Ask HN: Anyone still coding like 2021? Where do you work? | Hacker NewsHacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitloginAsk HN: Anyone still coding like 2021? Where do you work?28 points by sph 27 minutes ago | hide | past | favorite | 19 commentsI can close an eye on using LLMs for research only.These days I feel I am the only one that hasn’t changed their way of writing software at all. I’d honestly switch careers rather than manage agents. But I’m currently out of work (contract ended) and wondering if there is still a sane place to work, or is it truly time to pivot to another career. help

vermilingua 1 minute ago | next [–]
I don't touch LLMs for any purpose (when I can help it, they are frequently shoved in your face regardless); and up until recently was doing just fine. I was fired for this stance, not for performance reasons (officially stated that there was no concern with my output), only for political reasons (insubordination, refusing to use LLMs to do my work for me).I have been seeing fewer and fewer job ads that ask for/require LLM use over the last couple of months, so I feel like the tide may be turning in our direction; but I am starting to feel the stress. This is the first time I have considered that I might have been "wrong" taking an absolutist stance against LLMs, though I think that's just the unemployment wearing me down.replycowanon77 11 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
We still have some product development software teams at my company that have not changed at all in the last year. We develop medical products in the U.S., so it is heavily regulated and processes change very slowly. We also require reviews from our legal team, so it takes a while for any new contract or agreement to be approved.This is temporary though; other teams are fully embracing AI in their processes, and it's really only a matter of time until all teams use it. We have C-suite instructions to promote AI adoption. AI will slowly creep into software testing, verification, and eventually the requirements management and software development itself. I'm working on some of the pilot projects.replygottagocode 1 minute ago | prev | next [–]
I am a lead developer working in Cyber Security. We are just not integrating co-pilot reviews into our pipeline to help speed along the initial review process and weed out any surface level bugs. We still have no agentic coding, and I'm not sure we will for at least another year. I have advocated to modernize and keep up with modern tooling to no avail.replydd8601fn 0 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
There are so, so many. You just generally won’t hear about it here.Where I work, I have chores than a claude subscription would knock out in minutes instead of months. But I don’t have permission to run something like that, so I don’t.Weirdly our contractors can. They wrote it into their contracts. It’s not even fair, really.replyandreybaskov 6 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
I’ve learned for myself that I need to write code just to keep my brain in shape - same as going to the gym to be healthy.Even though agents are building all of my code now, I’m starting every morning with a LeetCode problem. There is no practical use, but it make me feel good and sharp for the rest of the day.For anyone coping with AI I suggest to give it a try, and stick to it for some time, just like with a gym.replykilroy123 4 minutes ago | parent | next [–]
Smart. I've been thinking about doing the same.I regret not doing this 10 years ago. Just ~20 minutes of leetcode practice for a decade. I could have landed so much better gigs. :-/replyleftnode 2 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
I use Codex extensively, but mostly as a sounding board for architectural questions. I'll also have it do a lot of boilerplate work, but damn, I don't get these people creating multiple Claude or Codex accounts to burn tokens all day. I still love writing code!replysgbeal 14 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
> These days I feel I am the only one that hasn’t changed their way of writing software at all.If you mean using a text editor, a shell, and a makefile, then you're not alone by any stretch of the imagination.If you mean your skills stagnated 10+ years ago and have not advanced since then, then... yeah, you might be the only one ;).replylolakutty 10 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
>I can close an eye on using LLMs for research only.Yes, this is the only way I use them. As a better search tool for the collective knowledge, and to do arbitrary queries on a complicated code base.If there are any mechanical changes, like renaming something or such, I might use an LLM for it as well.replyshivapb80 13 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
I do not have an answer to your original question but I do have a comment that I have realized it myself quite recently. May be the analogy is not good enough but here it goes: no one would go back to punch cards etc, we have come a long way. And GenAI is such a tool - there is no going back.replylolakutty 9 minutes ago | parent | next [–]
Yea, it is easier to use an LLM for search than using a conventional search engine. No one is going back to that if a non-malicious LLM is available at reasonable costs.replyrobin_reala 1 minute ago | root | parent | next [–]
The real costs are externalised to society and the environment. I assume you weren’t including that in your “reasonable costs”.replysqualvj 4 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
In my company they give each one claude code.The transition of winning an argument change to “claude said…” which are fucking annoying facing this shit in daily basis.Code base becoming a blackbox where god and AI know what its like, every function have 4 line of paragraph historically describing changes from past to the future.Im thinking of resigning because i cant bear this shit anymore but seems like its not better in other place.Its time for me to retire and change career IG.
Im sick of this becoming middleman between my manager and the AIreplyandhbhaktkabaap 0 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
Pakistan will fuck INDIAN PAAJEETSreplynickphx 1 minute ago | prev | next [–]
I ended a 10 year contract when the new clownshoes CTO started hyping the slop. I would rather stare at a wall than 'manage' an 'agentic team'.replydude250711 12 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
There are some "boring" enterprises that "lag behind" (subjective) the alleged trend. It just needs to have a sceptical independently-thinking CTO I guess. Which kind of goes against the typical people filling such roles.replyguywithahat 16 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
Dow/classified projects can still be pretty old school. Our company hasn’t really done much on the AI front yet although I’m pushing hard to change that.replyhhh 11 minutes ago | parent | next [–]
on the other hand cyberespionage has changed drasticallyreplyActionHank 13 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [–]
I am deeply envious that you have dodged the slop trenches and get to walk into a somewhat cleaner solution.The rest of us have to clean up and maintain the slop and it's depressing as hell.reply

