I miss thinking hard.
- The author identifies two primary personality traits: "The Builder" (focused on velocity, utility, and shipping) and "The Thinker" (needing deep, prolonged mental struggle).
- "Thinking hard" is defined as sitting with a difficult problem for days or weeks to find a creative solution without external help.
- In university, the author realized this ability to chew on complex physics problems was their "superpower," providing a level of confidence that they could solve anything given enough time.
- Software engineering was initially gratifying because it balanced both traits, but the rise of AI and "vibe coding" has tilted the scale heavily toward the Builder.
- While AI enables the creation of more complex software faster, the author feels they are no longer growing as an engineer because they are "starving the Thinker."
- The lack of struggle leads to a feeling of being stuck, as the dopamine of a successful deploy cannot replace the satisfaction of deep technical pondering.
Hacker News Discussion
- The loss of the "clayship" process: Commenters compared coding to working with clay; skipping the struggle means missing the intimacy with the material that reveals its limits and potential.
- The "Vending Machine" effect: Receiving a "baked and glazed" artifact from AI removes the human element of discovery and learning.
- Risk of mediocrity: There is concern that AI guides developers toward "average" or conventional solutions, making it harder to push for unique or innovative ideas without significant manual effort.
- The tradeoff of efficiency: While some view the current era as the best time for "Builders" who just want to see results, many veteran developers feel a profound sense of loss regarding the cognitive depth of the craft.
- Clear communication as a new skill: Some argue that interacting with AI requires a different kind of "thinking hard"—specifically, the need to express creative boundaries clearly so the model doesn't "correct" away the uniqueness of the project.