Ashish Aggarwal, Founder and CTO of Productiv and a savvy investor, shares his wisdom on navigating today's startup landscape. He discusses the shift towards sustainable growth, emphasizing the need for founders to prioritize real customer needs over reckless expansion. The conversation also dives into the challenges and opportunities presented by remote work and managing distributed teams. Additionally, Ashish highlights the transformative role of AI in boosting productivity while outlining strategies for keeping high-performing teams engaged and motivated.

Cory O'Daniel, CEO and co-founder of MassDriver, brings over 20 years of experience in DevTools and platform engineering. In a lively discussion, he debunks the myth of the ‘Golden Path’ in DevOps, revealing the pitfalls many organizations face. He shares insights on the evolution of cloud operations and the transformative role of internal developer platforms. Cory raises thought-provoking questions about measuring success in platform engineering and the challenges of balancing new hires with operational demands, making this conversation a must-listen for tech enthusiasts.

Dheeraj Pandey, the dynamic CEO and co-founder of DevRev, previously helmed Nutanix to a staggering $16 billion valuation. In this engaging talk, he shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey and the lessons learned about innovation and leadership. Dheeraj emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to AI, urging businesses to rethink customer support strategies. He discusses the integration of AI in product development, the importance of customer-centric design, and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit within teams for meaningful growth.

In this discussion, Daniela Miao, co-founder and CTO of Momento, shares her journey from building DynamoDB at AWS to leading a real-time data infrastructure platform. She emphasizes the critical role of observability in accelerating development cycles and avoiding pitfalls in startups. Daniela dives into the strategic shift to Rust, discussing its benefits and the importance of team alignment and communication. She also offers insights on balancing technical projects with business goals and highlights essential metrics for effective system observability.

Malte Ubl, the CTO of Vercel, dives into the vital role of iteration speed in enhancing team productivity. He explains how platform engineering reshapes modern software development by balancing centralized and decentralized teams. Malte shares insights on leveraging AI tools like GitHub Copilot to streamline workflows and accelerate development cycles. The discussion also highlights the importance of effective team structures and the evolving roles of individual contributors and managers in this rapidly changing landscape.

Brandon Jung, Vice President of Ecosystem at Tabnine, discusses the advantages of specialized AI models over general large language models. He highlights how tailored solutions can enhance developer productivity and code quality while addressing data transparency and integrity issues. The conversation also touches on regulatory challenges like the EU’s AI Act and why true AGI is still distant. Jung emphasizes the need for teams to adapt and train developers effectively to leverage AI tools, ensuring security and streamlined workflows in software development.

Amir Behbehani, Founder of Memra and Chief AI Engineer, dives into the transformative world of Agentic AI. He explains how AI agents can act independently to boost productivity tenfold. The conversation explores the integration of AI in software development and how it changes engineers' roles. Amir highlights the importance of transparency in AI systems and discusses the exciting potential of AI in reshaping business operations. With insights on synthetic marketplaces and the future of automation, this discussion offers a glimpse into the evolving landscape of work.

Aarathi Vidyasagar, VP of Engineering at LinkedIn, shares insights on how strong soft skills are becoming essential for engineers in today's tech landscape. She highlights a LinkedIn study showing engineers with these skills are promoted 13% faster. Aarathi discusses the importance of communication, empathy, and leadership in a world increasingly influenced by AI. She also emphasizes the need for continuous learning and prepares engineering teams to thrive by balancing technical abilities with vital interpersonal skills for collaboration and innovation.

Peter McKee, Vice President of Developer Relations and Community at Sonar, discusses the evolving landscape of generative AI for development teams. He shares insights on balancing speed and quality while emphasizing the importance of foundational coding skills, especially for junior developers. The conversation also highlights the necessity of quality control through static code analysis. McKee provides practical strategies for implementing AI tools safely, advocating for a measured approach that demonstrates ROI while enhancing team productivity.

Eytan Seidman, Director of Product at Shopify, discusses how Shopify's unique engineering culture drives exceptional developer experiences. He explains the importance of a mission-driven approach and a supportive onboarding process for new hires. Eytan highlights the value of autonomy in empowering teams to innovate without bottlenecks. He also shares insights on leveraging AI and internal benchmarks to enhance productivity. Tune in for actionable strategies that can transform product development and engineering leadership!