Software development has changed dramatically.

We went from desktop applications to the web, from servers in closets to the cloud, from handwritten deployment scripts to DevOps pipelines—and now from developers writing every line of code to AI generating entire implementations in seconds.

The tools keep changing.

The fundamentals of good engineering do not.

In this energetic, story-driven keynote, we’ll look at software engineering through the lens of rock ’n’ roll and explore the principles that still separate software that merely compiles from software that deserves to go on stage.

Great bands don’t walk into an arena without rehearsing. They don’t record an album without structure. They don’t ignore bad signals during soundcheck. And they certainly don’t declare a song a hit before anyone has heard it.

Software teams shouldn’t either.

Using 11 Rock ’n’ Roll Commandments for Software Engineers, we’ll explore architecture, testing, simplicity, naming, error handling, documentation, performance, security, code review, and engineering judgment.

Yes, 11.

Because, as any Spinal Tap fan knows, sometimes 10 simply isn’t loud enough.

But the final commandment is where this keynote turns toward the future.

AI has become the most powerful amplifier software development has ever seen. It can help experienced engineers work faster, explore solutions, generate tests, explain unfamiliar code, and accelerate development.

It can also generate insecure, inefficient, outdated, incorrect, and beautifully convincing code at extraordinary speed.

The danger isn’t that AI can write code.

The danger is believing that writing code is the same thing as engineering software.

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in our development tools, experienced engineering judgment becomes more important—not less.

No matter who—or what—writes the code, somebody still owns what goes into production.

And you are responsible for what goes on stage.

Languages change. Frameworks change. Tools change. Now AI is changing software development again.

In this rock ’n’ roll-inspired keynote, discover 11 timeless engineering commandments—and why experienced engineering judgment matters more than ever when AI can generate code faster than we can review it.