Explorations in code, craft, and systems thinking
Software engineering is fundamentally the craft of forming expectations and verifying them. From test-driven development to AI agents, the same core mechanic governs progress: tight, objective, observable feedback loops.
Progress doesn't ask for permission. As AI transforms how we build software, every engineer faces a choice: resist, observe from the sidelines, or learn to orchestrate the future. This is our Hamlet moment.
As AI agents write more code, the fundamentals matter more than ever. A reflection on relics, craftsmanship, and why less code is still better code — even when machines do the writing.
Revisiting my advice to "read more, write less code" in the age of AI. While research remains crucial, developer workflows now include a vital new step: co-creating with AI tools before coding.
We don't know what we don't know - You've got a task? Instead of going ahead and writing the code for it, try researching online.
