Hey, I’m Lindsay, the host of Make Sense w/ Lindsay T., Lady Engineer®, a weekly podcast where my guests and I simplify complex topics at the intersection of people & technology. We analyze whatever hot mess is in the news, evaluate trending innovations through a human-first lens, and take deep dives on a need-to-know basis.
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Making Sense of AI Vibe Coding and Whether it Will Replace Programmers
As AI reshapes the act of coding, the value of a software developer is shifting from how fast they can ship to how deeply they can think.
How can we make sense of what it means to grow from just writing lines of code to shaping the vision behind them?
In this episode of Make Sense, Nolan Makatche (FinTech Founder, Software Engineer & Cloud Architect) and I talk about the pros and cons of integrating AI coding tools into a software engineer’s toolbox. We explore how AI is shifting the value of developers from coding to critical thinking and problem-solving.
What You’ll Learn from Nolan Makatche on the Make Sense Podcast
- What the current landscape feels like for software engineers and developers
- How developers’ approaches to AI tools vary across different experience levels
- What is “vibe coding” and why do some perceive it as a mind virus
- How, when, and who will be replaced by AI programming tools
- The mindset engineers need so as not to be replaced
Reference the full show notes below.
Choice Quote
“I do think we’ll still need engineers. I can’t predict how things will change in the long run, but in the short term, I think it’s still required to have an engineer’s mindset, being able to solve problems, thinking in systems, and working through problem in efficient ways. These will be required, and AI will just be a tool that helps people build quicker. I don’t see it replacing all engineers.”
– Nolan Makatche
Buck the media hype cycle. Calm the fear-mongering. Laugh at the inanity of Tech CEO “hero culture.” Be the smartest person in your peer’s LinkedIn feed:
Never Have I Ever…Internet Culture Edition
This new segment is an amuse-bouche before diving into the heavy stuff. I call out past internet habits, and my guests tell us whether they are guilty. If you’d like, join in on the fun by taking a sip of your beverage-of-choice!
(1:45) “Never have I ever…
- 02:42 …argued over who should be in my MySpace Top 8
- 03:27 …set my AOL Instant Messenger status to song lyrics just to get someone’s attention
- 04:49 …anxiously waited for the dial up internet connection to load.
- 05:32 …crashed my family computer downloading a song from LimeWire, Napster, or any other file-sharing program.
Which ones are you guilty of?
Show Notes
00:00 Episode Introduction
01:45 Segment 1: Never Have I Ever (Internet Edition!)
08:50 Segment Two: Your Code Can Be Replaced, But You Can’t
09:34 What is the current landscape for software developer’s work?
10:49 What is “vibe coding”?
12:39 What’s your perspective on “AI is going to take our jobs”?
14:00 Is this advice different for “engineers” vs. “developers”?
15:25 The Spectrum of AI Tool Adoption
17:50 Security Issues When Using AI Coding Tools
19:44 The Importance of Code Quality in AI Development
21:38 Do AI tools help or hurt the quality of code?
23:02 AI’s Impact on Job Security in Tech
23:26 How do you define what it means to be a great software engineer today?
24:56 Should Younger People Be Scared About AI or AI Taking Their Jobs?
25:28 Building in Public: Sharing Your Work
26:44 From Coding to Problem Solving: The Founder Mindset
27:20 How can developers stay relevant and valuable?
28:36 Segment 3: From Keyboard to Visionboard – Becoming a founder
29:05 How do you go from ‘what can I build’ to ‘what should I build’?
30:18 Lesson Learned: I’m doing things differently next time
32:38 Communication Skills for Technical Founders
34:53 Which product or leadership skills do you see most technical founders struggle with?
35:04 Understanding Project Scope and User Needs
40:54 Let’s Make it Make Sense
About Nolan Makatche
Nolan is a FinTech founder, software engineer, and cloud architect who’s as committed to building startups as he is to crafting and uplifting tech ecosystems. As a co-organizer of Code & Coffee in Philadelphia, he’s creating space for connectin, collaboration, and continuous learning in tech. Whether Nolan’s scaling infrastructure or connecting with other founders, he brings clarity, curioisyt and a systems-level mindset to every conversation.
Connect with Nolan Makatche
Website: https://linktr.ee/nolanmakatche
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nolan_makatche
Twitter/X: https://x.com/NolanMakatche<
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-mak/
Nolan’s Book Recommendations
Where to find Lindsay Tabas
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaytabas
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LindsayTLadyEngineer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaytladyengineer
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- Each week’s Make Sense podcast
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- Personal and authentic stories to become better futurists
- Opportunities to meet IRL
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