You don't need more code. You need more business impact. | Thoughtworks' Chris Westerhold
A guide to reducing engineering waste.
Is your engineering team shipping more code but creating less business impact?
We're joined by Chris Westerhold, Global Practice Director at Thoughtworks, to confront why engineering waste is so difficult to define and eliminate. He explains that for many teams, the issue isn't a lack of tools but a lack of a clear “North Star” to align their efforts with real business goals, diving into why so much well-intentioned work results in wasted effort and increased friction.
Chris argues that most efficiency problems are rooted in people and processes, not technology, and why a “systems thinking” approach is crucial for real improvement. He shares insights on balancing developer freedom with platform standardization and the leadership required to build a culture of continuous improvement. Learn why focusing on better outcomes, not just more code, is the key to unlocking your team's true potential.
"You see lots of people that will always jump to the technology problem. You know, as technologists we're like, 'Yeah, we always want more technology.' That sounds great, but it's almost always a people problem or a process problem."
— Chris Westerhold
The Download
The Download is a code review for your brain. ⚙️
1. Atlassian's State of Developer Experience shows AI is rising star 🌟
Atlassian's latest report results reveal a seismic shift in developer productivity, with 68% of engineers reporting over 10 hours saved per week thanks to AI tools, up from 54% last year. This newfound efficiency is prompting a cultural shift, with developers focusing on improving code quality, enhancing engineering culture, and even diving into documentation. Be sure to check out the accompanying blog post from past guest Andrew Boyagi.
Read: Atlassian’s State of Developer Experience Report 2025
2. Context engineering is the new frontier in AI 🛠️
Forget prompt engineering, context engineering is where it’s at! In a recent blog post, AI expert and recent podcast guest Philipp Schmid emphasizes the importance of providing rich context to LLMs, rather than relying on simplistic prompts. Crafting a well-structured context can turn a mediocre AI interaction into a powerful tool. Learn his techniques for tackling context as a system, rather than just a string.
Read: The New Skill in AI is Not Prompting, It's Context Engineering
3. Cloudflare's pay-per-crawl is a new era for web content 💰
Cloudflare is shaking things up with their new pay-per-crawl model, allowing content owners to charge crawlers for access to their data. This innovative approach leverages the hardly-used HTTP 402 Payment Required response, potentially transforming how automated systems interact with web content. If successful, this could usher in a world where information is free for humans but comes at a price for AI, talk about a digital toll booth! This pay-per-crawl technology paves the way to charging agents for access to web content.
Read: Introducing pay per crawl: Enabling content owners to charge AI crawlers for access
What if you could cut code migration time in half like Google?
Discover how Google used AI to automate 75% of their migration changes, boosting developer productivity by 50%. LinearB’s DevEx Guide to AI-Driven Software Development breaks down Google’s real-world strategy, plus gives you the frameworks to adopt AI thoughtfully across your SDLC.
Don’t settle for hype. Learn how the best do it.
4. Meta's $200M poaching spree: desperation or strategy? 😎
In the latest twist of the AI talent wars, Meta has reportedly offered over $200 million to poach Apple’s head of foundation models. While this jaw-dropping sum underscores the fierce competition for AI talent, it raises eyebrows about Meta’s innovation track record. Is this a brilliant strategy or a desperate move from Zuckerberg? For most of us, it’s a reminder that effective AI investments are about smart experimentation, not blockbuster budgets.
Read: Meta offered Apple’s head of foundation models more than $200M to jump ship
