On this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Geoff Boeing, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California whose research spans urban planning, spatial analysis, and data science. We explore why OpenStreetMap is such a powerful source of global map data—and how Geoff's Python library, OSMnx, makes that data easier to download, model, and visualize. Along the way, we talk about what shapes city streets around the world, how urban design influences everything from daily commutes to disaster resilience, and why turning open data into accessible tools can open up completely new ways of understanding our cities. If you've ever wondered how to build or analyze your own digital maps in Python, or what it takes to manage a project that transforms raw geographic data into meaningful research, you won't want to miss this conversation.
Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover 1) Satya Nadella's criticism of AI benchmark hacking 2) Ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's new Thinking Machines Lab startup 3) There are too many AI startups 4) Why foundation models have commoditized 5) Did Google 'DeepSeek' itself? 6) Grok3 arrives 7) How do you evaluate whether models are good? 8) Grok3 at the top of Chatbot arena 9) Benedict Evans on Deep Research 10) Does using AI tools make our brains atrophy? 11) Amazon's incoming Alexa upgrade 12) Actually, voice AI helps during marital disputes 13) RIP Humane Pin
As Python developers, we're incredibly lucky to have over half a million packages that we can use to build our applications with over at PyPI. However, when it comes to choosing a UI framework, the options get narrowed down very quickly. Intersect those choices with the ones that work on mobile, and you have a very short list. Flutter is a UI framework for building desktop and mobile applications, and is in fact the one that we used to build the Talk Python courses app, you'd find at talkpython.fm/apps. That's why I'm so excited about Flet. Flet is a Python UI framework that is distributed and executed on the Flutter framework, making it possible to build mobile apps and desktop apps with Python. We have Feodor Fitsner back on the show after he launched his project a couple years ago to give us an update on how close they are to a full featured mobile app framework in Python.
CLEAR is an identity company trying to take the friction out of air travel (such as with TSA PreCheck, available through CLEAR), stadium events, and other experiences that require security screening.
This episode features an engaging conversation with Rob Bergman, Chief Investment Officer at Unicorn Factory, exploring the nuanced intersection of digital infrastructure investment and internet connectivity ecosystem development across Africa.
Episode overview:
Andile Masuku engages with Bergman to unpack his 12-year journey in African investment, examining how Unicorn Factory's distinctive two-pillar approach combines operational expertise with strategic advisory and deal brokering services to accelerate digital infrastructure development across the continent.
Bergman reflects on his transition from traditional M&A in Europe to impact-driven infrastructure investment in Africa through Unicorn Factory, a family office and permanent capital vehicle focused on long-term investments across four main business segments, including digital infrastructure and communication technologies. He advocates passionately for his firm's vision for a highly-collaborative and mutually-beneficial carrier neutral setting for digital transformation in African markets.
Key topics:
- Carrier-neutral infrastructure development
- Ecosystem-driven investment strategies
- Digital infrastructure value chain dynamics
- Market liberalisation and regulatory frameworks
- Infrastructure financing models
- Sustainable profitability versus charitable approaches
Notable points:
1. The strategic importance of carrier-neutral infrastructure in African markets
2. Unicorn Factory's two-pillar business model combining operations and advisory
3. The catalytic role of WorkOnline as an IP transit provider
4. Current advisory mandates approaching $900 million for continental infrastructure
5. South Africa as a case study for successful market liberalisation
Image credit: Unicorn Factory
Maxwell Shuftan, Director of Mission Programs at SANS Institute joins the show to discuss the state of the government cybersecurity workforce and methods for recruiting some of the best talent into the public sector. We also discuss training initiatives that can be a game-changing strategy to unlock a hidden workforce and the national security implications that these roles have on our country.
Jason Schappert grew up in an entrepreneurial family. His Mom and Dad were always working together, and never had jobs. Jason's first job was working for his parents pest control company, where he crafted his understanding of what success looked like. Outside of tech, he is married with 3 kids, and is very into all of their sports. Fun fact, his kids enjoy doing their homeschooling in the office with their Dad, listening to calls and asking big questions - so business is actually what they do for fun.
For 16 years, Jason grew and ran a business in aviation. After a successful exit, he and his wife Magda were considering what to do next. She quickly remembered all of the things Jason did behind the scenes to setup their personal finances for success, in the midst of a chaotic startup life.
Saagar Enjeti is the co-host of Breaking Points. He joins Big Technology podcast to asses whether the Big Tech CEOs will win their Trump bet, assessing the stakes involved, the positioning, and the likely outcomes. We talk about Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, Jeff Bezos, and, of course, Elon Musk. Stay tuned as we discuss how the U.S. and China will handle the AI battle, especially after DeepSeek. And we end with a fun back and forth on Apple Intelligence and The Vision Pro, of which Enjeti was an early buyer. Hit play for a fun, thought provoking discussion on tech's high stakes gamble.