Get to know Ian Massingham - Developer Relations at Griptape.ai

Meet Ian Massingham - Developer Relations at Griptape.ai. He's joining DevTalks Romania 2025 on June 4th, sharing his expertise on the BigData & Cloud Stage. Keep reading this interview to get to know the person behind the talk.

1. Can you introduce yourself in a few words?

Sure, I'm Ian Massingham. I am a technology executive with a long interest in cloud computing, data technologies, and in building relationships with the developer community. Currently, I am with Griptape, a startup focused on the exciting intersection of generative AI and creative technologies. I am from the UK, and when I'm not working on Griptape, I like to play video games and hike in the Yorkshire countryside, where I live with my fiance, and two whippets. Prior to Griptape I worked at another startup, and before that MongoDB and Amazon Web Services.

2. What do you think young tech professionals should focus on learning right now?

Given the rapid advancements we are seeing, I think early career software professionals should prioritize understanding the fundamentals of software and systems architecture and engineering. Artificial intelligence and machine learning, particularly large language models and their applications, are going to continue to change the way we work over the coming years, but a strong grasp of software, cloud computing, and data infrastructure fundamentals will remain essential. It's also crucial to develop skills in adapting to new technologies and continuous learning, as the landscape is evolving at an increasingly fast pace.

3. In your view, what do you think is the biggest change that shaped the tech industry of today?

I would argue that the widespread adoption of cloud computing has been the most significant transformative force. It has democratized access to infrastructure and services, enabling unprecedented scalability and agility for businesses of all sizes, and the utilization of infrastructure and software has paved the way for many of the innovations we see today, including the current advancements in AI and big data.

4. If you had to sum up the industry in one sentence, what would you say?

The tech industry is like a toddler after a few espressos, constantly running into walls but somehow inventing smartphones in the process. A good amount of our work is trying to solve problems we created while solving other problems.

5. If you could invent any piece of technology that doesn't currently exist, what would it be and why?

Not so much something that doesn't currently exist, but something that I feel would be really beneficial if development was rapidly jumped forward to the low-cost, reliable and safe stage would be fusion power generation. So much of what we do in computing is heavily dependent on energy and if we could dramatically reduce cost and capacity of emission free energy generation, this would unlock so much. 

6. What is something you’re looking forward to at DevTalks 2025?

It's eight years since I was last at DevTalks and I'm looking forward to engaging with the Romanian tech community again, sharing insights on the challenges and opportunities in developing applications powered by large language models, and learning from the experiences and perspectives of other attendees and speakers. I'm also looking forward to seeing how Bucharest, and DevTalks has evolved since I was last there, I'm guessing a lot has changed.

7. How important do you think community events like this are for the tech world?

Community events like DevTalks are really important. They provide opportunities for knowledge sharing, networking, and fostering a sense of collective growth and innovation within the tech world. They also play a crucial role in inspiring the next generation of tech professionals. I think this is particularly important in countries like Romania, which have a really strong talent pool.

8. If you weren’t in tech, what career path do you think you’d be in?

My father was a mountaineering instructor and I love skiing and the mountains. I sometimes dream about combining those two things and being a ski patroller or driving a snowcat in a ski resort in the winter, and working as a mountain guide in the summer, although I'm not sure my body is young enough to take that kind of punishment any more.

9. If you could time-travel to any point in history with a piece of modern technology, where would you go and what would you bring?

This is a hard question to answer. I think I watched Back to the Future too many times and I am worried about changing the timeline and deleting myself or otherwise preventing the world-as-we-know it from being created. If there were no consequences, it would be cool to go back to a pivotal point in history with modern knowledge, maybe the industrial revolution in the late 1700s, or the discovery of the Americas. For the journey back, I'd load up a solar-powered tablet preloaded with a digital library of scientific knowledge, engineering diagrams, and 'history' too.

10. What message do you have for our Romanian IT community?

Stay curious and keep learning, and never underestimate the impact you can have on shaping the future of the tech industry, both locally and globally.

Check out the agenda to see more about Ian's speech on June 4th on the BigData & Cloud Stage. See you at DevTalks!