Experimenting with AI to Ship More Valuable Products with Mike Gehard

Artificial intelligence is radically transforming software development. AI-assisted coding tools are generating billions in investment, promising faster development cycles, and shifting engineering roles from code authors to code editors. But how does this impact software quality, security, and team dynamics? How can product teams embrace AI without falling into the hype? In this episode, AI assisted Agile expert Mike Gehard shares his hands-on experiments with AI in software development. From his deep background at Pivotal Labs to his current work pushing the boundaries of AI-assisted coding, Mike reveals how AI tools can amplify quality practices, speed up prototyping, and even challenge the way we think about source code. He discusses the future of pair programming, the evolving role of test-driven development, and how engineers can better focus on delivering user value. Unlock the full potential of your product team with Integral's player coaches, experts in lean, human-centered design. Visit integral.io/convergence for a free Product Success Lab workshop to gain clarity and confidence in tackling any product design or engineering challenge. Inside the episode... Mike's background at Pivotal Labs and why he kept returning How AI is changing the way we think about source code as a liability Why test-driven development still matters in an AI-assisted world The future of pair programming with AI copilots The importance of designing better software in an AI-driven development process Using AI to prototype faster and build user-facing value sooner Lessons learned from real-world experiments with AI-driven development The risks of AI-assisted software, from hallucinations to security Mentioned in this episode Mike's Substack: https://aiassistedagiledevelopment.substack.com/ Mike's Github repo: https://github.com/mikegehard/ai-assisted-agile-development Pivotal Labs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pivotal_Labs 12-Factor Apps: https://12factor.net/  GitHub Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot Cloud Foundry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_Foundry Lean Startup by Eric Ries: https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898 Refactoring by Martin Fowler and Kent Beck https://www.amazon.com/Refactoring-Improving-Existing-Addison-Wesley-Signature/dp/0134757599 Dependabot: https://github.com/dependabot Tessl CEO Guy Podjarny's talk: https://youtu.be/e1a3WuxTY-k  Aider AI Pair programming terminal: https://aider.chat/ Gemini LLM: https://gemini.google.com/app Perplexity AI: https://www.perplexity.ai/ DeepSeek: https://www.deepseek.com/ Ian Cooper's talk on TDD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN9lftH0cJc Mike's newest Mountain Bike IBIS Ripmo V2S: https://www.ibiscycles.com/bikes/past-models/ripmo-v2s Mike's recommended house slippers: https://us.giesswein.com/collections/mens-wool-slippers/products/wool-slippers-dannheim Sorba Chattanooga Mountain Biking Trails: https://www.sorbachattanooga.org/localtrails Subscribe to the Convergence podcast wherever you get podcasts, including video episodes on YouTube at youtube.com/@convergencefmpodcast Learn something? Give us a 5-star review and like the podcast on YouTube. It's how we grow.