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Our latest Tech Teams Today webinar wasn’t just about hiring engineers in the AI era, it was about rethinking what a great engineer even is in 2025. We brought in engineering leaders from Dropbox, Blitz, and Meridian to share how their hiring playbooks are changing.
We covered:
- How AI is changing who we hire
- Why engineering is shifting from code-first to product-first
- And yeah, vibe coding (they couldn’t stop bringing it up)
If you missed it, here’s the recap:
1. Full Stack Isn’t What It Used to Be
It used to mean frontend plus backend. Then frontend + backend + DevOps. Now? It’s all of that plus knowing how to work with AI tools and LLMs; without breaking the product.
LLMs are part of the stack now. They’re not optional. But no matter how good AI gets at writing code, you still need engineers who know when to use it and when not to. That’s the new skill set.
Key Takeaway: If your “full stack” engineer can’t (or won’t) work with LLMs, they’re not really “full stack” anymore.
2. Curiosity > Coding Tests
This one came up a lot.
AI can ace your take-home test. It can even crush your live coding interview.
So what are leaders actually hiring for now?
The panel agreed: they’re looking for curiosity, adaptability, and product thinking. Engineers who ask “why?” before they ask “how?” If you can’t admit when something went wrong in a past project? That’s a red flag. Nobody trusts a perfect résumé.
Key Takeaway: Technical skills are easy to measure. Curiosity and product thinking are how you stand out.
3. The Vibe Coding Debate (Yes, That Again)
This came up so many times I had to laugh. Every time we tried to move on, someone circled back to vibe coding. It was like the group chat that keeps dropping the same meme.
So let’s call it what it is: Vibe coding = using AI to generate logic based on intuition and iteration—not detailed specs.
It’s fun. It’s fast. It’s also kinda risky.
The good:
- You can prototype at lightning speed.
- Non-technical folks can build stuff too.
- You stay in “user mode” and think about UX while you build.
The bad:
- 4,000-line PRs that nobody wants to review. (Julian, I’m looking at you)
- Boilerplate code that ignores your design system.
- Security headaches if you’re not careful.
Key Takeaway: Vibe coding is like karaoke. Fun while you’re doing it, but you don’t want to drop the recording on Spotify.
4. Where Are the Next Senior Engineers Coming From?
Real talk: startups aren’t hiring juniors right now.
That’s a problem. Because juniors become seniors. Eventually. So where’s that pipeline of senior devs going to come from?
The panel had a few ideas:
- AI-augmented onboarding and learning
- New roles focused on debugging AI-generated code
- More solo devs building real apps on their own, outside of traditional jobs
Nobody has the perfect answer yet. But it’s something every tech leader needs to think about.
Key Takeaway: If nobody hires juniors, nobody becomes a senior. It’s not magic. It’s math.
5. Experiment or Get Left Behind
The last big theme was about leadership mindset.
In the next 12–18 months, the leaders who win won’t be the ones reading LinkedIn posts about AI. They’ll be the ones actually using the tools.
Offload the boring parts of your day. Test new workflows. Try AI for brainstorming, coding, debugging, documentation—whatever slows you down.
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to experiment.
Key Takeaway: There’s no playbook yet. Always be experimenting. (Yeah yeah, Glengarry Glen Ross, but for tech.)
What I Just Broke Down:
This isn’t about replacing engineers with AI. It’s about building better teams that know how to use it. If you missed the live session, the replay’s up now on YouTube.
📺 Watch it here: https://youtu.be/JVjPp3DF8rk
Big thanks to the panelists for keeping it real:
- Julian Ramirez, Senior Engineering Manager @ Dropbox
- Naveed Khan, SVP of Engineering @ Blitz
- Mihail Gutan, CTO @ Meridian
See you at the next one.
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