Hey!

Welcome back to another week of musings. February is already underway, and it always feels like a blip of the year. We've had great weather, and the Super Bowl just happened here in the Bay.

I hope you had a great weekend and managed to rest.

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Things I enjoyed in the past week

• Nobody knows how the whole system works. No one person truly understands every layer of complex systems. We build on imperfect mental models and use tools that hide details. That gap grows with new technologies like AI, but it has always existed.
• Is the craft dead? Quick post by Scott Hanselman about the craft of software engineering in the AI era.
• You Are Here, a post in a similar vein by Marc Brooker, notes that the tools that turn ideas into code and connect services are now nearly free, changing the value of traditional programming.

I've been talking with several peers about how programming feels different now: we can take on tasks in languages we've never worked with, or I can create what I want in less time than before.

I try to stay off the critical path when it comes to coding tasks, but from time to time, I have to jump in to unblock a project.

Now with AI help, I've been removing myself from the critical path faster than before. But also keep on thinking about how to avoid going back to these patterns, and how, at times, it feels comfortable to go back to things you think you know how to do, or you can control, compared to all the unknown parts of dealing with teams, people interactions, and meetings. A lot of unknown unknowns.

I think part of my response to going back to do certain tasks comes from feeling less "Peter-principled" and doing something I'm competent in.

I think it's easy to always fall back; there is something comfortable about it. I don't know if it ever gets easier to forget that, or if you just move on, and then you are at a new level of comfort with the next set of skills. As you progress, you understand or mature through using your skills. Perhaps that might be a better way to put it: you mature and learn to choose from your "toolbox" of skills, rather than falling back or not.

That's all for this week, short and sweet, as I'm preparing to give a presentation next Tuesday, wish me luck!

Your Turn!

Do you ever catch yourself doing something from previous roles that is easier to do compared to your current role, or the role you're expected to perform? Let me know your thoughts by replying to this email!

Happy coding!