I’ve been building things for a long time.
Websites, apps, experiments.
Some finished, most quietly left in folders with names like “v3-final-final...
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I totally understand the feeling but for that same reasoning we should not use IDE or autocomplete or even built our own OS.
We use tools and when those tools does not exist, we create a new one using the existing tools, that's basically our job and AI is no more than another tool.
As you said, the key here is to value what you bring into the solution, the idea, the orchestration, those moments when you say "not this way", when you spot an error, etc.
Put this in a different order, imagine you have a more senior engineer than you giving you instructions, correcting your errors, maybe you bring options into the table but that person chooses, teaches you the why's, and so on. Is that person not worthy of the success or failure of the project just because is not hitting the keyboard as many times as you? :) Because basically that is what you are doing when you are using the AI.
I totally agree with you that work was never about proving your worth (maybe corporate world does not agree here :D) but the real value is to solve a problem at the end of the day, trying to not create another one in the way :)
Good topic!
Well said! And I think the corporate world will slowly warm up to it. :)
I get this feeling too. AI makes me faster and braver with ideas, but there’s still that weird guilt like I “should’ve” done it the hard way. Then I look at what actually matters, which is the thing I built, the choices I made, the taste I brought into it. AI didn’t give me that. It just cleared some of the friction so I could actually finish things. Using a tool isn’t cheating, it’s just part of creating, and the intent was always yours.
I completely agree. A lot of the laboring walls onto the AI, but the idea and vision is still yours and you're making it happen. I love coming up with random ideas for projects and actually making them happen. :)
This is such a solid reflection. I’ve been in your shoes, building with AI and feeling a bit like I'm cheating until I realized what was really happening: AI isn’t taking over, it’s unlocking bandwidth so you can code smarter, not just faster. When I was developing ScrumBuddy using Claude AI, our goal was never to replace the coder, it was to empower the coder to add their input, steer the output, and stay in control while hitting production-grade speed and efficiency.
Here’s my take: if you feel like you're cheating, you’re on the right path. Because what’s actually happening is you’re leveraging tools to handle the repeatable work and freeing your mind for bigger decisions; architecture, user flows, edge cases. And that’s where the real craft lives. AI gets the boilerplate done; you get to stay human in the loop, make the trade-offs, keep the ownership.
If you’re open to it, I’d love to show you how ScrumBuddy sets up that loop. AI scaffolds the code, you review + tweak, you stay in control. It’s the best of both worlds. Keep going, the future of coding is human + AI, not AI alone.
Sounds like a really interesting project you have going. I'm currently using a mix of ChatGPT, Codex and Cursor IDE.
ChatGPT I use mainly as a brainstorming buddy. We build up the idea, structure and feeling of what we want to make.
After that I take that information to either Codex or Cursor depending on if I'm on mobile or computer to start setting up the project.
How would ScrumBuddy make that process different?
Thanks for your response. 🙂
Love the workflow you described. ChatGPT for ideation, then Codex/Cursor for scaffolding is exactly how a lot of builders piece things together today. ScrumBuddy basically compresses all of that into a single, structured pipeline so you don’t have to hand-carry context between tools or redo the same setup steps every time you switch environments.
The biggest difference is that ScrumBuddy doesn’t just help you talk about the idea, it actually formalizes it. It turns your concept into a PRD, epics, stories, acceptance criteria, data models, test plans, and architecture before it ever touches code. That foundation becomes the source-of-truth the agents use when writing code, generating UI, and pushing PRs. So instead of bouncing between “brainstorm mode” and “coding mode,” you stay in one environment where everything is aligned.
The other piece is continuity. Instead of restarting the conversation in each tool, ScrumBuddy keeps the entire context stack persistent; requirements, rationale, constraints, edge cases and feeds that into every generation. It feels less like chatting with multiple assistants and more like working with a small dev team that remembers everything you’ve already decided.
So the short version: you’ll still be steering the direction and making the big calls, but ScrumBuddy removes the friction between ideation → planning → coding → iteration. You get clarity faster, cleaner structure, and production-grade output without juggling tools.
If you’re curious, I’d love for you to try it once the beta opens. I think your workflow would actually slot into ScrumBuddy insanely well.
Sure. I'd be interested in trying it. :)
Don’t beat yourself up or stress out about it. If you’re an experienced developer, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using AI to help with your work. Just keep in mind that whatever lands on your desk should leave it polished and ready, no matter how you got there. Life isn’t just about the 9 to 5 grind, make sure to spend quality time on your personal life, family, vacations, DIY projects, and whatever else makes you happy. At the end of the day, companies care about results, not the exact process you used to get there. If you don’t deliver, they’ll find someone else and move forward. So, relax, enjoy yourself, and take full advantage of technology whenever it’s available to make your life easier.
