Name: Stop Just Writing Code: How AI Makes You a Better Product Engineer
Start: 2026-10-30T10:00:00-0400
End: 2026-10-30T10:45:00-0400

Stop Just Writing Code: How AI Makes You a Better Product Engineer

Friday October 30, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT

Harshman Rotunda

Software engineering can no longer mean operating in "ticket-taker" mode—passively implementing specs in isolation. As the traditional Venn diagram of code, product, and design increasingly converges, engineers who can comfortably navigate that overlap become exponentially more impactful teammates.
AI isn’t just an autocomplete tool; it is the ultimate lever to help you take on those broader responsibilities without burning out.
This session cuts through the high-level hype to look at how AI actually changes a developer's daily workflow. We will cover how to use AI as a strategic sounding board—whether you are debugging complex systems, building new full-stack features, or navigating architectural trade-offs. You will learn how to automate the repetitive parts of development while maintaining strict code quality, freeing you up to focus on the overall product vision and user impact.

Speakers

Phil Webster

Senior Software Engineer, WP Engine

Phil Webster is a Senior Software Engineer at WP Engine, where he maintains high-scale plugins like WP Migrate and Better Search Replace for over a million active users. In addition to contributing to WordPress core, he’s a huge advocate for digital accessibility and is currently... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT
Harshman Rotunda

Present Problem – Solution – Impact, Career Progression and Managing Up

Pittsburgh TechFest 2026

Phil Webster

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Pittsburgh TechFest 2026

Phil Webster

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