Playing Programmer

I knew how to program before AI tools were available. I followed the learn to code trend in 2013 and taught myself python. I could write a small python script to do a task, maybe download some data, clean it, and save it somewhere. I used this extensively in my day job.

However, I never made anything like an application, even though I tried many times. I tried to make it through Flask tutorials in order to make a website, but never stuck with it long enough to complete a project.

The Change

I've been using LLMs for a while and using them to help write snippets of code. Even had one help me build a prototype Flask app that actually worked.

I didn't get the true power until I used Cursor for the first time. It doesn't do everything. It gets confused. A lot of what it creates doesn't work, especially when you are giving it generic instructions. But, what it does do is let you bypass 80-90% of the work. Even with possibly bad instructions, it just takes off coding as fast as it can think, not even considering that something might be complex or difficult to approach.

For an experienced developer, I could see this increasing productivity. For a hobbyist/part-timer like me, it could turn a 6 month project into a week or two.

The Outcome

I'm sure a lot more software is going to be created. I assume the models being used are going to get better. Software will be abundant and won't have as much value as it does today.

If value remains, where will it be? The idea, the implementation, or the speed of deployment?