dbt Labs released a set of agent skills that enable AI coding agents to follow dbt best practices for analytics engineering. These skills help agents build models, troubleshoot issues, and understand complex workflows, making them more effective in data tasks. The skills are designed to evolve with community feedback and can be customized for specific organizational needs.

The article argues that development managers, who have focused on judgment and orchestration rather than coding, might be more valuable in a world where AI handles code production. As coding becomes nearly free, the emphasis shifts to understanding what to build and why, making managerial skills more relevant than technical ones. Managers who have honed their skills in specification writing, review processes, and business understanding are well-positioned for this new landscape.