Yes, my official title is “Junior.”
But in today’s world — a world where LLMs are part of every step of the development workflow — every developer is actually a team lead.
Not of people… but of models.
The LLM is the “developer” working under me, and I’m the one managing it.
Exactly like a real team lead.
And that means:
1. Giving precise instructions 🎯
Just like a team lead guiding their developers, I must define clear,
detailed requirements with no room for ambiguity.
If I give a vague prompt — I’ll get a vague output.
2. Making sure it actually understood me 👌
Never assume.
I ask clarifying questions, refine the task, request examples, and confirm the model truly understands what I need before it starts generating
code.
(You are welcome to read my other post on this topic:
https://dev.to/sara_hajbi/how-i-work-with-llms-13ni)
3. Reviewing every line and every suggestion 🔍
An LLM is not an authority — it’s a tool.
I read the code, verify the logic, check the architecture, and look for bugs.
It’s my responsibility, just like a team lead reviewing a PR before merging.
4. Understanding 100% of what’s happening in the system 🤔
You can’t just throw a vague request at a model and wait for magic.
If you don’t understand what you’re running, you lose control quickly.
In today’s world, being “just a junior” isn’t enough.
You must be a developer who truly understands, not one who simply copies.
So what changed?
AI changed the rules.
A junior can’t remain “just a junior.”
You now have to act as:
- a manager
- a code reviewer
- an architect
- and the owner of the entire development process
…before writing a single line yourself.
Anyone who knows how to manage LLMs effectively is essentially a team lead of their models.
And those who don’t — fall behind.
What do you think?
Do you agree with me?
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