Developer Motivation in the AI Era

Recently, I paid $100 for Claude. In that moment, I felt a strange sensation. It was like everything I'd built over 20 years as a developer was suddenly being unlocked all at once. It was fascinating, and at the same time, a bit bitter.

Having lunch with team members, this conversation came up:

Colleague A: "These days when I ask AI about code, it writes cleaner code than me. Honestly, it feels a bit deflating."
Colleague B: "Right, sometimes I wonder if I'll really become unnecessary."
Me: "But think about it—tractors were invented in the 18th century, 300 years have passed, and farmers still exist."

Just because tractors appeared doesn't mean humans stopped farming. Just because there was a dot-com bubble doesn't mean the internet disappeared. The numbers decreased and the forms changed, that's all. If AI is playing the role of a tractor in the development ecosystem right now, wouldn't developers still need to exist? The question is whether I can be one of those remaining developers.

There's something called Kübler-Ross's five stages of grief: denial, anger, depression, bargaining, acceptance. It describes the emotional stages someone goes through when given a terminal diagnosis, and I thought the way developers are responding to AI these days is similar.

From "AI-written code? I can't trust it" (denial), to "I have to review code written by AI?" (anger), to looking around and seeing AI talk everywhere (depression), to "Maybe I should at least try ChatGPT..." (bargaining), eventually reaching acceptance.

I was the same. You have to try it to know. After trying it, supplementing what's lacking, and discussing better ways to use it with colleagues, at some point you realize: "Ah, I need to use this." And for a developer to realize that means there's no going back.

In this time of change, reflecting on myself, I thought about motivation.

Motivation can be broadly divided into extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation includes things like rewards, honor, and praise. They might seem materialistic at first glance, but these are actually values that have been inscribed in our DNA over millions of years as advantageous for survival. Better housing, more popularity, power that prevents others from treating you carelessly—these are perfectly natural desires.

However, extrinsic motivation is highly impulsive and temporary. As a simple example, when you receive a Chuseok bonus—an extra month's salary—how long does the feeling of "Wow, this is a great company, I should work hard" last? In my experience, exactly 3 months. My conclusion from years of company life is that extrinsic motivation can be kindling, but it can't be the firewood.

What we ultimately need is intrinsic motivation. What moves me, and why does it move me? A time comes when knowing yourself becomes important.

If you don't know what you like or why you like it, I recommend just starting with what people around you tell you to do.

Did Kim Yuna really start figure skating because she loved it? As shown in famous interviews, sometimes not assigning meaning or reason and just doing it is very important.

I think that's one of thousands of reasons why Kim Yuna could become the best. Talent was the next necessary element. Wouldn't that talent have gone undiscovered if she hadn't done what her parents told her to try?

What moves you, and why does it move you?

Honestly, few people have clear answers to this question. I'm the same.

I started drinking Americanos about 10 years ago when I began drinking Kanu instant coffee. I've been brewing coffee myself for about 6 years. I'm someone who spends most of my leisure time in laziness, and looking back now, I don't even know why I started this bothersome habit.

I happened to taste filter coffee, happened to have an opportunity to brew coffee, and it tasted pretty good for a first attempt. That coincidence became routine, and one morning after being led along like that, when the coffee brewed exactly according to the flavor notes—that feeling that bursts forth... it was similar to the feeling of playing a soccer game where the passes were insanely good, I wasn't tired, and I was just having fun.

That routine continued and continued, and now my humble end-of-life goal that I tell people about is eventually opening a café. Actually, there's a high chance I won't. Since people around me often ask in small talk, it might have become a habit from deflecting answers. Who knows what life will bring?

But yesterday and today, I brewed and drank coffee every morning, and I'll do it again tomorrow. Now that time has become my most enjoyable and precious time. That's how meaning was assigned.

So what I want to repeatedly say is: if you don't know what you like or why you like it, just try it first.

Don't think "Ugh, why do they keep making me do these things?"—just try it. If you really can't do it after trying, say you can't. They'll tell you to try something else. But saying you can't without even trying—that's a different problem.

If you absolutely don't understand why they're asking you to do something, try it first. The meaning and interpretation can come later. Like me.

Of course, if despite all that you lack motivation and can't do it, I say take a rest. That's probably being in the depression stage.

If you connect Kübler-Ross's graphs, they become life graphs. Ultimately, it's no exaggeration to say our lives depend on how healthily we spend our time at the bottom, our depressed time. Sometimes during this time, we meet ourselves within. What do I need, what do I want, what story do I want to tell? We need to treat ourselves slowly, carefully, and kindly.

You must be able to love and cherish yourself before you can love and cherish others. I'm not just saying something from a book somewhere. It's really true.

Last weekend, my wife asked to take the dog for a walk. Lying on the couch watching TV, I was too lazy and pretended not to hear, but when my wife started to go out alone, I reluctantly followed. I really don't like walking.

But as soon as I stepped outside, I encountered the tail end of beautifully colored autumn leaves. Before I knew it, time was flying by as I collected fallen leaves. While happily gathering leaves, my wife said:

"Are you the same person who was too lazy to go out just a moment ago?"

That's when I realized. Ah, I don't like drinking alcohol but I like collecting it, and I don't like walking but I like picking up beautifully colored autumn leaves. When I got home, I noticed the thick books on my bookshelf were full of leaves I'd collected and tucked in over the years.

It was a "me" I hadn't been aware of until then. And it was fascinating that all of this came from following my wife out reluctantly for a dog walk. It was a "me" I wouldn't have known if I'd stayed oblivious and just watched TV without following.

Looking back, more memorable than the moments when I chose the best option close to the right answer after endless deliberation to avoid failure, were the moments when I just tried things and encountered and explored various "whys."

"Why" wasn't a clear answer or definition. It was a direction that gradually revealed itself, and that was "me" itself. Not knowing something and then starting, but having to start to know—I feel this repeatedly throughout life.

Lastly, I'd like to add one more thing: please don't define yourself as "I'm this kind of person." I mean, don't box yourself in. Talking in terms of MBTI is just icebreaking and small talk at best.

Rolling yourself around and around, and through the various perspectives gained that way, calibrating the zero point of who you are—finding goals comes after that, I think.

I support and cheer for all your choices, attempts, successes, and failures.