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ZDNET's key takeaways
Vibe coding trades creativity for coordination and oversight.
Performance and UI issues still demand human judgment.
AI shines when developers relentlessly lead, test, and correct.
Over all my years in the software business, I've built software using two fundamental techniques. The first technique was writing code myself, line-by-line. I enjoy that practice, though it can be incredibly time-consuming. If you hit a flow state, you can really groove on the process.
The second technique was managing other coders. This was usually a force multiplier, because those developers were often better and faster at line-by-line coding than I was. I could manage a few developers, moving projects along faster.
But I didn't enjoy that practice as much. There was never a flow state. It was more like a constant level of planning, convincing, cajoling, correcting, and a bit of chaos. People are going to people, and if you're a manager, that's what you get.
Also: 10 things I wish I knew before trusting Claude Code to build my iPhone app
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