The Moment It All Started
In late 2024, I was having another conversation with another engineer friend at a local coffee shop. As it had for months, the subject eventually shifted to AI, Agentic workflows, LLMS and robots. However, something was different this time. His voice carried a hint of anxiety rather than the usual enthusiasm for new tools and capabilities.
He absently stirred his coffee and remarked, "I keep wondering what happens to us. Not merely our job, but our professions, development, growth, and... significance?"
Slowly such conversations have increased. Senior engineers questioned whether their ten years of experience was still relevant. With AI being able to generate code, junior developers questioning whether they should even bother learning the basics. School students wondering whether it even makes sense to get into engineering? Even Tech executives struggling with team management in an AI world.
That's when it hit me: we were all having the same conversations in isolation, but we weren't learning from each other.
The Problem I Couldn't Ignore
As AI tools increased in our day-to-day work, I became aware of a very interesting paradox. Many of the smartest people I knew were feeling more uncertain about their future than ever before, despite the fact that technology promised to increase our productivity and capabilities.
- "Should I become more generalist or specialize deeper?"
- "Are my technical skills becoming obsolete?"
- "How do I stay relevant when AI can code?"
- "What career moves make sense in this new landscape?"
But here's what struck me most: the people who seemed most confident and adaptable weren't necessarily the ones with the most advanced technical skills. They were the ones who had built diverse, resilient career paths. Engineers who could speak business language. Technical leaders who understood customer needs. Developers who had cultivated uniquely human skills alongside their technical expertise.
These were the stories that needed to be shared.
Why "ChaiNet"?
The name actually started as a joke, born from a bit of frustration. We were deep in one of those intense debates about AI and software, where everything feels both exciting and terrifying. Trying to break the tension, a friend said, "Well, at least we're not building SkyNet... yet." (For our GenZ - SkyNet is an AGI from this age old movie series Terminator)
"More like ChaiNet," I replied, thinking about our very human tendency to discuss the biggest challenges over a cup of chai (tea has a huge social significance from where I come from). "The network where humans still matter."
The tagline "Before the machines take over" isn't pessimistic, it's actually urgent. It acknowledges that we're in a unique moment in tech history where human judgment, creativity, and strategic thinking are still the differentiators. But that window won't last forever.
The Conversations We Need
ChaiNet isn't just another tech podcast. It's an attempt to capture the strategic thinking behind successful tech careers at a pivotal moment in our industry.
Every episode really comes back to one core question:
How are smart people navigating all this change, and what can we learn from the choices they're making?
The format is intentionally like a real conversation.
Just 20-30 minutes of straight talk.
We dig into career decisions, technical insights, and some takes on where the industry is headed.
Why This Matters Now
We're living through the biggest transformation in software engineering since the internet itself. The skills that got us here might not be the skills that take us forward. The career advice that worked five years ago might be obsolete.
But here's what hasn't changed: the value of learning from people who are successfully navigating uncertainty. The importance of strategic thinking about career development. The power of authentic conversations between professionals who are facing the same challenges.
What's Next
ChaiNet is just getting started. Each conversation reveals new questions, new perspectives, new people whose stories need to be shared.
2025 is shaping up to be the year of AI-native tools and products. While everyone talks about using AI, we want to spotlight the builders actually creating the next generation of AI-powered tools.
The Builder's Perspective
We're actively seeking conversations with:
- Engineers building AI-first products and startups
- Developers creating tools that didn't exist six months ago
- Technical founders solving real problems with AI (not just adding "AI-powered" to existing products)
- Teams pioneering new AI interaction paradigms
- Builders working on AI infrastructure, developer tools, and creative applications
Why Builders Matter
The most interesting insights often come from people in the trenches—those dealing with AI's limitations, discovering unexpected use cases, and figuring out what actually works versus what's just hype. These builders are creating the tools that will define how we work, create, and solve problems in the coming years.
I'm looking for engineers, tech leaders, industry professionals building interesting careers, AND the builders creating the AI native tools that are reshaping our industry. People who have insights worth sharing, challenges worth discussing, and perspectives that could help others navigate their own paths.
The future of tech careers won't be determined by the machines. It will be shaped by the choices we make, the skills we develop, and the tools we build. ChaiNet is about having those conversations before the window closes.
Want to be part of the conversation? Connect with me on LinkedIn or drop me a message if you have a story worth sharing. Because the best career advice often comes from the most unexpected places.
