In this lively crossover episode, Mark, Michael, Georgia, and Matt bring their unique podcasting perspectives together for a deep (and occasionally hilarious) dive into the world of cloud, AI, and developer experience. Here's what went down: 👋 Meet the HostsThe episode kicks off with introductions:- Georgia & Matt host a show aimed at execs exploring cloud and AI strategy, launched in 2023.- Mark & Michael bring a laid-back, pub-style tech chat that started back in November. Think of it as business meets banter. 💥 Breaking Prod: A Dev ConfessionMatt shares a "whoops-that-could’ve-been-bad" moment—he accidentally wiped critical files from a pre-prod app server right before a major CRM migration. The silver lining? A stealthy recovery from backups saved the day, and no one was the wiser (until now). ☁️ Cloud & AI News RoundupThe crew unpacks the latest in cloud and AI, including:- Model Context Protocol (MCP): An open standard for LLMs to interface with APIs—recently adopted by OpenAI.- Big Money, Big Roles: A jaw-dropping $255–450K job posting at Anthropic focused on MCP.- AI Art & IP Issues: The debate over AI-generated images and artist rights heats up.- AI + Security = Headache: From vulnerabilities to weaponization, AI’s security implications are growing.- Oracle Data Breaches: Recent incidents affecting Oracle Cloud and Oracle Health (formerly Cerner) spark a discussion on health data privacy. 🛠️ Deep Dive: Developer Experience (DevX)This is where things get real. The team unpacks what’s working—and what’s painfully broken—when it comes to how developers work inside big organizations. What is DevX, Anyway?- It’s the day-to-day reality of building software: tools, processes, workflows.- Google’s monorepo + DevX team gets a gold star, but most companies? Not quite there yet. Common DevX Pain Points:- Security rules that block the tools devs actually *want* to use.- Glacial laptops and outdated hardware.- Missing, buried, or just plain wrong documentation.- Slow, bureaucratic approval chains.- No proper API tooling in place (hello, Postman and Backstage!). Why It Matters:- Bad DevX = unhappy developers = high turnover.- Wasted time for high-salary engineers isn’t just annoying—it’s expensive.- Cloud migration without DevX in mind? Recipe for inefficiency and surprise costs. Fixing DevX (Yes, It’s Possible):- Build "paved paths"—secure, approved, and actually usable.- Strike a balance between security and speed.- Track where time is wasted (slow builds, anyone?).- Treat developers like customers. Ask what they need. Then deliver it. 📚 Recommended ReadsThe team wraps with book recs for anyone looking to level up:- Platform Engineering (Michael)- Unlearn by Barry O’Reilly (Matt)- Working Backwards (Georgia)- Amped Up by Frank Sluman - Plus: [DX.com/research/overview](https://DX.com/research/overview) for even more DevX insights Bottom Line: Whether you’re leading cloud adoption or building internal platforms, don’t overlook DevX. Great tools and experiences aren’t a nice-to-have—they’re your competitive edge.