Code as Critical Infrastructure, Entrepreneurship, and  Funding Innovation

Code as Critical Infrastructure, Entrepreneurship, and Funding Innovation

Author: BKBT Productions July 7, 2025 Duration: 50:56
Tanya Janca joins the show this week, with unique perspective on building secure software and advocating for better cybersecurity policy. George K and George A talk to Tanya about: * Her transition from 14 years as a Canadian public servant to private sector entrepreneurship * The core values that guide her work: performing good and moving the industry toward secure software * Entrepreneurship since age 19: solving real problems that hurt badly enough for people to pay * Civil advocacy for security by design policies and challenging inadequate government cybersecurity practices Tanya's perspective on building businesses around genuine problem-solving rather than just seeking acquisition or wealth creation offers valuable insights for any founder.  Whether you're interested in secure coding, entrepreneurship, or how to advocate for better cybersecurity policy, this episode delivers actionable insights from someone who's been in the trenches and made real impact. Mentioned: * The Eh List: https://ehlist.org/ * Forte Group: forte-group.org/home-our-mission [https://forte-group.org/home-our-mission] * Tanya's petition: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/secure-canadas-future * Tanya's Secure Coding Guideline: newsletter.shehackspurple.ca/c/secure-coding-guideline [https://newsletter.shehackspurple.ca/c/secure-coding-guideline]

There’s a lot of noise in the world of technology talk, but Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks cuts through it with a focus on the people behind the products and the societal currents shaping our digital landscape. Hosts George K and George A steer conversations that are less about specs and hype, and more about real-world consequences. You’ll hear them dig into topics like the messy rollout of new AI tools, the often-invisible backbone of digital infrastructure, and why communities adopt or reject certain technologies. This podcast regularly features guests from various fields who offer unvarnished opinions on what’s genuinely functional and what’s fundamentally flawed in our tech-saturated lives. The discussions move beyond simple commentary to challenge the standard narratives promoted by the tech industry, examining the cultural and social ripples of every new development. It’s a show for anyone who feels that technology coverage often misses the human element-the frustrations, the adaptations, and the ethical dilemmas. Tune in for a grounded, critical, and consistently engaging dialogue that connects the dots between code and culture. This production from BKBT Productions lives up to its name, getting down to the brass tacks of how technology is built and used, with a bare-knuckle honesty that’s increasingly rare.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks
Podcast Episodes
How Expertise becomes a blind spot in technology development [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:45
Graeme Rudd spent years taking emerging technology into austere environments and watching it fail. He assessed over 350 technologies for a Department of Defense lab. The pattern was consistent: engineers solved technical…
Getting Addicted to the Process and Chasing Excellence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:10
What happens when you go all in and bet on yourself? Taylor McClatchie, professional Muay Thai fighter with ONE Championship, joins the show to share how she did just that. She spent a decade in reproductive science, wor…
Re-thinking How AI Can Actually Drive Business Value [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:13
Eric Pilkington joins the show to cut through the noise around artificial intelligence and deliver some hard truths about what's actually working—and what's just expensive theater. AI isn't new; it's been around for 70+…
Confronting Big Tech's Abuses as a Question of Human Rights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:36
Hannah Storey, Advocacy and Policy Advisor at Amnesty International [https://www.amnesty.org], joins the show to talk about her new brief that reframes Big Tech monopolies as a human rights crisis, not just a market comp…
Can Ethical AI Democratize Therapy and Higher Quality Care? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:03
Clinical psychologist, Dr. Sarah Adler, joins the show this week to talk about why "AI Therapy" doesn't exist, but is bullish on what AI can help therapists achieve. Dr. Adler is a clinical psychologist and CEO of Wave […
So, Are We Gonna Cure Cancer or Just Double Down on Mining Attention? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:59
This week George K and George A switch formats to tackle the AI revolution's messiest questions—from autonomous coding agents to digital actresses and deepfake scams. The hosts examine what happens when innovation moves…