The Hidden Systems Behind Modern Life
Dad, how did this get here? Didn’t we just order this a few hours ago?
That simple question kicks off Pixels to Packages, a podcast about everything hidden between a tap on a screen and a box at your door.
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Pixels to Packages breaks down what actually happens when you click buy, following the invisible machinery behind modern life from pixels on a screen to a package landing at your door. Through clear, down-to-earth conversations, we explore browsers, packets, Wi-Fi, networks, data centers, and payments, then trace that digital trail into the physical world of fulfillment centers, warehouses, robots, delivery trucks, and front doors. It is a grounded look at the systems that quietly run everyday life, and a reminder of how surprising it is that any of this works at all.
Pixels to Packages is hosted by Allan Leinwand, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Webflow and formerly CTO at Shopify, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Slack, CTO at ServiceNow, CTO of Infrastructure at Zynga, CTO at Digital Island and an early engineer at Cisco Systems.
Allan has spent decades building and operating the real infrastructure behind the modern Internet, from large-scale networks and data centers to the software platforms that power commerce, collaboration, and the web itself. He has a deep love of technology and a rare ability to explain how it works, not as abstractions, but as concrete systems made of code, hardware, and physical constraints that shape everyday life.
Having helped design, scale, and run the systems that connect pixels on a screen to real-world outcomes, Allan brings a uniquely practical perspective to Pixels to Packages, bridging the digital and physical worlds and showing why these hidden systems matter.
Finally someone explained DNS and browsers in a way that makes sense! Episode 1 broke down exactly what happens when you click 'buy' - from your browser to the internet. Eye-opening stuff.
I never really understood how packets work until this episode. The way Allan explains the 'building blocks' carrying every request through Wi-Fi and the internet is brilliant.
Episode 1 demystified the invisible infrastructure behind every online purchase. Learning how browsers, home Wi-Fi, and DNS work together was fascinating. Can't wait for more episodes!