Junior Dev

If you follow the AI software development crowd, there has been a repeated phrasing about how AI is taking all of the junior dev jobs. And this is most likely true. However, what most people might misunderstand about that is that they might associate AI as being something that performs at a junior dev level. As of this month that is definitely not the case. AI when properly directed, is like a pyscho bezerk developer that handles so many tasks so well that it more resembles the 10x developer on your team that you previously would have said "they are definitely the most valuable developer on the team".

I haven't published my recent experiences working with AI. I tried to write something because I was just gobsmacked by what i've been seeing with my own eyes. And I've also just been so struck by the moment that when I write about it, I just can't stop gushing over something I can't quite put my finger on.

When you put on the cape and just start going hard in a vibe coding session it feels so freaking incredible.

But alas, I digress...

Once upon a time I was a pretty good developer. I never felt like a leet problem solver, but I did have a knack for different parts of programming that lead me to be effective at solving problems, leading a team, and producing good results.

About 9 years ago I changed from coding to product leadership. I've still kept my programming skills with the occasional side project and tinkering. My professional skills have developed in other ways.

I don't really know how my particular mish mash of skills will age in the era of AI. But I do know that it feels freaking incredible to drive an AI apparatus around. Like it feels difficult to know whether i'm doing work or whether the ai is doing the work. Certainly the AI is doing the work. But also, i'm bringing an entire lifetime of context to the directions and decisions.

To bring it back to junion devs, it does feel eerily similar to how things felt when I very first started programming. It was so incredible back then to build software. It felt so novel and expansive. And there was so much to learn. And when you learned something you could apply it to creating entirely new things. And that's how this feels. It feels like i'm a junior dev again and everything feels so interesing and like anything is possible. It feels like i'm in a sea of possibilities. And like i'm so far behind. But I have my computer and with my computer I can figure anything out. I'm a dangerous junior dev again.