Setting the Goal: Doubling Throughput

▶ Watch (4:17)

Intercom set a simple goal in mid‑2024: double engineering throughput without adding headcount. They measured code changes per R&D person. Shipping fast and iteratively is the company’s ethos. AI adoption became a binary expectation in job descriptions. The 2x project was staffed full‑time. Leadership repeated the message across every forum. Hackathons and AI immersion days brought hundreds of engineers along.

Standardizing on Claude Code

▶ Watch (7:23)

Intercom chose Claude Code as its single AI platform. They connected it to all internal systems: production, Slack, codebase. They taught it 15 years of Rails conventions, React patterns, and security rules. Engineers use Claude Code for planning, coding, testing, debugging, and code review. The vision: Claude Code acts like a senior engineer on any technical task. Guidance is continuously updated through a flywheel of skill improvements.

Results: Throughput Doubled, Defects Shrunk

▶ Watch (16:02)

PR throughput doubled in under a year. Over 90% of pull requests now come from Claude Code. Automatic code approval reaches 17.6% of all PRs, fully SOC 2 and HIPAA compliant. Defects are closed faster than ever. Code quality, measured by Stanford researchers, is increasing. The automatic approvers were built with backtesting and human labeling. The bottleneck has shifted to code review.

Notable Quotes

“Let’s double the throughput of engineering any year.” Brian Scanlan · ▶ Watch (4:17)

“Shipping fast and iteratively is the best way to build high-quality products that customers love to use.” Brian Scanlan · ▶ Watch (3:00)

“You do not need humans in the loop to meet these certifications.” Brian Scanlan · ▶ Watch (17:14)

“I just like gave it the problem of like taking a look at security incidents. I just figured out the intent.” Brian Scanlan · ▶ Watch (14:56)

Key Takeaways

  • Choose a single AI coding platform and connect it to all internal systems.
  • Build skills that encode company-specific conventions, rules, and architecture.
  • Automate code reviews with backtesting to maintain compliance and accelerate throughput.