The Pragmatic Engineer
Developer Experience at Uber with Gautam Korlam
Mar 12, 2025
Gautam Korlam, co-founder of the AI startup Gitar and former mobile engineer at Uber, shares hilarious tales from his time at Uber, including the infamous accidental deletion of their Java monorepo. He discusses the pros and cons of monorepos while detailing unique engineering solutions like SubmitQueue. Gautam highlights the importance of building trust among engineers and how AI tools are revolutionizing developer productivity. He also dives into the evolving skills needed as automation transforms the industry, making for an insightful conversation on future tech trends.
01:20:35
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Quick takeaways
- Vibe coding promotes rapid prototyping by allowing developers to prioritize outcomes over intricate implementation details, enhancing the overall user experience.
- The incident of accidentally deleting Uber's Java monorepo underscores the necessity for robust code management practices and automated backup systems.
Deep dives
Understanding Vibe Coding
Vibe coding represents a new approach in software development that emphasizes rapid iteration and prototyping. It allows developers to focus on achieving desired outcomes rather than getting bogged down in the details of implementation. This method enables experimentation with different design elements until the right user experience feels intuitive. The flexibility it promotes helps developers adapt their coding processes as they better understand system behaviors, making it particularly effective during the early stages of software design.
