Use AI to tackle larger projects and complex problems, that’s how you’ll get your competitive edge back. There have to be freelance projects beyond CRUD.
The “competitive edge” these days is partially being a domain expert, try to find a niche you can grow and learn in. It could be some industry or some tech, but that’s how you differentiate yourself in the LLM age, not by writing code.
The shift of a craftsman from making products by hand to designing machines that make products is a transition from manual maker to system architect. It happened before.
Maybe you (we) can create your identity by moving your focus toward the infrastructure domain, high-level/software design/system design, while also having some kind of domain expertise. That can obviously change over time, but every time I change company or project, I acquire a different kind of domain knowledge. I’ve worked in areas like telecommunications, travel, etc., and many ideas or design choices come from understanding the field and the users who operate within it.
Btw, I feel your pain and that feeling that you’ve wasted time, but things change, and maybe some of the things you currently think were useless to study could become useful later, maybe in an interview or in other situations.
A good skill is being able to adapt. I’m saying this as if it were easy, but I’m probably the worst at it. Still, at least I try, knowing that it’s a good way to get the best out of changes.
That’s just a gigantic bs you wouldn’t be able to stir an ai without code writing knowledge this approach in the long term we will make all of you shilling people go back to hand code crucial parts of the business logic
> To write the kind of code AI generates, I used to have to keep documentation open on a second monitor, think deeply, and constantly Google better approaches.
This is a double edged sword. Yes, LLMs have given me some really interesting solutions that are advanced enough that I need to really work to follow them. But on the other hand, once I do so, I often find an architectural flaw that is driving the complexity. Once I prompt it to fix that flaw, the code gets simpler, easier to read and understand, and easier to maintain.
I'm starting to treat advanced solutions as a code smell - when I see something that pushes my limits, that means the AI missed a simple solution.
How long have you been working in this field? I ask as if you have numerous years you already know your worth and value irrespective of AI or any other system. If you are still questioning this it indicates to me that you are still in the process of finding yourself and are in the same boat many other folks are in - confronting the existencial crisis of identity as it pertains to work. I suggest do what is necessary to stay employed then on your own time write code by hand for personal or side projects. Be sure to not use AI and learn deployment, devops and infrastructure as much as is needed to be knowledgeable and able to speak to the technology. Then add that to your resume. Keep grinding.
I'm currently a programmer with 8 years of experience(I've been coding for longer than that, but I started earning money from programming around then.). Some might say that's still short, but honestly, I'm not sure. I became a programmer during the COVID-19 hiring boom, and somehow I've managed to survive. But I'm not really sure what I should be doing next.
The key to current AI-era software, IMO, is creating a new application and definition of how to maintain the product, which means how much of the code can be understood in terms of business logic and the real-world problem. They have already achieved code quality enough, they are going to absrub in development life style like people move from Sublime Text to VS Code, too, I think.
> When AI writes better code than I do, how am I supposed to maintain my motivation and identity?
I'm just going to be honest, this is cope. Your self-doubt is correct here and you should listen to it.
This is like a weaver asking how to maintain their identity in light of machines doing what they could do faster and cheaper. The honest answer is to find something else because at best you're delaying the inevitable.
I've spoken in length in other comments about how AI has taken a lot from my own identity so I understand and genuinely sympathise with how you're feeling, but you need understand what's coming and start planning – especially if you have dependants.
The only good news here is that we'll probably only have to worry about getting by for a decade max.
Use AI to tackle larger projects and complex problems, that’s how you’ll get your competitive edge back. There have to be freelance projects beyond CRUD.
The “competitive edge” these days is partially being a domain expert, try to find a niche you can grow and learn in. It could be some industry or some tech, but that’s how you differentiate yourself in the LLM age, not by writing code.
> When AI writes better code than I do
Have you ever asked yourself maybe you’re not that good and you can still learn and improve and be relevant?
The shift of a craftsman from making products by hand to designing machines that make products is a transition from manual maker to system architect. It happened before.
> The real problem is that AI is now too good.
We must live in two different worlds, it must be like that
Maybe you (we) can create your identity by moving your focus toward the infrastructure domain, high-level/software design/system design, while also having some kind of domain expertise. That can obviously change over time, but every time I change company or project, I acquire a different kind of domain knowledge. I’ve worked in areas like telecommunications, travel, etc., and many ideas or design choices come from understanding the field and the users who operate within it. Btw, I feel your pain and that feeling that you’ve wasted time, but things change, and maybe some of the things you currently think were useless to study could become useful later, maybe in an interview or in other situations. A good skill is being able to adapt. I’m saying this as if it were easy, but I’m probably the worst at it. Still, at least I try, knowing that it’s a good way to get the best out of changes.
Why is your identity tied to writing code ? That reads a bit weird to me at least.
You're being paid to solve business problems, not to write code. Now you can do it without writing code.
Maybe try to form a different identity ? I wouldn't ever define my identity (not before AI) as someone who writes code.
> Now you can do it without writing code.
That’s just a gigantic bs you wouldn’t be able to stir an ai without code writing knowledge this approach in the long term we will make all of you shilling people go back to hand code crucial parts of the business logic
> To write the kind of code AI generates, I used to have to keep documentation open on a second monitor, think deeply, and constantly Google better approaches.
This is a double edged sword. Yes, LLMs have given me some really interesting solutions that are advanced enough that I need to really work to follow them. But on the other hand, once I do so, I often find an architectural flaw that is driving the complexity. Once I prompt it to fix that flaw, the code gets simpler, easier to read and understand, and easier to maintain.
I'm starting to treat advanced solutions as a code smell - when I see something that pushes my limits, that means the AI missed a simple solution.
How long have you been working in this field? I ask as if you have numerous years you already know your worth and value irrespective of AI or any other system. If you are still questioning this it indicates to me that you are still in the process of finding yourself and are in the same boat many other folks are in - confronting the existencial crisis of identity as it pertains to work. I suggest do what is necessary to stay employed then on your own time write code by hand for personal or side projects. Be sure to not use AI and learn deployment, devops and infrastructure as much as is needed to be knowledgeable and able to speak to the technology. Then add that to your resume. Keep grinding.
I'm currently a programmer with 8 years of experience(I've been coding for longer than that, but I started earning money from programming around then.). Some might say that's still short, but honestly, I'm not sure. I became a programmer during the COVID-19 hiring boom, and somehow I've managed to survive. But I'm not really sure what I should be doing next.
Writing code is only one part of software engineering. Making good engineering decisions is the other, and LLMs aren't optimal at that...yet.
Sounds like you are already on the "right" path?
Step 1 is "surrendering" to AI-driven coding.
Beyond that, the new competitive edge for developers everywhere is mastering AI tooling for maximum productivity and velocity.
Can a non-technical person get the same result as you? If no then you're still adding value there.
The key to current AI-era software, IMO, is creating a new application and definition of how to maintain the product, which means how much of the code can be understood in terms of business logic and the real-world problem. They have already achieved code quality enough, they are going to absrub in development life style like people move from Sublime Text to VS Code, too, I think.
> When AI writes better code than I do, how am I supposed to maintain my motivation and identity?
I'm just going to be honest, this is cope. Your self-doubt is correct here and you should listen to it.
This is like a weaver asking how to maintain their identity in light of machines doing what they could do faster and cheaper. The honest answer is to find something else because at best you're delaying the inevitable.
I've spoken in length in other comments about how AI has taken a lot from my own identity so I understand and genuinely sympathise with how you're feeling, but you need understand what's coming and start planning – especially if you have dependants.
The only good news here is that we'll probably only have to worry about getting by for a decade max.