Who are you as a developer when AI writes code too?
AI can write the code now. So who are you as a developer when it does? An honest look at identity, craft, and what's actually left that's yours.
The Empathetic Developer
Developers who write back-end code have to have empathy. With their teammates because of the stress and responsibilities that they share. With their customers so that they can create software that solves real problems. With their employers so that they build quality products. With themselves so that they can continue to do great work. I call those developers Empathetic Developers. Are you one of us?
Latest posts
The Token Bill Is Coming
The token bill is coming. When it does, good code stops being just good practice and starts showing up on your invoice.
The Code Was Always the Door
AI is automating the code, not the engineering. A guide for senior developers on shepherding AI through the work that was always the actual job.
Under the Hood: What Your AI Coding Assistant Actually Is
The hype problem If you ve spent any time on LinkedIn lately, you ve encountered two very different camps. One is convinced that AI will make developers obsolete within five years. The other insists that tools like Claude Code and GitHub Copilot are nothing more than glorified autocomplete, useful for the boring stuff but fundamentally shallow. Both Continue reading Under the Hood: What Your AI…
Why Java is Still Worth Learning in 2025: A Developer’s 25-Year Journey
I ll be honest my first encounter with Java in 1999 wasn t love at first sight. It was during a university distributed systems course, and coming from a background in assembler and C, Java felt bloated, slow, and frankly untrustworthy. That automatic memory handling seemed like dangerous magic I couldn t control. After years of meticulously Continue reading Why Java is Still Worth Learning in…
Uncertainty in software design
The only thing we can be certain of in this life is that we can be certain of nothing. -Albert Einstein Unexpected events tend to occur. This summer, I worked in technical support for a government system here in Sweden. The system is quite old, created nearly 20 years ago, but it is still actively Continue reading Uncertainty in software design
Brain friendly programming in Java
We have many principles for writing better more maintainable software, but still end up with a tangled mess. Most of us have heard about the Single Responsibility Principle (SRP), Robert C Martin expressed this principle as A class should have only one reason to change . He later clarified this by stating Gather together the things that Continue reading Brain friendly programming in Java
Continuous Feedback
Fixing performance problems can be tricky. I joined a new team last spring, and my first assignment was to investigate and fix some performance problems they were having. Most of the reported performance problems were related to a complicated function with many moving parts. I started with creating some test data that I could use Continue reading Continuous Feedback
Observability for Agile Development: Why It’s a Game Changer
Feedback is at the core of agile development. We strive to improve and shorten the feedback loops wherever we can. We do code reviews, ask for customer feedback, and run automatic test suites to locate regressions in functionality and performance. However, there is an often overlooked feedback loop where we can gain important insights. One Continue reading Observability for Agile Development: Why…
Mastering the Craft: 7 Habits of Highly Effective Developers
Physical training Physical training, also known as exercise or fitness training, is crucial to maintain a healthy lifestyle and improve overall well-being. It involves engaging in planned physical activities targeting specific muscle groups, enhancing cardiovascular endurance, improving flexibility, and building strength. Besides the physical benefits, exercise positively impacts mental and…