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Quantum computing has gone from science fiction to front-page news—but is the excitement warranted? In this episode, we untangle the quantum buzz to explore why this field is heating up right now. Is it the dawn of a computing revolution, or just another hype cycle in tech’s ever-turning wheel?

We’ll break down the spooky-sounding science—qubits, superposition, and entanglement—into human language, and explore how quantum computing could transform industries like drug discovery, climate modeling, and supply chain optimization. But we’re also diving into the cybersecurity angle: how quantum computers threaten today's encryption, and what Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is doing to save us from a crisis.

From real-world use cases to misunderstood myths, we’ll separate quantum fact from fiction. Whether you're a curious techie, a cautious executive, or just want to impress your friends with talk of Shor’s algorithm, this episode delivers the quantum clarity you didn’t know you needed.

Below are the questions and answers from the June 2025 Meetup Session.

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself? – City, family, hobbies, job title
A. Hanna Engel, Microsoft Most Valuable Professional, Technical Trainer and AI Lead, Quantum Circle Representative. Based in Brussels, Belgium. Fan of foreign languages, Dungeons and Dragons and public speaking

Q. Tell us something about yourself that not many people know about you?
A. I wrote and sang a chorus for a hip-hop rapping group from my neighbourhood when I was seventeen. If that is not enough, we recorded a music video. Then I got exactly the same question (Tell us something about yourself that not many people know about you?) during my job interview for Microsoft. I talked about the song. And I got the job.

Q. What does a typical workday look like for you?
A. I manage AI projects for Azelis, once done I continue with my Flemish class or I work on my personal projects - related to Quantum Circle or AI trainings.

Q. 1st job out of college
A. Call center assistant - I absolutely hated it

Q. What is the biggest mistake that your feel holds back your clients from the results they want (this should relate to your demo)
A. They don’t start.
They believe there's still time.
There is a very good reason why we suddenly talk about Quantum computing now...
So focusing on AI only as a short-time gain and forgetting about the gain that quantum can bring in the long run is misguided.

Q. What's your biggest nightmare project you have worked on … And what did you learn from this experience
A. Very often what fails is not technology - but humans. We discovered that our goals were not clear, we did not think about adding monitoring in place. These are all not technological shortcomings because technology allows us for those features. Very often the human aspect of the work in IT, communication, change management, making sure that everyone is on the same page can make or break the project.

Q. What’s the best and worst tech advice you’ve been given
A. Misconceptions around quantum:
Quantum computers will replace classical computing/ Quantum computers are just faster computers

Best:
Build for quantum-inspired solution today, not fault-tolerant quantum computers tomorrow

Q. What are you working on to become a developer/consultant / CTO
A. My ambition is to educate and help people understand new technologies and build their company's success strategy around this knowledge. IT is developing in an enormous rate and trying to keep up can feel overwhelming. That’s why I focus on making complex technology approachable, identifying what truly adds value, and guiding teams in applying it strategically. I’m continuously learning, building real-world solutions, and staying connected to both the technical and business sides of innovation.

Q. What's your blind spot in your Microsoft knowledge? Pitfalls
A. I am not a developer. My expertise lays in cloud, Azure and technical training and I am continuously impressed with an amazing job that my dev colleagues do.

Q. Where do you source your knowledge? - Twitter- who do you follow, site urls
A. Veritasium -youtube channel, "Introducing Microsoft Quantum computing for Developers" J. Hooybergs, Quantum Circle Community LinkedIn  

Q. In your mind, if there was 1 song that could describe Quantum Computing, what would it be?
A. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

Q. Where can people find you?
A. LinkedIn, I am working on my website