Why AI Still Needs Systems Thinking (Oscar Montoya) | EP1699 Part 4 of 5 | Map It Forward

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Episode Description

This is part 4 of a new 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar.

Our guest on the podcast for this series is Oscar Montoya, a data scientist, software developer, coffee producer in Colombia, founder of Cafe Chicao in Canada, and the developer (from Dark Mode) who helped Map It Forward build CoffeeListings.com.

In this episode, Lee and Oscar explore the relationship between data, technology and processes by looking at something they built together: CoffeeListings.com.

The conversation begins with a very human problem — what happens when anxiety causes business owners to avoid the very information they need in order to make better decisions. Oscar explains why trust, empathy and human behaviour remain critical parts of solving problems, no matter how sophisticated the technology becomes.

Lee and Oscar then explore how dramatically generative AI has changed software development. Oscar estimates that only a short time ago, building something like CoffeeListings could have required a team of 12 to 15 people working for well over a year.

AI has changed that equation significantly, but Oscar argues that access to powerful technology does not remove the need for systems thinking, planning, architecture or critical judgment.

The conversation explores the difference between structured software development and “vibe coding,” where AI is asked to solve problems individually without necessarily understanding the wider system they belong to.

Oscar explains why AI can be incredibly powerful when used as a tool, but dangerous when we outsource our critical thinking to it. Something may work today while becoming extremely difficult to maintain, change or secure later.

Using CoffeeListings as a real-world example, Lee and Oscar discuss the enormous amount of thinking required to make technology feel simple to the person using it, and why data, technology, processes and people all need to work together if a solution is going to last.

Connect with Oscar Montoya here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscar-montoyah/

If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

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About Map It Forward

The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.

Website: https://mapitforward.coffee

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CoffeeListing: https://www.CoffeeListings.com

Contact: support@mapitforward.org