In this insightful episode of the PowerShell Podcast, host Andrew Pla welcomes longtime friend and seasoned technologist Ryan Coates. Together, they explore the intersection of PowerShell and C#, discuss the natural evolution of tech careers, and examine the role of continuous learning in long-term success. Ryan shares a wealth of perspective from decades in IT—covering everything from early networking to modern cloud architectures and why C# is a practical next step for PowerShell users. Whether you're deep in automation or eyeing your next language leap, this conversation is packed with career wisdom, developer philosophy, and some solid tech nostalgia.
What You’ll Learn:

• Why C# is a great next step for experienced PowerShell users
• Use cases where C# offers performance or capability advantages over PowerShell
• How PowerShell and C# skills complement each other in the .NET ecosystem
• Ryan’s journey from MCSE teen prodigy to early retirement
• Why soft skills are just as vital as technical skills for senior roles
• The value of working across many technologies and industries early in your career
• Insights into DevOps maturity, architecture thinking, and lifelong learning

Bio & Links:
Ryan Coates is an Enterprise Architect with 25+ years in IT, evolving from systems ops to DevOps and developer advocacy. He leads internal API and DevRel strategy at a global consulting firm. Passionate about mentoring, Ryan speaks at conferences on cloud and automation and helps run Microsoft Cloud, DevOps, and PowerShell user groups in Boise, Idaho.

• https://linkedin.com/in/ryandcoates
• https://twitter.com/ryandcoates
• https://discord.gg/pdq
• https://andrewpla.tech/links
• Ryan's C# Talk at PS Wednesday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOaFdHTlDXE
• Ryan's Summit Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AePjFyuWvg8
• Join the PowerShell Scripting Channel on PDQ Discord: https://discord.gg/pdq
• Check out PDQ Connect: https://pdq.com/podcast
• The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/72UCneA1X40
• The PowerShell Podcast Hub: https://pdq.com/the-powershell-podcast