Comment by sanderjd
6 days ago
The key is to figure out how to move up the ladder of abstraction. You don't want to be a "coder" in a world where AI can code, but you do want to be a "person who makes software" in a world where making software just got easier.
Most people who chose the profession don’t want that, though. They like the coding, and dislike managing.
How does "person who makes software" imply "managing"?
I understand that "coding" is the fun part for lots of people, especially younger people. This is me as well, so I'm definitely sympathetic to it, and feel quite a bit of sadness about this.
Lots of people also enjoy woodworking and machining by hand, but that's not how most furniture or machines are made.
If I were independently wealthy, I might well spend some of my time making artisan software, but as a professional and entrepreneur, I'm going to try to use efficient tools for the job.
This relates to the analogy that an LLM is like a junior developer that you have to instruct and guide, and whose work you have supervise and review. Working with an LLM is similar to managing people as a tech lead. And once LLM agents get smart enough and reliable enough, the work will be similar to that of a product manager, project leader, CTO, or even CEO.
If you like being an entrepreneur, you’re already different from most professional software developers.
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