The Ruby AI Podcast Real vs. Fake AI with Evan Phoenix
17 snips
Jan 6, 2026 
Evan Phoenix, a veteran Ruby programmer and CEO of Mirren, shares insights on the evolving role of AI in software development. He distinguishes between real and fake AI, emphasizing AI as an implementation detail rather than just a product. The discussion delves into the impact of AI on engineering practices, such as performance optimization and human-centric design. Evan envisions a future where agents simplify coding and prediction while enhancing experimentation. He also predicts a resurgence of monolithic architectures as integration costs decline.
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Name Mixup With Other Evan Phoenixes
- Evan Phoenix shared how he and his wife created a new last name and the confusion it caused with other public Evan Phoenixes.
- He recounted getting repeated calls intended for a musician/author Evan Phoenix and finally clarifying the mistake on a call.
Use AI To Shorten Delivery Estimates
- Use AI assistants to dramatically compress engineering timelines when appropriate.
- Evan estimates tasks that used to take months can often be done in weeks with AI help.
Write RFDs Then Let AI Flesh Them Out
- Start designs with clear, written RFDs and iterate with AI to flesh plans rapidly.
- Feed RFDs into an agent to produce an implementation plan and example code for human review.