Ted Young didn’t just write code, he’s been rethinking how we write it for decades.

After working with the likes of Google and Apple, Ted became obsessed with making development more precise and less chaotic. Forget the “code first, test later” approach that most of us fall into. Ted's here to challenge that mindset with Test-Driven Development by breaking it down into actionable steps that save time and save you from the endless debugging trap.

In this episode, Ted talks about why specifications are the key to shipping clean code, how AI is teaching us to repeat the same mistakes, and why thinking first can prevent hours of wasted time. Oh, and did we mention he turned his TDD method into a board game?

If you’re tired of writing code that never quite meets your expectations, this episode will show you a new, smarter way to work.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why starting with specifications can save you from endless debugging
2. How Test-Driven Development (TDD) is more about thinking than just testing
3. Why AI is amplifying the same mistakes developers already make without clear plans

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Meet Ted Young

(01:45) The problem with coding without thinking first

(05:10) Why "test-first" is the wrong approach

(09:00) Ted’s journey from trial-and-error coding to TDD

(12:30) How AI is teaching us the wrong workflow

(15:45) Why specifications are more important than you think

(19:30) Breaking down Test-Driven Development into nine steps

(23:50) Turning TDD into a board game

(28:10) The challenge of writing clean code with AI

(32:05) Why TDD isn’t just about writing tests

(36:30) How developers can avoid the "burn toast" scenario

(40:15) The real cost of messy, untested code

(44:00) The importance of breaking code down into small, manageable steps

(48:20) How Ted uses AI to rethink development processes

(52:10) Final thoughts on the future of AI and coding

Resources:

Ted Young’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedmyoung/

Spiral Learning website: https://www.spirallearningllc.com/

Robotics clubs aren’t supposed to feel like real engineering jobs, but for Max Bretschneider and his club, they did.

He joined his university’s autonomous car team before he ever sat through his first lecture. Five years later, he’s mentoring new builders, competing internationally, and working professionally in autonomous vehicles.

Max’s secret to keeping a volunteer-only robotics team alive? A development environment that newcomers can actually use.

In this episode, Nicky Pike sits down with Max Bretschneider to talk about onboarding students with wildly different experience levels, eliminating the hardware barriers that stop people from joining, and why templates became the backbone of a million-line robotics project.

If you’ve ever tried to teach someone Ubuntu while your robot is trying to drive into a wall, this one will feel close to home.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. How a cloud workspace removes the hardware barriers that block new robotics students from learning
2. Why templates make debugging and version switching faster in large robotics projects
3. What real mentorship looks like when nobody has the full answer

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Meet Max Bretschneider

(00:42) Why robotics forces developers to learn everything

(01:46) How Max discovered Coder at work

(03:03) Giving up the local machine for a cloud workspace

(05:26) Balancing experience levels inside the robotics club

(07:08) Mentoring new developers with open source culture

(10:40) The onboarding challenges of running ROS in university clubs

(13:20) The impact of varying levels of student experience on the robotics club

(15:30) How community keeps robotics teams alive

(17:00) The race car challenge that stuck with Max

(18:07) The three-wheels-in rule that won them points

(20:30) Why hardware and OS requirements block new members

(23:06) The pain of switching ROS versions locally

(25:10) Teaching students without grabbing the keyboard

(30:24) Building and customizing robotics templates in Coder

(34:42) The role of simulations in testing and development

(39:12) Preparing simulations for competitions

(42:09) The importance of developing a strategy post-competition

(46:11) How the routine of competition day separates experienced members from newcomers

(50:14) The transition to AI-driven robots and the excitement it brings

(52:04) How tech companies could better support robotics programs

(53:23) Moving towards web-based tools for robotics development

(54:33) What being a coder means to Max

Resources:

Max Bretschneider’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-bretschneider-895351237/

Mercedes-Benz AG website: http://www.mercedes-benz.com/

What if the technology you once doubted could change the way you work forever?

In this episode of [Dev]olution, host Nicky Pike sits down with Keiran Sweet, Service Line Lead at Amdocs Cloud Studio, to talk about his journey from AI skeptic to AI advocate. Keiran shares how bringing tools like Coder into his team’s workflow has changed the way they work, from speeding up onboarding to automating routine tasks.

Through their conversation, Keiran reflects on the challenges, breakthroughs, and tangible benefits AI has brought to their development process. He talks about the real-world impact of these tools and why adopting AI in development is no longer just an option but a necessity for staying competitive. Whether you’re still uncertain about AI or already experimenting with it, this episode will give you a deeper understanding of its potential to reshape the future of development.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Keiran's personal journey from skepticism to fully embracing AI tools in development
2. How Coder’s AI-driven cloud development environments are boosting efficiency and streamlining processes
3. Why hands-on experimentation with AI is crucial to unlocking its full potential in real-world workflows

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Meet Keiran Sweet

(02:00) Keiran’s journey into AI and why he was skeptical

(05:15) The turning point that made Keiran embrace AI

(08:00) How AI tools like Coder opened new possibilities

(11:00) The early skepticism surrounding AI tools

(14:30) The role of experimentation in building trust with AI

(17:15) Amdocs’ Cloud Studio and how it integrates AI

(20:00) Practical examples of AI speeding up developer workflows

(23:15) How AI is changing the speed of developer onboarding

(26:00) Overcoming initial doubts about the practical use of AI

(29:00) The collaboration between developers and AI agents

(32:30) Learnings from integrating AI into real workflows

(35:45) How AI tools fit into the broader development process

(39:00) Advice to developers hesitant about using AI

(42:30) Why AI requires maturity before widespread adoption

(45:00) The future potential of AI tools in development environments

(46:47) Trusting AI and the future of AI in development

(48:29) The benefits of integrating AI for real-time problem solving

(50:30) Keiran’s thoughts on how AI handles multiple tasks simultaneously

(52:00) Overcoming challenges with AI tools in development workflows

(54:10) AI’s role in reducing manual coding and improving developer efficiency

(57:20) Defining a coder: AI’s growing impact on the development industry

(59:15) The future of AI and how to stay ahead

Resources:

Keiran Sweet’s LinkedIn: https:/.linkedin.com/in/keiransweet/

Amdocs website: https:/amdocs.com/