How Python Is Used To Build A Startup At Wanderu with Chris Kirkos and Matt Warren

Episode • Oct 15, 2018 • 34m

Summary

The breadth of use cases that Python supports, coupled with the level of productivity that it provides through its ease of use have contributed to the incredible popularity of the language. To explore the ways that it can contribute to the success of a young and growing startup two of the lead engineers at Wanderu discuss their experiences in this episode. Matt Warren, the technical operations lead, explains the ways that he is using Python to build and scale the infrastructure that Wanderu relies on, as well as the ways that he deploys and runs the various Python applications that power the business. Chris Kirkos, the lead software architect, describes how the original Django application has grown into a suite of microservices, where they have opted to use a different language and why, and how Python is still being used for critical business needs. This is a great conversation for understanding the business impact of the Python language and ecosystem.

Preface

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Your host as usual is Tobias Macey and today I’m interviewing Matt Warren and Chris Kirkos and about the ways that they are using Python at Wanderu

Interview

Introductions
How did you get introduced to Python?
Can you start by describing what Wanderu does?
- How is the platform architected?

What are the broad categories of problems that you are addressing with Python?

What are the areas where you chose to use a different language or service?

What ratio of new projects and features are implemented using Python?
- How much of that decision process is influenced by the fact that you already have so much pre-existing Python code?
- For the projects where you don’t choose Python, what are the reasons for going elsewhere?

What are some of the limitations of Python that you have encountered while working at Wanderu?

What are some of the places that you were surprised to find Python in use at Wanderu?

What have you enjoyed most about working with Python?
- What are some of the sharp edges that you would like to see smoothed over in future versions of the language?

What is the most challenging bug that you have dealt with at Wanderu that was attributable in some sense to the fact that the code was written in Python?