DevToolsDigest: Issue #346
This week's digest includes news and resources from METR, Windsurf, and more.
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The Week in Developer Tools
Top Lean AI Native Companies Leaderboard
"There'll soon be a 1-person billion dollar company." AI Native companies are those that have AI technology at their core, not just as a feature. These companies typically use AI to automate core business processes, enabling high efficiency with minimal human intervention.
Developing Data Pipelines in Regulated Spaces
Tech teams launching AI programs need solid data pipelines...or risk issues with quality, accuracy, and freshness. Roshan Nanu, PhD, Director of AI at Prompt Health discusses why data pipelines are so important, best practices and common mistakes, and how tech teams can implement data pipelines in any industry.
Industry Research
The Impact of AI on Open-Source Developer Productivity
This randomized controlled trial tries to understand how early-2025 AI tools are affecting the productivity of experienced open-source developers working on their own repositories. Surprisingly, it finds that when developers use AI tools, they take 19% longer than without.
The AI-Native Software Engineer
Being AI-native means embracing continuous learning and adaptation. The AI-native engineer views AI as a way to delegate the repetitive or time-consuming parts of development (like boilerplate coding, documentation drafting, or test generation) and free themselves to focus on higher-level problem solving and innovation.
Developer Venture News
Sand Hill Road Episode 178: Tom Drummond
Scott McGrew sits down with Tom Drummond, co-founder of developer-first VC firm Heavybit, fresh off the announcement of the firm’s largest fund. Tom explains why the traditional enterprise sales model is fading, and why developers now hold the keys to software adoption.
Windsurf CEO Goes to Google, OpenAI Deal Falls Apart
OpenAI’s deal to acquire the viral AI coding startup Windsurf for $3 billion fell apart. In a shocking twist, Google DeepMind is now hiring Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and some of the startup’s top researchers. But Google is not taking a stake in Windsurf and will not have any control over the company.