How AI Did (and Didn't) Change Our Software Development Process

Author

Lori-Lee Elliott
November 16, 2025

But First…Cool, if Real

Scroll to the end of this newsletter to see.

Becoming Dauntless

We just launched Flight Deck, our first app built with AI in the development process. As practitioners (not pundits), here's what happened.

What AI Didn't Replace

User Research: The idea came from talking to Air Force pilots during user testing. No AI involved, just conversations that revealed a gap in accessible pilot training tools.

Strategic Decisions: We still needed human judgment to identify that commercial pilots faced similar challenges, making this a viable commercial + government product.

Where AI Delivered

Market Validation (MVP Stage): Used Perplexity to scrape Reddit and forums for pain points. This deep research mode helped us identify that people pursuing their Private Pilot's License (PPL) struggle with "chair flying" practice. Posters reported that they find it boring or cringe, but those who do it pass their check rides more often.

Development: AI generated about 30% of the code. It would've been higher for a less asset-heavy app (we're recreating a 3D Cessna 172 cockpit). Still, it cut our timeline from months to weeks.

Marketing Strategy: As a non-pilot, I used AI to expand our messaging. We had the "cooler and more effective" angle covered, but AI suggested emphasizing cost savings. Failing a check ride is expensive and the #1 reason people quit. Validated this insight with a few calls, and it became central to our positioning.

The Bottom Line

AI didn't eliminate the need for customer conversations or strategic thinking. But it:

  • Accelerated market research

  • Compressed development timelines

  • Expanded our marketing perspective beyond our own expertise

Check out Flight Deck yourself. If you're a pilot (current or aspiring), we'd love your feedback on what to build next.

P.S. No, AI didn't suggest I write this newsletter. Sometimes defying the AI overlords is the right call.

Tech News to Make You Smarter

  • VITURE joined NVIDIA’s XR AI platform (AR Insider). XR AI connects headsets, from lightweight AR/AI glasses to head-mounted displays and VR rigs to an organization’s tech stack, enabling smartglasses with onboard agentic AI to operate across cloud, data center, workstation, and edge deployments. The goal is to speed up enterprises' deployments of intelligent AR/VR. We’re staying tuned.

  • The FDA Cleared an AR Headset for Surgical Navigation (Remix Reality). This latest development supports our theory that AR/VR headsets are more like cameras than smartphones. With smartphones, only two varieties dominate the market: Apple and Android. But when it comes to cameras, people buy what’s fit for purpose. For some, their phone camera is enough; others need a $30,000 Raptor-X Red Digital Cinema camera. The same appears to be true for headsets. For most, the Meta Ray-Bans are enough, while a surgeon will go for a custom-designed, ergonomic-built Augmedics X2 with upgraded optics and an expanded field of view.

  • The Investor From The Big Short Pulled a 2008 on Palantir. Michael Burry, the dude who correctly predicted and profited from the 2008 financial crisis, spent $9.2M buying 50,000 Palantir put options that expire in 2027. Since we don’t have Margot Robbie in a bathtub to explain, this move is a bet that could pay Burry up to $240M if AI hype bubble pops. Why Palantir? Palantir stock is trading at a 287× forward P/E. Again, no Margot in a bathtub, but that is nearly 10× the expected norm. So either Palantir and AI are that good, or we see a market “correction” and Burry’s net worth gets a boost. What do you think will happen? Also, Palantir’s CEO was not amused when this news broke.

Saved on Socials

The posts, memes, job postings, and videos that caught my attention this week:

Recently Played >

What we listened to this week

Overheard on Slack

Enter the chat. What our devs are talking about…

  • “There’s no recording today. Unless you want a really unhinged Dauntless episode about nothing specific, but also everything.”

  • Product testing, with ice cream.

Flight Deck Product Testing

  • “I need to name my new Dell Pro Max. Any suggestions? I was going to call it Dellatrix Lestrange, but it’s a 15-character limit.”

Like this newsletter? Make sure you are subscribed and send this edition to your smartest friend.