In this episode of 10X Insights, hosts Kadi McKean and Steve Poole sit down with software engineer Jules May for a conversation that bridges the gap between today’s reliable code and tomorrow’s quantum possibilities. From airplanes to AI, Jules shares what it takes to build software that doesn’t just work—it lasts.
Key Takeaways & Learnings:
🛫 Reliability > Speed: Building software for critical systems means writing code that won’t blow up mid-flight—literally. Jules argues that reliability should trump speed when lives (or data) are on the line.
⚙️ Exceptions Aren’t Always Exceptional: Rethink how your code handles errors. Jules makes the case for fewer surprises and more predictability in how systems fail—and recover.
🧠 Human Understanding Still Wins: Even as AI gets smarter, human intuition, empathy, and contextual understanding remain core to great software design.
🔮 Quantum Computing Demystified: Jules breaks down how quantum computing flips classical logic on its head and why it could revolutionize AI and encryption.
🧩 The Future of Security: Quantum breakthroughs could upend how we think about secure systems—time to start preparing your mental models (and your encryption keys).
💡 Engineering Philosophy: Great engineers don’t just optimize performance; they optimize trust.
Episode Resources
Extreme Reliability by Jules May
Cryptography in a post quantum world: why our encryption now has a use by date and what we need to do Devoxx 2025 presentation by Jules May