I'm an Android software developer.
Back in the early days of my Android development journey, our primary tool wasn't Android Studio as it is today. We used something called Eclipse.
I used that tool for many years. At the time, it seemed perfect: rich plugins, and the ability to develop multiple projects within a single workspace.
But what happened next proved a brutal law in the tech world — "once you upgrade, there's no going back."
It's that irreversible feeling — once you've experienced more advanced productivity, you can never return to the old ways.
1. The 2014 Transition
Old-time Android developers might remember this history.
Before 2014, Eclipse was the standard for Android app development.
Back then, I thought Eclipse was great. Shortcuts, various plugins — I used them fluently, and everything worked smoothly.
Then, Google released Android Studio, a modern development tool based on IntelliJ IDEA, and pushed the Gradle build system.
Honestly, nobody wanted to switch. Everyone felt Eclipse worked fine for development. We were used to it, and nobody wanted to change their workflow.
Plus, early Android Studio had plenty of issues: lag, slow performance, large installation size, and complicated setup.
"It's too slow," "Why did the directory structure completely change," "Gradle takes forever to compile"... Many people (including me) resisted. Some even thought they'd try it for a while and then switch back.
But management was firm: "Everyone must switch to Android Studio."
After struggling with it for six months, something remarkable happened:
Nobody wanted to go back.
Once we got used to Gradle's powerful dependency management, Android Studio's intelligent code completion, and its robust debugging tools, looking back at Eclipse felt like looking at an antique from the last century.
Why couldn't we go back?
Because the new tool wasn't just a facelift. It represented more advanced compilation logic, more efficient engineering practices — it was the "future" of that era.
2. The 2026 "Must-Have"
Twelve years later, that feeling is back.
This time, the protagonist is AI.
A couple of years ago, many people were skeptical about AI-assisted programming: "AI-generated code still needs editing," "I still need to copy and paste," "I can write faster myself," "It doesn't understand business logic."
But in 2026, if you're starting a new project:
AI is no longer an "option" — it's a "must-have."
When I develop new projects now (whether inBox Notes or new tools), I absolutely never start by hand-typing void main() line by line anymore.
That's the "stone age" approach.
My current workflow:
- Feed ideas to Trae or Claude, iterate through conversations, refine product logic, and produce product documentation
- Discuss technical implementation with AI, then generate the MVP (minimum viable product)
- I act as the architect — handling requirements, product validation, and marketing
If you asked me to turn off Claude Code, turn off AI assistants, and write a complete app by hand today...
It would feel like asking me to download Eclipse and write Android apps in 2026.
It's not that I can't do it. It's that the efficiency would be so abysmally low that it's incomparable with modern workflows.
3. Keep the Craft, Don't Be the Mule
Of course, I must add one caveat:
"Not writing code by hand" doesn't mean "not understanding code."
You still need fundamental programming skills, algorithmic logic, and architectural thinking. These are your craft. Because AI is still a black box — it occasionally hallucinates, and you need the expertise to spot its bugs.
But the act of "hand-coding" itself has transformed from creative work to repetitive work.
Humans should focus on more creative tasks — designing products, thinking through logic, optimizing experiences. As for brick-laying and wall-building? Leave that to AI, the tireless foreman.
4. The Unstoppable Tide
This isn't just about programming.
Other fields — education, policy, tools across every industry — face the same reality.
The adoption of new things never depends on individual preference.
When a new tool is proven to dramatically boost productivity and significantly reduce costs, it sweeps through like a flood.
Over the past three years, AI development has gone from "hesitant观望" to "unstoppable."
Since there's no going back, don't look back. Embrace AI. Learn AI. Use AI well.
By Gudong, indie hacker building inBox Notes.
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