The Cynical Developer

As building gets cheap, the bottleneck moves from “how” to “what”. We look at the rise of the product-minded engineer - someone who understands the customer, the business and the outcome, and happens to be able to build.Written by James Studdart. Voiced using an AI model of his voice.

A fear runs under a lot of AI conversations: that experienced engineers are worth less now the machine can write code. We argue it’s close to the opposite - AI raises the floor on output but raises the ceiling on judgement far more.Written by James Studdart. Voiced using an AI model of his voice.

If AI writes the boilerplate, tests and CRUD screens juniors used to learn on, how does anyone become senior? We look at the apprenticeship we’ve quietly automated away - and the slow, deferred bill that comes with it.Written by James Studdart. Voiced using an AI model of his voice.

The whiteboard puzzle always tested the one mode the job never uses - alone, from memory, no help. We look at why AI finally makes that impossible to ignore, why hiring clings to it anyway, and what’s worth measuring instead.Written by James Studdart. Voiced using an AI model of his voice.

We argue prompt engineering is already on its way out - and what’s replacing it is one of the oldest skills in software. When generating code gets cheap, deciding precisely what to build becomes the whole game.Written by James Studdart. Voiced using an AI model of his voice.