Spring Office Hours S5E02 - Topic Smorgasbord
Jan 13, 2026
Dan and DaShaun dive into a vibrant community Q&A, tackling everything from upcoming conference plans to using AI for better presentation submissions. They discuss the balance between mastering AI tools and learning fundamentals, while recommending practical steps for adopting tech incrementally. The duo highlights new features in the Spring ecosystem, including updates on Spring AI, and promotes effective practices like prompt caching to optimize usage. They round off with insights on productivity automation and soliciting community input for future topics.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Use AI As A Pair Programmer
- Use AI as a pair programmer to research and iterate, not just to produce a finished abstract or code dump.
- Break problems into smaller steps and use AI to brainstorm approaches before asking it to write code or copy.
New Programmable Abstraction Layer
- AI creates a new programmable abstraction layer developers must learn, from agents to plugins and IDE integrations.
- Mastering a few components incrementally yields more leverage than trying to learn everything at once.
AI Skills Change Hiring Dynamics
- New graduates using generative AI may outpace seniors who refuse to adopt these tools.
- Treat AI as an amplifying skill rather than an optional fringe capability or you'll be left behind.
