Luca and Jeff dive into how AI tools can supercharge embedded development workflows. Luca shares his extensive hands-on experience, while Jeff brings a fresh perspective as someone just starting to incorporate these tools. They explore how AI can help with coding, testing, and debugging - while emphasizing that good software engineering judgment remains crucial. The conversation is particularly timely since AI tools are evolving rapidly, unlike their usually more "evergreen" podcast topics.

A key insight they discuss is that while AI tools offer amazing productivity boosts (much like IDEs did), they're not replacing experienced developers anytime soon. However, they raise interesting questions about the future job market for junior developers. Their take? Modern developers should absolutely embrace AI tools, but use them thoughtfully - especially when learning.

Key Timestamps and Topics:

00:00:00 - Welcome and episode overview

00:00:43 - Why this topic won't age well (but that's okay!)

00:02:20 - Breaking down different AI coding tools

00:08:00 - Deep dive into aider and workflow integration

00:20:02 - Using AI for testing and test-driven development

00:27:00 - AI-assisted architecture work and its limitations

00:30:40 - How AI helps explore unfamiliar codebases

00:33:30 - Debugging with AI - pros and cons

00:38:50 - What this means for development jobs

00:43:59 - Using AI to learn new frameworks/languages

00:46:15 - Embedded Online Conference preview

You can find Jeff at https://jeffgable.com.
You can find Luca at https://luca.engineer.

Want to join the agile Embedded Slack? Click here

## Key Topics

* [00:30] Introduction to the listener's question about repository granularity in embedded development

* [01:15] The listener's approach: separate repositories for different work products in safety-critical industries

* [03:20] Luca's initial reaction and concerns about over-complication

* [05:45] Discussion of monorepo approaches and configuration management

* [08:10] The concept of micro-repositories and parallels to microservices

* [11:30] Using feature flags and CI pipelines instead of repository separation

## Notable Quotes

> "You're splitting something which ought to be joined together into different repositories and hiding whatever is happening within the repositories from the different users, from the different developers." — Luca Ingianni

> "The risk of course is that you will not spot divergence early enough because people just don't merge because it's a chore and because things might break, and of course that is the point - the earlier you notice that something breaks, the easier it will be to fix it." — Luca Ingianni

> "I'm willing to guarantee that you're going to get the architecture wrong at least on the first try. You think you're being really smart and you cut it up into a bunch of microservices or micro-repositories, and you're just going to get the boundaries wrong." — Luca Ingianni

> "I would opt for fewer repositories and rather do configuration management within the repositories as opposed to between repositories. Use feature flags, use tagging, use whatever you want to insulate changes that might be breaking from the rest of the code base." — Luca Ingianni

## Resources Mentioned

* John Taylor's Embedded Project Cookbook - A resource mentioned by the listener that discusses sequential events in embedded projects

* Trunk-Based Development - Development methodology discussed throughout the episode

* Minimum CD Podcast - Previous podcast episode referenced by the listener

You can find Jeff at https://jeffgable.com.
You can find Luca at https://luca.engineer.

Want to join the agile Embedded Slack? Click here

The episode discusses the concept of Minimum Viable Continuous Delivery (Minimum CD), which represents a counter-movement to heavyweight frameworks like SAFe. The hosts explore how Minimum CD provides a set of essential practices for successfully building software-based products without unnecessary complexity. The approach focuses on core principles rather than rigid frameworks, making it particularly relevant for embedded systems development.

The discussion covers the fundamental requirements for continuous delivery, including automated testing, pipeline-driven deployments, and trunk-based development. The hosts emphasize that while these practices may seem challenging for embedded systems, they become increasingly important as devices become more sophisticated and connected.

A key theme throughout the episode is the importance of building trust in the development process through automation, consistent practices, and cultural commitment. The hosts stress that while some practices may seem difficult to implement in embedded systems, the more challenging they are, the more valuable they become when successfully implemented.

Timestamps and Topics:
00:00:00 - Introduction and overview of Minimum CD
00:02:00 - Discussion of Minimum CD as counter-movement to complex frameworks
00:03:45 - Continuous Integration fundamentals
00:15:35 - Pipeline as the only way to deploy
00:27:00 - Production-like test environments
00:29:45 - Rollback capabilities for connected devices
00:32:25 - Configuration deployment with artifacts
00:34:50 - Trunk-based development principles
00:39:30 - Automated testing requirements
00:41:10 - Maintaining delivered work integrity
00:45:55 - Wrap-up and closing thoughts

Shownotes:

Link to minimumcd.org: https://minimumcd.org/
Reference to Brian Finster as instigator of Minimum CD
Reference to Raymond Chen's blog about Windows backward compatibility
Reference to previous episode on trunk-based development
Reference to interviews with Philip Johnston from Embedded Artistry
Reference to interview with Francois from Mend Fault
Link to Agile Embedded Slack group

You can find Jeff at https://jeffgable.com.
You can find Luca at https://luca.engineer.

Want to join the agile Embedded Slack? Click here