We are introducing to you some of the speakers of the next Berlin Buzzwords conference 2015. Therefore, we are interviewing #bbuzz speakers ahead of the conference. See what they responded …

Get to know Ameya Kanitkar.

How did you get started with developing software?
I was fascinated by the concept of "programming" machines. I was also fascinated by the Internet and what it entails. This pushed me to start working in software. Also the barriers to entry are so minimum that you can start right away. I was also interested in launching rockets to moon - but software was easy to get started with :-)

Many of the nowadays buzzwordly talks have come from the Apache Software Foundation. What do you think makes Apache projects so successful in particular for communities developing complex software?
Its really a mystery how such fantastic software gets developed in open source manner. But I think it boils down to passion. Thankfully some good business models are developed around this allowing open source projects to be more sustainable :-) But having said that the overall ecosystem in place combined with top quality PMC team, and lot of love and passion, building software makes most of these projects fundamental building blocks of todays software.

What was the first Apache project you got in touch with?
I think apache MQ and zookeeper were the first projects.

What are the risks of going Apache?
This is not just with apache - but with any open source project. Sometimes projects go out of favor - or some new shiny thing comes along and people move away from the one you are using/ building. In such cases community support can dwindle fast.

Where can attendees meet you at the conference in order to ask questions?
I'll be around after the talk - and of course at the happy hours!

Have you been to Berlin before?
I have not! But I am looking forward to visit Berlin and experience the most "tech friendly" city in Europe. It's really exciting to see this coming from Silicon Valley!