#178: How AI Is Actually Changing Software Teams with Hunter Hillegas

AI isn’t just speeding up coding. It’s starting to change how teams work, what they build, and even who needs to be involved. In this episode, Brian and Hunter separate real impact from hype and explore what’s already shifting inside teams.   Overview AI tools are improving fast, but what does that actually mean for teams doing the work? In this episode, Brian Milner sits down with Hunter Hillegas, CTO of Mountain Goat Software, to explore how AI is being used today inside real software teams. They dig into where these tools are genuinely accelerating work, from coding agents and automated testing to analyzing large data sets and reducing friction in everyday tasks. They also unpack the growing shift from writing code to reviewing it, and what that means for developers and team dynamics. At the same time, they address the gap between hype and reality. Where does AI perform well, and where does it still fall short? What happens when adoption is pushed top-down without clarity? And how might AI start to reshape roles, collaboration, and expectations across a team? This is a practical, honest look at what’s changing right now, where to start if you’re new to these tools, and how to think about AI as part of your team without losing sight of how real teams actually work.   References and resources mentioned in the show:   Hunter Hillegas Mountaingoat Software’s AI Toolkit #82: The Intersection of AI and Agile with Emilia Breton #169: Building Practical AI for Agile Teams with Hunter Hillegas #175: When AI Makes Agile Teams Worse with Hunter Hillegas AI Doesn’t Eliminate Agile Teams — It Increases the Need for Great Ones by Mike Cohn How to Use AI for Product Discovery and Writing Better User Stories by Mike Cohn Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast    Want to get involved? This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input.   Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one.   Got an Agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us at [email protected] This episode’s presenters are: Brian Milner is a Certified Scrum Trainer®, Certified Scrum Professional®, Certified ScrumMaster®, and Certified Scrum Product Owner®, and host of the Agile Mentors Podcast training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work.  Hunter Hillegas is the Chief Technology Officer at Mountain Goat Software. With over 20 years of experience in software development, product ownership, and team leadership, he leads the creation of tools like the AI Toolkit and Team Home to support effective, engaging learning experiences. Hunter lives in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife and their dog Enzo.