In this episode, Matt is joined by Laura Tacho, CTO at DX — one of the leading voices in developer experience research and tooling. Together, they unpack how AI is really affecting software development teams, why developer experience has a “marketing problem,” and why organizational friction — not technology — is the biggest productivity killer.

If you’ve been wondering whether AI is living up to the hype in engineering teams, this conversation will give you the data, the reality, and the leadership takeaways you can act on today.

Key Discussion Points

[01:21] – What “Developer Experience” Really Means

[03:28] – The Real Sources of Developer Friction

[04:20] – Core Developer Experience Problems (Pre- and Post-AI)

[06:19] – Clarity as a Competitive Advantage

[08:58] – The Mistake of “Shit Shielding”

[08:51] – How AI Raises the Stakes for Product Thinking

[10:33] – The 10x Developer Myth’s Real Origin

[12:03] – Measuring Developer Experience with the DX Index

[14:33] – The Role of Leadership in Removing Friction

Resources & Links

DX – Research and tools for improving developer experience: https://getdx.com/

Developer Experience Index https://getdx.com/dxi-reporting

Subscribe to the Product Driven Newsletter: https://productdriven.com/newsletter

What Smart CTOs Are Doing Differently With Offshore Teams in 2025: https://hirefullscale.com/offshore-hiring-guide

AI can scaffold an app in seconds, but can it refactor that thousand-line React file when the first bug hits production?

In this episode, I sit down with Brian Jenney software engineer and program owner of the coding bootcamp Parsity, to draw a hard line between “code that runs” and “code that lasts.” From mentoring career-switchers to stress-testing AI in real-world pipelines, Brian shares why craftsmanship and product judgment still beat copy-paste prompts.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://newsletter.productdriven.com/

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/

GET THE PRODUCT DRIVEN BOOK: https://productdriven.com/book

Connect with Brian on LinkedIn :https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianjenney/

Check out Parsity here: https://www.parsity.io/

Key Discussion Points:

“You have to be smarter than the AI.” Why blindly shipping generated code is the fastest way to paint yourself into a technical-debt corner

The hidden risk of non-deterministic models—like failing a simple “greater-than” check in production tests

A training rule of thumb: no AI for your first months of study, then use it only to reinforce fundamentals—not replace them

The “house-of-cards” analogy for code quality and why maintainability still matters when AI writes the first draft

How Parsity’s tight-knit model turns plumbers, teachers, and even doctors into disciplined, product-minded engineers

If you’re running a startup, chances are you’re the bottleneck.

Brittany Rastsmith joins Product Driven to talk through why founders constantly end up in this trap and how to escape it. She works with early-stage companies through her consulting firm, Bloom Remote, and she's seen it all. We get into how to create clarity, visibility, and accountability across your team so you’re not stuck answering every question, solving every problem, or staying up all night wondering if anything is getting done.

If you want your team to take ownership and drive outcomes—not just check boxes—this episode is for you.

[01:36] - Why being the bottleneck it's a stage

[03:06] - Choose your hard: micromanage or build trust

[08:06] - How to measure what matters

[11:06] - Delegating doesn't work if you dump chaos

[15:06] - Explain your thinking if you want your team to carry it out

[16:36] - The power of decision logs and written rationale

[20:21] - Why psychological safety is key to team ownership

[22:06] - Rubber-stamping is the death of progress

[24:36] - Why most managers are untrained (and why that matters)

[28:36] - Productivity vs. busyness: where your team might be stuck

[29:51] - Inputs vs. outcomes: how to tell what's actually broken

[31:41] - Where to find Brittany and learn more about Bloom Remote

Links & Resources:

Brittany Rastsmith on LinkedIn:

Bloom Remote

Get the Book: https://mybook.to/productdriven

Newsletter: productdriven.com

Connect with Matt: https://linkedin.com/in/mattwatson

Get the Offshore Hiring Guide: https://hirefullscale.com/offshore-hiring-guide