11 hours ago

Infrastructure, Innovation & the Story Behind SXSW’s Growth (AUDIO)

In this episode of Software Without Borders, Andy and Tomás sit down with Justin Bankston, CTO of South by Southwest (SXSW), to explore the remarkable evolution of one of the world’s most influential cultural and technology events. Justin shares his journey from playing in rock bands and reviewing demo CDs to leading the software, IT, and innovation groups that power SXSW’s massive annual footprint. We dig into the behind-the-scenes engineering challenges, the explosive impact of Twitter’s 2007 debut at SXSW, and the technical coordination required to support tens of thousands of attendees across multiple venues. Justin reflects on leadership, scaling teams, and what it takes to deliver a flawless experience when failure becomes instantly public. If you’ve ever wondered how innovation, culture, and infrastructure collide at global scale, this episode pulls the curtain back.

Guest Introduction:

Justin Bankston is the Chief Technology Officer at South by Southwest, where he has spent nearly 20 years shaping the technical backbone of one of the world’s premier events in music, film, and technology. From his early days as a full-stack developer to leading SXSW’s software, IT, and innovation teams, Justin has guided the organization through explosive growth, digital transformation, and cultural shifts — all while ensuring the attendee experience remains seamless and world-class.

Key Takeaways:

SXSW’s uniqueness creates massive technical complexity. Three industries, three conferences, one seamless attendee experience.
Justin’s journey was entirely organic. From musician → volunteer reviewer → contractor → leader → CTO.
Twitter’s 2007 debut changed SXSW forever. Attendance spiked, expectations shifted, and technical resilience became paramount.
Custom software was born from necessity. When SXSW started, no event platform could handle its hybrid creative/tech experience.
Invisible infrastructure is intentional. If the Wi-Fi isn’t perfect, attendees notice — and complain loudly.
Remote and global teams helped SXSW scale sustainably. Nearshore partners expanded engineering capacity without sacrificing collaboration.

Chapter Markers:

00:00 — Andy welcomes listeners to Software Without Borders

01:12 — Guest introduction: Justin Bankston, CTO of SXSW

03:18 — Justin’s backstory: bands, demo CDs, and first touchpoints with SXSW

04:16 — Contracting beginnings and early software challenges

07:58 — The unique blend of artist, audience, corporate, and technical needs

08:35 — How SXSW grew organically — and fast

10:32 — Leadership lessons from early career mentors

11:32 — The uniqueness of SXSW vs. other global festivals

13:13 — Stakeholder alignment and balancing competing priorities

14:57 — Inside SXSW’s custom software ecosystem

15:49 — The complexity of event IT & multi-venue Wi-Fi at scale

17:57 — The stakes of real-time attendee experience

18:58 — PanelPicker: the origin story

22:16 — Twitter’s SXSW launch and the ripple effects

24:14 — Strengthening infrastructure amid explosive growth

26:34 — Beginning remote/global engineering partnerships

29:26 — Process, communication, and the reality of global development

31:00 — How remote teams support SXSW’s “lights-on” needs

Keywords:

Software Without Borders, SXSW, Justin Bankston, Andy Hilliard, Tomás Hilliard, Accelerance, event technology, global engineering teams, festival tech infrastructure, Twitter SXSW launch, custom software development, nearshore engineering, CTO insights, large-scale event operations.