Well said. I agree. 🙂
Nice idea there, that you felt the value of programming to be in how difficult it was. I can relate. Then again, the monetary value of programming really was in how difficult it is/was. Otherwise, why would they pay you?
You have a valid point, but as of right now at least AI isn't flawless and it can get caught up in trying to fix bugs by trying the same thing over and over again. To make something polished enough for certain standards you still need to understand the code and how to debug.
There is still a monetary value in developers, but that might not be the case forever.
That last part of the statement becomes scary once you have a family! ;-)
I have a family and it is kinda scary. We as developers may be one of the professions hit hardest if the AI becomes so advanced that you no longer need to understand the code that is written.
Digital artists (photo and video) are also on the line.
The world is changing and we have to adapt to it the best we can.
Wow, this hit hard. 💭 The part about “AI removing the friction between imagination and reality” really resonated. I’ve felt that same mix of pride and guilt — but you’re right, the real value is in what we create, not how much we struggle to make it. Beautifully written. 🙌
I agree. In the end, what should matter is what was created, not how it was created. :) Thank you for your response.
This hit deeply. I’ve been through the same — that strange guilt of using AI and feeling like I’m “cheating.” But the truth is, AI just expands what we’re capable of creating. The creativity and direction were always ours. Beautifully written reminder. 💛
I completely agree! It allows me to be more creative with what I'm making instead of just have a pile of code to write. Thank you for your response. :)
I kinda have a conflict of interests here, i often justify myself by saying that ai is like calculator, it was built to make our life easier, sticking tradition will just make the progress slow... But the other part of me says...the calculators exists but so do the mathematicians.... Nothing in me changes..prompt engineering is not the hard... Just like mathematicians... Every programmers needs to know every bit of code.. inorder to innovate or develop...
I really connected with this. I’ve felt that same mix of pride and guilt when using AI in my workflow. But over time, I’ve realized it’s not cheating - it’s evolving. The creativity, decisions, and problem-solving still come from us; AI just removes the roadblocks that slow us down. We don’t lose our identity as developers by using better tools—we expand it. The real value was never in the struggle, but in bringing ideas to life.
Agreed. And with AI a lot of new and cool ideas are definitely being brought to life. 😀
I felt every word you said, because that's exactly how I was feeling today. In just one month, I developed and implemented three ideas that I had had in mind for so long, and I hadn't set out to build them because, of course, it would take a lot of time and energy, and I didn't think it was possible to do what could be done with prompts. But now that I'm doing it, it's clear to me, and I didn't feel proud at all.
I even belittled what I had “done”; I didn't see its value.
But of course, the idea I had is now ready, and I can iterate and continue to make it grow, which is what's important.
I'll take your phrase with me:
The work was never about proving your worth...
It's your ideas and they have value no matter how they were created. :)
Well said. Fundamentally, that's the only thing that counts...
I agree. 🙂
I love it! but our end goal is if the product is working or not.. everybody is using AI now for coding purpose, before AI, developers were using github and stack overflow.
I agree, we have used other means of information gathering before. That is why most developers love open source. Then you can see how others solved a problem/new functionality you have.
AI is just another tool for information gathering.
AI is really dependency, now for me, use AI when i go bathroom, use AI lie on bed or sit on sofa, whatever scan anything, im addicted to it, it's true, even some sniffles I ll ask AI, such as how to solve it quickly.
Then it provides me some Chinese patient pills.
Definitely. AI has become a daily tool for a lot of people and for all sorts of tasks and questions. We've really entered a new era of how we gather and use information. I think for the most part this is a positive development, but there are definitely downsides as well. Thank you for your feedback. :)
I never learned how to code, but now it's like I have a superpower. I can build almost anything I can describe well enough! But I don't write a single line. Yep, it feels exactly like cheating.
That is a completely valid thing to do too. AI doesn't only make life easier for coders, but it gives a completely new tool to those who don't code, but still want to create an idea they have. I love this about AI. It puts the power of coding into the hands of everyone and we'll all get websites and apps that no one else could've imagined.
Now when you think "wouldn't it be cool if...", you can actually make that cool thing. :)
Thanks for your response. I'm glad this resonated with you. :)
Really interesting and out of box point of view!! Congrats.
