Event Summary
AI tools have gotten remarkably good at writing code. What used to take hours of boilerplate and syntax lookup can now happen in seconds. That changes the game — but it also changes what you need to be good at.
This will be a hands-on introduction to building software with AI assistants. Using Claude Code and other modern tools, we'll write real features, fix real bugs, and see firsthand how AI accelerates development — and where it quietly introduces problems if you're not paying attention. You'll learn how to work with AI coding tools effectively, how to evaluate what they generate instead of blindly trusting it, and why practices like testing, code review, and version control become your most important safety net when AI is writing the code.
Whether you write code daily or are exploring development for the first time, you'll leave with practical skills and a clear-eyed view of what AI can and can't do for you.
Speaker
Bryon Jacob
Bryon Jacob is an independent technology advisor and AI strategist based in Austin, Texas, where he works with early-stage startups on technology strategy, AI implementation, and fundraising. He previously served as Chief Technology Officer at data.world, leading the company through a successful acquisition, and spent a decade at HomeAway (now VRBO), from just after founding through its IPO and acquisition by Expedia. Bryon's AI expertise began in graduate school at Case Western Reserve University, where he studied both symbolic AI and machine learning. He has authored widely cited research on how knowledge graphs can improve large language models' accuracy over structured data, and is a founding board member of the Austin AI Alliance.
Attendance Instructions
📍 Where: Capital Factory (Apollo Room, Level 1). In-person only!
🎟️ Tickets: Registration via Eventbrite is required to attend. Please only register if you can attend, and cancel at least 24 hours in advance if you can no longer attend.
🚗 Parking: Paid street and garage parking are available. No validation is provided. More Parking Info.