The starting point
A defence-tech firm wanted to move engineering and management at the same time. Engineers had a sense that AI could change how they write code. They had not found time to try it as a process on their own work. Management knew AI existed. They could not picture what it looks like in software development, or what to ask of the team.
The problem
- Knowing is not enough. The options are known. There is no block in the calendar to try them on real work.
- Management without a picture. They do not know whether the team uses AI at the edges or every day. They do not know what output to ask for.
- Two sides, one problem. Move only the engineers and leadership cannot follow. Move only management and engineering stays at chat.
The solution: a day for engineering, two hours for leadership
We ran two formats in one firm. Josef Nevoral was the lead instructor on the workshop.
For engineering and R&D, a full-day hackathon on agentic engineering and spec-driven development. From a spec based on a management request, through code an agent generates, to a test.
For management, a two-hour workshop: how modern teams use AI, what they can expect from engineering, and in which areas (marketing, production, logistics) it makes sense to start in their case.
How it works:
- Engineers leave with a process. Not a link to an article. Spec, code, test in one day.
- Management leaves with a map of areas. Not a list of tools. Where it makes sense for them.
- Both sides in the same firm. Leadership then knows what to ask. The team knows what to deliver.
What changed
- A process instead of evening experiments. Engineering has a path from request to tested code.
- A shared language. Management sees how engineering actually works with AI. They stop putting chat and production in the same bucket.
- Where to start outside engineering. Leadership has areas, not a promise that “AI will fix everything”.
What transfers to your company
- Allocate time, not just a licence. The team often knows the options exist. They are missing a day when they are allowed to try it on their own work.
- Management needs to see engineering, not a slide. Otherwise they do not know what to ask for on Monday.
- Both sides at once. A hackathon without leadership stays in R&D. A workshop without engineering stays in the notes.
How to bring this into your company
If you want to know what an intervention like this would look like for you, let us start with a 15-minute call. We go through whether it makes sense in your company and which of our workshops is the best starting point. More stories from firms are in case studies.