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Specs Are The New Source Code (feat. Thomas Watkins, NN/G Guest Instructor)

October 19, 2026 · 41 min

Show notes

AI has made building software easy. Deciding what to build is another story. When founders and product teams can vibe-code a working product in a weekend, where does design add value? In this episode, Therese Fessenden welcomes back design psychologist Thomas Watkins, founder of 3Leaf and NN/G guest instructor, to talk about why the bottleneck in product development has shifted from building to deciding, how specs are becoming the source of truth for AI-built products, and why taste and research matter more than ever.

About Thomas & 3Leaf: LinkedIn | 3Leaf

The Design Psychologist Podcast: https://designpsychologist.buzzsprout.com/2395044

Thomas's Previous Episode: 57. The Next Decade of UX: Why Psychology Matters More Than Ever

Thomas's Course with NN/g: Writing Specs for AI-Built Products

Other Related NN/g Articles & Courses:


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