Developer productivity

Jun 28, 2026

Building an Autonomous Engineering Org - Angie Jones, Agentic AI Foundation

Angie Jones details Block's journey in transforming its engineering organization into an autonomous one using AI agents. She outlines a five-stage AI maturity model, the strategic implementation of an 'AI Champions' program, and the technical steps taken to make repositories AI-ready and enable seamless agent delegation directly within developer workflows. The talk covers challenges in scaling multi-agent parallelism, including code review bottlenecks and resource management, and the development of an orchestrator ('Builder Bot') and 'Company World Model' to achieve full autonomy. It concludes with a critical reflection on the ethical implications of achieving such high levels of AI-driven automation.

Jun 28, 2026

Using Spec-Driven Development for Production Workflows - Erik Hanchett, AWS

Erik Hanchett discusses spec-driven development (SDD) as a structured approach to building complex software features with AI coding assistants. He explains how to guide AI "interns" through distinct phases of requirements, design, and implementation, emphasizing context management, the use of "skills," and the crucial role of the human in the loop for review. Hanchett highlights AWS's Kiro tool, which automates much of this process, and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for integrating external data sources, offering a pathway to higher-quality code and more effective AI collaboration.

May 15, 2026

How Building with AI Can Double the Throughput of Your Engineering Team — Brian Scanlan, Intercom

Intercom doubled its engineering throughput in under a year by treating its AI coding agent not as a simple tool, but as a new senior engineer. This involved a full onboarding process onto their 15-year-old Rails monolith, creating a library of durable skills for recurring tasks, and providing audited access to all internal systems.

May 08, 2026

Thin Harness, Fat Skills: The New Way To Build Software

This episode explores the transformative shift in software development, where AI agents empower solo developers to achieve unprecedented productivity. Featuring YC President Gary Tan's return to coding after 13 years, it delves into new workflows, the 'tokenmaxxing' philosophy, and the rise of personal, user-controlled AI.

Apr 30, 2026

The 3 Words That Secretly Drive Developer Productivity & Motivation • Yanina Ledovaya • GOTO 2025

Cognitive psychologist Yanina Ledovaya explains how to boost developer productivity and satisfaction by focusing on three universal human needs from Self-Determination Theory: Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness. This talk delves into how these psychological drivers underpin developer motivation, influence the adoption of AI tools, and provide a practical framework for managers to create more effective and engaging work environments.

Apr 20, 2026

The Modern Software Engineer

Mihail Eric, Head of AI at Monaco and Stanford Lecturer, discusses the fundamental shift in software engineering due to AI. He explores how the developer's role is evolving from a line-by-line coder to a systems architect and agent director, emphasizing the growing importance of upfront planning, robust validation, and clear articulation to effectively manage AI-driven workflows.