What if AI could hear what doctors can’t?

This week James welcomes, Dr. Morris Nguyen, founder and CEO of Predicate, to explore how AI is transforming healthcare by combining patient voice and vital signs to detect critical illness early. Morris shares his journey from critical care physician to tech founder, what it takes to bridge medicine and machine learning, and why empathy may be AI’s most powerful feature. Together, they unpack what it means to build predictive, equitable healthcare technology, and the surprising challenges of scaling real-world innovation.

/digital health: rewriting the rules of care

Is platform engineering the missing link in real AI adoption?

This week, we welcome Matan Grady, lead AI PM at Port, to unpack why platform engineering is the control plane for AI adoption. We cover the move from chat UIs to agentic workflows, what it takes to trust AI in production (secrets, permissions, guardrails, human-in-the-loop), and how MCP servers connect agents to calendars, docs, and code. Matan explains why AI evals should measure outcomes—not outputs—and shares a real win: turning a manual changelog into an AI agent PMs simply review. Its a pragmatic look at developer portals, coding agents, and the evolving role of engineers as orchestrators who architect, observe, and ship faster.

/engineering ops: orchestrating AI at scale

Is AI making product design smarter—or just noisier? This week, James talks with Erica Price, product experience leader, about how AI is reshaping UX, product design, and job dynamics. From ADHD hyper-focus as a superpower to the limits of chat interfaces, Erica shares practical insights on using AI as a tool—not a replacement—in the future of design.

/product strategy: adapting to AI

What does it really take to run AI at scale? In this episode, cloud architect James McShane joins James to explore how Kubernetes became the backbone of modern tech, why the cloud isn’t always the cheapest answer, and what most people miss about keeping AI systems healthy after launch. From GPU scarcity to “vibe coding” gone wrong, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the choices shaping the future of software.

/AI at scale: the hidden costs of the cloud

Is AI making developers more productive... or just making us feel that way? Adam Barrett joins James this week to cut through the vibe coding hype. They dig into why requirements and context still matter, how React became the LLM default, and what zero-dependency coding could mean for security. From junior talent to quantum risks, this episode challenges how we think about building software in the AI era.

/dev productivity: beyond vibe coding hype

Can AI really replace junior software engineers? Jason Pedone, CTO at Aspida and former SVP at Truist, joins James Carman to tackle one of the most debated questions in tech today. They explore why cutting early-career talent puts your entire pipeline at risk, how AI can boost productivity without killing creativity, and what happens when companies chase short-term savings over long-term engineering strength.

/AI talent: why juniors still matter

What does it take to modernize a 165-year-old bank?
This week, James talks with Jude Schramm, EVP & CIO at Fifth Third Bank, about leading digital transformation in a highly regulated industry. From scaling agile across 200+ teams to rethinking core systems and adopting AI, Jude shares how he’s helping one of America’s largest banks move faster while keeping customer trust at the center.

/digital transformation: inside the CIO playbook at Fifth Third

What happens when anyone can build software...but no one checks the code? Bruno Borges, Principal PM Manager at Microsoft, joins The Forward Slash to unpack how AI is reshaping software development—from prototyping to architecture—and the hidden risks of skipping the fundamentals.

We also dive into Microsoft’s surprising evolution into a Java powerhouse, the rise of prompt-driven development, and why real engineering expertise still matters more than ever.

/AI development: no engineers required

What happens when crypto collides with real-world regulation? In this episode, we unpack how stablecoins work, why they matter, and how they’re poised to disrupt everything from cross-border payments to brand loyalty programs. We also explore what developers and businesses should be thinking about as the lines between traditional finance and DeFi continue to blur.

/crypto IRL: what happens next?

Everyone’s talking about AI, but are you overlooking the real driver of developer productivity? On this episode of The Forward Slash, Dillon Courts, Callibrity’s Director of Platform Engineering, shares what he’s learned about building high-performing platforms, the real limits of the “everyone does everything” DevOps model, and why self-service tools are changing the game for software teams. He also explains why leaders who focus on eliminating inefficiency are pulling ahead of those who just follow tech trends.

James Carman

Shows