How does agentic AI affect the next generation of coders? Are new software engineers going to learn less because they’re too reliant on LLMs? @matt-squire.bsky.social from Fuzzy Labs had a lot of really interesting stuff to say about this at Manchester Tech Festival.

Unmesh Joshi finds LLMs to be a useful tool, but explains why their help becomes illusory if they shortcut the essential learning loop of our professional practice. martinfowler.com/articles/llm...

How does agentic AI affect the next generation of coders? Are new software engineers going to learn less because they’re too reliant on LLMs? @matt-squire.bsky.social from Fuzzy Labs had a lot of really interesting stuff to say about this at Manchester Tech Festival,

Huh. I've been planning for the last two weeks to share a discount code for Lead Dev Berlin, but life had other ideas and I've only just got round to it. >>>

Well. I have been planning for the last two weeks to share discounts for @newcrafts.bsky.social Paris, but life had other ideas and I've only just got round to it. >>>

The answer is 30. Do I get a prize?

Do you enjoy learning? What about teaching? I’ve been a software engineer for well over 25 years now (I’ve stopped counting), and something that’s been true throughout my career is that I’ve found myself teaching and mentoring.

Have you had enough of all the endless chit-chat about AI? Yeah. I hear you. So I ain’t sayin’ nuffink ...Other than, I’m running a two-day workshop in Amsterdam on November 17th and 18th, on getting the most out of LLM-augmented coding tools and having FUN with it.

Do you waste time every day/week faffing about with annoying little tasks? I’ve been playing more and more with LLMs, and one of the things they can be great for is building quick little admin tools to make my life easier.

Science!

Do you waste time every day/week faffing about with annoying little tasks? I’ve been playing more and more with LLMs, and one of the things they can be great for is building quick little admin tools to make my life easier. >>>

It's not 6pm! It's only 5pm! I just won a WHOLE EXTRA HOUR. What shall I do with it?

Got a surprise visit from my granddaughter Nina. We went outside in the Manchester drizzle and had a fabulous time doing classic toddler activities: - Splashing in muddy puddles - Throwing sticks down drains - Swooshing our feet through piles of leaves - Walking on tops of walls

Prepare your hankies. This is moving: youtube.com/shorts/qLnKA...

I'm having lovely time this week on "retreat". I recommend! More here: queen-of-questions.kit.com/posts/retrea...

How do you feel about getting LLMs to help you code? Delighted? Appalled? Unsure? Frustrated? Impatient? Scared? AI is everywhere, and if you’re a software engineer, sooner or later you might have to try coding with LLMs.

Have you had enough of all the endless chit-chat about AI? Yeah. I hear you. So I ain’t sayin’ nuffink other than, I’m running a two-day workshop in Amsterdam on November 17th and 18th, getting the most out of LLM-augmented coding tools and having FUN with it. Let’s not talk about it. Let’s DO It.

. @andrewhl.bsky.social’s revolutionary approach to architecture is live! Learn how everyone can contribute without creating chaos. Watch his talk on democratizing decisions & subscribe for more perspectives! youtu.be/zp9Go2ChAdw #amaberlin

"Clare has a rare gift: she can break down complex generative AI concepts and make them immediately actionable for developers at any level. She doesn't just explain the theory—she creates clear pathways from concept to working code, meeting learners exactly where they are." >>>

Our son is shaving his head to raise money for charity, in solidarity with his friend's little brother who's undergoing chemo for a brain tumour. All support very much appreciated! www.justgiving.com/page/oscar-s...

Our son is shaving his head to raise money for charity, in solidarity with his friend's little brother who's undergoing chemo for a brain tumour. All support very much appreciated! www.justgiving.com/page/oscar-s...

There's a scene in my first novel (The Dying of Delight) where the protagonist is dancing on a giant speaker stack at the back of a Leftfield gig, at Manchester Academy, circa 1994.

They asked me what kind of real bug might represent a race condition. 🤯 I quite like my answer though. 😂

Do you enjoy learning? What about teaching? I’ve been a software engineer for well over 25 years now (I’ve stopped counting), and something that’s been true throughout my career is that I’ve found myself teaching and mentoring. Many times.

Have you had enough of all the endless chit-chat about AI? Yeah. I hear you. So I ain’t sayin’ nuffink other than, I’m running a two-day workshop in Amsterdam on November 17th and 18th, getting the most out of LLM-augmented coding tools and having FUN with it. Let’s not talk about it. Let’s DO It.

"Not with breathless excitement, nor blinkered skepticism." Absolutely.

