Our Podcast

Blue Blazes

Just like obstacles blocking a hiking trail, barriers in the path to a successful software project can be frustrating. When you encounter one, it helps to take a trail marked with blue blazes to go around the problem, get back on course, and keep moving forward. In this series, we talk with industry experts who share their best tips for avoiding obstacles on the path to successful software projects.

Most Recent Episode

S04E04: MCP C# SDK – featuring Mike Kistler
In this episode, host Jonathan “J.” Tower sat down with Mike Kistler, Principal Program Manager at Microsoft and one of the maintainers of the official MCP C# SDK, following the SDK’s v1.0 release. J. and Mike cover what MCP actually is and how it compares to OpenAPI, why implementing the protocol yourself is harder than it looks, and when to reach for the C# SDK versus the MCP implementations in Azure Functions or API Management. They also dig into the client/host/server architecture, what drove the 1.0 release decision, and how MCP governance evolved from a Discord server with one seat to a Linux Foundation project with a formal spec enhancement proposal process. If you’ve been building in .NET and wondering whether MCP is something you need to care about, or you’ve been tinkering and want to understand the production-ready path, this episode will get you there.

Other Recent Episodes

S04E03: AI-Assisted Development – featuring Cory House
March 16, 2026
In this episode, host Jonathan “J.” Tower sits down with Cory House, author, consultant, founder of ReactJSConsulting, and a 12-time Microsoft MVP, to explore what it actually looks like to code effectively with AI today. Cory has trained…
S04E02: GitHub Copilot App Modernization for .NET – featuring Matt Soucoup
February 16, 2026
In this episode, host Jonathan "J." Tower sits down with Matthew Soucoup, Principal Cloud Advocate and .NET Cloud Advocacy Lead, to explore how GitHub Copilot's new App Modernization agent is transforming the way teams upgrade and migrate…
S04E01: Uno Platform – featuring Sam Basu
January 13, 2026
In this episode, host Jonathan “J.” Tower sits down with Sam Basu, technologist, author, Microsoft MVP, and Lead Developer Advocate at Uno Platform, to unpack the realities of modern cross-platform app development with .NET. Sam shares how…
S03E10: Trailhead at 10 – featuring Trailhead Founders
November 11, 2025
In this special 10th-anniversary episode, guest host Mark Adams turns the microphone toward the founders of Trailhead Technology Partners — Jonathan “J.” Tower, John Waters, and Josh Eastburn — for a candid conversation about a decade of…
S03E09: .NET Conf – featuring Javier Lozano
October 20, 2025
In this episode, host J. Tower sits down with Javier Lozano, co-founder of .NET Conf and CEO of Lozanotek, a .NET-focused software consultancy based in Des Moines, Iowa. Javier is a longtime Microsoft MVP, recognized for nearly 20 years…
S03E08: AI for .NET Developers – featuring John Waters
August 18, 2025
In this episode, host Jonathan “J.” Tower talks with Trailhead’s Chief Architect, John Waters, about how AI is transforming the .NET developer experience. Together, they explore: – How GitHub Copilot’s new agent mode is changing the way…
S03E07: .NET Aspire – featuring Maddy Montaquila
July 14, 2025
In this episode, host Jonathan “J.” Tower talks with Maddy Montaquila from Microsoft’s .NET team about .NET Aspire—a tool aimed at simplifying modern cloud app development. They discuss how Aspire helps orchestrate services across…
S03E06: Storybook – featuring Varun Vachhar
June 16, 2025
In this episode, host Jonathan “J.” Tower chats with Varun Vachhar from Chromatic about using Storybook to build, test, and document UI components in isolation. The conversation explores best practices for component-driven development, how…
S03E05: Modular Monoliths – featuring Steve Smith
May 12, 2025
In this episode, host Jonathan “J.” Tower chats with Steve Smith about the modular monolith, an architecture that delivers microservices‑style modularity within a single in‑process deployment. The conversation covers designing modules,…

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Long before you come across blue blazes, you chart a course. To help you plan your own journey, we’re happy to provide you with resources here on the Trailhead website.

Of course, if you ever would like guidance from seasoned vets in the software industry, our team can be a resource for you as well. Please feel free to reach out if you want expert assistance and let’s see where we can go together.

Our Gear Is Packed and We're Excited to Explore With You

Ready to come with us? 

Together, we can map your company’s software journey and start down the right trails. If you’re set to take the first step, simply fill out our contact form. We’ll be in touch quickly – and you’ll have a partner who is ready to help your company take the next step on its software journey. 

We can’t wait to hear from you! 

Main Contact

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Together, we can map your company’s tech journey and start down the trails. If you’re set to take the first step, simply fill out the form below. We’ll be in touch – and you’ll have a partner who cares about you and your company. 

We can’t wait to hear from you! 

Montage Portal

Montage Furniture Services provides furniture protection plans and claims processing services to a wide selection of furniture retailers and consumers.

Project Background

Montage was looking to build a new web portal for both Retailers and Consumers, which would integrate with Dynamics CRM and other legacy systems. The portal needed to be multi tenant and support branding and configuration for different Retailers. Trailhead architected the new Montage Platform, including the Portal and all of it’s back end integrations, did the UI/UX and then delivered the new system, along with enhancements to DevOps and processes.

Logistics

We’ve logged countless miles exploring the tech world. In doing so, we gained the experience that enables us to deliver your unique software and systems architecture needs. Our team of seasoned tech vets can provide you with:

Custom App and Software Development

We collaborate with you throughout the entire process because your customized tech should fit your needs, not just those of other clients.

Cloud and Mobile Applications

The modern world demands versatile technology, and this is exactly what your mobile and cloud-based apps will give you.

User Experience and Interface (UX/UI) Design

We want your end users to have optimal experiences with tech that is highly intuitive and responsive.

DevOps

This combination of Agile software development and IT operations provides you with high-quality software at reduced cost, time, and risk.

Trailhead stepped into a challenging project – building our new web architecture and redeveloping our portals at the same time the business was migrating from a legacy system to our new CRM solution. They were able to not only significantly improve our web development architecture but our development and deployment processes as well as the functionality and performance of our portals. The feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive. Trailhead has proven themselves to be a valuable partner.

– BOB DOERKSEN, Vice President of Technology Services
at Montage Furniture Services

Technologies Used

When you hit the trails, it is essential to bring appropriate gear. The same holds true for your digital technology needs. That’s why Trailhead builds custom solutions on trusted platforms like .NET, Angular, React, and Xamarin.

Expertise

We partner with businesses who need intuitive custom software, responsive mobile applications, and advanced cloud technologies. And our extensive experience in the tech field allows us to help you map out the right path for all your digital technology needs.

  • Project Management
  • Architecture
  • Web App Development
  • Cloud Development
  • DevOps
  • Process Improvements
  • Legacy System Integration
  • UI Design
  • Manual QA
  • Back end/API/Database development

We partner with businesses who need intuitive custom software, responsive mobile applications, and advanced cloud technologies. And our extensive experience in the tech field allows us to help you map out the right path for all your digital technology needs.

Our Gear Is Packed and We're Excited to Explore with You

Ready to come with us? 

Together, we can map your company’s tech journey and start down the trails. If you’re set to take the first step, simply fill out the contact form. We’ll be in touch – and you’ll have a partner who cares about you and your company. 

We can’t wait to hear from you! 

Thank you for reaching out.

You’ll be getting an email from our team shortly. If you need immediate assistance, please call (616) 371-1037.