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. :)
That’s honestly one of the most grounded takes I’ve read on this. You captured the quiet guilt a lot of devs feel but don’t admit. The truth is every major leap in software has come from better tools. Compilers, frameworks, libraries all cheated away the hard parts. AI is just the next abstraction layer. What still matters is taste, intent and judgment the part no model can fake. You’re not cheating, you’re evolving with the craft.
using AI is inevitable thing but this hit
It is. And the usage of AI will continue to evolve. Which is why I think it's important to understand that even though AI may do a lot of the hard labor, it's you directing it behind the scenes. This, of course, may give you some heavy imposter syndrome. Who actually created what was created? I think in the end, you're still the creator. Without you the AI wouldn't have written that code, resume, essay etc. Thanks for the feedback. :)
As a Dev, I can definitely relate to this amazing write up. Imposter syndrome sometimes kickstart in - but hey! We're devs! We always make things work & we know why it works under the hood. AI makes us 10xDevs!
That’s true — for example, I used to feel overwhelmed whenever I had to do a task.
But even when I was struggling with an error at line 12 (and there was nothing there!), I still felt proud of myself.
Recently, my skills have grown a lot — I’ve been able to do some really cool things.
Nowadays, I use AI to build projects. I’ve created and deployed many of them, but sometimes I still feel a bit of shame.
Actually, I’m learning to accept that development has changed. The goal isn’t to type everything from scratch anymore, but to bring real solutions to real-world problems and be useful.
You’re not alone in feeling this way.
I’ve been reading posts on Dev.to for years, but this is the first one I’ve felt such a strong connection to.
What you describe is exactly how I feel. When someone walks past my desk and sees a ChatGPT window on my screen, I feel a bit embarrassed. I know I could handle most of the work myself, but it would take much more time.
AI is meant to free up time for creativity and to handle the “boring, repetitive” tasks. Yet I still feel a little guilty using it, even for things I’ve done a hundred times before.
Reading your article changed the way I see it. I especially resonated with this line: “Maybe it made me more able to express the developer I already was.”
Thank you for sharing!
Many developers use AI tools now, and it can create a sense of guilt at first. I see AI as a helper that supports your work, not something that replaces your skill. You still guide the decisions, shape the logic, and review the output. That control shows real ability, not a shortcut.
I use AI in my own work, and it often helps me spot issues or test ideas faster. It does not remove the need for clear thinking. It simply reduces busy work and frees time for problem-solving. I think this is a healthy way to use it.
If a tool helps you learn, improve, or complete tasks with less stress, then it has value. You still bring your judgment and style to the final code. That is what matters.
You are not cheating. You are using a tool that supports your growth as a developer.
Well said! That is exactly what I've been stuck in. I knew I should've typed this idea into a fine-working program by my hands, but still feeling guilty for using AI to generate the coding part. The view u shared helps me to better deal with AI-coder and me!🧐
I fully support your idea, and your various subjective feelings overlap highly with mine, because coding itself is constantly absorbing the definitions of the people who created it to enrich our understanding of it. Integrating our own ideas into it is the programming literacy we need. However, even if you love this job very much and have a strong talent in this area, it is actually very difficult to create your own unique programming idea and make it popular, because this design has reached a true genius, such as the father of C language or the famous Linux creator, who created pseudo Unix only during his university years The core has proven its value, and this is the true genius. What we need now is to transform and shape a more perfect version of ourselves based on the material foundations created by our predecessors
I definitely feel this way sometimes. Feels like I'm an imposter for using AI tools, but I get over it since I understand the code it generates. However, I minimize the use of AI because, as I'm building, I do notice it can create gaps in learning - that feeling when something finally clicks and you go "ooooh yeah, now I get it!" I crave that hit of dopamine. I never let it build entire functions or as a replacement for debugging. There is a huge difference between letting AI build something you don't understand and using it as a simple tool in the build process. It's a tool, not a replacement.
This is just ego. Let me explain:
The process of learning how to code and code efficiency has been iterated through time. 40 years ago you waited 3 days for a compiler. 20 years ago you prayed for Stack Overflow. Today, you get a neural co-pilot tuned to your exact frequency.
Humans didn't stop being writers when word processors arrived. Neither did musicians when DAWs replaced tape. Same here...
Just make sure you are learning how to wield it and not make shortcuts. Understand the logic behind the code.
AI will create more developers than any point throughout history.
I think it is the same feeling when you copy a code from lets say StackOverflow into your codebase without actually going through the code to understand what it does.
Some find delight in 'It's working', others find delight 'why does it work this way?'.
I feel the same way😞
we are all in this same boat ... same feeling .. but it kind of scares me..
Thanks for this post, imposter syndrome feels more real than ever.
interesting
Interesting to read and good work
I’m not a developer, but this really moved me. It’s such a good reminder that creativity isn’t about how hard something is — it’s about what you bring to it. Beautifully said.
Loved this. AI did not replace your creativity, it just cleared the path for it.
BROOO!! You described very well this sensation.... a lot of times i've stuck in this