Develop Yourself #277 - RAG: The Only AI Skill Web Devs Need to Learn in 2026
Oct 6, 2025
Ben Johnson, CEO of Lobi Software and an entrepreneur focusing on AI systems, discusses his unique journey from diverse fields to software development. He highlights the importance of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for developers by 2026, explaining its practical applications in healthcare. Ben shares insights on coding bootcamps, sales strategies for AI products, and the need for reinventing social platforms. He predicts that engineers who embrace AI will thrive, while others may find themselves outdated.
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From LinkedIn Argument To Collaboration
- Brian met Ben after a LinkedIn disagreement that turned into a productive conversation and friendship.
- They quickly moved from DMs to a phone call and discovered mutual respect and complementary thinking.
Unconventional Route Into Software
- Ben described an unconventional path: audio engineering, restaurants, film, pet services, then coding via a bootcamp.
- He credits mentors and obsessive learning for accelerating his software career after the bootcamp.
Why RAG Is Enterprise-Ready
- RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) augments LLM responses with retrieved domain data to produce accurate, informed answers.
- Enterprises adopt RAG because it quickly impacts the bottom line by automating information-heavy tasks.