The Agile Embedded Podcast Podcast By Luca Ingianni Jeff Gable cover art

The Agile Embedded Podcast

The Agile Embedded Podcast

By: Luca Ingianni Jeff Gable
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Learn how to get your embedded device to market faster AND with higher quality. Join Luca Ingianni and Jeff Gable as they discuss how agile methodologies apply to embedded systems development, with a particular focus on safety-critical industries such as medical devices.2021-2025 Jeff Gable & Luca Ingianni
Episodes
  • Test-Driven Development in the Age of AI

    Test-Driven Development in the Age of AI
    Mar 18 2026

    We explore how test-driven development (TDD) remains essential—perhaps more than ever—when working with AI coding tools. Luca shares his evolved workflow using Claude Code, breaking down how he structures tests in three phases: test ideas, test outlines, and test implementations. We discuss why TDD provides the necessary control and confidence when AI generates code, how it prevents technical debt accumulation, and why tests serve as precise specifications for AI rather than afterthoughts.

    The conversation covers practical challenges like AI's tendency toward "success theater" (overly generous assertions), the importance of maintaining tight control over code quality, and why the bottleneck in AI-assisted development isn't code generation—it's expressing clear intent. We also touch on code spikes, large-scale refactorings, and why treating AI development as pair programming keeps you in the driver's seat. If you're wondering whether TDD still matters when AI writes your code, this episode makes a compelling case that it matters more than ever.

    Key Topics
    • [02:30] Why TDD still matters with AI: confidence and control over generated code
    • [06:45] Tests as specifications: describing desired behavior to AI rather than writing prompts
    • [09:20] The three-phase test workflow: test ideas, test outlines, and implementations
    • [15:30] Pair programming with AI: staying at the conceptual level while AI handles implementation
    • [20:15] Code spikes and exploration: using AI to answer questions before writing production tests
    • [24:40] AI failure modes: over-mocking and "success theater" with weak assertions
    • [28:50] Large-scale refactorings: how AI excels at updating hundreds of tests simultaneously
    • [32:10] The real bottleneck: expressing intent and specifications, not code generation speed
    Notable Quotes

    "As far as I am concerned, test-driven development is just about writing prompts for the AI that it can then use to build what you want it to build." — Luca

    "If you expect that a five-line prompt resulting in 10,000 lines of code will not result in 9,995 lines of uncertainty, you're just deluding yourself." — Luca

    "You can be five times faster than you were before and still maintain a very high production level quality code, but you probably can't be a hundred times faster." — Jeff

    Resources Mentioned
    • Claude Code - Terminal-based AI coding assistant that Luca uses for TDD workflows, keeping conceptual work separate from code-level work
    • Embedded AI Podcast - Luca's separate podcast focusing on AI in embedded systems, co-hosted with Ryan Torvik
    • Luca's AI Training Courses - Hands-on trainings for using AI in embedded systems development (and much more!)
    • links to all of Luca's work - Training, consulting, podcasts, conference talks and everything else

    You can find Jeff at https://jeffgable.com.
    You can find Luca at https://luca.engineer.

    Want to join the agile Embedded Slack? Click here

    Are you looking for embedded-focused trainings? Head to https://agileembedded.academy/
    Ryan Torvik and Luca have started the Embedded AI podcast, check it out at https://embeddedaipodcast.com/
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    42 mins
  • Engineering Organizations Part 2: Product Companies and Market-Driven Focus

    Engineering Organizations Part 2: Product Companies and Market-Driven Focus
    Mar 4 2026

    In this second part of our series on engineering organizations, Jeff and Luca explore how companies that build products should focus their efforts differently depending on their stage and scope. We start with startups and early-stage companies desperately searching for product-market fit, where the brutal truth is: quality doesn't matter yet. Your MVP should embarrass you—if it doesn't, you waited too long. We discuss the critical mental shift from throwaway prototypes to proper engineering once validation arrives, and why technical founders often fail by solving the wrong problem brilliantly.

    Moving up the ladder, we examine narrow-focus companies that have found their niche—like the German firm that does nothing but maintain a 100-year-old anchor chain machine, or specialists in medium-power electrical switches. These companies win through efficiency and deep expertise, but face existential risk if the market shifts. Finally, we tackle wide-focus companies introducing multiple product lines, where the challenge becomes running internal startups while managing established products, each requiring radically different approaches. The key insight: your focus must match your product's lifecycle stage, whether that's ruthless speed, cost optimization, or high-level process learning.

    Key Topics
    • [02:30] Startups and early-stage companies: the existential search for product-market fit
    • [06:45] The MVP philosophy: if you're not embarrassed, you waited too long
    • [11:20] Quality vs. speed vs. scope: why quality doesn't matter in early stages
    • [15:40] The Potemkin village approach: building facades to validate demand
    • [19:15] Embedded products and MVPs: when physical products need creative shortcuts
    • [23:50] The critical switch: from prototypes to proper engineering after validation
    • [28:30] Narrow-focus companies: German hidden champions and deep specialization
    • [34:10] Wide-focus companies: running internal startups within established organizations
    • [40:25] Product teams and parallel focuses: managing different lifecycle stages simultaneously
    • [45:00] Large established companies: high-level process learning and avoiding organizational weight
    Notable Quotes

