AI Driven Development (ADD)

I recently saw an insightful graphic circulating on LinkedIn that captures the essence of startup product development beautifully (and hilariously), using a classic car analogy. Historically, building products was akin to traditional manufacturing—slow, deliberate, methodical, much like crafting a complete car from scratch.

Today's agile or iterative approach, especially common in startups, flips this model. You start fast, build a barebones version quickly, and immediately put it in front of users. Through continuous cycles of feedback and incremental improvements, you gradually develop the product people actually want. This agile approach resonates deeply with my own experiences in building startups.

However, what's really caught my attention lately is the emergence of "AI-driven development," humorously depicted in the graphic with Homer Simpson in an elaborate, futuristic alien car. It amusingly—but accurately—captures my experience: AI lets you rapidly generate something that appears highly complex, packed with widgets, bells, and whistles.

Yet, there’s a catch. When I use highly agentic AI systems, half the features often end up broken or unnecessary. Despite starting with something seemingly "complete," you're forced back into the iterative cycle to strip out extraneous elements and refine what the user genuinely needs. AI accelerates initial creation dramatically, but doesn't eliminate the crucial iterative development process.

I've noticed many vibe-coded apps reminiscent of Homer’s alien car—flashy, elaborate, often overly complex. Yet, alongside those, I’ve also seen remarkably polished, user-ready products delivered astonishingly quickly.

Ultimately, AI-driven development magnifies the necessity for taste—a deep, nuanced understanding of customer needs, paired with thoughtful UX design and clean UI. Leaders like Gary Tan emphasize that taste truly matters. AI doesn’t diminish this—it heightens the importance of thoughtful, iterative refinement.

In short, AI-driven development doesn’t replace iterative refinement; it enhances and accelerates it. The key takeaway: embracing AI tools means being even more diligent about iterative cycles and tasteful design.