Say No More: What AI Actually Changes [Part 2]

AI makes it easier to build almost anything. So why does that make the job harder?In this episode, Matt sits down with Font Awesome founder Dave Gandy and engineer Travis Chase to get past the hype and into the real day-to-day of building with AI. The conversation covers what's actually changing on the team, where AI falls short, and what human skills matter more now than they did before.If you're a designer, developer, or anyone trying to figure out where you fit in a world where your output can suddenly go 10x — this one's worth your time. Dave and Travis don't pretend the answers are simple. They also don't pretend the concerns aren't real.Fair warning: Dave also makes a case for revisiting waterfall development. It's more convincing than it has any right to be.What We CoverWhy producing more means your quality bar has to get sharper, not looserThe discernment problem — when you can build anything, how do you decide what's worth building?Why saying no is now a more important skill than everThe strongest AI concerns Dave and Travis actually take seriously (energy, training data ethics, governance)Why AI seems to help people become more of who they already areHow to stay curious and useful during a major technology transition without chasing every squirrelTimestamps0:00 Cold open — from low-level to strategy0:38 Intro1:30 Where AI falls short right now2:00 Quality control when output explodes2:30 Taste, responsibility, and Jory's point at the snuggle3:00 The discernment problem and snacktivities4:20 Simplicity means saying no more than yes5:30 Chasing waterfalls — does waterfall development make a comeback?6:00 The strongest anti-AI arguments worth taking seriously6:45 Energy, ethics, and training data consent8:00 Technology's evolution and the genie that's out of the bottle9:00 The Industrial Revolution farmer analogy9:45 Superheroes, supervillains, and hiring for character first10:20 Two ditches: navigating between idealism and cynicism11:10 Rev share and what the world should look like11:45 Governance, compromise, and garbage design13:30 Washing machines and making more clean water14:00 Guiding principles for using AI internally15:00 Company behaviors as an AI framework: curious, humble, adventurous16:00 AI helps people become more of who they are16:45 AI will ask people to operate at a higher level18:00 Refusing to engage is the riskiest move of all19:00 We need critical voices — and we need them in the room20:00 Echo chambers, bad data, and the water story21:30 The world is hopeful — spend your life in wonder22:30 Home prices, colonizing planets, and the leap to the real world23:00 OutroCreditsHosted by Matt JohnsonFeaturing Dave Gandy and Travis ChaseProduced and edited by Matt JohnsonTheme song by Ronnie MartinMusic interstitials by Zach MalmVideo editing by Isaac Chase🔗 Font Awesome: https://fontawesome.com 🔗 Check out episode one of the conversation! https://www.podcastawesome.com/2092855/episodes/19065993-build-week-what-we-made-part-1-with-dave-travis🔗 Podcast Awesome: https://podcastawesome.com#PodcastAwesome #FontAwesome #AI #DesignAndDevelopment #TechEthics #SoftwareDevelopmentStay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!