    "If you read the Lean Startup, they will explicitly say: if you weren't embarrassed by your MVP, you waited too long. It really has to be painfully flimsy because you cannot afford to do it well." — Luca

    "Quality doesn't even factor because you're very explicitly building mock-ups from chewing gum and paper mache. They are fully intended to be thrown away." — Luca

    "Getting that product-market fit is existential. You will die if you do not get it and get it relatively quickly." — Jeff

    Resources Mentioned
    • The Lean Startup - Eric Ries' book discussing MVP philosophy and the importance of being embarrassed by your first product
    • The Mom Test - Rob Fitzpatrick's book about getting real customer feedback and validation through financial commitment
    • The Art of Innovation - Tom Kelley's book on IDEO's design process, including the clothespin switch story
    • Luca's Website - Trainings on embedded agile, AI in embedded systems, and more
    • Jeff's Website - Consulting services for medical device software development

    You can find Jeff at https://jeffgable.com.
    You can find Luca at https://luca.engineer.

    Want to join the agile Embedded Slack? Click here

    Are you looking for embedded-focused trainings? Head to https://agileembedded.academy/
    Ryan Torvik and Luca have started the Embedded AI podcast, check it out at https://embeddedaipodcast.com/
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    44 mins
  • Engineering Organizations Pt 1: Service Firms - When You Are the Product

    Engineering Organizations Pt 1: Service Firms - When You Are the Product
    Feb 18 2026
    In this first part of a two-part series, Jeff and Luca explore how different types of service-oriented engineering organizations should focus their learning and improvement efforts. Drawing from their consulting experience, they examine three distinct categories: product development firms that turn client ideas into reality, engineering development firms that sell specialized technical expertise, and solo engineers who package all necessary knowledge into one person.The core insight: what you should focus on learning depends entirely on what you're actually selling. Product development firms need to master the entire client journey and product design process, not just engineering excellence. Engineering development firms must become technical wizards in a specific domain that clients actually value. Solo engineers face the challenge of needing deep expertise while wearing every business hat. Across all three types, the common traps are the same: focusing too much on craft and too little on client experience, failing to specialize, and not investing enough in teaching as marketing.Throughout the discussion, Jeff and Luca emphasize that for service firms, you are the product - and that changes everything about where you should direct your improvement efforts. The conversation is grounded in real experiences, including some cautionary tales about firms that tried to be everything to everyone.Key Topics[00:00] Introduction: Two-part series on engineering organizations and their different focuses[02:30] Overview of the framework: Service firms vs. product-building companies[05:15] Product development firms: Why engineering excellence isn't enough[08:45] The critical importance of product design and client guidance over pure engineering[12:20] Process-level learning: Shortening cycle times and enabling rapid prototyping[15:40] The Irinos example: In-house board manufacturing to tighten feedback loops[18:30] Requirements will always change - designing for learning, not perfection[21:00] The danger of being a generalist: Why specialization matters for service firms[24:15] Engineering development firms: Selling technical expertise, not complete products[27:45] Technology-focused learning: Going deep on specific technical capabilities[30:20] The trap of becoming a commodity: Why domain expertise beats technology alone[33:40] The forklift invoice review example: You can't specialize too narrowly[35:30] Solo engineers: The complete package vs. temporary employee trap[39:00] Common failures across all service firms: Too much craft focus, too little client experience and marketing[41:30] Teaching as the best form of marketing for technical service firmsNotable Quotes"The customers don't actually hire them for their engineering skills. They are sort of a given. But what such a product development firm should offer the client is guiding them through the development process, which they don't have enough skills for to do it on their own." — Luca"Engineering is not the point. The unit of work is delivering a working product to the client that satisfies their business case, that has a reasonable cost to manufacture, and that you feel confident your own client has validated their market." — Jeff"It's not that engineering is irrelevant, but rather that it's table stakes. This is just taken for granted, but what such a product development firm should offer is guiding them through the development process." — Luca"You almost can't be narrow enough. I remember our friend Philip Morgan having this example of a company that specializes in reviewing invoices of forklift repairs. This is what they do. They review forklift repair invoices. And they're doing very well apparently." — Luca"Teaching and giving information and solving problems publicly is the best form of marketing. It's not advertising. It's building trust with an audience." — JeffResources MentionedIDEO - Prototypical design firm mentioned as an example of companies specializing in product designIRNAS - Product development firm with in-house board manufacturing capabilities, featured in previous episodes, exemplifying tight feedback loopsPhilip Morgan - Consultant and friend mentioned for his example about specialization (forklift invoice review company)Jeff Gable's website - Jeff's consulting services for medical device software development and advisoryLuca Ingianni's website - Luca's training products and resources for embedded systems, IoT, and AIConnect With UsStay tuned for Part 2, where we'll explore organizations that build products and what they should focus on when the market decidesIf you're in the medical device industry and need help with embedded software - either writing it or navigating the regulatory landscape - reach out to Jeff at jeffgable.comCheck out Luca's training products for embedded systems, IoT, and AI at luca.engineerReflect on your own organization: Are you focusing on the right things for the type of service firm you are? Are you...
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    43 mins
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Two experienced developers sharing their knowledge and advice in a casual but focused discussion. They understand real-world challenges and are reasonable about implementing these concepts instead of having a dogmatic approach.

Great advice and easy to absorb!

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