The Evolution of Agentic Coding with Nick Doelman [MVP-MCT]

In this episode of the m365.fm podcast, Mirko Peters sits down with Microsoft MVP and MCT Nick Doelman to explore one of the most important technology shifts happening right now: the evolution of Agentic Coding and the future of AI-driven software development. From low-code platforms and Power Platform solutions to natural language interfaces and autonomous AI agents, this conversation dives deep into how developers, makers, consultants, and enterprise organizations must adapt to a completely new way of building business applications. Nick shares his incredible journey from programming on a Commodore 64 and working with C++ and Microsoft Dynamics CRM to becoming one of the leading voices in the Microsoft Power Platform ecosystem. He explains how his technical background, combined with years of real-world consulting and Microsoft experience, shaped his perspective on modern development, automation, governance, and AI-powered engineering.

FROM TRADITIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO AI-POWERED ENGINEERING

The conversation explores how software development has rapidly evolved over the past few years. Nick explains how Visual Studio Code, GitHub Copilot, Claude, MCP servers, and AI agents are transforming development workflows and dramatically increasing productivity. Instead of manually creating every field, table, and process inside Power Platform, developers can now use natural language prompts to generate data models, business logic, and application structures in minutes instead of hours. Nick also shares practical examples of how he now spends most of his time working with AI-assisted tooling rather than traditional development interfaces. The episode highlights how developers are increasingly collaborating with AI systems instead of simply writing code manually from scratch.

WHAT AGENTIC CODING REALLY MEANS

One of the central topics of this episode is the meaning of Agentic Coding. Nick explains why Agentic Development is much more than simple vibe coding or asking AI to generate random applications. Instead, it is a structured collaboration between humans and intelligent agents where developers guide, supervise, validate, and refine AI-generated solutions. The discussion breaks down how developers can:

• Build structured product requirement documents with AI
• Generate reusable prompts and workflows
• Create data models through natural language
• Use AI for testing, documentation, and architecture
• Improve application quality through iterative collaboration

THE FUTURE OF POWER PLATFORM

Nick shares his vision for the future of Microsoft Power Platform and explains how tools like Power Apps, Power Pages, Dataverse, and Copilot Studio are evolving in the AI era. The discussion explores how Code Apps, Generative Pages, Single Page Applications, and AI-assisted development are changing the role of makers and enterprise developers. The episode also explains why Dataverse remains critically important as the secure and governed data foundation for AI-driven enterprise applications. Even in a world of autonomous agents and AI-generated apps, governance, security, compliance, and business logic remain essential.

NATURAL LANGUAGE AS THE NEW PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE

One of the most fascinating parts of the episode focuses on how natural language is becoming the purest form of low-code development. Nick explains how developers are moving away from traditional syntax-heavy coding and toward conversational interfaces powered by AI systems. The conversation explores:

• Prompt engineering for enterprise development
• Voice-driven coding workflows
• AI-generated architecture diagrams
• Reusable AI skills and prompt libraries
• The evolution of developer productivity

Nick also explains why AI coding assistants are becoming more like pair-programming partners rather than simple autocomplete tools.

WHY GOVERNANCE AND DOCUMENTATION MATTER MORE THAN EVER

As AI-generated development accelerates, the importance of governance, documentation, and reusable prompts becomes even more critical. Nick explains why organizations must maintain control over:

• Source code repositories
• AI-generated prompts
• Documentation assets
• Test cases
• Security configurations
• Governance standards

The discussion highlights why future enterprise projects will require not only source code management, but also prompt management and AI workflow governance.

THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS APPLICATIONS

The episode also explores how enterprise users may soon interact with AI systems differently than today. Instead of opening separate applications for CRM, ERP, ticketing, or reporting, Nick predicts that users will increasingly interact through Microsoft 365 Copilot, Teams, conversational interfaces, and intelligent agents. This future includes:

• AI-driven customer support experiences
• Conversational business applications
• Agent-to-agent communication
• Automated workflows powered by natural language
• Intelligent enterprise collaboration systems

POWER PLATFORM, AI, AND THE NEXT GENERATION OF MAKERS

Nick also discusses how Power Platform makers must evolve in the AI era. Instead of focusing only on app creation, modern makers will increasingly need skills in:

• Business process analysis
• AI supervision
• Governance management
• Prompt engineering
• Solution architecture
• System thinking

The episode highlights how AI will not replace skilled developers or makers, but instead amplify creativity, productivity, and innovation for those who understand how to collaborate effectively with intelligent systems.

IN THIS EPISODE

• The rise of Agentic Coding and AI-assisted engineering
• How GitHub Copilot and Claude change software development
• Why Visual Studio Code is becoming central for Power Platform development
• The future of Power Apps, Power Pages, and Dataverse
• Prompt engineering and reusable AI skills
• Governance, compliance, and enterprise AI development
• Natural language as the future programming interface
• The evolution of makers, developers, and solution architects

ABOUT NICK DOELMAN

Nick Doelman is an independent Power Platform specialist, trainer, coach, Microsoft MVP, and Microsoft Certified Trainer. He previously worked at Microsoft as a Senior Content Developer focused on Power Pages, Power Automate, and Power Platform documentation and enablement. Nick is also a content creator, podcast co-host, and international competitive powerlifter representing Team Canada.

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