The Missing Mental Model for AI-Assisted Development

Most developers handle GenAI’s non-determinism in one of two ways: they ignore it, or they try to force it away. Both approaches fail. There’s a better model.

Topics covered:

• Why non-determinism is the core challenge when switching to AI-assisted development
• A quadrant that maps software domains across two axes: static/dynamic and deterministic/non-deterministic
• Where documentation, programs, random data, and GenAI each sit – and why it matters
• How to traverse the domains
• Which documentation types work best as input to GenAI: Markdown, diagrams-as-code, Gherkin, ADRs, story maps, automated tests

The quadrant doesn’t have a name yet – share your suggestions.