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linsomniacyesterday at 7:58 PM4 repliesview on HN

Here's my current rule of thumb: If you have successfully built a couple projects using agentic tooling and Claude 4 or similar models: you are doing a fine job of keeping up. Otherwise, you are at least a generation behind.


Replies

bluefirebrandyesterday at 8:01 PM

Behind what?

Isn't the whole promise of AI tools that they just work?

What skill am I missing out on learning, exactly, by not using them right now? Prompt Engineering?

I think I'm a reasonably good communicator in both voice and text, so what skill am I failing to train by not using LLMs right now?

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Disposal8433yesterday at 8:08 PM

Your FOMO threats are way too obvious, and I'm not falling for it . I'm behind you in C++ because I don't use AI? That's ridiculous.

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ethan_smithyesterday at 9:47 PM

Building projects is valuable, but "keeping up" is contextual - someone using AI effectively in their specific domain is ahead regardless of which generation of tools they're using.

gtsopyesterday at 10:50 PM

Right now they only thing being left behind is my actual work to be done since I am spending more and mpre time fighting off cursor-written degenerate slop code from creeping into the codebase from "pioneer" developers who are slowly forgetting how to program.