SimonW: coding agents make software engineering harder, demanding extraordinary discipline
blaizedsouza · x · 2026-09-26
SimonW argues that the more he works with coding agents, the more convinced he is that they make software engineering harder — unlocking their full potential requires extraordinary discipline and knowledge.
GergelyOrosz quotes the post, distinguishing the "engineering mindset" from the "hacker mindset" — formerly the "blindly copying from StackOverflow" mindset, now the "vibe coding" mindset. AI doesn't change the equation, it just makes hacking things together easier, which isn't engineering — though you don't always need engineering.
Related event: Simon Willison: Coding Agents Make Software Engineering Harder(2 posts)→
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