From Implementation to Orchestration: Agent-based systems will transform seniority in software engineering.
Agent-based systems don’t just write code; they’re already taking on entire subtasks: planning, implementing, testing, documenting, and refactoring. This is fundamentally shifting the definition of seniority: less about “who can code it the fastest,” and more about “who can properly define the work, manage risks, and reliably integrate results.”
In this talk, Julius Mischok demonstrates what development with agents looks like in practice: a concrete workflow (briefing → delegation → review → integration) plus honest examples of where it excels and where pitfalls lurk. We’ll look at which principles help: clear constraints, test-driven acceptance, small increments, strict quality gates, and thorough reviews.
Then it gets into crystal-ball territory: What skills will senior software engineers really need in 10 years? We can only guess. But: There are certain “no-regret moves” you can already embed in training and mentoring today—without waiting for the perfect tool stack!
