# Stephen Brandon - Brex: Kiro Startup Testimonials Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlRqjkmAz4g Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/UlRqjkmAz4g Generated: 2025-11-17T20:03:53.136+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Stephen Brandon, Engineering Manager at Brex, leverages Kiro as an AI tool to manage his team's complex AWS infrastructure, finding that Kiro's ability to break down features and allow for collaborative refinement drastically improves development velocity and technical depth compared to previous methods. **Key Points:** - Stephen Brandon manages Brex's Cloud Infrastructure team, which consists of half a dozen people responsible for everything from AWS databases to networking. - Kiro allows Brandon to plan everything out, acting like a project manager to define feature specifications and implementation details collaboratively. - A key benefit of Kiro is its digestible format, which shows the thought process behind building features, unlike other tools that are a 'black box'. - Kiro's support for various frontend models and its familiar platform structure allows the team to jump straight into implementation without extensive onboarding. - The tool enables Brandon to be more technical and rapidly build internal toolsets, reducing feature development time from months to weeks. - When evaluating tools, Brandon prioritizes frontline model support, the platform it's built on, and accessibility, all of which Kiro satisfies. ![Screenshot at 00:03: Stephen Brandon, Engineering Manager at Brex, introduces himself and his team's scope covering AWS infrastructure components.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/UlRqjkmAz4g/00-00-03.png) **Context:** Stephen Brandon, an Engineering Manager at Brex, discusses how his cloud infrastructure team uses the AI tool Kiro to streamline the development process for complex infrastructure tasks, such as managing AWS components, databases, and networking. ## Detailed Analysis Stephen Brandon, Engineering Manager for the Cloud Infrastructure team at Brex, describes Kiro as an essential AI tool that simplifies his workflow, which involves managing AWS infrastructure for a team of about six people, covering areas from databases to networking. He uses Kiro like a project manager to plan out features and technical implementations, which is a significant difference from previous methods where he had to manually document every detail. The core difference in Kiro, according to Brandon, is how it breaks down features and allows for collaborative iteration; he can look at the thought process, see how a task is built step-by-step, and have input along the way. This contrasts sharply with other tools that operate as 'black boxes.' Furthermore, Kiro's spec-driven development approach, combined with its familiar platform and model support, allows his team to move quickly, enabling them to build internal toolsets in weeks instead of months. He notes that this capability allows him to be more technical than he used to be. Finally, Brandon emphasizes that key considerations for adopting a tool like Kiro include the quality of its underlying platform, the frontend model support, and accessibility, all of which Kiro provides, making it a crucial asset for accelerating development. ### Introduction and Team Scope - Stephen Brandon is Engineering Manager for Brex Cloud Infrastructure team - Team manages AWS databases, networking, and everything in between - Team size is half a dozen people. ### Benefits from Kiro - Kiro acts as a project manager, enabling planning of features and technical specifications - Kiro breaks down features digestibly, showing the thought process unlike 'black box' tools - Allows for collaborative iteration and immediate feedback on proposed builds. ### Spec Driven Development & Velocity - Spec driven development at a fast-growing startup is key to Brex's identity - Kiro allows for rapid iteration and reduces feature development time from months to weeks - Enables managers to be more technical and build internal toolsets quickly. ### Considerations when choosing Kiro - Key factors include frontend model support, the platform's underlying build, and accessibility - Kiro's familiarity with existing models allows for immediate usability ('just hop right in') - The ability to tune the process and implement changes collaboratively is highly valued. ![Screenshot at 00:00: Stephen Brandon smiling at the start of the interview.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/UlRqjkmAz4g/00-00-00.png) ![Screenshot at 00:02: Title card identifying Stephen Brandon as Engineering Manager, Brex.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/UlRqjkmAz4g/00-00-02.png) ![Screenshot at 00:12: Kiro helps me just make my life easier, introducing the core topic of AI assistance.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/UlRqjkmAz4g/00-00-12.png) ![Screenshot at 00:27: Kiro allows me to plan everything out, acting like a project manager.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/UlRqjkmAz4g/00-00-27.png) ![Screenshot at 00:44: Question overlay: What's different about Kiro?](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/UlRqjkmAz4g/00-00-44.png) ![Screenshot at 00:50: Brandon gestures to illustrate how Kiro shows the entire process, not just the output.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/UlRqjkmAz4g/00-00-50.png) ![Screenshot at 01:10: Overlay identifying the concept of 'Spec driven development' as key to their startup culture.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/UlRqjkmAz4g/00-01-10.png) ![Screenshot at 02:22: Overlay introducing the section on 'Considerations when choosing Kiro'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/UlRqjkmAz4g/00-02-22.png) ![Screenshot at 03:05: Brandon summarizing Kiro's importance for moving faster in a fast-growing startup environment.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/UlRqjkmAz4g/00-03-05.png) ![Screenshot at 03:46: Kiro logo animation at the end of the testimonial.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/UlRqjkmAz4g/00-03-46.png)