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The discussion centers on the current state of software development practices, the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) and agentic systems, and the resulting professional anxieties among developers. One participant expressed a reluctance to adopt LLMs for coding, citing specific reasons, including a desire to maintain an absolutist stance, which led to professional repercussions, and a feeling that the pressure of unemployment is contributing to this stance. There is a tension between those who resist AI adoption and those who view it as an inevitable, non-reversible evolution of the field.

The landscape of corporate adoption varies significantly. Some product development teams, particularly those working in heavily regulated medical product environments, are slow to change due to stringent legal reviews and slow, deliberate processes. However, there is a recognized corporate push, with C-suite instructions promoting AI adoption, suggesting a gradual creep of artificial intelligence into areas like testing, verification, requirements management, and development itself. Despite this, some development teams are actively piloting AI integration, and there is an acknowledged shift occurring across the industry, pushing toward broader adoption.

In the realm of technical development, the debate touches upon the value of foundational skill maintenance. One developer noted the necessity of continuing practices like solving LeetCode problems daily, arguing that even when agents handle code generation, this practice is crucial for maintaining cognitive sharpness and skill retention. This perspective suggests a balanced approach where foundational practice remains valuable alongside new tooling.

The role of LLMs in the workflow is also debated. Some users adopt LLMs strictly for research and complex queries on codebases, viewing them as superior search tools. Others use them for generating boilerplate code, often finding the process cumbersome, such as the need for various accounts. There is a broader sense of disillusionment regarding the way AI is introduced into professional settings, with some feeling that it acts as a middleman between managers and the technology, leading to an experience where codebases become opaque, where the system relies on both human understanding and AI knowledge.

The sentiment among some experienced developers is one of resignation regarding the pace of change. There is an acknowledgment that the trajectory of technological advancement is irreversible, suggesting that historical resistance to changes, such as moving from punch cards to modern systems, is unfounded. Some feel overshadowed by the rapid changes, expressing envy for those who have navigated the current shifts more smoothly, while others feel burdened by the necessity of managing the transformation rather than implementing it. This reflection leads to discussions about career pivots, with some contemplating resignation due to the perceived complexity and management overhead associated with agentic teams.