Welcome to our new series 8 on K8s where we interview interesting people in the growing Kubernetes community. It’s our hope that we encourage an ongoing conversation with insider insights and great recommendations. If you’d like to be featured or know someone who’d be a great fit, tweet us and spread the love.
Anne Currie has been in the tech industry as an engineer, manager, and startup founder for 25 years. She is a writer and frequent speaker and is active in the conference community. She currently teaches at the University of Hertfordshire and is the tech ethicist for Container Solutions.
What's the last book you read?
Fiction-wise, I'm currently reading Munich by Robert Harris for some retro-espionage. Non-fiction, my own! I'm currently updating The Cloud Native Attitude which came out two years ago and needs a refresh with what's happened in the industry since then.
What problem are you trying to solve?
Right now, it's how to teach students about effective and pragmatic ethics. I'm writing the new Tech Ethics course for the University of Hertfordshire 2020 Computer Science MSc.
What’s an interesting trend you’ve observed in our industry?
The desire to implement Kubernetes even where it's ridiculously painful and possibly unnecessary.
What’s the last thing you read about our industry that got you really fired up?
I read the Greenpeace Click Clean report in 2017 and I've been campaigning about it ever since. It completely changed the way I thought about tech and our place in the world. We're nice people with the potential to do such good, but we sometimes don't.
What do you do that helps you maintain balance in your life?
I don't maintain any balance in my life. 😉 Actually, I write edgy and dystopian science fiction thrillers. I'm not sure that's very restful. 😉
What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?
Realistically, we probably never realize the biggest risks we take. 😉 My biggest deliberate one was emotional: publishing my first fiction novel was damned scary!
Who do you look up to in the industry?
I'm not sure individuals really move the dial. It's the coalitions they form. Right now, I'm very impressed with the lead Microsoft is taking on climate and tech.
“If I have to pick one person, it's got to be Elon. Batteries and space? Two of my favorite things.”
Can you hold two contradictory thoughts in your mind simultaneously without feeling uncomfortable?
Yes and no. Actually, right now I'm a visiting lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire and the Ethicist for Container Solutions.
