508: Agentic Workflows - Markdown Automation for GitHub Actions

March 30, 2026·40 min·2 clips

Instead of YAML, GitHub Actions can run a Markdown file as an agentic workflow.

1. Merge Conflict 508 focuses on agentic workflows, Maui Dev Flow, and GitHub automation around Markdown-based actions. 2. Frank Krueger and James Montemagno host the episode, and Frank discusses MAUI and developer tooling while James frames the AI workflow examples. 3. The episode asks what happens when GitHub Actions and app testing are driven by Markdown prompts instead of YAML scripts. 4. They open with the MVP Summit in Redmond, Washington, where Frank and James compare in-person recording, feedback sessions, and the access MVPs get to Microsoft staff. 5. They talk about Frank's new HP machine with 64 GB of RAM, a 2 terabyte drive, and a 1920 by 1200 screen used mostly docked. 6. They compare presenter setups, including large fonts, 16-inch and 21-inch displays, and the habit of coding with fewer lines visible on screen. 7. They spend time on AI coding helpers that can diagnose a React bundle issue, run VS Code in debug mode, and propose a fix. 8. James describes dropping ffmpeg.wasm after six hours of failed local experiments and switching to browser-native media handling plus Lame.js for MP3 work. 9. The conversation shifts to Localmorph.com and Mermaid Studio, two tools James built for local file conversion and Mermaid diagram export. 10. Frank then describes a Maui session with David and Jonathan, including Sherpa, developer tools, and a Mac OS backend for MAUI that Jonathan showed off. 11. The most important technical idea is Maui Dev Flow, which adds an MCP server and skills so an agent can inspect UI, take screenshots, emulate taps, and scroll. 12. James says that gives .NET apps the same end-to-end validation tools web developers already have. 13. They stress that screenshots matter for aesthetics because agents can compare white space, padding, and the weight of icons using visual tokens. 14. James also argues that the same loop could be used for testing, including rerunning prompts as manual checks or acceptance-rejectance checks. 15. The second major idea is GitHub's agentic workflows, which replace YAML-heavy action files with Markdown documents that an AI interprets. 16. They say those workflows can run on commits, pull requests, or cron jobs and can automatically open pull requests, analyze diffs, or generate reports. 17. The tone is conversational and opinionated, with both hosts joking about fonts, code visibility, and their dislike of YAML and provisioning profiles. 18. The format mixes live event banter, product discussion, and concrete demos from sessions at Microsoft and GitHub. 19. Listeners who build .NET apps or GitHub automation will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners who want a tight, nontechnical recap may skip it.

As heard by us

A live Redmond conversation about giving agents a way to inspect and validate MAUI and Blazor UIs.

Merge Conflict uses its live Redmond appearance to spotlight a practical gap in native development: letting an agent do more than write code and actually inspect the UI it changed.

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Why you'd press play

Let the agent inspect your MAUI app before you trust its work.

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