The Identity Heroes
The Identity Heroes
Podcast Description
The Identity Heroes brings real stories from the frontlines of identity to life. Hear from architects, CISOs, and practitioners as they share authentic insights and tactical lessons. Curious, smart, and a little rebellious, this series celebrates the people solving today’s toughest identity challenges. Because no one goes to school for IAM.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on essential topics within identity and access management, featuring episodes that explore the non-linear paths of industry professionals, practical lessons learned from setbacks, and the interplay between technology and leadership, exemplified by discussions on the future of AI in IAM, networking dynamics, and the multifaceted nature of identity careers.
The Identity Heroes brings real stories from the frontlines of identity to life. Hear from architects, CISOs, and practitioners as they share authentic insights and tactical lessons. Curious, smart, and a little rebellious, this series celebrates the people solving today’s toughest identity challenges. Because no one goes to school for IAM.
In this episode of The Identity Heroes, Heather Flanagan — Principal at Spherical Cow Consulting — shares how her background in library science laid the foundation for a career simplifying complexity and shaping global identity standards.
Heather takes us from her early days as a librarian-in-training to managing systems at Stanford and Duke, to becoming a key facilitator across W3C, IETF, and OpenID Foundation working groups. Along the way, she reveals how the skills of organizing, indexing, and communicating translate seamlessly into technology — and why non-coders play an essential role in driving progress in IAM.
🎯 This conversation dives into:
- The parallels between library science and identity standards
- How simplifying complexity — the “spherical cow” way — makes hard problems solvable
- Why non-coders, facilitators, and implementers matter in standards work
- The challenge of delegation and digital legacy in the AI era
- What mentorship and communication can teach us about collaboration
✨ Key Themes & Takeaways
- Library science and identity standards share the same DNA: structure, clarity, and organization
- Simplification is a superpower in problem-solving
- Diversity of skills strengthens technical communities
- Delegation and digital legacy remain key challenges in a digital-first world
- Mentorship and shared learning sustain the identity community
Whether you come from tech or the humanities, Heather’s story shows that identity needs every kind of mind — not just coders.
🔗 Explore more Identity Heroes:https://www.strata.io/identityheroes
🎙️ The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the guest and do not represent the opinions of their employer or family.
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