Software Engineering Past, Present, and Future with Grady Booch

The podcast explores the evolution and future of software engineering through a conversation with Grady Booch, a software engineering pioneer. Booch reflects on his early experiences building computers and witnessing the "software crisis" of the 1970s, which led to the formalization of software engineering. He identifies three golden ages of software engineering: algorithmic abstraction, object-oriented programming, and the current era of package and platform orchestration. Booch argues that each age represents a rise in abstraction levels, increasing velocity and reducing friction in software development. He advises young engineers to focus on fundamental principles like building crisp abstractions and applying ethics, while cautioning against the overreach of AI-driven tools, which he believes lack abductive reasoning.