Welcome to The Steady Beat, a weekly-ish round-up of hand-picked articles and resources for people who make software products: designers, engineers, product managers, and organizational leaders. This week: CEO-bots, the value of feature factories, the iconic designs of Ray and Charles Eames, and the foundational goodness of HTML and CSS.
Don’t replace employees with AI, replace the CEO
As AI tech advances, even the highest echelons of corporate leadership could be up for grabs. CEOs, known for their strategic vision and hefty paychecks, may soon find themselves replaced by their robot counterparts, says David Streitfeld at the Times. With some companies already experimenting with AI leaders, nearly half of surveyed executives believe AI could take over most, if not all, CEO responsibilities. This shift could democratize top management roles but also raises questions about accountability and the future of human oversight in the boardroom.
NY Times gift, 8m
In defense of feature factory product management
Marty Cagan recently discussed his book “Transformed” on Lenny’s podcast, giving his take on the future of product management. Cagan argued that empowered PM cultures, which focus on outcomes rather than outputs, are superior to feature teams, which he views as mere project managers. As both Lenny and Cagan predicted, that didn’t sit well with some of Lenny’s audience. To counter that narrative, Lenny brought on Ben Erez, who argues that in many cases, especially where the strategic vision is clear, we rely on feature teams to, you know, just build the thing.
Lenny’s Newsletter, 11m
What it’s like to see the Eames design process up close
The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity keeps the spirit of Ray and Charles Eames alive, offering small group tours of their Richmond, CA archive. Visitors get an intimate look at the prototypes, drawings, and furniture that defined modern design, guided by Llisa Demetrios, their granddaughter and chief curator. The institute, still renovating its Petaluma space, aims to inspire new generations with the Eames’ problem-solving approach. Arun Venkatesan describes his recent visit, and includes some stunning photographs that are the next best thing to standing next to the iconic designs and absorbing the human stories behind them.
Arun.is, 5m
Bringing web development back to the basics
In a world swarming with frameworks, site builders, and low-code AI prompts, Geoff Graham makes a compelling case for mastering the fundamentals of HTML and CSS. Despite the abundance of tools that simplify web development, he argues that true proficiency starts with understanding these core technologies. This understanding leads to the essential “a-ha!” moments that form the foundation of every great developer’s journey to building on the web.
Steady on the town - NY Tech Week
This year, NY Tech Week might as well be called NY AI Tech Week. It reminds me of the early dot com days, in good way. There are tons of great ideas and companies in the pipeline. We all know we’re on to something that changes everything. But there are certainly unhealthy doses of froth and FOMO, just like back then.
LinkedIn, 2m
