A veteran engineering leader who has navigated five major technology shifts — mainframe, internet, Agile, cloud, and AI — warns that the hype curve lies in both directions. The real danger for experienced engineers isn't chasing hype, but letting hard-won skepticism become an excuse to stand still. Key advice: establish measurable baselines before adopting AI tools, run small time-boxed pilots with pre-defined success criteria, ring-fence experiments to protect core delivery, communicate transitions clearly, and recognize that AI is a mentality shift — not just a process change — requiring generalists who can frame problems, prompt effectively, and own outcomes.
Table of contents
You Can’t Measure Improvement Without a BaselineEvaluate Like an Engineer, Not a MarketerProtect Delivery While You ExperimentNarrate the Transition, and Reset It Early When Reality ChangesAI Is a Mentality Change, Not Just a Process ChangeSumming It Up4.3K Impressions