The PowerShell Summit Hallway Track with Gilbert Sanchez and Joshua Dearing

This episode captures the energy of PowerShell Summit through two conversations, one with Gilbert Sanchez and one with Joshua Dearing. The discussion moves from open source maintenance and the future of PowerShell in AI workflows to the human side of technical communities, including burnout, neurodiversity, mentorship, and the value of showing up in person. It also highlights how PowerShell can change careers over time, not just by teaching syntax, but by opening doors to better communication, stronger community ties, and bigger technical thinking. Key Takeaways: · Community is often the unlock, not just the tooling. Both conversations reinforce that Summit’s real value is the people, the hallway conversations, and the sense that learning gets easier when you have others around you who are willing to help. · Sustainable technical growth matters more than short bursts of output. Gilbert talks about burnout, open source maintenance, and creating healthier ways to contribute, while Andrew connects that to ADHD, mental health, and building a career that can last. · PowerShell is a starting point for much bigger opportunities. Joshua’s story, from community member to module author, reflects a broader theme in the episode that small steps, taken consistently, can completely reshape what kind of work you can do and who you can become in the field. Guest Bio: Gilbert Sanchez is a Staff Software Development Engineer at Tesla, specifically working on PowerShell. Formerly known as "Señor Systems Engineer" at Meta. A loud advocate for DEI, DevEx, DevOps, and TDD. Resource Links: · PSake: https://psake.dev · Gilbert Sanchez links: https://links.gilbertsanchez.com · Gilbert Sanchez blog: https://gilbertsanchez.com Josh is a systems administrator with a philosophy degree and a helpdesk origin story. He's a speaker, open source contributor, creator of ModuleExplorer, and a PDQ Sysadmin Hall of Fame winner. He's a firm believer that the best script is the one you don't keep to yourself. · Joshua Dearing's website: https://dearing.dev The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XJAbZgOVMF4