This week on Software Sundays, KD breaks down the shifting AI landscape and what it actually means for builders, engineers, and the future of opportunity.

We start with DeepSeek’s latest model and why it’s not competing with frontier models like OpenAI, Claude, or Gemini — but still winning in a completely different way. KD explains how open-source, low-cost models are changing distribution, accessibility, and how developers can experiment without burning through tokens.

Then we get into Anthropic’s Mythos model and the tension between innovation and national security. The U.S. Treasury wants access to one of the most powerful vulnerability-detection systems, while parts of the government still treat it as a supply chain risk. KD unpacks why limiting access to the best tools could actually increase risk.

We also cover the massive investments flowing into Anthropic from Google and Amazon, what “circular investment” really means, and how hyperscalers are positioning themselves to dominate the next phase of AI through infrastructure, not just applications.

In this episode’s Q&A, we cover how to take care of your health as a software engineer, the real difference between threads and processes, how to run effective meetings, how many environments your application should have, and what it truly means to be competitive in today’s tech market.

We close with a mindset reset on self-talk, mental health awareness, and the importance of building yourself while you build your career.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Welcome and disclaimer
02:10 - DeepSeek vs frontier models and why cost matters
10:45 - Distillation and why open-source models lag (and still win)
18:20 - Anthropic Mythos, cybersecurity, and government access
27:40 - AI risk: attackers vs defenders imbalance
34:15 - Google & Amazon invest billions into Anthropic
42:05 - Circular investments and AI infrastructure strategy
49:30 - Why developers benefit from cheaper tokens
25:10 - Q&A: Engineer health and avoiding burnout
28:15 - Threads vs processes explained simply
33:40 - How to run effective meetings
39:20 - How many environments you actually need
44:30 - What it means to be competitive in tech
50:10 - Mindset reset: self-talk and mental health
55:00 - Announcements and community updates

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