#235 – March 30, 2025
Developers will manage multiple AI coding agents simultaneously
Revenge of the junior developer
28 minutes by Steve Yegge
Steve dives deep into the evolution of AI-assisted coding, highlighting "vibe coding" and its progression through different phases. He describes a rapid transition from simple code completions to chat-based coding interfaces, and now to more advanced "coding agents" that can work independently for extended periods. The post predicts that developers will soon manage multiple AI coding agents simultaneously, dramatically increasing productivity while transforming the role of software developers into "agent managers".
AI developer tools are solving the wrong problem
sponsored by Unblocked
The biggest challenge in software development isn’t writing code. It’s having enough context to know what code to write. What you need is a way to find answers without having to search across a dozen tools or interrupt teammates.
The Product Engineer
11 minutes by Michael Lopp
Michael argues that companies building consumer software don't need Product Managers, as they often create power imbalances that hinder product development. He introduces the concept of "Product Engineers" - developers who deeply understand how the product works, actively use it, comprehend customer needs, and take full accountability for product decisions. Michael suggests that successful products emerge when engineers and designers own significant parts of the traditional product management role, allowing builders to have equal voices in critical decisions rather than having product managers who act as "CEOs" making unilateral choices.
Product and Engineering: Who Owns What?
8 minutes by Jeremy Brown
In contrast to the previous article, Jeremy explores how clarifying ownership between product and engineering teams can reduce misalignment and inefficiency. By defining responsibilities across five areas—Why, What, How, Who, and When—teams can collaborate more effectively while respecting each other's expertise. He also addresses the risk of rigid role divisions and emphasizes the need for open communication, trust, and cross-functional collaboration to drive successful product outcomes.
All pretty models are wrong, but some ugly models are useful
9 minutes by Jason Cohen
In this article Jason discusses the distinction between useful frameworks that model reality versus visually appealing but inaccurate models in business and strategy. Using scientific examples like Mayan astronomy and quantum mechanics, he illustrates how theories can be simultaneously useful and incorrect in their explanations.
Why Backlog Management Is Dangerous for Most Teams
7 minutes by David Pereira
David reveals that excessive backlog management can hinder innovation and value delivery in product development. He suggests keeping backlogs lean, spending less than 5 hours weekly managing them, and regularly deleting outdated items. The best product teams focus on solving problems rather than implementing features, maintain a single backlog for all work types, and avoid treating the backlog like a permanent storage for every request.
Debts, Tech and Otherwise
11 minutes by Ted Neward
In this article Ted explores the concept of "debt" beyond technical debt, describing various types including product, ops, process, and org debt, among others, as identified in a LinkedIn discussion. He examines whether these short-term expedient decisions that create future costs are inherently bad, using Ward Cunningham's original debt metaphor and Martin Fowler's quadrant framework. He argues that debt is sometimes a necessary strategic choice, noting that we primarily discuss painful debt situations while ignoring cases where taking on debt led to success or where avoiding debt led to failure.
Telling the Bit story: Celebrating 10 Years of Composability
sponsored by bit
Ran Mizrahi CEO reveals how Bit shifted from development stagnation to exponential progress using composability. The composable architecture has been transformative, allowing Bit to innovate rapidly, maintain system stability, and create a more flexible, efficient development environment.
And the most popular article from the last issue was: