AI is changing how software gets built — but the developers who thrive won't be the ones who hand everything over to AI. They'll be the ones who know how to direct it.
In this talk, Teja delivers a practical guide for software developers on how to work with AI to dramatically amplify output, quality, and speed — without losing the engineering judgment that makes a great developer irreplaceable.
What you'll learn:
- Writing AI-friendly requirements that get better results
- Breaking down large problems for AI to tackle in chunks
- Using AI to review your code and keep your docs up to date
- Structuring multi-round AI conversations effectively
- Making your repositories agent-ready
Whether you're just getting started with AI-assisted development or looking to level up your workflow, you'll walk away with a concrete set of practices to apply immediately.
About Presenter: Teja Dhanekula
Teja Dhanekula is a software engineer and tech lead at Avalara, one of the world's leading cloud compliance companies, where he works on building robust, scalable tax engineering solutions. With a strong foundation in software development and a sharp focus on engineering excellence, Teja brings real-world experience to the intersection of developer productivity and emerging AI tooling.
Teja is passionate about how AI can act as a force multiplier for engineering teams — not as a replacement for skilled developers, but as a powerful collaborator that amplifies what great engineers can do. He has hands-on experience integrating AI-assisted workflows into day-to-day development practices, from writing AI-friendly requirements to structuring repositories for agent readiness.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teja-dhanekula-13623857/
