearly, and staying sharp for the long game. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Welcome, announcements, disclaimer04:54 - Meta delays its new AI model09:23 - Kraken gets access to the Federal Reserve payment system25:55 - Why you need to love what you do31:39 - When it’s important to walk away from an opportunity37:59 - How programming changes the way you solve everyday problems44:36 - Should you accept projects with unfamiliar tools?48:35 - What is the Center for Internet Security?52:14 - Why taking breaks helps you think and build better54:45 - OutroDISCLAIMER: This is not professional advice. The views expressed are my own or those quoted. Consult your own legal, business, or tax advisors before making decisions based on this episode.Build Learn Impact is on a mission to help you create wealth and opportunity through technology.
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