The October monthly meeting is on October 14th from 4:00-5:00 PM ET. Our tech talk will be presented by Jeff Schwalb
October 14, 2026
4:00-5:00PM US/Eastern
SEA Members: the meeting URL is in your calendar invitation, so you do not need to register on EventBrite.
Abstract
Background: For years, organizations building high-stakes, safety-critical software systems relied on rigorous, front-end quality standards. Methods like the Team Software Process℠ (TSP℠) and formal design inspections eliminated defects early in the life cycle. Over the past two decades, the widespread shift to Agile methodologies rapidly increased delivery speeds. However, it also dismantled those disciplined front-end quality techniques. This shifted defect discovery dangerously close to late-stage testing and live deployment.
The Problem: The rapid integration of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has fundamentally broken the equilibrium between speed and system safety. By prioritizing raw code velocity over architectural integrity, AI tool sets can create an illusion of progress while acting as a “firehose of defects.” In high-criticality systems, this introduces hidden vulnerabilities, logic flaws, and software hallucinations.
The Solution: This talk revisits the foundational premise of Barry Boehm and Richard Turner’s classic book, Balancing Agility with Discipline. It applies their core ideas directly to the modern era of AI-driven software development. The presentation outlines a modern “Speed with Discipline” framework. This approach is designed to re-establish engineering guardrails without sacrificing competitive agility.
About the Presenter
Jeff Schwalb is a computer scientist who has been supporting Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) since 1984. During his first 20 years, he developed and maintained real-time embedded software systems for avionics, weapons, and range instrumentation systems. Starting in 1994, Jeff also began collaborating with the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), learning and applying CMM key practices, becoming a certified Personal Software Process℠ (PSP℠) instructor and then a certified Team Software Process℠ (TSP℠) coach. Over the last 30 years, he has taught and consulted with hundreds of scientists and engineers in various forms of personal engineering processes, and has also coached dozens of projects in the launch and operation of highly effective team practices.
