AI Agents: No Excuse for Lack of Rigor
Anker Goyel and Claire Vo reveal how AI agents are rewriting the rules for database optimization and high-risk infrastructure refactoring, pushing the boundaries of engineering rigor.
How this startup uses AI agents to eliminate bugs and optimize infrastructure
With Claire Vo, Anker Goyel · Sunday, June 21, 2026
Claire Vo and Anker Goyel discuss how AI agents are transforming software engineering, particularly for complex infrastructure and database optimization. Goyel highlights the importance of rigorous evals as a modern approach to product requirements and quality, emphasizing a shift to a "maker schedule" by leveraging agents for tedious tasks and even "quantifying taste" to scale design quality. The conversation also touches on achieving backlog zero and the critical role of continuous integration in an AI-driven development environment.
AI Engineering: No Excuse for Backlog Zero
Anker Goyel outlines how AI agents transform software engineering, enabling 'no excuse' quality, backlog zero, and a shift from constructing to carving products with rigorous CI and feedback loops.
AI Evals Are Modern PRDs: Quantify Design Taste with Anker Goyel's Method
Stop writing generic PRDs. Anker Goyel explains how AI evals define success with examples, and his 'Quantifying David' method scales expert design taste for higher product quality.
Anker Goyel's 'Agent Line': Reclaim Your Maker Schedule with AI
Anker Goyel's 'Agent Line' framework helps founders delegate tasks to AI, shifting from 'manager' to 'maker' work. Learn to apply it this week.