Optionality

Sustainable Augmented Development • Kent Beck • YOW! 2025

Sustainable Augmented Development • Kent Beck • YOW! 2025

Kent Beck's presentation at YOW! Australia 2025 explores the transformative impact of augmented development ('the genie') on software engineering. He argues that AI shifts programming into an exploratory phase, requiring a re-evaluation of traditional practices. Beck introduces the concept of 'resting between the notes' to foster optionality over mere feature churn, and makes a compelling case for the increased value of junior developers as AI tools become powerful learning aids, emphasizing that 'nobody knows' the future but we must 'take our time' to adapt effectively.

The Blind Spots of Platform Engineering • Matt McLarty & Erik Wilde

The Blind Spots of Platform Engineering • Matt McLarty & Erik Wilde

Matt McLarty and Erik Wilde explore the blind spots in platform engineering, arguing that a narrow focus on developer velocity and toolchains overlooks the critical need for creating reusable, API-driven business capabilities that deliver tangible value and organizational optionality.