Code is something we used to write. If you’ve ever considered yourself a developer or programmer, you know.
Systems is something we design and architect. That hasn’t changed. We just have assistance to do it better and faster now.
There’s a lot of talk of how code reviews are more important than ever in a world of slop and vibe-coding. This is true.
Simon Willison wrote about this in Your job is to deliver code you have proven to work, and Don’t Break Prod captures the spirit of it as well.
However, there is something in between the idea and the code that creates value for an end-user.
Writing code has gone away, but sculpting code is here to stay.
Adding Comments. Inserting TODOs. Discussing better names. Reducing branching. Reminding about potential helpers.
It’s still your responsibility to reduce cognitive load for agents, as well as humans. It’s still your responsibility to upkeep quality.
The majority of what we used to do when writing code was just friction. But, a small piece of it did help with thinking.
That part has not gone away.
Writing is thinking. Sculpting is engineering.
If you don’t feel like you’re thinking or engineering, that’s when you should be delegating.
Writing code has gone away, but sculpting code is here to stay.