The Art of Network Engineering

Does making your code public mean giving away your best ideas?
It's a question more developers are asking as AI makes software creation more accessible than ever.
After spending decades believing software development wasn't for him, Andy Lapteff has spent the last several months building real applications with AI-assisted coding tools like Claude Code. That journey led to a bigger question:
Should you make your GitHub repositories public?
Joining Andy is William Collins for a thoughtful discussion about open source software, GitHub, intellectual property, AI-assisted development, and why the real value in software may have far less to do with code than most people think.
Together they explore why projects like Terraform became industry standards, how open source communities create powerful network effects, and why execution—not ideas—often becomes the real competitive advantage.
They also discuss the changing role of AI in software development, the future of technical careers, and why builders, entrepreneurs, and network engineers should rethink what it means to create value in the age of AI.
In this episode, you'll learn:
 Why open source doesn't necessarily mean giving away your ideas 
 When to keep a GitHub repository private—and when to make it public 
 Why community can become a stronger competitive advantage than code 
 How AI tools like Claude Code are changing software development 
 What network engineers can learn from open source software 
 Why execution matters more than protecting ideas 
Whether you're a developer, network engineer, entrepreneur, or simply curious about how AI is changing software, this conversation will challenge some long-held assumptions about open source, intellectual property, and building technology.
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Andy Lapteff sits down with network architect James Bensley at AutoCon 5 in Munich to explore the realities of service provider networking, architecture, automation, and standards development.
 
James shares his path from support engineer to architect, explains how network designs evolve, and discusses how architects balance business requirements, operational simplicity, and long-term scalability. 

The episode also explores product development, the IETF, RFCs, and why understanding fundamentals still matters more than chasing the latest buzzwords.
 
A must-listen for network engineers interested in architecture, automation, or service provider networking. 
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What happens when a network engineer realizes their biggest strength isn’t just technology, it’s communication?
In this episode of The Art of Network Engineering, Andy Lapteff sits down with Patrick McCabe to discuss the transition from network engineering into product marketing and other vendor-side technical roles.
Pat shares stories from:
carrier-scale networking,
tier 3 operational support,
IPTV deployments at AT&T,
systems engineering,
sales,
and eventually product marketing leadership.
Together, they discuss:
why some engineers naturally gravitate toward communication-focused roles,
how soft skills accelerate technical careers,
the realities of outages and operational burnout,
the difference between engineering and product marketing mindsets,
and why AI is changing how technical professionals work.
This episode is especially relevant for engineers who enjoy:
teaching,
storytelling,
customer interaction,
content creation,
mentoring,
or translating technical complexity into business value.
If you’ve ever wondered what comes after network operations, this conversation offers an honest look at one possible path forward.
Topics discussed:
Product marketing, vendor careers, systems engineering, AI, technical communication, networking careers, maintenance windows, IPTV, AT&T networking, soft skills, sales engineering, and career growth in IT.
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This episode has been sponsored by Meter.
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AI infrastructure is reshaping networking faster than most engineers realize.
In this episode, Andy Lapteff sits down with Scott Robohn to discuss why traditional network engineers should start paying attention to AI networking, GPU infrastructure, and the massive changes happening inside modern data centers.
They explore:
Why AI workloads are changing networking requirements
GPU networking and lossless Ethernet
Ethernet vs InfiniBand
The rise of NeoCloud providers
Co-Packaged Optics (CPO)
Ultra Ethernet and emerging transport technologies
Why AI infrastructure behaves like “one giant computer”
How network engineers can start learning this technology today
This conversation cuts through the hype and focuses on what actually matters for engineers trying to stay relevant as AI continues transforming the industry.
Whether you're a traditional network operator, automation engineer, architect, or someone curious about the future of networking, this episode will help you understand where the industry is heading next.
Guest: Scott Robohn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottrobohn/
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Andy Lapteff sits down in person with Tom Hollingsworth ahead of Networking Field Day 40 for a wide-ranging conversation about Tech Field Day, what makes a great delegate, how great technical conversations happen, and why curiosity remains one of the most important traits in networking.
Tom shares the “secret sauce” behind Field Day: strong content, the right audience, and logistics that make the experience valuable for both vendors and delegates. Andy and Tom also discuss AI in networking, the difference between AI for infrastructure and infrastructure for AI, how new voices get discovered in the tech community, and why putting yourself out there can change the trajectory of your career.
If you want to grow your presence in the networking industry or learn how to ask better technical questions, this episode is for you.
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This episode has been sponsored by Meter.
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Find everything AONE right here: https://linktr.ee/artofneteng