We obsess over what AI can automate but I keep coming back to what it can’t. Code, artifacts, yes. 6 stakeholders truly aligning, still hard. Maybe that’s the real constraint

We say AI boosts productivity but it’s not symmetric. Engineers: 3–4x. PMs: flat. Now one PM sits on 15–20 engineers worth of output. Is this productivity… or just shifting the coordination bottleneck?

there’s something fascinating happening where developers use ai all day, but still won’t fully rely on it. that gap feels important. like we’re watching trust being earned in real time, not declared in benchmarks.

I keep wondering how many teams are racing to build custom JIRA, custom Workday, and custom CRM replacements, only to eventually ask: “When did we become an internal software company?”

5/5 ➡️ Achieving Precision in AI: Retrieving the Right Data Using AI Agents by Adi Polak bit.ly/47XWDS8 @adipolak.bsky.social #AIagents

the debate rages: is vibe coding good or bad? reality check-top Silicon Valley companies are already using it and seeing results. to win in the age of AI coding, think like a head chef: you don’t chop every vegetable, you design the dish. i wrote about it, check it out

in case you've missed it, here are some G𝗼𝗹𝗱-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 for AI pipelines: A/B testing randomized controlled trials natural experiments. as well as 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵-𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨

Unlock precision in GenAI by moving beyond traditional #RAG ⇨ #AgenticRAG. In this #InfoQ video, @adipolak.bsky.social dives into Agentic RAG architectures, emergent agent design patterns, and the crucial feedback loops (including LLM-as-a-judge) that drive continuous refinement. ▶️ bit.ly/47XWDS8

Amazon is laying off 30,000 corporate employees. the biggest cut in tech this year. If you know someone affected, check in. “How are you holding up?” goes a long way. 💬 Be good.

Using ChatGPT as a solution to a debate is never a good idea

Following up on my Data Streaming Patterns talk, I’ll be back for Current in New Orleans on October 29th in a few weeks. You know I got a FREE ticket code. Use CMP-ADI for free ticket and hopefully I'll see you there.

Maybe AI is a bubble. Maybe it’s the next electricity. Either way, the worst career move is sitting it out.

What advice would you give to someone in their twenties who wants to build a secure tech career?

Hot take: Every Big AI Framework Will Be Dead in 5 Years

AI alliances be like: Keep your friends close, and your cloud providers closer☁️

Synergy level: infinite GPU cycles.

What’s the best relationship advice you’ve ever received?

This is painfully true

What are some reasons not to buy iPhone 17? Asking for a friend.

We can get so caught up in imagining the future that we forget to look for inspiration in stories from the past. It's hard to make anything truly innovative. History has some harsh lessons for us.

Software is a science

Software engineering is here to stay. Companies can’t replace expertise with AI.

I’ve been studying some new organizational leadership approaches in the new “AI world” and this made me pause: What if anyone at any level in an organization had an idea, and there were no barriers to bringing it to life?

Cloud let you deploy in minutes. AI lets you build features that think. Learn to compose AI like services, and you’ll own the next wave of apps.

Word

Ambition is refusing to quit on ourselves. Leadership is refusing to quit on others. Let it sink.

When a company shares their benchmark of their solution.

You might already be skilled in ETL scheduling, analytics queries, or machine learning integration—but are you ready to support AI agents? In her 🆕 article in @thenewstack.io, @adipolak.bsky.social dives into the skills data engineers need in the age of AI! ⤵️

Have LLMs actually made peoples coding better or just faster?

2025—The time for startup acquisition has never been faster. You, too, can be acquired twice by different companies within one weekend.

AI helps developers with many challenges, but I still struggle to grasp the issue of dynamic docs with AI. Yes, stale doc is a major problem if devs are using it. But if, as devs we are using ai for coding, perhaps we do not need docs anymore? I feel like I'm missing something.

Standardizing agent communication is at the center of the AI space battle. Making it it easier for agents to access tools, access data, and interact. In my latest article in @infoworld.bsky.social , I explore the top 3️⃣ AI communication protocols: MCP, A2A, & ACP. www.infoworld.com/article/4007...

Your story belongs on stage. The Call for Papers for Current 2025 – New Orleans is officially open! If you’ve wrangled data in production, shipped something cool, or helped a team unlock real-time magic—we want to hear from you. ✅ Engineers, architects, OSS contributors 📅 CFP Deadline: June 15

Hard earned but so worth it - data streaming engineer certificate 🎑

Should I use AI to read that PRD AI wrote? I feel like I’m in the matrix again. 😵‍💫

Using your brain is your greatest gift

#TechnologyAndFriends, Episode 847: Adi Polak (@adipolak.bsky.social) on AI Agents and the Necessary Data Infrastructure youtu.be/ngQ6o977MIA

There is no “in-between the lines” of the Shopify CEO memo in AI usage. It seems straightforward. Use AI or be left behind.

Happy 🥧 day!

One does not simply copy an Iceberg table

Took my new chargeable friend for a spin today, and this is what we've captured

Yes I do need to charge yet another device now. Tips and tricks would be awesome.

Apple plans a massive hiring spree of 20,000 positions for software engineers and researchers in the US. Big Apple is coming.

No one likes to debug production for hours when they can focus on higher impact things. Failure handling is one of the most frustrating things to do when working with distributed systems.

I sadly believe that this is only the beginning. There will be more rough edges. When cutting costs, something has to give.

This is a gentle reminder that open-source software can still collect data and send it to a dedicated server.

focus on what is within your control.

ai agents are still software

Tech companies that gatekeep with GitHub green squares are out of touch. Most engineers are too burnt out for side projects, especially parents or senior devs. Worse, these companies often ban side coding after hiring. It’s elitist, hypocritical, and a huge talent loss.