How AI Is Really Impacting Developer Experience and the Real Productivity Problem with Laura Tacho

Startup Hustle

In this episode, Matt is joined by Laura Tacho, CTO at DX — one of the leading voices in developer experience research and tooling. Together, they unpack how AI is really affecting software development teams, why developer experience has a “marketing problem,” and why organizational friction — not technology — is the biggest productivity killer.

If you’ve been wondering whether AI is living up to the hype in engineering teams, this conversation will give you the data, the reality, and the leadership takeaways you can act on today.

Key Discussion Points

[00:48] – What “Developer Experience” Really Means

[02:55] – The Real Sources of Developer Friction

[03:44] – Core Developer Experience Problems (Pre- and Post-AI)

[05:46] – Clarity as a Competitive Advantage

[07:25] – The Mistake of “Shit Shielding”

[08:18] – How AI Raises the Stakes for Product Thinking

[10:00] – The 10x Developer Myth’s Real Origin

[11:30] – Measuring Developer Experience with the DX Index

[14:00] – The Role of Leadership in Removing Friction

Resources & Links

DX – Research and tools for improving developer experience: https://getdx.com/

Developer Experience Index https://getdx.com/dxi-reporting

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What Smart CTOs Are Doing Differently With Offshore Teams in 2025: https://hirefullscale.com/offshore-hiring-guide