What can you do if you’re feeling fed up of all the blanket AI coverage, but also a little worried about being left behind? How will it impact your career?

☝️Thanks Clare. This liat would make a great Bluesky starter pack.

🤖 How can #AI and #TDD work without losing the human touch? @claresudbery.bsky.social shares insights on learning, psychological safety, and human-centered practices in software development. Read the full interview 👉 t1p.de/d9p1z #SAGconf #SoftwareArchitecture #TestDrivenDevelopment

"Relentless cycle of context switching" - this is MY LIFE 😁 Thanks for the fab article x

What's the best way to build software? Would it be better if we didn’t have to worry about typing and language syntax? Is that even possible? I saw a great talk by @matt-squire.bsky.social, CTO of Fuzzy Labs, at Manchester Tech Festival the other week, where he talked about this topic.

How do you feel about getting LLMs to help you code? Delighted? Appalled? Unsure? Frustrated? Impatient? Scared?

After I was successfully interviewed for one senior engineer job, I was later told that the two guys who interviewed me went dancing down the open plan office afterwards, chanting “We found a unicorn, we found a unicorn!” I’ve never been sure whether that’s a happy story or a sad story.

How do you feel about getting LLMs to help you code? Delighted? Appalled? Unsure? Frustrated? Impatient? Scared? I’ve been experimenting with LLM-augmented coding, and it’s a ride. Come read my latest post, and find out more as I describe what I’ve learnt.

Why are there never enough hours in the day? Why are you always running to catch up? Have you ever noticed that you’re not the only one? And yet, and yet. The world keeps turning. The stuff we think we’re supposed to be doing doesn’t get done, because none of us are super-human.

Last week I spoke at Agile Cambridge, and it was great being back. I arrived in 18 degrees so started with a walk on campus :) As always the people and the discussions were the best parts. Some people I had not seen since before the pandemic, some were new, and some I got closer to 💕 #agilecam

How are you feeling about LLM-augmented coding? Frustrated by the blanket coverage? Skeptical about the benefits? Scared of being left behind? Worried about the negative impact? I hear you, and I’m here to help. >>>

Do you and your colleagues want to make the most of LLM-augmented coding, without falling down rabbit holes and getting stuck with unmaintainable code? I’m running some in-person workshops in November, at Trifork Academy* in Amsterdam and @sagconference.bsky.social (SAG) in Berlin...

Hey, fancy a day out in Manchester? There’s a great new event called Outpace Conf, created by Softwire and happening next Thursday in central Manchester. I’ll be speaking about ensemble programming (aka mob programming)...

Are you a technical leader with too much on your plate? Are you burning out? Hey, maybe you’re not actually super-human? Maybe the amount you’re trying to do is not possible? Read my latest post for one simple tip that might help. >>>

Are you in a technical leadership position? Do you worry you’re not technical enough? You’re not alone! It’s an incredibly common concern, and it can have a huge negative impact on your ability to do your job effectively. Your career is worth investing in. >>>

This is really good. It's important for people to take coding with agentic AI seriously. Not with breathless excitement, nor blinkered skepticism. But as a tool with strengths, weaknesses, and skills in use

How much should an LLM do for you? I’ve started experimenting with using LLMs to help me build software. One of the first things I did was to watch the video of Llewellyn Falco’s talk about using process files as blueprints for Agentic AI, from Craft Conference 2025. >>>

I get asked often, “but what can a Representative actually *do*?” We can: 1. Refuse to do what fascists tell us to 2. Make the lives of people doing bad things worse 3. Call every one of their bluffs Until we regain power. Then we will prosecute the crimes & implement universal healthcare.

I posted this post and didn't add a link. Oops. Here's the link: queen-of-questions.kit.com/posts/how-mu...

Today I published my second post with practical advice on how to get the most out of agentic AI coding tools. This time I talk about how much you should get the LLM to do for you.

Hi folks! I have a new blog post up called "How Time Flies!" about my 25 years of Extreme Programming. open.substack.com/pub/daveroon...

Can you design a system in a day? We're going to find out at CodeCamp Romania in Cluj on 15th October. Get 15% off with JACQUI15 💸 🎉 jcq.me/codecamp25 #software #softwareDesign #softwareArchitecture #softwareDevelopment

Today is German Unity Day. As Bavarian ambassador to Scotland I would like to greet all those who love Germany 🇩🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿😀

A cartoon from my new book, 'Physics for Cats'. Out next week: www.tomgauld.com