Managing Speed & Risk in the Age of AI Development

In this episode, host Logan Lyles sits down with Rich Theil (Founder, Product Forge), Justin Billig (CEO & Co-Founder, Tensure), and Joe Kerstanoff (Director of Platform Engineering, Tensure) to unpack how AI-assisted development is changing the speed, structure, and risk profile of software delivery, especially for financial services and fintech organizations that need to move faster without losing security, compliance, or control.

The conversation explores why engineering may no longer be the biggest bottleneck, why “user stories are dead” in Rich’s view, and how richer specs, better business context, and stronger internal platforms are becoming essential as teams move from idea to prototype in hours instead of weeks. The group also digs into why faster coding does not automatically create business value, and why platform engineering becomes even more important as AI changes how software gets built.

The conversation covers:

• Why software delivery feels dramatically different in the age of AI-assisted development
• How the bottleneck is shifting from engineering to business clarity, requirements, and handoffs
• Rich’s argument that traditional user stories are giving way to richer specs and deeper context
• Why engineers need to understand more of the business, customer, and product strategy
• The risk of assuming faster development automatically creates faster business value
• How financial services teams can use AI without creating more rework, operational risk, or compliance exposure
• Why agent harnesses, guardrails, observability, and governance matter in regulated environments
• The growing importance of internal developer platforms as the foundation for AI-era delivery
• How platform engineering helps teams move faster while staying inside security and compliance standards
• Why technology transformation and culture transformation have to move together
• Practical advice for financial services and fintech leaders who want to learn, experiment, and adopt AI without waiting too long

Whether you are a CTO, CIO, engineering leader, product leader, or technology executive in financial services, this episode offers a practical look at how AI is reshaping software delivery, and why the organizations that win will be the ones that pair speed with clear business direction, stronger platforms, and intentional guardrails.