What does it mean when an top local leader in engineering says, "We don't hire engineers"?

In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Balazs Barna, Head of U.S. Engineering at Wise, to unpack that statement and explore what engineering leadership looks like in an AI-driven world. Balazs explains that Wise is not looking for people who simply execute tickets. They want "product engineers"... professionals who can think beyond code, understand customer pain points, evaluate whether a problem is worth solving, and build with the business outcome in mind.

The conversation digs into how AI is changing the day-to-day work of engineers, but also why the fundamentals still matter. Balazs argues that AI is a powerful amplifier. It can speed up development, improve testing, and make teams more productive. But it cannot replace human judgment. Organizations still need people who can think clearly, understand tradeoffs, and make sure they are solving the right problems, not just building things faster.

Thom and Balazs also talk about what companies get wrong when adopting AI. Too many organizations remain overly top-down or fail to give their teams enough autonomy to choose tools and think critically. At Wise, engineers are encouraged to use leading AI tools, stay close to trends, and remain grounded in first principles. Curiosity, business understanding, and customer awareness are now essential traits for technical talent.

The discussion also turns practical for mid-career professionals. Balazs shares his advice for engineers who feel uncertain about how AI may affect their future: learn the tools, stay engaged, and build new skills now. He describes taking time himself to immerse in AI-assisted building so he could better understand what his teams are experiencing. His message is clear: the people who stay close to these changes will be in the best position to take advantage of the new opportunities that AI creates.

The episode closes with a broader look at Austin. Balazs reflects on why Wise chose Austin for its U.S. headquarters, what makes the city strong as a tech hub, and why community engagement matters. He also shares thoughts on where Austin can improve, including the need for more meetups, more gatherings, and more visible leadership across the local tech ecosystem.

This is a thoughtful conversation about engineering, leadership, AI adoption, and the kind of community Austin needs if it wants to keep building for the future.

Key topics in this episode:

• Why Wise says it hires "product engineers," not just engineers
• How AI is improving productivity but not replacing judgment
• What strong engineers still need to understand in an AI era
• Why autonomy and curiosity matter inside engineering teams
• Advice for mid-career engineers adapting to rapid change
• Why Austin stood out as the right place for Wise to grow
• What Austin tech is doing well, and where the community can do more

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Thanks to the Sponsor of Austin Tech Connect - Calavista Software

In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Dr. Nick Hallman, professor at The University of Texas at Austin, to talk about one of the biggest business questions of the moment, how companies are actually using AI, and whether they are measuring success the right way. Drawing on research conducted with KPMG, Dr. Hallman shares what his team learned from studying real workplace interactions with large language models over time.

What makes this conversation especially interesting is that the study did not just look at whether employees were using AI. It looked deeper. Dr. Hallman and his colleagues were able to examine prompts, responses, and patterns of use across months of professional activity. That gave them a far richer picture of what productive AI adoption really looks like, and what many organizations may be missing when they focus only on usage volume.

One of the biggest surprises? Most AI use was not especially advanced. Dr. Hallman explains that roughly 90 percent of the activity they observed was centered on writing help, things like cleaning up emails or improving wording. Useful, yes. Transformational, not really. The more sophisticated uses involved clearly defined tasks such as analysis, coding, and creating tangible work product. Those higher value outcomes tended to come when users were specific about what they wanted and what a successful output should look like.

Another unexpected finding was that senior people often used AI more effectively than junior employees. Dr. Hallman suggests that may be because strong AI use mirrors strong delegation. Leaders who know how to clearly assign work to people are often better at directing an LLM. That insight challenges the assumption that younger workers will automatically be the most advanced AI users just because they are more comfortable with technology.

The conversation also explores how companies should think about training and evaluation. If raw usage is not the best metric, what is? Dr. Hallman points to more meaningful signals, including whether people iterate with the model, refine their requests, and move beyond one-shot prompts. He also stresses that the best way to improve is through practice. The more people experiment, at work and at home, the more they begin to understand what AI can do well, where it falls short, and how to ask better questions.

This episode is a smart, grounded look at AI in the real world. It is not hype, and it is not fear-based. It is a practical conversation about what happens when organizations move past buzzwords and start paying attention to how people actually work with these tools every day.

About the Guest
Dr. Nick Hallman is a professor in the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches data analytics and Python to accounting students and conducts economics-based research related to the auditing profession. In this conversation, he shares insights from a research collaboration with KPMG focused on how employees are using AI in professional settings.

Key themes from this episode

• AI usage numbers do not tell the whole story.
• Most workplace AI use is still basic writing support.
• The best AI results come from specificity and iteration.
• Senior leaders may be better AI users because they are better delegators.
• The fastest way to become more effective with AI is simple, use it more often.

Sponsor:
Austin Tech Connect is supported by Calavista Software, software development without the drama. Trusted by startups and Fortune 100 companies alike.

In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Taylor McHargue of Cushman & Wakefield. Taylor is a new board member at the Austin Technology Council, and is a good example of the next generation of people in the tech ecosystem that want to show up and help build the future for all.

In this interview we explore what the commercial real estate market can tell us about the current state of Austin's tech economy. It is a timely conversation, because office space is no longer just about square footage. It has become a reflection of hiring, funding, culture, confidence, and where companies believe they are headed next.

Taylor explains that in the boom years, especially around 2016 to 2018, tech companies often leased more space than they needed and signed longer terms because growth felt inevitable. Today, that mindset is gone. After the disruptions of the pandemic, many executives carry real caution about long leases and unused space. Companies are now trying to match their footprint closely to current needs, with far less appetite for risk.

The conversation also highlights how Austin's office market has evolved since COVID. While vacancy remains high on paper, Taylor notes that activity has picked up, especially among technology firms, and especially since the start of 2026. Some of that momentum is tied to AI-related companies, while broader return-to-office trends are also playing a role. Many firms are no longer debating whether they will gather in person at all. Instead, they are figuring out what kind of office strategy best supports collaboration, flexibility, and growth.

One of the biggest takeaways is that not all office space is equal. The buildings performing best are highly amenitized, well located, and often move-in ready. For many companies, office space is now a recruiting and retention tool. That means coffee shops, fitness centers, conference amenities, and proximity to the areas where talent wants to be matter more than ever. Taylor describes the market as a tale of two worlds: some buildings struggle, while others attract most of the serious demand.

This episode offers a smart window into where Austin tech is today, and where it may be headed next.

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Ausitn Tech Connect is sponsored by Calavista Software

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The Austin Technology Council exists to help Austin's fast growing tech community stay connected, collaborative, and engaged. As the ecosystem gets bigger and more complex, ATC creates space for the conversations and relationships that help people find their place in the bigger story of Austin tech. We believe strong communities do not happen by accident, they are built through trust, shared ideas, and leaders who show up. That is the role ATC continues to play as Austin's tech future unfolds.