Agile, AI, and Engineering Pragmatism with Jon Kern

In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership, I sat down with Jon Kern, aerospace engineer turned software architect and co-author of the Agile Manifesto.

Jon shares his fascinating journey from testing jet engines for the Defense Department to pushing back against heavyweight, bureaucratic software processes.

We explore the original intent behind the Agile Manifesto, the misconceptions that led to overly rigid frameworks, and how leaders can embrace the concept of "being lazy" to deliver true business value.

Finally, Jon dives into the frontier of "Vibe Coding," sharing how he uses AI to automate rigorous testing, compliance, and architecture without losing the foundational discipline of software engineering.