Whether remote or local, Gitpod Co-Founder and CTO Chris Weichel thinks there’s a clear benefit to standardizing automated development environments. On this episode of Screaming in the Cloud, Chris joins Corey to chat about the inception and progression of Gitpod, highlighting the company’s mission to streamline development workflows, improve security, and enhance developer productivity. They also discuss the hurdles and solutions that come with balancing organizational standardization with individual developer preferences. You’ll also get the inside scoop on why Gitpod is transitioning away from Kubernetes and the innovative aspects of Gitpod Flex!

(0:00) Introduction

(0:27) Gitpod sponsor read

(1:39) What is Gitpod in the modern era?

(3:07) The debate of local vs. remote development

(4:57) Explaining Gitpod's target customers

(9:36) Clarifying Corey's misconceptions about Gitpod

(12:42) Building between developer environments

(15:23) Is something inherently bad if your employer forces you to use it 

(17:49) Gitpod sponsor read

(19:01) Deploying local development tools at large scale

(21:16) Launching Gitpod Flex

(22:54) Creating a separate product based on feedback

(24:58) Gitpod's decision to leave Kubernetes

(28:16) Where you can find more from Chris and Gitpod

Chris Weichel is the Chief Technology Officer at Gitpod, where he leads the engineering team that builds and maintains the cloud-native platform for software development. With over 20 years of experience in software engineering and human-computer interaction, he has a comprehensive view of the systems Gitpod creates, from the user experience to the underlying technology.

Chris is passionate about creating technology that empowers users, and solving complex engineering problems. His expertise in cloud-native architecture, programming, and digital fabrication has resulted in multiple publications, patents, and awards. Chris is always looking for new opportunities to apply my broad skill-set and excitement for creating technology in a commercial or research context.