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Paulo André's avatar

"Working with agents isn’t about becoming a developer, but understanding the shape of things; files, tools, systems. With a thick dollop of taste on top."

This resonated deeply. Speaks to what I believe was and continues to be the most underrated skill out there: systems thinking.

What's also interesting about your phrasing for me is that one can argue that "understanding the shape of things; files, tools, systems. With a thick dollop of taste on top." is exactly what being a (really good) developer has always been about. :)

Ben Tossell's avatar

yes 10000% with systems thinking. and the irony is not lost on me that we're learning to be developers but just without the writing code part... 😅

this is actually something i figured out in the no-code days of makerpad. i was still teaching how to build the system, understand the tools, but they were abstractions of code files (zapier, webflow, airtable, etc).

funny how things go.

appreciate your comment. ty so much.

Rahul Ramesh Tawde's avatar

I don't care if you stop being a tech guy (there are a few good ones), but please don't stop writing. (there is no one in tech who writes with this kind of vulnerability, honesty and warmth)

Ben Tossell's avatar

thank you so much. i dont even class myself as a writer haha - and what even is a 'tech guy' these days.... its all of us!

Will Reynoir's avatar

Your focus on family, being yourself, and not chasing all the clout and status is one of the reasons why I subscribed to you long ago, in an industry and time where everyone is chasing clout and status. Keep up the amazing work. I'll be here the whole time.

Ben Tossell's avatar

thank you so much will!

Lillian Liang Emlet's avatar

Great newsletter this week! Thank you for confirming the clunky Claude this week. So this week I started to play on codex

Ben Tossell's avatar

thank you! tell me how it is - today's newsletter (30th April) I talk about how i'm definitely codex-pilled