youtubeJanuary 16, 2026
Chat with AI Coding Wizard Dex Horthy
Live conversation exploring practical approaches to AI-assisted coding, context engineering, and building reliable agents in complex codebases.
Matt Pocock hosts Dex Horthy, founder of HumanLayer and self-described "AI coding wizard," for a live conversation about working effectively with AI coding tools.
Context
Dex Horthy leads HumanLayer (YC F24), a company focused on helping developers build safe, impactful AI agents for complex codebases. His background includes engineering at NASA JPL and Replicated.
Note: Transcript unavailable for this video.
Key Topics
Based on Dex's body of work, likely discussion areas include:
- Context engineering — Optimizing the input to LLMs rather than hoping for better outputs
- Intentional compaction — Proactively compressing context to stay in the "smart zone"
- Research-Plan-Implement workflow — Structured approach to complex coding tasks
- Human-in-the-loop patterns — When and how to involve humans in AI agent workflows
- Production-grade agents — Moving from demos to reliable systems
Connections
- no-vibes-allowed-solving-hard-problems-in-complex-codebases — Dex's AI Engineer talk covering the same core concepts in depth
- 12-factor-agents — HumanLayer's manifesto for building reliable LLM agents