In this engaging dialogue, Gene Kim, a prominent author and leader in DevOps, dives deep into the revolutionary concept of Vibe Coding. He tackles the provocative question of whether AI could replace engineers, providing insights into the roles of AI in software development. Gene shares an inspiring story of rapid app development and emphasizes the importance of smaller teams for better collaboration. He also discusses how Vibe Coding enhances experimentation and the significance of faster delivery in generating value, encouraging organizations to start embracing these practices now.
20:48
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Topo Pal's Five-Day Vibe-Coded App
Dr. Tapa Pal built a world-class internal SaaS app in five days using vibe coding and surprised his team.
Senior engineers declined to maintain it, and the junior engineer Swathi became the owner while demand and headcount grew.
insights INSIGHT
Smaller Paired Teams Become Powerful Units
Vibe Coding can shrink effective team size for many tasks to two: the business stakeholder and the developer.
Smaller paired teams can move faster and reduce coordination overhead for focused problems.
insights INSIGHT
Productivity Often Raises Demand, Not Cuts Jobs
Lowering software production cost often increases demand rather than reducing headcount (Jeavons paradox effect).
Increased productivity frequently leads to more software and potentially more jobs, not fewer.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Should you fire all your engineers and replace them with AI? That’s what Squirrel pitches to Gene Kim, our guest, when he returns for the second of a three part series exploring the themes of his new book Vibe Coding. Tune in to discover how you can transform your organisation with Vibe Coding and the power of AI assistance.
- Vibe Coding book: https://itrevolution.com/product/vibe-coding-book/
- Dr. Pal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tapabratapal
- Jevon’s Paradox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox
- Reinertsen, Principles of Product Development Flow: http://lpd2.com/
- DORA report 2025: https://dora.dev/research/2025/dora-report/
- MIT beer game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_distribution_game
--------------------------------------------------
You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com
--------------------------------------------------
About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.
Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html
Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/
Troubleshooting Agile 
