Ian Smith
Happiest when making stuff or making people laugh. Tech, and Design Thinking. Works as a fractional CTO, Innovation leader and occasionally an AI or web developer through my company, craftscale. I'm a FRSA.
Appears in 34 Episodes
Live at the Leeds Testing Atelier: MCP and Glue Work
In a daring experiment that could only be described as "asking for trouble," Ian and Ash take their rambling tech discussions to the stage at the twelfth Leeds Testing...
Vibe Coding and Bluesky
In this episode, Ian and Ash plunge headfirst into the wild world of “vibe coding” - where developers surrender to the AI gods and trust whatever code they spit out! W...
Presentations and the Demise of Skype
In this episode, Ian and Ash embark on a thoroughly British adventure through the land of presentation software, complete with the obligatory post-implementation compl...
Story Splitting and Apple’s Disappointment
In Episode 29, Ian and Ash venture into the wild frontiers of video podcasting, with Ian's "door and chair" background sure to be nominated for design awards. The pair...
Is Testing Dead? and The Younger Generation (of open source maintainers) These Days!
In Episode 28, Ian and Ash wade into the treacherous waters of AI-generated testing strategies, with Ian demonstrating how LLMs can now create comprehensive (but perha...
Pair Programming with AI and DeepSeek R1
In this barnstorming episode of What A Lot Of Things, Ian and Ash bravely venture into the uncanny valley of AI pair programming, where the machines are suspiciously e...
Quantum Computing and Tech Nostalgia
Step into a quantum realm of confusion as Ian attempts to explain Google's new Willow chip, a computer so powerful it makes regular supercomputers look like pocket cal...
Measuring Developer Productivity and the Clock of the Long Now
Your favorite tech podcast stretches out for a luxurious 75 minutes this time, like a cat in a sunbeam (speaking of which, meet Ash's new rescue cat Bauhaus).Ian and A...
Christmas Party Invite
Step into the festive spirit as Ian and Ash invite you to join them for the first ever What A Lot Of Things Christmas party! After a remarkably productive year with 14...
Google NotebookLM and Getting a Job in Tech
Journey with Ian and Ash into the peculiar world of AI podcasting as they explore Google's NotebookLM, where American-accented hosts eagerly discuss everything from yo...
Figma as an Antibody for Collaboration & National Productivity
Buckle up, dear listeners, for the 23rd rollercoaster ride of What A Lot Of Things! In this episode, Ian and Ash embark on a wild adventure through the treacherous jun...
Personal Productivity and Conway's Law
Get ready for a productivity party as Ian and Ash dive into the chaotic world of getting stuff done! From Ash's Trello-powered life management system to Ian's valiant ...
R&D Tax Credits and the Ilkley Live website
Hold onto your keyboards, folks! In this episode of What A Lot Of Things, Ian and Ash embark on a wild ride through the treacherous waters of R&D tax credits and the m...
Employee Monitoring Software and The Cynefin Framework
Strap in for a wild ride as Ian and Ash tackle the dystopian world of employee monitoring software! Marvel at the horrors on sale as our hosts ponder whether these dig...
Bonus: A Walk on Ilkley Moor
Step into the origins of What A Lot Of Things with this special bonus episode that takes Ian and Ash back to where it all began - the hiking trails of Ilkley Moor! Lon...
Smartphone Free Childhood and Pull Requests
In this episode, Ian and Ash embark on a meandering journey through the digital wilderness, pondering the merits of a smartphone-free childhood and the peculiar world ...
Apple & the DMA and Out Of Support
In this rollicking 18th episode of What A Lot Of Things, Ian and Ash dive into the choppy waters of Apple's tussle with the EU over the Digital Markets Act, pondering ...
Large Action Models and Creativity
In this episode of "What A Lot Of Things", Ian and Ash consider the nature of time, before diving into two main topics: AI's evolving role in our lives and the nature ...
Local Democracy and Algo-Free Living
In this episode of "What A Lot Of Things", Ian and Ash celebrate their podcast's return to a regular cadence, with episodes now coming out every two weeks.The duo cove...
Testing Career Paths and the XZ Hack
In this latest episode of the "What A Lot Of Things" podcast, hosts Ian and Ash explore intriguing aspects of technology and its broader implications. They delve into ...