Event: TechLead Conf Amsterdam 2026 — Adopting AI in Orgs Edition Speaker: Lindsey Simon, VP of Engineering, Vercel
Abstract
AI tools are generating more code than ever, but the engineers and leaders extracting the most value aren't those with superior prompts — they're the ones whose thinking is clearest.
The talk references The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking by Lindsey's former math professor Michael Starbird, arguing that a generalist's mindset — deep comprehension, "productive failure," and persistent questioning — is the genuine force multiplier in AI-assisted work. The habits that sharpen your own thinking also sharpen your ability to collaborate with machines.
The session pulls from Vercel's internal experience adopting AI: deploying AI tooling across the company, establishing shared terminology for working with coding agents, and constructing systems that link AI-produced code to real production outcomes. Lindsey shares concrete takeaways on successes, failures, and why "learning how to think" may be the most underrated leadership skill in tech right now.
Tags
Best practices · Artificial intelligence